pg01-1 -- At last. My gravity neutralizer is complete. I will be the envy of the entire engineering department. - EEEE! - Raise your paw if you could see that coming. pg01-2 -- No! I told you -- dogs can't drink coffee. It's too much for your little system. - Last time you drank coffee I was picking fur out of the ceiling for a week. Okay, okay. Just some decaf. - With lick, this will trigger a flashback. pg02-1 -- What the heck is "JEQUIRITY"? - You know - the poisonous, red and black seed of the indian licorice plant. Want to challenge? - No. At least this has vowels. That's 7,045 for me and 65 for you. pg02-2 -- To his horror, Dilbert discovers that his white socks all have holes. "My goodness!" he cries, "I shall be forced to wear black socks to work!" - "If only my pants reached the top of my shoes, then the other engineers might not notice.", pg02-2 -- Dilbert despaired. What are you writing? - It's a geek tragedy. pg03-1 -- So, Dilbert, I understand this is the prototype you have been working on for the last six months. Yes, Sir. - This little baby can convert worthless pocket lint into a valuable parsley substitute! - Well ,this looks absolutely brilliant, pg03-1 -- and completely unmarketable. Thank you Sir. I'm technology driven. pg03-2 -- Did you ever get to thinking that maybe you are just an android, placed on Earth by an advanced civilization of huge radish-like aliens who are studying your every move? - No - Me neither. pg04-1 -- Welcome to Electrode Hut. I'm half your age and I know more about electronics than you ever will. May I help you? - Yes. I would like a half dozen niad pulse converters and an anza brush. - (I'm bluffing) This guy is *good*. Back to mowing pg04-1 -- lawns, junior. pg04-2 ** Please read these brochures carefully. It could save your life. What the heck is "Electronics Anonymous"? - Let's take the enclose quiz. Number one. How many functions do you have on your toaster? Does that include the toaster disk drive pg04-2 ** and **** ? - I think we can directly move to the "Emergency Application Form." pg05-1 -- - POW! - Regrettably, you violated my air space. pg05-2 -- You're kidding. - It's true. Nature compensates for weaknesses. That's why blind people have good hearing. - I guess that's also why dumb people have big mouths. pg06-1 -- Hmm... This looks interesting. - "Build your own Star Wars missile defense system from common household appliances. Send $25 for complete plans." - Sounds great... Uh, here's the catch, "Guaranteed to be as effective as the real thing." pg06-2 -- Low's Drugs And what can I get for you little fellow? - I want it all! Ha Ha Ha! Give me mouthwash, Gum, deodorant, lipstick, krazy glue. Yes; Yes, and some Rolaids, and - I panicked. pg07-1 -- I'm looking for a fine wool suit, in the $700 range. Something fashionable yet timeless. - Try this It's a $35 polyester beauty. You can use it for dining out or swimming. It's half your size. Gee, and ballbottoms too! - Sure, there's risk pg07-1 -- in being a fashion pioneer, but I guess I was just born for the spotlight. pg07-2 -- FONG'S No Pets! Remember to act human. - Egg rolls, hot and sour soup, curry chicken, and steamed rice. And a cat. - That's "catsup", my friend would like some *catsup*. Maybe something Siamese... pg08-1 -- Hey! Dilbert! Look at this. I discovered a hat that makes you talk funny. Try it! - Now say something. Okay, okay. - Ah feel like the North end of a Southbond prairie dawg. See? Gibberish. pg08-2 -- Whoa! Looks like we got a Pippin Hawk, a Prickly Beak Mountain Swatow, and a Yellow-tail quail. There's that robin again. - How is that you have spotted 1,300 exotic birds this morning and all I have seen is one robin? - Look! A pg08-2 -- Monkey-faced Disco Hawk!! Where?! pg09-1 -- Okay, I have one. A man has a goatee and a beret. Does he also like ice cream? Yes, if he smokes a pipe. - A man has light brown curly hair, wire-rimmed glasses, neat mustache and a nice sweater. Is he gay? Yes, or a law student. - Okay. A pg09-1 -- man has four pocket-protectors and one clip-on necktie. Is he paralyzed by attention to detail? What kind of pocket-protectors are they? pg09-2 -- I don't understand how you can become a certified Swemi by mail in three weeks. Oh, I'm just a trainee. - In the beginning you just keep it general. That way you build the confidence of your clientele. Let us begin. - Eventually, you will pg09-2 -- die... pg10-1 -- Ah-hah! Just as I suspected. - Here it is! Mathematical proof that attractive women exist only in aerobics classes and whit Volkswagen Rabbits! How do you explain Vianna White? - I wonder if Isaac Newton had a dog. Or a girlfriend. pg10-2 -- What do you think of this new Soviet policy of "openness"? - Actually, I'm not even sure that Gorbachev exists. - Guess I'm just kinda "Glasnostic." pg11-1 -- I've decided that I need to make some dog friends. But I don't even know what regular dogs do when they get together. - Well, I suppose they would bark like idiots, run around in circles, then sniff each other's butts. - You're kidding, pg11-1 -- right? Did I mention chewing on old bones? pg11-2 -- Do you think I look more like Rin Tin Tin or Lassie? Maybe Benji? - I dunno. Maybe a big furry egg. - Thank you for that little inspirational boost. pg12-1 -- You're in luck, Dogbert. We're going skiing! But I hate snow. - C'mon! Stop being a gloomy Gus. You're gonna love it It's great exercise and the view is spectacular! - Spectacular view. If you move around you won't turn into a furry chunk pg12-1 -- of ice. pg12-2 -- There. It's perfect. - What's that you've been working on? It's a stick-on Velcro shirt pocket. You can attach it to your chest hairs while swimming or showering. - Hmm...This just might work. 'course you may also be interested in my new pg12-2 -- Velcro chest hair. pg13-1 -- It's my first cake. Go on, give it a taste. Yum. - Mmm, great cake. But shouldn't this have some frosting? Oh no! Frosting is bad for you. A great cake should *not* have frosting! - Gee, I never knew that frosting was bad for me. That's pg13-1 -- why I licked it all off. pg13-2 -- Then after my hernia operation my allergies just made the arthritis that much worse. But this trick knee... I was coughing so hard that I thought my ulcer was gonna send me straight back to the emergency room... - HEART ATTACK - I win. pg14-1 -- And, like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike. I saw two snowflakes that were exactly alike. - - Uh...that's not the point. I didn't bring it up. pg14-2 -- Sometimes I think that the great unused portion of the brain holds strange powers, waiting to be discovered. - It's almost as if I can make this ball levitate off the ground with pure mind power. Let's see. MMMMMMM - Dang. Nothing. WUMP! pg15-1 -- - 9-7-6-P-U-D-L * click Hello! zees ees Fifi. Zank you for calling Dial-a-poodle... - ssssssssss pg15-2 -- TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS?!! This is impossible. My phone bill can't be twelve thousand dollars. Dogbert! - By any chance, would you know anything about these six thousand calls to Dial-a-poodle? - ...but with the chicken bone stuck in my pg15-2 -- throat, each time I tried to dial 911 for help, my little paw went into spasm and... And this went on for two weeks? pg16-1 -- This is ridiculous. You can't just create your own religion. - I got it all figured out. First I make a list of all the things people like. Then I tell them they can't do anything on the list. Then they give me money. - Well, that is the pg16-1 -- most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You're really hurting your chances for Apostle. pg16-2 -- Okay, let's assume you go ahead with your crazy idea to start a religion. How are you going to recruit disciples? - I took out an ad in the paper. I'm asking for people who are willing to give up all of their worldly goods and dedicate pg16-2 ** their lives to a little dog with glasses. Well, that should be the end of this silly fantasy. - And when you get over the embarrassment I hope you learn your lesson; that humans are not the simple, gullible creatures you thought they were! knock knock knock pg16-2 ** rrrring Would you like to answer the phone? I'll see who's at the door. pg17-1 -- Welcome, my children, to the first-ever congregation of the Church of the Dog. Hey, what do we believe in anyway? - Believe? ... Uh, well, we got a supreme being I think, and a list of things we feel bad about doing.....and, uh... But who pg17-1 -- do we hate? - Hate? Uh, well, how about car salesmen? I'm in. Get my checkbook. pg17-2 -- Master Dogbert, I have studied the Holy Book of Dog as you ordered, but I still don't understand. - How can I help you my son? This seems to be a plain old dictionary. - Granted, some interpretation will be necessary. I figured that out at pg17-2 -- "M". pg18-1 -- U.S. Mail Excuse me. - I noticed that your letter has insufficient postage. In exchange for your immortal soul I can ensure that it gets through without a hitch. Slow day. pg18-2 -- I am the Prince of Darkness, Lucifer, Mephistopheles!! Worship me you insignificant mortal! Got any I.D.? - rrrr.... - It's blank. Can't be photographed. Get it? pg19-1 -- For some reason I always thought you would be, uh..., I guess, more... Impressive? - Actually, this Satan job used to be a lot more important. - But now, most of the world's evil has been franchised out on a percentage basis. That explains pg19-1 -- Chicken McNuggets. pg19-2 -- Satan, I'd like you to meet my little sidekick, Dogbert. Charmed. - Relax Dogbert. I've been treated worse at the corner bank. Oh, *THAT* makes me feel better. -Eventually, Dogbert did relax, as he, Dilbert, and Stan talked well into the pg19-2 -- night. Well what about "New Coke"? That must have been one of yours. Ha, Ha...No. That was just luck. pg20-1 -- Well, I had a great time talking to you, but I gotta go. Where is your nearest portal to hell? My what? - What makes you think this house has one of those "Portals to Hell"? Every house has one! Usually two. Ah...here's one. - Erg! Umph! pg20-1 -- Well now, this is one good argument against getting a large screen projection unit. pg20-2 -- Hey, look, what Satan forgot when he left through the T.V.! - Foosh! - Be careful. You could put somebody's eye out with that thing. Right. pg21-1 -- Gosh. According to this survey, a single woman over the age of 35 has the same odds of getting married as being killed by terrorists. - Of the women over 35 who do eventually get married, how many marry terrorists? - One in four. pg21-2 -- Well, here it is: my first ever issue of Generic News. I can sell millions of these babies! - Let's see, Pope denounces war...Iran attacks Iraq...Iraq attacks Iran...Economic indicators mixed...Survey results show that people want more pg21-2 -- money... - I think you're on to something here. How much is it? A thousand dollars. You only need one. pg22-1 -- What do you mean you built a robot dog?!! You can't replace me!! Calm down, Dogbert. - Awf AAAGHH!! The devil dog! Help! Help! - I was created to serve your every need, Master Dogbert. Okay, he can stay. But you owe me one. pg22-2 -- Ta-dah! My artificial intelligence program is complete. Now for a test run... - Good work is more important than good looks... - Hmm... Must have transposed a digit here somewhere. click click click pg23-1 -- Are you going to eat Chinese food with that pushy guy again? Ralph isn't pushy - he's assertive. Ding dong - Yo Dilbo! What took ya so long? Hey, would you mind watering your lawn and shaving the dog before we go? Uh, okay... - He's tough, pg23-1 -- but he's fair. Mind if I change the furniture? pg23-2 -- Smoking or non-smoking? Non-smoking! And non-baby, non-wimp, non-idiot, and non-Republican. - Gosh Ralph, I really admire the way you get exactly what you want. - It's easy, really. The secret is realizing that people enjoy being told what pg23-2 -- to do. People hate wimps. - We'll have the lobster. Then I would like you to go outside and wax my car. And have these other customers removed. Very good, Sir! Thank you! Thank you! pg24-1 -- - Greetings Earth dog. We have traveled four beldines to find out why Earth pets are forced to eat from dirty little bowls, white Earth humans use fine chins. - Well, basically, it's political. It all began after the unsuccessful poodle pg24-1 -- rebellion in France around 1723... Better use pencil... pg24-2 -- Oh, please, please, please... - Yay! It is here! - The quality of life certainly has improved since I signed up for the Toast of the Month Club. pg25-1 -- Making soup? No. Studying astronomy. - Smells like soup. No, astronomy. - Buoillons and bouillions... pg25-2 -- Look Dilbert, if you want to meet women you have to take positive action. - Like what? Look in the Yellow Pages under "Desperate"? - It says, "See listing under Pathetic Nerd." Try looking under "Floozy." sh006a -- Dogbert, see who's at the door. DING DONG - Hi. I'm from the "Big Ball Wrecking Company." I have a work order to destroy this house. - Looks like you have the wrong address. This is Walnut *Avenue*. Walnut *Street* is clear across town. - Oh sh006a -- Phlegm! I don't have time to drive way over there. - Would it be a bother if I just leveled this house instead. - That would be a tad inconvenient. Try the Johnsons, next door. - What was that lod noise? Apparently the Johnsons aren't home. sh007a -- You've been watching this video tape over and over for days. - These Tennis instruction tapes are great. I can just feel my game improving as I watch. - In fact, I see no need to physically play the game ever again. sh007b -- Maybe I should write a book. - Nah... Maybe I should just read a book. - Maybe I'll just read the TV guide... Maybe I'll just watch whatever's on and turn into pudding... sh007c -- Sometimes I feel like a kid in an adult's body, hoping nobody notices. - It's as if I stopped maturing and just started faking it after age fourteen. - I'll bet women never feel that way. Cooties sh008a -- Hold it right here, Fella! - Uh-oh...you must have seen me eat that grape in aisle "B". I just want to make sure you pay for it. - Looks like 192 pounds. What where you before you came in? Happy. sh008b -- It's just man against fish out here, my friend. - Although it's a bit of a mismatch, with my superior brain, equipment and strength. - Boy, all that and he can water-ski, too. sh008c -- Scientists have discovered the gene that makes some people love golf. - How can they tell it's the golf gene? - It's plaid and it lies. I probably shouldn't rely on you for my science updates. sh009a -- They were rude to me on the bank again, Dogbert - I've had enough... Sic 'em, boy!! - 6 month CDs 3% OPEN - Hi. I'm David Packard; billionaire founder of Hewlett-Packard. - I'd like to put all of my money into one of your non-interest bearing sh009a -- accounts. - You're not David Packard. You're just a dreadful little dog with glasses. - Then again...I've never seen a picture of David Packard... I'd better open the account. - Very good. Now give me fifty push-ups or I'll take my business sh009a -- elsewhere. sh010a -- WHAP!! Why is it okay to kill flies but not okay to kill dolphins? - Is the poor fly any less deserving of our respect and protection? - Hold still...there's a dolphin on your forehead. I've added the A.S.P.C.A. to our speed dialer. sh010b -- Helen just canceled our date. What excuse this time? - Apparently she discovered tiny frozen cavemen in her ice cube trays and she's trying to revive them for science. - Are you the least bit suspicious of that story? Yeah... How do I know they sh010b -- aren't just actors pretending to be cavemen? sh010c -- Tonight Siskel and Ebert review Dilbert's life. - ...boring and stupid... look out, gene; I'm gonna have to spit to get the taste out of my mouth... - I hate when they do these theme shows. Oops. Sorry, gene. click sh011a -- And another of life's mysteries is, why do they call it the "Great Wall of China"? - It never relly kept any invading armies out...kind of dismal flop from an engineering perspective. - I don't think "The Dismal Flop of China" would have the sh011a -- same tourist appeal. I wouldn't pay to see it. sh011b -- My terrarium experiment is a failure. - By now it should have started its own self-contained weather patterns. - After all this waiting, it's just so... so... Anti-climatic? sh011c -- Isn't it stupid that the world economy is based on gold? - Yeah...no matter how advanced civilization gets, we still use rocks for money. - The dumb part is using a rock that's so hard to find. sh012a -- Hi, Dilbert. Hi, Frank. - My name is Eddy, not Frank. - Oh...right. Sorry, Eddy. This is so embarrassing. - Forgetting somebody's name is the worst insult in the world. - Now my self-esteem has been damaged. My job performance will drop sh012a -- accordingly, and I'll be fired. - The stress is starting to affect my immune system. I'm getting a cold. I'm Dogbert. Nice to meet you, Frank. sh013a -- I'm writing a poem for a woman I just met. Women love poems. - Your Legs How wonderful your legs are, You can even ask my mutt, - 'Cause if you didn't have 'em, the ground would hit your butt. sh013b -- Yo, Dilbert, give me your lunch money or I'll erase your data diskettes. - Touch my data and I'll rease any mention of you from the main payroll computer. No...please, I'm sorry. - Nothing is more pathetic than an aging school bully. I sh013b -- took shop; I can make you some nice bookends. sh013c -- I've decided it't time to stoptalking about world hunger and start *doing* something! - Let others debate policies. My time is to act now. - You're going to buy a smarmy bumper sticker, aren't you? Darn straight. sh014a -- I wish this guy wouldn't try to be polite and hold the door. - I'm at that awkward distance where I should lunge forward so hedoesn't have to hold the door too long. Oh, thank you. - Great. Now I'm late. I lunged as fast as I could. Sorry. sh014b -- Hey, how are you, What's happenin'? - Good to see you. I'm fine. Great, great. Take care. - I guess there was no real need for mr to participate in that. sh014c -- All of us cosmopolitan guys use credit cards to pay for dinner. - Uh-oh. I never know which part of the paperwork to keep. I know something gets ripped up... - ...and by the time I noticed the tablecloth was tangled up with the carbon sh014c -- paper, I had ripped both of them to bits. And that's wrong? sh015a -- AAACHOO! - Great. Now I've got your cold. Sniffle - I'll get some medicine from the store. - Hi, Dogbert. AACHOO - AACHOO! Sorry...Dilbert's cold. - ...and seven nations are paralyzed by what is being called "Dilbert's Cold." Gosh. I might sh015a -- have that, too. sniff sh016a -- I was mugged, but I got a good look at him. I'll get a police artist. - ...a big head, and kind of a frightened expression... - Perfect. Looks just like me. Now let's do the mugger. He was sort of off to the left here. sh016b -- What's all the writing for? It's called "affirmations." - The theory is that if you write down your objective fifteen times a day, the objective will be achieved, no matter how unlikely. - But you've written "Dilbert will be eaten by a sh016b -- garden slug." It's all I could think of. sh016c -- Dogbert continues his reckless experiment with the powerful force of "affirmations." ...what if this actually works? - Can you really cause me to be eaten by a garden slug just by writing it down over and over? - What am I saying? sh016c -- Logically, there's no way this could work. Don't get too far from salt. sh017a -- Uh oh...double doors. One side is always locked and I make a fool of myself trying to open it. - Which side is it? Left? Right? People are watching. Think, think... - Tht's when I noticed that the ventilation ducts were big enough for a sh017a -- human to crawl through. Too bad they didn't lead outside. sh017b -- All mammals have hair. - Whales are mammals... Therefore, whales have hair. - Shave the whales. sh017c -- Dilbert, let me introduce you to our new engineer. - I hate introductions. I always forget their names. Maybe I can use a word association menory trick. - Hi, I'm Dee Alamo. Darn...nothing. sh018a -- Puff puff puf - How was your run? Great...I feel awful. - Pardon a simple dog for asking, but why do you run if it feels awful? - Well, If I do it every day, I'll live a longer life. - So, life will feel awful, but at least it will last a sh018a -- long time. Unless I get hit by a truck... sh019a -- Here's an interesting editorial... - This guy says we should increas the pay of congressmen to remove incentive for them to engage in illegal acts. - By that theory, criminals aren't bad, just underpaid. sh019b -- Okay then, suppose you had everything you wanted. What would you do? - Gloat. Make everybody else feel like failures. Live a garish and decadent life. - And when that gets boring? Maybe start my own perfume company. sh019c -- YIKES! What are you?! Do not panic. I am your ego. - My ego?? ...Shouldn't you be inside me someplace? Well, yes, normally we egos feed within the body. - So what the heck are you doing out here? You're starving me, man, I'm going to try sh019c -- out for a play or something. sh020a -- Well, if you're my ego, I order you to get back inside me. - You don't seem to understand who's in charge here. Wihout me, you're *nothing*! - I do feel a bit insecure... Now dance for me, *HA HA HA*, dance! sh020b -- Maybe just one donut before bed. He takes the bait. - zing SPLOIT!! - Didn't I ask you to stop playing "wild kingdom" in the house? Now angered, the engineer turns to charge. sh020c -- I've been considering acupuncture as a way to relieve stress. - The theory her eist that sticking large needles into your body will help you relax? - It sounds silly when *you* say it. Sometines sarcasm helps us think more clearly. sh021a -- Did I evern tell you what dogs think about the universe? - We believe in infinite parallel universes, all slightly different. - For example, in our universe, Vincent van Gogh cut his ear off to demonstrate his love for a woman. - But, in a sh021a -- parallel universe, van Gogh loses the ear in a tragic toenail clipping accident... - ...Vinnie clips the nail, and it just goes flyin' up and rips his ear clean off. - In yet another universe, maybe he had a dog who talked his ear off. sh021c -- This is why dogs rarely discuss their beliefs. sh022a -- QUICK, QUICK! GIVE ME YOUR HAND!!! - AAACHOOO - Thanks...I always put a hand over my mouth when I sneeze. sh022b -- I'm enjoying the new informal approach at the white house. - I just hope it doesn't embarrass us in the international community. - Doggone it, I told you to set up a meeting with *Gorby*! What's a Gorby? sh022c -- I have a stupid question... There are no stupid questions. - That's ridiculous...if there are no stupid questions then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions? - Were you going to ask me sh022c -- something? See... Now there's a stupid question. sh023a -- What does a dog school have in common with the TV show "sixty minutes"? - They both have "hairy reasoners." Uh...right. - And people wonder why dogs sometimes turn on their owners... sh023b -- Well...I would date you... - But frankly I think of you as a boring and unattractive blob of organic matter... - So let's just be friends. sh023c -- Well, Dilbert, will our idea work from a technical perspective? - I wasn't listening... Now I'll have to babble abour irrelevant technical things until they lose consciousness. - And in conclusion, never underestimate the power of sh023c -- technology. zzz zzz zzz sh024a -- Dilbert, the boss would like to talk to you. - You wanted me? Ah, Dilbert, come in. - I'm taking two weeks of vacation and I need competent leadership while I'm gone. - At last he's giving me an assignment with responsibility. - That's why sh024a -- I got this talking sock monkey. Pull the string twice a day and do what he says. sh025a -- Hmm...says there that Michael Jackson is considering even more plastic surgery. - That explains why he wanted to buy the remains of the "Elephant Man." - For spare parts? Well, it wasn't for the ivory. sh025b -- Pardon me, Sir, but I couldn't help noticing these equations in your garbage. - I took the liberty of correcting a few quantum calculations. - Gosh. Why are you a garbage man? I think the question is "Why are *you* an engineer?" sh025c -- I understand that you're the world's smartest garbage man. - I'm Dogbert, the world's smartest dog; according to me, anyway. - I just wondered why you choose to be a garbage man. I think it was the glamour which first intrigued me. sh026a -- Do you ever feel like doing something really strange? - Sometimes I get the urge to break into the post office at night and lick all the stamps. - Well...that's not *too* strange. Then I would see how long I can stick to the wall by my tongue. sh026b -- Sometimes I feel like I'm just an actor on the cosmic stage of life. - Maybe I'm Dustin Hoffman in a doggie costume. - I better find a mirror and check my fur for a zipper. sh026c -- God spoke to me today. He appointed me ruler of all creatures on earth. - God did *not* speak to you. - It was worth a shot. sh027a -- Be honest, Dogbert, Do you think I'm a gifted inventor... - ...or just a pathetic dweeb who contributes nothing to humanity? - Well...uh...I think... - In my mind, you are the "tube sock of inventors.! - Really? Gosh...thank you...wait, that's sh027a -- good, right? Of course, it must be good. - Ambiguity succeeds where honesty dares not venture. sh028a -- This is the new "Hot Line" phone to the Kremlin. My company won the bid to engineer the new model. - That's a fully functional prototype, so don't mess with it. - So, Gorby, I understand you've been finger-painting with your forehead... sh028b -- Dogbert play a reckless prank with Dilbert's prototype "Hot-Line" to the Kremlin Hey, Gorby, did you hear this quote... - "Communism is the most painful path between capitalism and capitalism." - "Fire one"? Ha ha ha...what a kidder you are. sh028c -- Some say it is man's ability to reason which separates him from mere animals. Yeah, but... - Surely you realize that in the animal kingdom there is no equivalent to "all-star wrestling." - Ooh-we're missing it right now. Stomp your foot twice sh028c -- if you're following any of this at all. sh029a -- YIKES!!! A SKUNK IN THE HOUSE!!! - Oh, don't worry; we skunks only spray when we're scared...I certainly wouldn't use my threatening power to force you to do my bidding. - Then why is your tail twitching?! I'm scared you might not offer me a sh029a -- big bowl of strawberry ice cream. sh029b -- Dilbert is threatened by an abusive skunk. That's right: A big bowl of ice cream could keep me from being afraid and reflexively spraying your living room. - This blackmail! My goodness, no. It's just that I can't control my fear response. - sh029b -- Now I'm afraid that you won't sing the songs from "Cats" while I eat. sh029c -- Dust. Where does it come from? How does it get under your bed? - Is it a natural phenomenon or a message to ancient astronauts? - Tomorrow on "Geraldo," "Dust: What's it all mean?" It means you're pretty much out of topics. sh030a -- I bought a phone answering machine. Was the phone asking you questions you couldn't answer on your own? - The hard part is thinking of a greeting message. - "Hi. This is Dilbert. I'm not here right now." - "Well, technically I am here 'now'..." sh030a -- - "But 'now' is a relative term, so use your best judgement in deciding whether I'm here." - Hmm...that was actually a creative little message. Demonstrating, once again, that subtle difference between creativity and complex stupidity. sh031a -- That's right...cough-cough! ...I won't be in to work...cough-wheeze-cough... - Bad cold? Well, no, actually I have a bad headache... - But I don't know how to make a headache sound over the phone. sh031b -- I got hit by a rented car. - Hertz? Not any more, but thanks for asking. - That's about all the sympathy I can muster for one day. sh031c -- I'm afraid I'll never figure out how to make my invention work. You are too logical. Use the right side of your brain. - Hmm...Yes, I must call on my creative side... - Now it doesn't work *and* I want to cry. sh032a -- My computer has determined the funniest words in the world... - They include chainsaw, weasel, prune and any reference to "Gilligan's Island." Now I can make my own jokes! - ...so then the skipper gets attacked by this prune-eating weasel sh032a -- with a chainsaw... Heh-heh... sh032b -- Dogbert, I can't sleep...do you know any folk-remedies? - I recommend spreading grape jelly on your torso and slapping your forehead against an overripe cantaloupe. - This must be how all folk remedies get started. Slap slap slap sh032c -- Uh-oh...toll booth ahead. Turn down the radio...get exact change ready. - Good morning. - I wonder if it's normal to want the toll-taker to like me. sh033a -- Santa! Merry Christmas, Dogbert! - I'm glad you're up... I'm having a little trouble with your christmas list. - In your letter you say you want to be named supreme ruler of earth. Is that a problem? - fRankly, my workshop is more oriented sh033a -- toward small consumer goods... Can I have al elf? - Has G.I. Joe taken up ballet, or is this something I don't want to know about? sh034a -- Free Hypnosis Lessons! Hmm... - There's probably some catch, but it's worth a look. - ...a wonderful class... I must tell my friends. sh034b -- I'm thinking of getting a tattoo. - On my shoulder...something tasteful yet timeless. I don't want to regret it later. - Any suggestions? How about "Kick Me"? sh034c -- Doing a little cleaning? Let me give you a hand... - Wait...I can't lend a hand; all I have are these little paws. - You'd make a good lawyer. Charming...I offer to help and he insults me. sh035a -- Oh, sure, Dan Quayle may be Vice President of the United States... - ...but he still puts his pants on one leg at a time. - Oh, Lord, not this again... sh035b -- I was rewarded today for perfect attendance at work. What do you get? - A day off with pay. - It's a miracle your species has survived this long. sh035c -- Let me get this straight...you say that *bad* gramma can become *good* grammar over time? - Yes. If a bunch of intellectuals start using a word wrong, the it becomes proper in common usage. - Grammar would be a lot less confusing if we had sh035c -- smarter intellectuals. sh036a -- Put on your party hat, Dogbert. It's almost 1990. - Do you have any new year's resolutions? - A few... - I resolve to show no tolerance for those less fortunate... - Redefine morality to suit my short term objectives... - And conquer the sh036a -- planet Earth and make all the inhabitants my slaves. - I don't think you've captured the spirit of this resolution thing. You're just jealous because I took all the good ones. sh037a -- I'm grumpy today, so don't even try to talk to me. - And don't try to flatter me or give me chocolate cake to make me feel better. - And I guess I shouldn't scratch you behind the ears until you have little leg spasms. Right. None of that. sh037b -- I'm starting to write an unauthorized biography about you. - It's kind of a "pet and tell" expose full of startling revelations. - Who would be startled by *my* life? - I think *you* will be. sh037c -- Are you really going through with the unauthorized biography of me? Yes. - I'm up to the part where Jackie "O" and Liz Taylor fight a duel for your love. - Tragically, neither are aware that you're carrying Steve Garvey's baby! tap tap tap sh038a -- Welcome to another meeting of the "Skeptic's Society." - Tonight we will use scientific methods to debunk Edna Griffin's claim that she can turn an audience into a flock of chickens. We'll need some volunteers... - Motion to adjourn... sh038a -- Whoa, look at the time! sh038b -- Good news: The "all-you-cac-eat" salad bar joint just decided to stay open twenty-four hours a day! - We can get a table by the window and live there for the rest of our lives-for only $5.95 apiece! - How would we bathe? They have little sh038b -- "moist towlettes." sh038c -- Do you have something for a headache? - I'm pretty sure this will do the trick. - Thanks. I wonder if meant something to *get rid* of a headache. Nah... sh039a -- Bob's Classy Clothes OPEN - ...And you're quite certain these will shrink to fit? You have my word as a retail salesman. - - You were taken. No, they shrink in the wash. - Will they fit now? Like a glove... - Like a glove with two fingers. sh040a -- I've got to get out of this bad mood somehow. - I'll have to find somebody innocent to blame...and make him plead for my forgiveness. - Hi, Dogbert. Is that some kind of an insult? sh040b -- I can feel the static electricity building... shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle - shuffle shuffle - shuffle shuffle I most certainly will *not* call you "Thor, Dog of Thunder." Prepare to die. sh040c -- Maybe since you're full of static electricity, you should say "It is useless to be a resistor." Hee-hee-hee. - ZAP!! - Nothing annoys the "Dog of Thunder" quite as much as nerd puns. sh041a -- Let's go...it's time to renew your dog license. - Department of Dogs - I wonder what happens if I fail the written test? sh041b -- I'm sorry, but it seems you've failed the written portion of the dog license test. Impossible! - For example, this question on "natural enemies": The correct answer is "Mailman." You wrote-in "Fax-Machine." - How'd it go? The "Department sh041b -- of Dogs" does not keep up with emerging trends. sh041c -- I think it's my fuel pump. Your what? - What I mean is I think it's my @#!#* fuel pump. - Well, why didn't you just #$@* say so? Sorry...I forgot where I was. sh042a -- You know, many great men kept diaries. Not to mention the entire Kirk Cameron Fan Club. - Monday: Woke up. Went to work. Came home. Ate. Watched T.V. and went to bed. - Well, this was both therapeutic and satisfying. - Sometimes it's good sh042a -- to bare your soul like that. - Who the heck is Kirk Cameron? Tuesday: See "Monday." sh043a -- You what?!! I got a job a a substitute school teacher. - You aren't qualified to be a teacher. You're a dog. Little kids won't know the difference. - You do remind me a bit of my fourth grade teacher. Just a coincidence? sh043b -- Can't I talk you out of becoming a substitute teacher? Don't worry. - I won't damage the little tykes. - Day one Good morning, children. I'm Mr. Dogbert. Are you flammable? sh043c -- Day one as a substitute teacher Jennifer! Put that flame-thrower away right this minute! - Eugene! Release those hostages or I shall be forced to fling this chalk eraser at your head! - Is that a "stinger" missile launcher? Well, I hope sh043c -- you brought enough for everybody! I did. sh044a -- Okay, class...put your weapons away and open your TV guides. - Timmy, please read aloud the passage from "Falcon Crest" under the friday listings. - There's got to be a better way to teach sex education. sh044b -- How was your first day as a substitute school teacher? - Imagine feeling completely powerless...like a marble statue... - Gosh...that sounds pretty bad. Now imagine the biggest flock of pigeons you ever saw... sh044c -- I think I'm losing my hair. - Don't be silly. You aren't losing your hair. - I'm not? Oh, good. How could you possibly lose these huge clumps... sh045a -- KNOCK KNOCK - Hi. I'm from the "Organization for the protection of ugly people." - We are dedicated to eliminating the stereotype of ugly people as "smart" and "nice." - Okay, I'll make a donation. - Thanks, but this is a membership sh045a -- drive... - I'm never going to answer the door again. Didn't he recognize you as his god? sh046a -- ...and women have always played hard to get... - Dilbert and Eve Then how about a date next year? I'd love to, but I don't have a thing to wear. sh046b -- Normally I'd give you six months to live. - But we're having a "50% off sale" today, so I'll give you a full year for the same price. - And you get an extra ten days if you pay cash! sh046c -- ...and the doctor gave me just a year to live. - I'm sorry, little guy... I don't know how you'll manage without me. - Would it be too much trouble to paint the house before you go? sh047a -- It seem s we had a mix-up with your test results. Then I'm not dying? - We doctors are amazingly smart, but occasionally we make a little error. - Well...I understand. By the way, your pap smear was normal. sh047b -- By my calculations, we can make millions by combining a mortuary business and a garbage collection business. - Our customerscouls simply leave the dearly departed by the curb for pick-up. - Maybe we could add Pizza delivery, too. - Let's sh047b -- not a good idea too far. sh047c -- I hate fancy hotels like this... - Am I expected to tip the maid when I leave? - I could ask that concierge guy... Can I trust a guy with a french-sounding job? ...and do I have to tip *him*? sh048a -- Ha ha ha! My scheme to conquer Earth is right on track! - I've been approved for a Macys credit card! - I'll use this credit history to apply for Visa and Mastercard. - Soon I'll have credit cards from every bank in the world. - Then I'll sh048a -- do a cash advance on every card, netting billions to form a worldwide lottery prize. - And everybody who supports me as supreme ruler of earth gets one free lottery ticket. You know, most dogs would be delighted just to get a nice sh048a -- chew-toy. sh049a -- I've decided to write down all the so-called "unwritten rules." - So far I have "don't phone after tem P.M." and...uh... - That's it? How about "don't throw porcupines in a balloon store"? sh049b -- While you were wasting your time at work I came up with a million dollar idea. - It's the "MAdonna Sun Tan Lotion Applicator" for lonely guys!! - I'll take one. It looks like Barbie on a stick, but it's Madonna. sh049c -- No, you may *not* borrow the car to go cruising. I think we should vote on it. - Heh-heh...Okay, but a tie means no change in the decision. - I'm glad he didn't demand a recount. sh050a -- According to my research, dogs are exempt from human laws. - The great part is that I can commit any crime and my owner will be held fully responsible. - I'm hoping you won't take a selfish view on this. sh050b -- Thanks for asking me out. Would you like to see my operating manual? - Operating manual? It's an aid to men. It covers everything from "buying flowers" to "opening doors." - Looks like you're due to have your jewelry rotated. sh050c -- What's all the racket? I'm singing the "greens." - Is that like the "Blues"? - Same beat, just not so darned depressing. - Oooh...my car needs a tune up and I overslept ten minutes baaabee... sh051a -- Sorry, I don't date guys from work. - I'll resign... Sorry, I don't date unemployed guys. - I...I'll get a new job...one you approve of. - Sorry, I don't date guys with your social security number. - So, it turns out her unlucky number has sh051a -- nine digits in it... But she knows my social security number, so I think there's some interest in it... sh052a -- Ugh...what time is it? ...where am I? ...Who am I? - Must be morning...is it a work day? Do I have a job?... Is it worth getting up for? - "Morning amnesia": Nature's way of keeping you from walking up screaming. sh052b -- Dogbert, we can't stand hiding around the house anymore. - We dinosaurs ruled this planet once. Now we just hide in people's houses, pretending to be extinct. - Dawn, it's time for our comeback tour. I think some of Elvis' jumpsuits will fit. sh052c -- We'll kick off the dinosaur comeback tour by singing "My Way." - Then we'll break the instruments, wade into the crowd and bite the head off somebody in the front row! - "Ozzy Osborne" already did that. sh053a -- Ice cream - LOOK OUT! - Sorry. I've been really jumpy ever since the ice age caught me off guard. sh053b -- Dogbert performs a scientific test of so-called "Women's intuition." I'm thinking of a number between one and ten. - 5.1362894...no, I'll say three. - Wrong! The answer is 5.1362894...I'm beginning to wonder if you're really a woman. sh053c -- You've heard the *other* tire company imply that our child's safety depends on its product... - That's nothing. If you don't buy *our* tires your whole stinkin' extended family will croak!!! - And don't get too attached to the family dog, sh053c -- either. HA HA HA HA HA!! sh054a -- Be candid, Dilbert. We have a corporatephilosophy that says we "don't shoot the messenger." Good. - Had you consulted with the engineering department, you never would have launched such an ill-conceived product. - It is doomed to fail. You will sh054a -- all be humiliated and and probably fired. - CAN'T I JUST WIG HIM?!! No, Eileen, that's not our philosophy. - It turns out the corporate philosophy is a very flexible document. You're getting tar on the carpet. sh055a -- Dogbert...napping again? - Don't you know that many famous people functioned with very little sleep...? There were Jackie Gleason, Ben Franklin, Napoleon... - I like to think I'm more attractive than any of those guys. sh055b -- ...so to do our part for east-west relations... - I've decided to host a dog from the Soviet exchange program. WHAT? - Dogbert, I'd like you to meet Nikita... Nikita Dorgachev. Charmed. sh055c -- Dogbert meets the Soviet-exchange program dog. He seems harmless. Geetings, comrade Dogbert. - I have come to learn capitalist system from dog's perspective. - ...and your god is Donald Trump? I don't think it's official yet. sh056a -- You see, Dorgy, under our capitalist system anybody can become rich. How? - Inheritance and crime are the most popular methods. - Which is preferred method? It's best to have your parents do the crime and let you inherit it. sh056b -- Dorgy, why are you dressed like a maid? Dogbert is teaching me capitalism. - Today I am lowly maid. But with hard work I will be promoted to job as major industrialist. Right? - Apparently there is flaw in the system. Yeah, but we blame it on sh056b -- the Japanese. sh056c -- The great thing about dogs is their loyalty. - I flushed all of your sweaters down the john, because it is fun. - Dogs are honest, too. And I'll do it again HA HA HA! sh057a -- I read that dinosaurs evolved into the bird family. That's exactly correct, Dogbert. - But most people don't realize that there was a very difficult period when some dinosaurs started evolving into birds. - "Learning to fly was the hardest sh057a -- part." - "And living in trees was a real nuisance." - Boy, that sounds tough. The tragic part is that we did it just for the "bonus miles." sh058a -- Hello, isd this the library reference desk? Yes. - What's the average running speed of the tazmanian boola-boola dog? 8.3 miles per hour. - I can't believe she knew that. And you have something stuck in your teeth. sh058b -- I've got a blind date with the lady who works at the library reference desk. What if she's ugly? - Looks aren't important. She sounded very smart over the phome, and I'm attracted to intelligent women. Oh...right. - Uh...should I talk, or will sh058b -- you be reading my thoughts directly? sh058c -- So, um...how do you like working at the library reference desk? - It's pretty good, now that I've memorized all the books. No more flipping through pages... - I'm feeling a bit inadequate at the moment. - Don't worry. I'll just think about sh058c -- other things while you're talking. sh059a -- Gosh, Brainella, I've never dated a woman as smart as you before... - Let's just start right in talking about all kinds of smart stuff. C'mon, give me your best shot. I'm not intimidated. - Not here. If your brain explodes, it'll ruin my sh059a -- outfit. sh059b -- Pssst! Dogbert. - I brought my date home for some coffee. Please don't make any comments about her...uh...looks. - Brainella, this is Dogbert. The queen of Light bulbs? sh059c -- Doesn't "fast" mean not eating? - So how can you have "Fast Food"? - And how much would I have to eat before I starved to death? sh060a -- I programmed the computer to predict what people will be like in 200 years. - What assumptions are you making? - It's based on trends in today's youth. - For example, we know that science skills are declining, more kids are overweight, and sh060a -- selfishness is rising. - A.D. 2190 I heard that Bobby exploded. I wonder why that keeps happening. Who cares? More for us. sh061a -- This is Uncle Phil before he died hang gliding. - Did he hit a tree? Let's just say he didn't read the hang glider manual very carefully. - I wonder if there's another reason it's called hang gliding. Nah... sh061b -- I decided to recognize you for your performance. - So I named one of my pencils after you. - Gosh. Is that it right there? no. That's my good pencil. sh061c -- This is so nice... Just a man and his mutt out for a walk. "Mutt"?! - I think of it more as a "canine and a clod" or a "dog and a dummy"... Maybe a pooch and a pinhead" or a "bowser and a blockhead." - I think that's enough. A "hound and a sh061c -- hiney." sh062a -- Here's a picture of my uncle just before he was drafted. He was awarded elevel purple hearts. - He was wounded eleven times? Uncle William insisted that his friends call him "Will"... - OKAY, MEN, FIRE AT WILL!! sh062b -- Hello? This is your bank. - We're having trouble meeting payroll... Could you come down and make some deposits right away? - Will you take a check? From *you*? sh062c -- "Urgent memo to all employees:" Uh-oh. Looks important. - "If we are to remain cometitive, you must proactively improve quality on all actionable items!" - Wow! That was inspiring. My heart is pounding. I'm all tingly... - I'd better take the sh062c -- rest of the day off... sh063a -- I like your dress. Women are flattery. - It reminds me of my favorite dish cloth. Uh-oh... wrong thing to say. - Of course, I'm not talking about an *ordinary* dish cloth. Dig, dig... - I'm talking about a truly fashionable dish cloth here... sh063a -- In fact, if I dropped jello on my shoes I'd leave it there all day rather than use your dress to wipe it up. - Some women just don't know how to accept a compliment gracefully. sh064a -- Look what I won, Dogbert! It's a trophy for perfect attendance! - Since *you*'ve never won a trophy, I thought you might get some vicarious joy by dusting and waxing *my* trophy every day. Here. - I hope that trophy doesn't go to my head. sh064b -- Mister garbage man, what is life? Well, Dogbert... - Life is like old cantaloupe rinds wrapped in a faded newspaper and sprinkled with wet coffee grounds. - Life is garbage? Call me a romantic. sh064c -- Sometimes I think gravity is only an illusion. - Maybe other great thinkers realized gravity is mental and were thus freed of its restrictions. - Which would explain why all the smart people have apparently been flung into space. It's time for sh064c -- "Wheel of Fortune." sh065a -- I can tell what my date is thinking by her body language. - Her body is telling me "let's cuddle by a fireplace..." - "I'll get some firewood," she says... sh065b -- I really enjoy these quiet times we have. - Jus delicious silence. No annoying noise. No inane chatter. - Apparently you don't listen to you, either. sh065c -- Yo! Dilbert and Dogbert! Oh no... Hi, Vernon. Yo. - The most boring person I know... Gotta get out of here but I'm too polite. Did I ever tell you about my favorite episode of "Kojak"? - Whoa! Vern, we gotta go before you turn our brains into sh065c -- tapioca! There's always the direct method. sh066a -- Yes? I'm demanding a new wage and benefits package. - I already give you everything you want... - And in return you give me disloyalty, verbal abuse and occasional legal problems. - Okay, it's a good job, but I'm putting in twenty-four hours a sh066a -- day! - I think I deserve some sort of special recognition for my good work. - Employee of the month. I'm positively giddy. You edged out the toaster by two votes. sh067a -- Riding elevators is so awkward. - Stare straight ahead...don't breathe...don't fidget...don't blink...arms hang like limp weights... - I think he's dead. Above all, act naturally. sh067b -- It's amazing that dogs never seem to sweat. - That's because I sneak into your bedroom every morning and use your deodorant before you can wake up - Oh...well, it's amazing that dogs don't need to brush their teeth. That reminds me - our sh067b -- tooth-brush is getting spongy. sh067c -- Men don't whistle at me anymore. - I credit the women's movement for making men more sensitive to how whistling degrades women. - What's the climate like on your planet? sh068a -- Dogbert, I have come for you. YOW! - Wait wait! Don't I get to challenge you to some contest to play for my life!!? - Okay...I throw this frisbee - you try to catch it in your mouth. Did you have anything more degrading? sh068b -- Dogbert tries to cheat death ...so, if you catch the frisbee you can live. Wait! - I've never been much of an athlete...let's play "Scrabble" for my life instead. - How much time are you allowed for your turn? I'll see you in August, bone boy. sh068c -- Let's go see the new Alfred Hitchcock movie. How could there be a "new" Hitchcock movie? It's some kind of a sequel. - ALFRED HITCHCOCK presents THE FISH sh069a -- A home video? "Dogbert versus Godzilla." We'll use Bob the dinosaur as Godzilla and you can be Raymond Burr! - Shouldn't Godzilla get top billing? Quiet on the set!! Dogbert is letting me be the "key grip." Darn! All I got was the Raymond Burr sh069a -- role. - In this first scene, Bob, you rip the arms off the "Ken" doll while Barbie and Skipper watch in horror. - Dilbert, you'll be eating a cheeseburger and the shock waves will cause you to smoosh it into your face. - Then I come in and sh069a -- waste both of you with a fire extiguisher. Raymond Burr dies? What, no sequel? sh070a -- Happy Airline I'm sorry, Sir, but you've been "bumped." WHAT?! - I've got a ticket! I demand satisfaction! I'll call the president of your stupid company!! - I wonder if there's really such a thing as the "duct tape section." sh070b -- DING DONG Must be your blind date. I'll let her in. - How's she look? Well, you cuold say she's a full-bodied individual. - You mean she's a little overweight? I mean sherpas have established a base camp on her ankles. sh070c -- You're saying my blind date is a tad on the large side...? - I'm saying her family portrait was taken by "Voyager II." Funny. - I'd better not keep her waiting at the door. Do not anger "Jabba the Date." sh071a -- Dilbert greets his blind date This is the biggest woman I've ever seen. Uh...hi. - I have only one chance of financially surviving dinner. Hi - Say...why don't we go to the "All-You-Can-Eat House of Starch and Pasta"? Can't...banned for life. sh071b -- I will *never* go on another blind date. - So, Jabba...er...I mean, Janety, have you dated many other men? - Yes, but they all disappeared without a trace. Incidentally, you look delicious tonight. sh071c -- Y-y--ou m-m-mean *all* of your ex-boyfriends disappeared without a trace? - Yeah. It's the strangest thing... Good lord, she must have eaten them!! - ...so while she was sucking the cheese-cake off the dessert cart, I dove out the window. sh072a -- Sometimes I dream of a kinder world... Trouble... - A world where all creatures live in peace and harmony... - Where nobody pursues retribution for some tiny little misdeed. Big trouble. - Where bygones are bygones...forgive and forget... - sh072a -- STOP IT! STOP IT! PLEASE JUST TELL ME WHAT HORRIBLE THING YOU'VE DONE! - You know, studies have shown that people with pets live happier, less stressful lives. AAAAAEEE!! sh073a -- Excuse me...Sir? - I'm trying to paint this view. Would you mind not walking right in front of me? - Oops. Sorry. It's alrerady too late. sh073b -- Remember, one of your duties as dog is to guard the house. - That might entail ripping intruders to bits with your teeth...or taking a bullet for me. - Boy, all that and I get to drink out of the toilet too. sh073c -- I've got to make the engineering newsletter more interesting. - It needs pathos and human drama. - "How to cope with the loss of the loved data..." Wait...I better get some tissues. sh074a -- When I was a kid I threw spitballs at girls to show I liked them. - Now I just grovel and beg for dates. - Frankly, the old way was more satisfying. sh074b -- Burger Queen 99c Special Only 99c?!! Ha ha ha!! Give me ten thousand of them! For *here*!! -These lottery winners are really starting to bug me. sh074c -- What I look for first in a man is honesty. - Okay...I'd like to skip this boring conversation and go smooch. - I didn't mean honesty about relevant things. sh075a -- The secrets of the universe will be revealed if you meditate. - Can't you just tell me the secrets? - To meditate you must clear your mind of all thoughts. If I have no thoughts how will I know if I'm meditating? - And how do I come out of it? sh075a -- I won't be able to think about stopping. - And shouldn't stupid people be the best meditators of all? - Perhaps you are not ready. Perhaps you should spend more time with some thoughts. sh076a -- Did you hear that the tiny east european country of Elbonia has abandoned communism? Whoa! Big changes ahead. - Elbonia: monday Mud Farm - Elbonia: tuesday My Mud Farm My Tree My Pig My Feet sh076b -- Dilbert, I'm sending you to Elbonia to open our new subsidiary. Elbonia? - But they only renounced communism last week!! They don't understand capitalism or economics. They have no appreciation of the real life. - ...he thinks they'll make fine sh076b -- engineers. sh076c -- Dilbert arrives at the ex-communist country of Elbonia. I need a flight to your capital. - For a moment I was worried that this backward little country wouldn't have a commuter flight. - I hate living near the airport. sh077a -- Dilbert takes a slingshot ride to Elbonia's capital. There it is... - SPLUNK It's a good thing this whole country is made of mud. - I have come to teach you capitalism. Did you bring blue jeans? sh077b -- How do we know you came to Elboniajust to teach us capitalism? - Yeah...maybe you came to steal our secret process for making mud!! Dirt and water? - He knows... We'll have to kill him. sh077c -- The basic problem with your economy is that the only product you make is mud... So? - Nobody needs mud. Who the heck is in charge of planning this economy, anyway? - sh078a -- Oh no, it's Helena. I had a bizarre dream about her last night. Hi, Dilbert. - I'm always afraid that somehow people know when they've been in my dream. Gee...seeing you reminds me of something...but I can't quite put my finger on it... - sh078a -- Hmm...it was something bizarre. She knows. - Stop it! Stop it! I'm sorry I made you wear a cheerleading outfit and glue miniature horses to the couch!! - There - it's out. The pressure is lifted...I can live again... Oh no, I remember--I was sh078a -- wondering why you've never been married. But now I understand. sh079a -- The first thing you Elbonians must understand about capitalism is the incentive system. - If you're willing to work twelve hours a day, eventually the guy who owns your factory will get rich. - Am I missing something here? Then you guys get to sh079a -- watch great TV shows based on the millionaire's life! sh079b -- My trip to Elbonia was a complete success. - I opened our subsidiary, taught capitalism to the locals and showed them how to make computer chips out of sand. - Oh great...now they will become an industrial giant and compete against us. Don't sh079b -- worry. I also taught them other management techniques. sh079c -- What's wrong, Bob? I can't deny my feelings anymore. - Not the roof again! I have to tell people. - I CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOM BROKAW AND PETER JENNINGS!!! sh080a -- What's this business of you climbing on the roof and shouting when I'm at work? - Sorry. We dinosaurs have always been bad at concealing our feelings...in fact... - "Honesty caused the extinction of many early species." Don't let the spines sh080a -- fool you; I'm great eating! sh080b -- Are you saying dinosaurs are incapable of lying? Almost. - Dawn and I taught ourselves some simple lies for survival...we'll show you... - "I've never been tempted to eat the *National Enquirer*." "I only watch the news and some educational sh080b -- programs." sh080c -- Look, a lucky penny in the street... - SPLOOSH - A penny doesn't go as far as it used to. sh081a -- I always get a warm, satisfied feeling right after paying my taxes. - Sure, it's a sacrifice... But my money goes to support vital public services. KNOCK KNOCK - We're the IRS mop-up crew. - We came to take your socks and shave sixty percent of sh081a -- your dog. bzzzz - Remind me to adjust my witholdings for next year. sh082a -- Loose thread. - I can't remember if it's better to cut these or just yank on them. - THOOP! sh082b -- Dogbert, could you give me a hand? "Paw" - I pulled a loose thread on my shirt and my head got sucked into my torso. - What should we do? This might be a good time for a family portrait. sh082c -- After tugging a loose thread on his shirt... Do something. Hmm...head got sucked into torso, huh? - I'll try flattery... Your head will expand and pop right out... - Later ...and you are superior to mollusksin every way but looks... I felt sh082c -- something that time. sh083a -- Every single tissue box has a female design. - Men have noses too. This is sexist. I can't support this practice. - Sandpaper? I had to make a statement. sh083b -- About 400 women turned me down for dates this year. - I can only conclude onr thing... - Not enough quality women. Sadly. sh083c -- It's one of those days my brain feels lazy. - I'd better avoid any mental stimulation. - It's times like this I really appreciate knowing you. Thank you. sh084a -- The great thing about adult males is that they've become immune to verbal abuse. Adult females may have something to do with it. - Hey, you groteque pile of petrified cat spittle... Hi, Dogbert. - Is that your head, or has some kind of zucchini sh084a -- sprouted from your torso? - Would you like to join me for some chocolate cake? - If brains were beans, you wouldn't have enough to make a bee burp. - Hey! We don't insult bees in this house! sh085a -- ...So then I sez to my boss, "you can just stuff this stupid project..." - Then I sez, "let's see *you* do this job." And I sez, "I should get a raise." I gotta go. - The more they sez "Isez," the less likely it is they really said what they sh085a -- sez they said. sh085b -- Ahem... I think I'll call my stock broker... I'm an investor, you know. Ooh...I'm impressed. - What? No profits yet? I'll call back in an hour. - I wonder if this is a bad time to be in chocolate coins. sh085c -- You dinosaurs have probably never seen a computer. - This makes me so efficient I can save hours every day. What do you do with all the spare time? - I work on the computer. Wow! Then you can save even more time! sh086a -- You know, Bob, I always pictured you dinosaurs as...uh...much bigger. - Ah, well, you see, practical jokes were very popular in the mesozoic era... - Wroopee cushios in stock Ooh-ooh! Give me the giant plastic bone and one fake vomit! Shall I sh086a -- wrap them or just toss them in the tar pits? sh086b -- Tired of being teased because of thinning nose hair? - Get the "Rivco Nose Toupee" for only $9.95! - It's totally undetectable. sh086c -- Here's a picture of uncle Tim before he got lost and froze to death camping. - Didn't he have a compass? His diary said it got jammed. - Just great... I need south and all I get is north, north, north. sh087a -- My credit card has been cancelled. The stupid bank's computer thinks I died. - This is an opportunity for some righteous indignation. I love that. - Hello, credit card department, an underpaid employee speaking. - Well, yes, apparently you are sh087a -- alive. But it would be very difficult to reprogram the computer... - I'm sure you'll find a solution. - Kill him? Unless you'd *rather* read this computer manual. sh088a -- Uh-oh! I'm being sucked into my own computer program! - I've always feared this... - Hi, I'm Michael--Michael Chip. Cover charge is two bits. ...get it? sh088b -- Dilbert gets sucked into his computer You...you're a microchip... I am. C'mon in and have some coffee. - Chips drink coffee? Gallons. It keeps us fast. - Doesn't that make you irritable with the other microchips? Not since I killed them all. sh088c -- Let me show you around the inside of your computer. Neat! - Here's where we generate the hypnotic signals for your display screen. Why? - To make you think you need more computers. Good Lord, you've learned to reproduce! sh089a -- A microchip gives Dilbert the tour inside his computer ...so you see, it's mostly a trick... - We've been sending you subliminal hypnotic suggestions through the video display for years. Like what? - Goofy stuff, like "computers are fun" and sh089a -- "put all of your pens in your shirt pocket." sh089b -- ...after you leave you will not remember being inside your computer talking to a microchip. - You will purchase worthless computer upgrades and argue that it saves money in the long run. - It's a static byte dwinkelizer...a necessity really. sh089c -- Hear about the new guy? He's from *New York*. Gulp HERE HE COMES! - AAGH! AAAEEEE!! - Well, I suppose I could hunt them down and kill them one by one. sh090a -- Hey dog! What's the quickest way to go to the hospital? - Drive as fast as you can into that tree. - What's the second quickest way? - Hmm...well, go left, then right, right, left, left, left, right, left, left, left, left. - Thanks! - sh090a -- Actually, I have no idea how to get to the hospital... - But I didn't want him to think I'm a jerk. sh091a -- in out Hey! Big guy, how are ya! - out HOW'S THE FAMILY? YOU LOOK GREAT... NICE WEATHER, HUH? - I hate outgoing mail. DO YOU FISH? sh091b -- I've noticed that all the cool guys use gentle kidding with women. Women must like it - Excuseme, Miss, does your face hurt? It's killing me! Giggle Giggle Snort - The cool guys must hate it when this happens to them. sh091c -- Apparently you ignored my advice and got no exercise. - But you're in perfect health, which really annoys me professionally. - I'm prescribing two packs of cigarettes per day...don't cross me again. sh092a -- I read that half of all teenagers can't locate this country on a map. - One frustrated teacher handed out maps labeled "you are here." - She spent the rest of the year trying to explain why the "X" doesn't move when you drive around. sh092b -- Dogbert, have you been bored lately? Yeah, why? - I found this teeny-tiny little sweater knitted out of dental floss. Oh. - This is very bizarre. I didn't use a pattern. sh092c -- Dilbert presents BAD HABITS FROM A PARALLEL UNIVERSE! - Table for phleem? Yes. In the "no slapping yourself with a sea bass" section. - slap slap slap slap Great, one table away... Do you ever wonder about the first person to try that habit? sh093a -- DILBERT SPECIAL! Bob the dinosaur will rip the underpants off guys we hate! Example rrrip! - Case#1 ...bought my first house for 74 cents. Sold it a year later for $400,000... - AAEEEE!! Now he drives a "beemer." - Case #2 It's a great movie. sh093a -- You'll be surprised when you find out the parakeet is the murderer. - AAAEEE!! I love surprises! - Case #3 Wait here and I'll try to convince my boss to sell the car at your price. - AAAEEE!! He's on your side! - Finally... Only an idiot would sh093a -- think computers are confusing. sh094a -- I've decided to become an ambush reporter, like Mike Wallace. - Is it true you made all of your money unethically and you're having an affair? - YES!! YES!! HOW DID YOU FIND ME?! You were chosen randomly. sh094b -- Dogbert the ambush reporter looks for another victim. - Is it true you have often fantasized about marrying a rich guy and ditching your career? - YES!!! YES!!! AND I...I...SECRETLY LEARNED TO *COOK*!! Is that *yarn* sticking out of your sh094b -- briefcase?!! sh094c -- I never realized that being an "ambush reporter" could be so much fun. - Is it true you used steroids to gain your massive size? - NO! I SWEAR! I JUST USE THIS LITTLE AM RADIO. I DON'T EVEN OWN A STEROID SYSTEM! sh095a -- Just a moment, little girl. I'm Dogbert, the ambush reporter. - Is it true that you *pretend* to be cute in order to *manipulate* adults!! - sniff sniff Oh, hey, wait... I'm just kidding. Can I buy you something expensive? sh095b -- Excuse me, young man. May I ask you some probing and embarrassing questions? - Is it true that you spend a great deal of time contemplating the effects of firecrackers on investigative reporters?!! - I'll bet this hasn't happened to Mike sh095b -- Wallace even once. sh095c -- I wonder if Dogbert is enjoying his sky diving lessons. CRASH WHUMP!! - Boy...no wonder they only charge six bucks. sh096a -- How's it look, Doc? You came in just in tie. - I'm way behind in my alimony payments. I'll have to do some unnecessary surgery on you. - You have a fair number of redundant organs. - Two lungs...two kidneys...large *and* small intestines... - sh096a -- And I'm sure you aren't taking full advantage of you pancreas. - I find that humor helps my patients relax. sh097a -- ...So, would you like to meet after work and go to dinner? What kind of car do you drive? - Ugh! You women are all so shallow!! It should not make any difference what kind of car I drive!! - Except that it will help me find you in the parking sh097a -- lot... But you could just stand on top of it and thump your mighty chest. sh097b -- I can't believe she agreed to have dinner with me. - I'm afraid to say anything to spoil this moment... - I guess I should say something to break the ice. Did I mention that I'm a witch? sh097c -- Thanks for asking me out. Most guys get scared when they find out I'm a practicing witch. - Then they say something I don't like and I end up turning them into lawn ornaments. - That's awful! Tell me about it...you can't believe how tacky my sh097c -- lawn is now. sh098a -- So...uh...why did you decide to take up witchcraft? It comes in handy. - For example, suppose I want to get rid of this annoying fly here. - Now be a luv... sh098b -- You're back early. How was your date? - Not so good...she's a witch...turned me into a frog. - Oooh! When I think about it I just get so...so... Hopping mad? sh098c -- Dogbert, I need you help. Check my computer to see if there is any way to reverse the spell and make me human! - Hmm... "The only way to reverse a 'Frog Spell' is a kiss from a dog or a princess..." - What'd it say?!! Gargle. You're gonna visit sh098c -- Lady Di. sh099a -- Plans for the corporate takeover are complete. What corporate takeover? - It's a hostile bid for control of the Meowco Cat Food Company. - When I become CEO, I'll order them to add a hairball to every can of cat food. heh heh - That is cruel sh099a -- and senseless. I'm thoroughly ashamed of you. - Gee...it seems so much more efficient than hassling one cat at a time. sh100a -- Hello...Buckingham Palace? I was wondering if the princess would be willing to kiss a frog and remove a witch's curse for us. - Oh...Lady Di does not kiss little hideous creatures... - That must be mighty awkward at family reunions...Hello? sh100b -- Dilbert needs a kiss from a princess to remove the frog curse. It's hopeless... - There's one chance, but we'll need some props. - You seriously think this will fool Lady Di? I'd wait until she's had a few Margaritas sh100c -- Note: Some new readers of this strip may be confused by the presence of a character who looks very much like a potato. The following comparison should clear things up: - Dilbert (turned into a frog and disguised as Price Charles). A potato - A sh100c -- handy rule for the telling which one is a potato is the look for the presence of glasses. Although potatoes do have eyes, they are known to be vain and generally prefer contact lenses. Keep this reference guide with you. sh101a -- By now Dilbert should have infiltrated Buckingham Palace. - One kiss from the princess and his "frog curse" will be lifted... I just hope his disguise works... - Charlie, why does your breath smell like flies? Uh...I had lunch with a common sh101a -- person today... sh101b -- I'm just a one-woman kind of guy. - Some guys like to play the field. Not me. I'm happy with just one woman. - Just one. Uno. That's best for me. You can take her for rides in the Space Shuttle you'll never have either. sh101c -- Your new project will be *vital* to the performance of the company! Uh-oh - The more he talks it up the stupider the project must be. ...high visibility, a chance to excel and be noticed! - In fact, I stand to salute you for the job you will be sh101c -- doing! You're what makes this country great!! Does this have anything to do with the janitors' strike? sh102a -- Why do people collect stamps? Because they're valuable. - Why are they valuable? - Because people collect up all the good ones. - So, you collect stamps because they're valuable, and they're valuable because you collect them. Right. Sounds sh102a -- pretty fulfilling. To be honest, I just do it for the adrenalin rush. sh103a -- I'm going to form a personality cult to honor me. - I'll take everybody's money and make them wear bathrobes with my picture on the back. - Wouldn't it be cheaper to brand them and let them run naked? As a rule, we're not talking about sh103a -- attractive people here. sh103b -- I'm hoping you will accept me in the Dogbert cult. You do have a strong resume... - Looks like you've been fleeced by several spiritual leaders already. - I think that demonstrates a complete absence of independent thought. Can you chant? sh103c -- We heard you're forming a cult. Can we join? Hmm... - Yeah... I could use some enforcersto help me conceal the hideous and cynical nature of my organization. You're in... - YES! WE MADE IT! Bob, should we ask about the hideous part? sh104a -- Bob and Dawn join Dogbert's cult. You two are in charge of security. - Your job is to neutralize anybody who questions my motives. Actually, we have some questions of our own... - Or should we just neutralize ourselves? Make it look like an sh104a -- accident. sh104b -- Um...Dilbert, could we get your advice? - We just Dogbert's new cult. And he ordered us to kill each other for questioning him. - Hmm...maybe you could shove each other in front of trucks. sh104c -- How did we ever allow ourselves to be drawn into Dogbert's evil cult? - Maybe he has strange hypnotic powers. Maybe we were mesmerized by his oratorical skill. - It says here you have brains the size of a walnut What's your point? sh105a -- This is a very interesting employee question. Thank you, Sir. - If I read this correctly... - You observed that everybody is smarter than his boss... - Exactly... So we all just switch jobs with our bosses and boost productivity by 200%!! - sh105a -- I've decided to do a limited trial... Something died in the stairwell. Take care of it. sh106a -- I have a plan to deprogram you from the control of Dogbert's cult. - My theory is that the brain reflexively embraces the most ridiculous explanation of reality. - So, we just have to think of something more ridiculous than following a dog's sh106a -- commands. Like listening to you? sh106b -- Dogbert, we've come to resign from your cult. You can't push us around anymore. - Resign?!! Ha! You're unworthy! I kick you out. The cult doesn't need your type! - NOOO!!! TAKE US BACK!!! PLEASE!!! - I think this explains why dinosaurs don't sh106b -- rule the earth. sh106c -- I think you've taken your cult idea too far. Who says it's a cult? - *You* said it's a cult! That word has a bad connotation. - I prefer to think of it as a bunch of morons who have nothing better to do with their lives. sh107a -- Today on "Geraldo" our entire show is about a dog who started his own cult! - Actually, Geraldo, I don't know what you're talking about. - I love live television. sh107b -- I'm dissolving the cult. You two are free to do as you please. - WE'RE FREE! WE'RE FREE! - Boy...you don't know ugly 'til you've seen dinosaurs dance. sh107c -- One more clever move and I will have written the perfect computer program. - YES! Spike it in the end zone! - Another failure of the sports metaphor. sh108a -- I programmed my computer to analyze any situation and predict the female response. - I should clarify a few things. - I'll type in "watch sad movie." - Result: crying. - Now I'll try "receive flowers." Result: crying. - Let's try "date with sh108a -- Dilbert." Result: crying. Boy, the truth gets vicious when you corner it. sh109a -- FREEZE!!! I'M A DOG CATCHER! - What, no collar? You're going to the puppy penitentiary, pal! - Your human turned you in? He didn't think a pit bull should wear his hair this way. sh109b -- No stupid dog pound can hold me for long. - Hey, Screq! Don't I get one phone call?! - Hello, is this the Big Ball Demolition Company? ...good, I have a rush job for you... sh109c -- Don't worry, killer, I'll get us out of this pound by nightfall. How? - I used my one phone call to call a wrecking company to destroy this place. That sounds dangerous to me. - Coming up: A near-death experience or possibly just a stupid dream sh109c -- sequence. sh110a -- Uh-oh. That looks like my body on the ground. - I must be dead. And that light... It's beautiful... It must be *god*!! - Next: A really big let down. zzzzzz sh110b -- Dogbert dreams of death I'm coming toward the light... - The light...it's so pure...so perfect...it could only be light of *god himself*!! - No. just new batteries. God doeas have a sense of humor? Of course! It explains everything. sh110c -- I'm so embarrassed...I dreamed I died and saw the light of god... - I trust you will just let this incident pass without comment. - I COMMAND YOU TO BUILD AN ARK... grrrr... sh111a -- Would you like to hold hands? We'd better not...my dog is around here someplace. - What's your dog got to do with everything? He's a bit prudish. He won't allow it in his house. - *His* house?! Ha ha ha! He's *your* dog! *You're* the master! - sh111a -- Your dog is just a stupid hairball! And it must be a first-class wimp! Ha ha! - Ha ha ha! With my blessings. sh112a -- This could be my most important technical achievement yet. I'll call it the "sonic obliterator." Hmm...catchy. - This baby can blast a buffalo into random particles in about half a nanosecond. - Of course, it might have limited application sh112a -- around the house. At least the buffaloes will show us some respect. sh112b -- May I play with your "Sonic Oliterator" invention? Sure. - Just be careful. It has a hair trigger and can blow a truck to bits. - You have to show them that you trust them. I'll be down at the post office truck yard. sh112c -- On one hand, I know it's wrong to use Dilbert's invention to blow up these empty mail trucks. - On the other paw, this is gonna be more fun than sneezing on strangers. - It's a moral dilemma...but I like to think that difficult choices like sh112c -- this build character. click sh113a -- Our top story: a dog with glasses was seen blowing up empty mail trucks with some type of "sonic obliterator." - Much of the city is in ruins, as the dog blasted through buildings to escape police and national pursuit. - On the plus side, we sh113a -- have a buch better shortcut to the post office. sh113b -- Just great...you've destroyed half of the city with my "sonic obliterator" invention... - You're being pursued by the police, FBI and national guard... I *trusted* you. Is there anything you'd like to say to me? - Oh, yeah, thank you very much sh113b -- for letting me borrow the obliterator...it's been great...can I use it again tomorrow? sh113c -- Looks like the police found your trail, Dogbert. You'd better hide. - We're looking for a dog who destroyed half of the city. Does this sketch look familiar? - Yeah...it's "Mister Potato Head"...or maybe "Ziggy." We gotta get a better artist. sh114a -- We're so glad you guys could stop by. thanks for inviting us. We hardly know them. - I'd offer some coffee, but that would be a bother. Uh. None for me. Thanks. - I noticed you didn't bring any food as a courtey to your hosts. I guess we'll eat sh114a -- when you leave. - We usually watch television now, but I'll try not to appear bitter about your visit. - Why haven't we done this sooner? We thought you were scum? sh115a -- Here's a "help wanted" ad for a babysitter. - I could do that. Kids love dinosaurs. One problem. - Your species is known to be carnivorous. I'll put "strict disciplinarian" on my resume. sh115b -- Hi. I'm Bob. I called earlier about the babysitting job. - To be honest, we didn't know you were a dinosaur when you called... - That's okay. I didn't know you were yuppie bigots. sh115c -- ...we should at least interview him. Nobody else even answered our ad for a babysitter. - Frankly, Bob, we're concerned that xou might try to eat the children. - Well, of course, in that case there would be no charge for the evening. He's more sh115c -- than fair. sh116a -- Before we hire you as our babysitter, we want to test how a dinosaur like you would respond to a variety of emergency scenarios. - What if there's a fire? Dial 911. Burglary? Dial 911. Injury? Dial 911. Poisoning? Dial 911. - Giant asteroid sh116a -- collides with earth and triggers an ice age? Oh, wow...I'm drawing a complete blank here... sh116b -- - Boo! EEEK! - The good news is you'll handle better on corners... sh116c -- ...and the doctor says it's all in your mind. - Your ears will return to normal when you forgive me for scaring you yesterday. - Nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge. sh117a -- WHAT IF PEOPLE HAD TAILS? - First of all, it would look darned silly. - Only the unobservant would loose at poker. He's bluffing. Control...dont't wag... - Jury trials would be simpler. ...then I found my husband dead. - And parties would be sh117a -- even more awkward. - That's when I learned that if you drive a Porsche, you should never make fun of a man on a steamroller. Tragic...really. sh118a -- Hi. You must be the new secretary. Well, yes and no... - Granted, I'm temporarily being paid for performing secretary-like duties. But I'm really an author, a Jazz pianist and a thespian. I have a Ph.D. in psychology. - Sounds like a little sh118a -- crisis with the ol' self-image. And a gourmet chef... sh118b -- Dilbert, I'm putting you in charge of the department secretary. - See if you can get him to cut down on the personal phone calls. - ...just be a little more discreet...for example, try *not* wearing the traditional costume of the countries sh118b -- you're calling. sh118c -- As your new supervisor, I want to discuss your carreer path. - You're a secretary now, but what do you want do be in two years? A famous actor... or maybe a doctor. - Uh...I don't think I can help you here... Oh, right, but you'll expect me to sh118c -- work hard for you. sh119a -- My boss asked me to supervise the department secretary. I don't really know how to manage people... - Try positive reinforcement. Praise the things he does right. Trust him to make the right choices. - I forgot to write down your messages, so I sh119a -- just put a bunch of gibberish on little pieces of paper. sh119b -- How's the new secretary for the department working out? - I think he's having a self-image problem. - Sure, I'm a secretary, but watch me crush this paper clip!! sh119c -- Auto Service Just a quick question: is it necessary to change my oil... - ...or can I just keep letting it run dry and then add new oil? - AAAEEEEOO I think the asnwer is going to be "no" to that second option. sh120a -- Thank you all for coming to IRV Klepfurd's Retirement Celebration. - Many of you know that IRV has been pilfering office supplies for his entire carreer. - In fact, he's only retiring now because he finished construction of his garage made sh120a -- entirely of paper clips. - This bill is for $87,000 of personal phone calls made from the office. - Instead of a gold watch, I'm going to write the current time on this yellow sticky pad and slap it on his forehead. - SLAP! - Now...I understand sh120a -- we have some birthdays today... sh121a -- Prehistoric Dilbert... What is it? - I call it "The Wheel." - sh121b -- I'm feeling timid today... I felt timid yesterday too... - Holy cheese! I may be a timid person. - I've decided to build a blanket fort with the living room furniture and live in it forever. I'm so proud of you. sh121c -- I like a man who makes eye contact. - Oh no...uncontrollable urge to look away... I've got to blink about twenty times. Why did she have to bring that up? - AAEEEEII!! GASP* blink blink blink blink blink blink I love doing that. sh122a -- We can no longer compete against the Japanese with their technology advantages. - So we're sending you to Japan on an employee exchange program. - To learn their technology and bring it back here? Just do for them what you've done for us. sh122b -- People catch worms to go fishing. - People eat fish that just ate worms. - There is definitely a wasted step here. sh122c -- I've taken the liberty of calculating a twenty-percent tip. - It's written on the back next to a picture of a smiling diner...a fifteen percent tip is shown by the picture of a guilty-looking diner. - Below that is a picture of a diner and his sh122c -- dog with salad forks in their backs... sh123a -- - HOLY HAIRBALLS! WHAT ARE YOU?!! - I am the "dust bunny," an emerging cultural icon. - Once a year I come to every home and hide clumps of dust under furniture and major appliances. - You must honor me ny decorating closet doors and singing sh123a -- dust hymns. - What about gifts? Do I get any gifts out of this? - No. The dust bunny symbolizes only love, goodwill and very poor housekeeping. - I know, it seems harsh, but you have to nip these things in the bud. Okay, gifts! sh124a -- Here we have a lab rat, specially bred to be susceptible to peer pressure. - How about a Brewski? I don't drink. All the cool rats drink beer. Okay. - Of course, there's more to science than just hurting animals, but frankly it's the part I sh124a -- like best. sh124b -- Doc, we have to talk. - Everyday you feed me over a hundred pounds of macaroni and cheese...at first I thought you were just being a good host. - But lately I've been thinking it could be something far more sinister. Macaroni and cheese causes sh124b -- paranoia... sh124c -- Lab I hate my life. - If I eat one more ton of macaroni and cheese I think I'll die... Of course, that may be the point. - Tonight I'm going "over the wall." Wait...I'm a rat...I'll go *through* the wall. sh125a -- What's that noise? skritch skritch skritch - It sounds like a rat, escaped from a nearby laboratory, chewing a hole through our front door to avoid sure death from a hideous macaroni-and-cheese experiment. - That's amazing. These babies aren't sh125a -- just for good looks, you know. sh125b -- Greetings, dog. I've come to live in your house and escape from my job at the laboratory. - You could think of me as a political exile seeking sanctuary in a friendly embassy. - I could think of you as a rat. Okay, but I don't expect any sh125b -- special treatment. sh125c -- I wasn't getting any respect at the lab...I felt used. - Sure...the food was good - and *lots* of it...but I don't think the professor valued me as an individual. - And a rat without respect is like...like... Like you. sh126a -- - Greetings, Dogbert, I am the god of thunder. Yip! - I am Thor!! - Take some Athpirin. - We're looking for some new norse gods to update our image. Your name came up. - It's the same way I got started. I worked my way up from God of static sh126a -- cling. - Hmm..."God of Velcro" looks interesting. - Don't laugh. I put your name in for god of mayonnaise. sh127a -- Dilbert, this is a rat. Rat, this is Dilbert. I've come to live here! - How lucky for us. We were just saying how much we needed a plague-carrying vermin to round out the household. - He doesn't have much of a personality... I usually drown him sh127a -- out with the television. sh127b -- I xou're going to live here, you need a name. How about "Mickey"? - No...big trouble. How about "Rodney the Rodent"? How about "Bill the Rat"? - "Vernon the Vermin"? "Ratbert" sh127c -- Let me introduce you to our dinosaurs, Bob and Dawn. Cool! - EEEEK!! A MOUSE! Not a mouse, a rat!! - Ooops. Sorry. You look kinda like a mouse. No offense taken. sh128a -- Yes? I'm looking for my escaped lab rat. The trail leads to this house. - Can't you use just another rat? No. I'm on a very limited budget. - What will you do if he dies? CPR sh128b -- Ahaa! There's my runaway lab rat! I'd recognize little XP-39C anywhere! - All is forgiven. Come back to your job at the lab. I love you. - He was specially bred to have no will power. Hold me. sh128c -- Goodbye, Dogbert. I must return to the lab with the professor. sniff That's stupid. - He says he lovea me. That must be why he fed me so much. You're getting stupider. - I have to follow my heart. Mmm...love causes stupidity in lab rats. 921207 -- I've decided to use more humor in the workplace - experts say humor eases tension which is important in times when the workforce is being trimmed. - knock-knock Who's there? Not you anymore. 940105 -- We're flattening organization to eliminate levels and put everybody in a wide salary band. - Now instead of not getting a promotion you'll only not get a raise.- So, what job title do we use? You'll all be named Beverly. 940106 -- The boss's brain Hummm - Theoretically, if I cut costs enough we'll be profitable without selling any products. - How do they get the ink into these things? 951026 -- Wally and I have bet about why you assigned me to the same task as three other people. - I believe it's a clever ploy to create healthy internal competition. Wally thinks you're just dumber than the average cauliflower. - May I point 951026 -- out that cauliflower is the brain of the fruit kingdom. Yes! 951027 -- Three other people asked for that same information. You must be on redundant projects. - Here's a big binder which at first glance seems useful, but you'll realize later it's not. - I've got a few more useless binders. Do you want 'em? 951027 -- Sure. I'm using them to build an addition to my cubicle. 951028 -- It looks somebody is using binders to illegally increase the size of his cubicle. - You think status will increase with your cubicle size, don't you! Well it won't work! - Here's a raise. I don't know why. Psst. Is he seeing anybody? rrrr 951029 -- Helen, do you have any staples in the supply cabinet? - No, I only stock the basics: cheap pens with green ink, big jars of glue and ribbons for obsolete printers. - Could you order some staples? You need to give me the order number. 951029 -- Okay. Can I see your supply catalog? Wally borrowed it. - rrring I'd better get that; it might be personal. sob - Wally, do you have the... I need your help with this. Pull up a chair. - I need both of you to come talk to a vendor that 951029 -- we'll never use. - Thanks to technology, I almost stapled something today. I'm so proud to know you. 951030 -- Headquarters: Hey, Chuck's looking unhappy today. What's the problem, big guy? - All of my bad decisions are catching up on me. Could we do another reorg to cover my tracks? Yeah, I've got some bodies to bury, too. - "..These changes will 951030 -- allow us to focus on our core business." Whoa! Let me get my reorg boots. 951031 -- I don't understand how the new reorganization will help us "focus on our core business." Did our core business change? Or are you saying that *every* reorg prior to this was a misdirected failure? - Wally, when a car gets a flat tire, 951031 -- do you do? Well, if I'm you, I rotate the tires and drive home. 951101 -- Guess what, Wally. What sadistic plot has H.R. come up with now, Catbert? - We're giving you a real plus a "dotted line" to another boss who has different objectives. - The status reports alone will take forty hours a week. I'm gonna 951101 -- staple myself to death. 951102 -- I heard you got assigned on a "dotted line" to out boss' archival. Groan - Look on the bright side. Think of yourself as leading the exciting life of a secret double-agent! - Don't most double-agents get captured and executed immediately? 951102 -- They *wish* it was immediate. 951103 -- The "Dogbert Corporate Art Source" will provide low-cost paintings for your walls. - Our motto is "if it's in a frame, it will look like art of you." - How much do the paintings cost? Six dollars a pound. 951104 -- How did you get the contract to supply our company with wall art? Low bid. - As we speak, my assistant is scouring the earth in search of low-cost art. - "School-o-Art" I'll take it!! 951105 -- I worked all night but I finished the presentation package you wanted. - Put the presentation date on each page. - Those are color transparencies. It would take hours and cost hundreds of dollars to reprint them. - There's no reason to date 951105 -- them. In fact, it would limit future use and clutter the page. - But since you're incapable of admitting error... - I eagerly await your bizarre, other-worldly explanation for putting the date on each page. - Some people might not have 951105 -- calendars, and we have to make sure it's not holiday. BAM! - Ouch. My brain exploded. The first presentation is february 30th... 951106 -- I've come to be your personal digital assistant. - Use the little pen to write messages on my stomach. I'll use state-of-the-rat technology to interpret your handwriting. - Weave...me...a...cone...yoo...cupid...bat... 951107 -- Why are you putting a sign on the coffee maker? - It's an ISO9000 requirement. Everything must be clearly labeled. There can be no exceptions. That's stupid. - Believe me, I don't like it any more than you do. (stupid label guy) 951108 -- The project status is "yellow light." - In user tests we found that the product locks up every twelve seconds. The interface is incomprehensible and the manual is pure fiction. - I think it's clear what we need to do... Ship it and hope 951108 -- somebody writes a "dummies" book about it? 951109 -- Saint Dogbert enters the land of cubicles searching for the demons of stupidity. - Suddenly he finds an over-promoted computer guru spouting useless database concepts. You'd be fools to ignore the boolean anti-binary-least-square approach - 951109 -- The monster is dispatched to the dark world by the sight of its most feared object. Look! Actual code! sssssss Cool! 951110 -- How long will it take to fix any problems we find in our beta product? - It is logically impossible to schedule for the unknown. - Try to think as a manager, not as an engineer. In that case, we'll fix the problems before we find them. 951111 -- The next transparency is an incomprehensible jumble of complexity and undefined acronyms. - You might wonder why I'm going to show it to you since the only possible result is to lower your opinion of my communication skills. - Frankly, it's 951111 -- because I like making complex pictures more than I like you. 951112 -- Mister Catbert will explain our new "total compensation plan" for excellence. - We no longer view compensation in the narrow terms of salary alone. - Danger! Danger! - If employee benefits go up, then salaries can go down and it all balances 951112 -- out. - For example, did you know you could lower your blood pressure by rubbing my soft, furry belly? - It might be a trick! What's the worst thing that could happen? - HA HA HA!!! Its a health benefit! Now I'll cut everybody's salary! - I've 951112 -- noticed the more health benefits I get, the worse I feel. 951113 -- Our goal is to write bug-free software. I'll pay a ten-dollar bonus for every bug you find and fix. - YAHOO! We're rich! Yes!!! Yes!!! Yes!!! - I hope this drives the right behavior. I'm gonna write me a new minivan this afternoon! 951114 -- The company pays me ten dollars for every bug I fix in my code, Ratbert. - I want you to do your little rat dance on my keyboard so I'll have lots of bugs to fix. - How am I doing? Not so good. You just authored a web browser. 951115 -- My accomplishments this week is that I've become an agent of change. - I foster and reward those behaviors that contribute to a culture of teamwork. - I've become slightly more cynical. Keep up the good work, buddy. (Pat Pat) 951116 -- I used to write programs using punch cards...but I'd be rather be fishing... - Look, you bearded road apple, if you answer one more of my questions with an irrelevant story I'll snap you into next week! - Sometime next week... Looks like a hole 951116 -- in the space-time continuum. Did you hear a snap? 951117 -- I think we should build an SQL database. Uh-Oh - Does he understand what he said or is it something he saw in a trade magazine ad? - What color do you want that database? I think mauve has the most RAM. 951118 -- From now on I'm going to be more proactive. - YOU'RE FIRED!! - For what?? I don't know yet. That's the problem with being proactive. 951119 -- We need to ship the V-1 product tomorrow. I promised our CEO he can say it at the shareholder meeting. - That's two months early!! We haven't added any features yet!! - What would we ship? Our lab prototype is the only V-1 in in existence! 951119 -- NO...YOU WOULDN'T! - I've scheduled press tours so you can do demos all next week. OH WHAT!! - We'll need twenty thousand dollars to build another prototype! - That reminds me; I froze the budget for the rest of the year. - If there's anything 951119 -- you'd like me to do, don't hesitate to ask. Yeah, I'd like you to do something... - Ooh...I think I should have hesitated to ask that. 951120 -- Dogbert the consultant: I recommend that you reorganize to strengthen the core compentency of your company. - As luck would have it, your core competency is "giving money to consultants." - I don't think that's the *only* thing we're good 951120 -- at. - It depends on if you count "whining." 951121 -- My consulting partner, Ratbert, will demonstrate how to inform employees that their jobs will be outsourced. - You're history, scram. - How do I get them all stooped over? I recommend a program of very bad ergonomics. 951122 -- This new policy of keeping our keyboards on the floor is ridiculous! - The only possible explanation is to make us all stooped over so it's easier for management to kick our behinds! Ha Ha Ha!! Ha Ha Ha! - Wait a minute...that is the *only* 951122 -- explanation. Cover me; I'm going to the printer. 951123 -- The company has decided to outsource all of the functions that we're not any good at. - Yipee! Yay! - When's your last day? Uh-oh...They're not good at knowing what they're not good at... 951124 -- I don't understand why some people wash their bath towels. - When I get out of the shower I'm the cleanest object in house. In theory, those towels should be getting cleaner every time they touch me. - Maybe I could hug you every day so I 951124 -- don't need to take showers. Are towels supposed to bend? 951125 -- I've gotta run to the post office. - You go to the post office every day. Are you aware that you can buy more than one stamp at a time? - Apparently you don't understand the concept of "float." 951126 -- The clever Salesman evaluates his prey. Badge (Visitors sign in) - I hope he's an important decision-maker. - Take any seat. I call the good chair. Warning! Cubicle! Low-Ranking employee! - Here's our organization chart: President...Senior 951126 -- Vice President...Vice President... - Okay, lift your foot. Do you see that coffee stain on the carpet? That's you? - No That's my boss. I would be under the carpet. - Do I have any hope of talking to somebody who can make a decision? Let me 951126 -- check. - Hey, Wally. What's a "decision"? It sounds like something our competitors do. (Sob) 951127 -- My password for the network isn't working. Fill out a help request online. - I can't get online because my password doesn't work... Send me an E-Mail message about it. - I CAN'T SEND E-MAIL BECAUSE I CAN'T GET ON THE STINKIN' NETWORK!!! 951127 -- Geez, you're worthless... 951128 -- does human resources offer any treatment programs for people with dysfunctional internet connections? - I recommend the "yarn therapy." You'll be wrapped in a huge ball of yarn and used as furniture in my office. - Is this like the famous 951128 -- "ropes" course where I learn to solve problems as part of a team? Exactly, except here you learn to be my couch. 951129 -- Alice, did you hear that Dilbert's network connection isn't working? Uh-oh - He is what we call a technology "have not." His competitiveness in the global economy will last as long as this french fry. So sad. - After lunch, I'm going to use 951129 -- something called "electronic mail." You can watch if you promise not to touch anything- Snork! Gulp 951130 -- We've been dating for a year now, Liz. There's something I'd like to do tonight... - There are some needs that I can't fulfill at work. I understand. - YES! YES! How long has your internet connection at work been broken? 951201 -- We just shipped our newest product. You folks in tech support will need to be trained so you can avoid any embarrassments. - We had a monk write the training material on a grain of rice. We could only afford one, so you'll have to share it. - 951201 -- To be honest, I'm not sure we had a real monk. He wrote everything in pig latin. 951202 -- Does your boss give you orders and later deny it? Do you get in trouble for doing what you're told? Yes - The "Dogbert Detective Agency" will videotape it all and embarrass your boss with proof! - What??! Why did you do this??! This is the 951202 -- happiest moment of my career. Lights! 951203 -- Working late again, huh, Alice? - Seventy hours a week... - Me too. Thank goodness for overtime pay! - Overtime pay? Allow me to explain. - Unlike you so-called "exempt" employees, my income increases if I work additional hours. - I'm 951203 -- pulling in seventy-five thousand a year, and half the time I just hide in the basement reading "fishing" magazine. - The only down side is that I don't get to enjoy the intellectual stimulation of my co-workers the way you do. - I don't 951203 -- know what I like better - deep sea fishing or cubicle fishing. 951204 -- On one hand, my company does use inferior technology in our products... - But on the other hand, I'm the most attractive female who has paid attention to you this year. - What kind of engineers do you think we are??! - Do you have pictures 951204 -- of your field support people? 951205 -- I can't believe you're recommending this lousy vendor just because the sales rep is gorgeous. - Here's a picture of Thor, their field engineer. - Does he really work without a shirt? Only if you buy the "Indian Chief" maintenance package. 951206 -- Your employees have recommended a vendor who has an attractive salesperson. - But the "Dogbert Technology Company" can provide you with a hardware solution for *half* the cost! I'll save the money! - What if I need to upgrade later? Is it 951206 -- expensive? I must have left that price sheet in my other fur. 951207 -- So, you ignored my recommendation and bought a low-cost system that's totally inadequate... - You compensated this blunder by making it part of *my* objectives to make the system work... - You'll get a bonus for saving money. I'll get fired, 951207 -- thus saving more money and earning you *another* bonus. I'm on a roll. 951208 -- It's funny - Before your company bought that critical system from me, *you* had all the power... - BUT NOW, ONLY *I* CAN PROVIDE ESSENTIAL UPGRADES!! *I* CALL THE SHOTS, YOU SIMPLE FOOL!! - Send in the next employee. At least we don't have any 951208 -- multi-vendor compatibility issues. 951209 -- It's inexplicable, but the low-cost system I sold you seems to be woefully underpowered. - You could replace it with another vendor's system, thus showing everybody you made a mistake. Or you can pay my outrageous upgrade fees. - How big a fool 951209 -- do you think I am? I won't know until I see if you go for the lease option. 951210 -- Hello, is this the "Help Desk"? - No, that group got reengineered out of existence. - I'm the new "No help whatsoever desk." My job is to make sure you never call again. - Can you tell me how to make a pie chart? - Crush your computer into 951210 -- small chunks, add flour and bake one hour. - While you're waiting, read the free novel we sent you. It's a spanish story about a guy named "Manual." - Repeat the process until you get the desired result. - This has lost a *lot* in the 951210 -- translation. 951211 -- Send this by E-Mail. - Fax it, too, in case he doesn't check his E-Mail. And mail the original so he has a clean copy. - Goodbye "paperless," hello "clueless." 951212 -- It's status report time where each of you gets to prove what poor communicators you are while I act interested! - Remember to use lots of acronyms that only you understand. And speak in a whiny monotone that makes us all want to slap you! - 951212 -- I'm starting to lose my idealism. 951213 -- No, you fool. That modem will never fit your need. - The specs look okay. You're an idiot compared to me! Put that down! It's the wrong interface! The *wrong* interface!!! - Is he on commission? Yeah, he pays us a dollar per customer. rrrr 951214 -- Wait-a-minute... I'm starting to realize something. - My job is senior associate, yet I spend my time doing clerical work...and unless I'm mistaken, I'm the lowest paid employee. - Is this a bad time? AAAGH!! I'M A SECRETARY! 951215 -- I read somewhere that certain religions require their initiates to perform pointless never-ending tasks to rid them out of their egos. - - What now? 951216 -- When I conquer the world I'll have a secret handshake to identify the people who will be part of my new ruling class. - Cross your eyes and stick out your tongue. Good, now vigorously slap your face. - The people who aren't doing that will be 951216 -- identified as my new ruling class. SLAP! 951217 -- Alice, our records show that you haven't taken a vacation all year. - Company policy requires you to use your vacation days. - How?? You told me to work seven days a week to prepare the project for your boss's year-end review. - Do you want 951217 -- me to meet the artificial project target or the artificial vacation target? - HELLO!!! THESE ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE GOALS!!! HELLOO!!! - Ooh...sorry. I usually just think that last part in silent frustration. - Moving right along... Kudos to 951217 -- Wally for using all of his vacation days ahead of schedule. - Get over it, Alice. We can't all be superstars. 951218 -- Our new slogan is "Everybody is in Sales." - Imagine all employees convinced their friends to buy our product, eventually... - ...We'd have no friends? What's this "friend" thing I keep hearing about? 951219 -- My company asked all employees to act as salespeople to friends and family. I think you could use this, Mom. - Why would I need a primary rate circuit? I've already got a frame relay drop to my web server in the sewing room. - This is going to 951219 -- be a tough sale. - Hello-o-o! Earth to Dilbert! This is packet data... 951220 -- Hey, what's Dogbert doing here? - This is "bring your dog to world day." - There's no such thing. - I'm through the security firewall and into the personnel records. We need to talk. 951221 -- It isn't ethical to hack into the payroll computer and give me a raise, Dogbert. - Not ethical?? Is it ethical for them to make you work seventy hours a week and only pay your for forty??!! - How about a five percent raise? Well, there's the 951221 -- issue of the quality of your work... 951222 -- Most business plans fail. Obviously, success is not a realistic goal. - But the people who manage most spectacular failures get promoted first because of their experience. - That is the most cynical thing I've ever heard in my life! Thanks. I'm 951222 -- blushing. 951223 -- On the advice of my dog, I'm asking for an additional ten million dollars for my project. - That will make a more spectacular failure, thus guaranteeing a promotion for me. As your boss, I'd get recognition too...okay. - Wow! Do you have any 951223 -- advice for me?! Breath mints. 951224 -- Happy Airlines - Vacation, here we come! click click click click - Why do they have to enter so much stuff in the computer? click click click click - They already have our reservation and seat assignment in there. What else do they need? click 951224 -- click click click - I'm developing a sudden fear of flying. Step aside. click click click click - WHAT'S GOING ON UP HERE??!! - Gate 13. Have a nice flight. Okay. - "They never saw their beloved luggage again. The misfits always regretted 951224 -- offending Tantra, the goddess of flight. The end." 951225 -- I got myself one of those "900" phone numbers. I make money every time somebody calls for my valuable advice. - RING RING RING RING RING RING - Do you ever answer it? Voice mail...get with the nineties. 951226 -- This is a living document. - AAAAH!! - Next time, just say you plan to update it. Mine's dead. 951227 -- Okay! This is one tidy little cubicle now! - The cleanliness one's work place is a sign of how much one enjoys one's job. - Give me the cleaner; It's my turn to fantasize that I'm a maid. Five more minutes...please. 951228 -- I declare myself "King Dogbert," the first ruler of the Internet!! - BOW BEFORE ME OR BE EXPELLED FROM THE KINGDOM FOREVER!!! - Are you aware that the Internet is comprised of millions of individuals and organizations that operate indepently? 951228 -- Until now! 951229 -- Your new software is successfully installed. Do you want to send your registration info by modem? Yes - The software has found your credit card number and is placing orders for new products it thinks you need...please wait. - Making room on 951229 -- your hard drive... I can't tell if it's a virus or just excellent marketing. Either way... 951230 -- Correction A recent dilbert strip used the words "Ant Farm" to describe a habitat for ants. - Lawyers have informed me that "Ant Farm" is a trademark of "Uncle Million Industries, Inc." They demand a public clarification. - What *should* we 951230 -- call a habitat for worthless and disgusting little creatures? Law school. 951231 -- I've got an idea! We're doomed. - Why can't we run our inventory database over our E-Mail system? - Fact: That is the stupidest Idea in the universe. - Fact: His comprehension is so limited that debate is futile. - Fact: We could spend hours 951231 -- unsuccessfully explaining why it's a stupid idea. - Fact: He would never know if we used his idea or not. - No problem. We'll get right on it. My work is done. Stupidity is like nuclear power; it can be used for good or evil. And you don't want 951231 -- to get any on you. 960101 -- A while back I asked for options about this new character, "Tina the brittle tech writer." - Results Most people, including nearly all self-described feminists, said keep her. But there were many requests to add "non-stereotypical" female 960101 -- characters for balance. - In the interest of balance I give you "Antina." Is anybody up for some math? 960102 -- Hi, I'm Antina the non-stereotypical woman. - That computer monitor you're using is supposed to be 17 inches. But it's more like 16.5 inches. - I took the coffee machine apart just for fun - want to see? 960103 -- I've decided to mask my boyish looks by growing a beard. - I didn't think Ted was smart enough to know how to grow a beard. Hee Hee - Two weeks later How do you like my beard? My search for a new manager is over. 960104 -- I promoted Ted to be your new manager- I used to think he looked boyish, but his new beard changed that. - Are either of you the least bit concerned that Ted's beard is growing from his forehead? - She made it sound as if it's wrong. You can 960104 -- punish them for having bad options. 960105 -- As your new boss I have yet to select my "pet" employee. I shall do this by closing my eyes and pointing the beard on my forehead. - To make it fair, I'll close my eyes while one of you spins my chair! - Alice...um...technically this isn't 960105 -- "spinning." Stairs 960106 -- How do you like being a manager, Ted? - Yesterday my staff pushed me down then flights of stairs. My soul left my body and now I'm a lifeless evil entity. - Just in time to perform reviews! I couldn't have planned it better. 960107 -- Why do I have a feeling of impending doom? - Good news! Uh-oh. - You won't have to spend another lonely day in this tiny cubicle. - I'm getting an office? Better! You're getting a roommate! - Why!!! We've got plenty of empty cubicles! Our 960107 -- company owns the whole building! - The finance department charges my budget for the square footage we use. - It's a false savings! You're hurting the company! All I hear is a faint buzzing. - Oh well. How bad could it be? I hope you like baked 960107 -- beans and square-dancing as much as I do! 960108 -- Performance Review Your engineering work was excellent. But there was the little incident where you... - SHOVED ME DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS AND KILLED ME, THUS INVITING THE FORCES OF DARKNESS TO POSSESS MY BODY!!! BACK! - How'd it go? I swear, 960108 -- this job is all politics. 960109 -- My new boss is possessed by an evil force. We need your advice, Dogbert. - There is only one solution. You must drive a stake through his heart. - There's no way we could be so cruel!! Can I borrow your pen? All I have is this wimpy retractable. 960110 -- Alice is ready to drive a stake through the heart of our demon-possessed boss. - WHACK WHACK WHACK - It's times like these when I'm glad my heart is the size of a raisin! I need all of your pens, including "Blue Betty." 960111 -- I would never buy something over the Internet. I'd hate to have my credit card number floating around out there. - There are a lot of unscrupulous people on the net. - Later ...Bottom line, it just isn't common sense. 960112 -- It's time for a visit from "Camping Girl." - There goes my entire morning. I'd like to begin with a monologue entitled "Woe is Carl." - I'm working every minute! They all laughed when I built the escape tunnel. 960113 -- Gotta hurry. One...Two...Three... click - I have twelve seconds to get to the shared laser printer. - Guess who saved the Apollo 13 mission. Did you know that Wally invented the cursor? 960114 -- We need to have a little talk... - You told me to finish my project in a week but it's taken two months. - This doesn't look good for your ability to estimate resource requirements. - Frankly, it's not much of an endorsement of your leadership 960114 -- either. I was uninspired the whole time. - And don't even get me started about your incompetence at budgeting. I spent *way* more than you predicted! - Your incessant demands for status reports were like a rope that strangled my productivity! - 960114 -- Bottom line, your performance did *not* meet my expectations. - So, Wally, do you still think the best defense is offense? It seemed like such a good idea. 960115 -- I call my new operating system the "Dogbert 2000." - Soon I will dominate the entire PC industry! Heh-heh... It looks like "Windows 95." - I use some of the graphical metaphors, but I pronounce them differently. - How do you pronounce the 960115 -- "Microsoft" logo ? 960116 -- After I become a billionaire from my software company I'll do a little dance. - I'm so rich its me you hail if I'm obnoxious kiss my tail - Do you plan to do any charity work? Let me put it this way - you just saw my contribution to the fine 960116 -- arts. 960117 -- If you plan to remain in the computer business you'd better bundle the "Dogbert 2000" operating system with every unit you sell. - Otherwise, after I dominate the market you'll be last on my list to receive new products! - You remind me of 960117 -- somebody... It's the glasses, isn't it? 960118 -- Dogbert meets with the software developers Note the huge market for software that runs on the "Dogbert 2000" operating system. - But who cares? The important thing is that I brought a bag of toys. - Some say that the computer industry is built 960118 -- on silicon. I think foam and plastic are equally important. 960119 -- Thanks to my software empire, my net wealth is twenty million dollars. - Contrary to popular opinion, it does seem to make them happy. - Money can't buy a sunset, Dogbert. No, but I was able to license the digital rights. 960120 -- I heard you were doing some baby-sitting. Bob. - Yeah! I did the Morton triplets last night. - It's not easy to juggle three screaming toddlers. - When you say "juggle"... It's the Mortons with a question about their ceiling fan. 960121 -- Hee hee! This is my most diabolical work yet as director of human resources. - Thanks to E-Mail I can play with hundreds of employees at once! - Uh-oh... A message from the evil mister Catbert. - "In order to reduce our janitorial expenses..." 960121 -- That's a phrase you don't want to see. - "Every engineer will be required to strap a broom to his or her..." - "...buttocks." - - On the positive side, marketing invites us to a lot more meetings now. Five minutes, we're still eating cookies. 960122 -- The company announced a new compensation plan today. Bonuses will be paid only to the top ten percent of the employees. - In related news, 89% of the employees resigned in bitter disgust. The top ten percent also left, realizing they could 960122 -- get better jobs elsewhere. - This could have an impact on those of you who remain. We get the bonuses? 960123 -- I'm inventing a new technology to prevent kids from seeing smut on the Internet. - So, you're pitting your intelligence against the collective sex drive of all the teenagers who own computers? - What is your point? Did you know that if you put 960123 -- a little hat on a snowball it can last a long time in hell? .... 960131 -- Wally writes the critical code for a our nation's new air traffic control system. The crowd is silent. - Suddenly the gifted programmer employs a rarely seen strategy of "code reuse." - The crowd goes wild. - So you used the code from the 960131 -- payroll system? Here's a tip: Don't fly on pay day. 960201 -- Thanks to my leadership, the new air traffic control system is designed on time and under budget. - I had to cut a few corners. This big radar-looking thing is a wall clock. And most of the buttons are glued on. - It looks like it might be 960201 -- um...dangerous. Great...I finish early and what do I get: "Feature Creep." 960202 -- I need everybody to help in the shipping department. - Every product that ships before the end of the month gets counted as revenue for the fiscal year. Unfortunately, we don't have inventory. - So we'll ship whatever is lying around, book it 960202 -- as revenue and sort it out later. This one's getting gum. 960203 -- Hey, Wally! The boss sent his first E-Mail message! - And you said he wasn't bright enough to figure out how to use E-Mail! What's his message? - "I forgot my watch. Does anybody know what time it is?" Time to change jobs. 960204 -- I'll never understand what you do for a living. I told you I'm an engineer, Mom. - So you say. But you also say you spend all day in meetings. When do you do your engineering? - Good point. Let's just say I'm what the experts call a 960204 -- "Knowledge Worker." - Which experts call it that? I don't know. - What's the name of the product you're working on? I don't know what the acronym stands for... - What kind of market penetration and return on investment do you expect? 960204 -- Um...I don't know... - Oh, dear... Well, I'm sure you're very punctual. - Ask me another question!! C'mon... Why do they call you a "Knowledge Worker" ? 960205 -- I have discovered the cause of your project delays. - Somebody in this room is a piece of deadwood pretending to be a contributor! - IT IS YOU! Hey, I made some calls and I'm waiting for information! 960206 -- Alice, you've got to lock up these proprietary documents you have in your cubicle. - If our competitors see our plans, it could be very dangerous. For us or for them? - The competitors Ooh! Ooh! They're planning to "utilize synergy." We're 960206 -- in trouble now! HA HA HA Stop! You're killing me!! 960207 -- Why it it that the people with the least need for storage space have the biggest offices? - I know! You're using your office as kind of a living monument of inefficiency! - Is this because I wouldn't let you get a file cabinet? Where 960207 -- would I put it? My cubicle is full of stacks of proprietary documents. 960208 -- I told you this project would take a year. But on my objectives you say I must have it done in three months. - Which of these reasons best describes why: A. You have great confidence in me. B. You think I padded my estimate. C. You have my 960208 -- guts. - We don't really need the project. It's just a way to keep raises low. I just felt a little dip in my motivation. 960209 -- Wally, I've decided to move your project due date up a month. - Every time it looks like I'll reach an objective, you move it! What does this prove about my performance? - It proves I'm better at setting objectives than you are at 960209 -- achieving them. 960210 -- I have too many passwords in my life. What if I forget them? - You'd lose your job! You wouldn't be able to withdraw money or check phone messages! You'd be dead in a week!! - That would have been a good time to be quietly supportive, 960210 -- Dogbert. Oh, yeah, that's a lot of fun. 960211 -- Simple Molecules combine to make powerful chemicals... - Simple cells combine to make powerful lifeforms. - Simple electronics combine to make powerful computers. - Logically, all things are created by a combination of simpler, less 960211 -- capable components. - Therefore, a supreme being must be our *future*, not our origin! - What if "God" is the consciousness that will be created when enough of us are connected by the Internet?!! - That would certainly limit the types of 960211 -- files I download- I wonder what it would do to response times. - It's so nice to spend time alone with my thoughts. My web browser would *fly*! 960212 -- Catbert the evil human resources director The employees have too much time off. It must be stopped. - I SUMMON THE DEMONS OF DARKNESS TO ASSIST ME!!! - ...eliminate sick days. Make them use vacation days when they're ill. Call it a "Time 960212 -- Bank." It's playful... It's cruel... I like it. 960213 -- I know I should be off tormenting people... - But I can pry myself away from this most excellent butt-warming device. - It's probably because of the hype, but I'm thinking this would be even better with "Windows 95." 960214 -- As a co-op employee, you can't expect the same lush cubicle environment that the regular employees enjoy. - You'll be sharing this cubicle with our other co-ops. - I heard that the new new co-op only lasted one day. He didn't fit in. 960215 -- Here's the revised standard employment agreement. Sign it or be fired. - "This agreement is between the company (hereafter referred to as 'the only company that would ever hire you') and you (hereafter called 'pudding head')." - It seems 960215 -- to have a bit of attitude. Our lawyers turned on us. I suspect rabies. .... 960217 -- Look at the agreement my company is forcing us to sign. They claim the rights to any idea an employee ever has. - No problem. Just retype it with a few strategic omissions and sign it. They can't proofread every one. - Wouldn't that be 960217 -- dishonest? Maybe you could just show them some of your ideas and they'd grant a waiver. 960218 -- Here's my project time line. - The "work" portion will take one week. (Work 1 week) - I'll spend three weeks meeting with people whom you send to me because you don't feel like talking to them yourself (3 weeks) - I'll spend eight weeks 960218 -- getting competitive bids from companies that I know I won't select. - ...six weeks to get the wisdom and approval of executives who are too busy to understand the issues. - During that time you will randomly reorganize the department and 960218 -- cut out my funding. - In the final phase I leap to my death, a bitter and broken shell of a man. EEEE!!! - Is there some sort of manager thing I should be doing now? If I time my leap right you'll just be leaving the building. 960219 -- This 3-D colored pie chart shows an unexplained rise in expenses. ? You each get a binder of colored pie charts so you can help find the cause of our rising expenses. - How much do color copies cost? - I think I see it! - It's not the 960219 -- "magic eye," doofus. 960220 -- I moved our software development work to the impoverished nation of elbonia. - I'm brilliant. They write high-quality code for six cents a dy! There's no risk! Red Alert! - Elbonia Tomorrow, *you* be the computer. 960221 -- I heard that our software development work has been moved to the tiny nation of Elbonia. Things can't get worse than that. - Dilbert, you're in charge of integrating the elbonian's software with our existing systems. - Okay, *now* it can't 960221 -- get any worse. You might want to get a tuberculosis vaccination. 960222 -- Somewhere in Elbonia I've been assigned to check the software you're writing for us under contract. - The documentation is written in our own elbonian language. Is that a problem? - That's better than I hoped. I was afraid nobody here knew 960222 -- how to write. Writing is easy. Someday we hope to read, too. 960223 -- Before I accept the software you wrote under contract, tell me what development methology you use. - We hold village meetings to boast of our skills and curse the devil-spawned end-users. Sometimes we juggle. - At the last minute we slam 960223 -- out some code and go roller skating. - I would find this humorous if not for the pig on my back. 960224 -- You saved one million dollars by having programmers in Elbonia write software for us. - But we wasted four million dollars trying to debug the software. - And the entire staff of our quality assurance group quit to become mimes. - Let's 960224 -- blame the mimes; they won't talk. 960225 -- I'm embarrassed to work at my company, Dogbert. - We can't even pay a simple invoice in less than six months. - "First it comes to our mail room for aging." Do we like Dilbert? Bad haircut. Penalty box. - "Months later it gets to our 960225 -- department secretary." It's urgent. I'll start ignoring it immediately. - "Eventually my boss gets it. He uses it to demonstrate his inability to grasp the concept of time." Let's get some more bids. That was the *past*. This is the 960225 -- *present*. "If it makes it to the accounts payable group, it will be eaten by trolls." No, thanks I'm full. Just a taste. - How would you protect your reputation if you were associated with something so pathetic? - I'd tell everybody that 960225 -- the doofy guy is my butler. Hypothetically. 960226 -- I hate my shirts. Each one has either a stain or a missing button. - They say engineers are not concerned with fashion, but that's not fair. - Which stain goes with this tie? Definitely the marinara. 960227 -- I just got our consultant's report. He's identified our biggest problem. - I recommend that we build a tracking database. We can put it on the network. - Would you like to hear what the problem is first? I hate to dwell on the negative. We like 960227 -- databases. 960228 -- You haven't heard what the problem is yet; how can you recommend building a database to solve it? - We always build a database. And we'll need coffee mugs for the project team. - The *problem* is that we have poor processes. That could be the 960228 -- slogan on our mugs! 960229 -- Dogbert, I need you to facilitate some meetings. What kind of meetings? - We're creating a process to fix our product development process. But first we're having some preplanning meetings... - ...to decide a project name. How about "Death 960229 -- Spiral"? 960301 -- I've been asked to facilitate this meeting. I alone will determine who can speak. - I'd like to begin with a raw display of my power. You may not speak. - Hey, Wally... Did you ever hear of a thing called exercise? 960302 -- I think you'll agree that this meeting went smoothly with me as facilitator. - The breakthrough was when I realized I was the only one here with anything valuable to say. - Let's have a moment of silence to honor me for my brilliant work 960302 -- despite being surrounded by dolts. 960303 -- I want you to interview the new candidate for engineering. Don't reveal any ugly truths. - At this company we're dedicated to the principle of employee empowerment, Jennifer. - The "Principle of employee empowerment"? - Uh-oh. Why would you 960303 -- have a special phrase for something like that? - If you could really make decisions on your own it would never occur to you to invent a phrase for it. - My shields are down...a hull breach is imminent... - Just don't tell me you have "Quality 960303 -- Teams". RUN FOR IT, JENNIFER!!! IT'S TOO LATE FOR ME BUT YOU CAN SAVE YOURSELF!!! RUN!!! Whoa! Hull breach. Any survivors? One. I had to jettison my dignity but she made it to the escape pod. 960304 -- Add an executive summary to the approval page. - Keep it simple. Our executives don't understand as much about technology as I do. - How could they know less than you do? You haven't figured out how to make your car go uphill. Wrong; I got AAA 960304 -- road service. 960305 -- I have to turn this fifty-page proposal into a one-paragraph executive summary for our CEO.- It's impossible. Simple. - How about "Give us three million dollars so we can buy cool technology, pump up our resumes and escape this festering boil 960305 -- you call a company"? - I feel obligated to say something about our customers. How about "I'm glad I'm not one of them." 960306 -- Could you do a demo of the new product for our VP next week? - Well...that would delay the ship date, lower morale and create an unending demand for more unproductive demos... - Logically, since your objective is to show that we're doing 960306 -- valuable work... And we'll need a banner that says "Quality." 960307 -- We had to cut some corners to get the demo ready this soon. - Wally is under the table. He'll pretend to be the 3-D interface that we could build if we weren't doing useless demos. - He's a little fuzzy. Can you adjust it? Try the electric 960307 -- shaver. 960308 -- Our new VP is coming. Is the demo of our holographic interface ready? - Everything should be fine...unless we're suddenly visited by the dark angel of product demos... - Hello-o-o Wally. Did somebody say "Demo"? I'm Dilbert; loyal peon. 960309 -- We planned a dazzling demo for you, but as you can see we're visited by the dark angel of demos. - The demo is a sham. Their product is doomed. Cut their funding before your name is associated with it. - The worst is over. Look at some of the 960309 -- pictures the "boys" store on the file server .. 960310 -- Mysteries revealed How do ceiling tiles damaged? - It begins with a lowly engineer who makes a technology decision. - Th engineer writes up his recommendation. Ten pages. - The boss summarizes it for the executive director. One-page summary. - 960310 -- The executive director summarizes it for the vice president. Three bullet points... - The VP summarizes it for the president. Nice necktie. Thanks. Have some stock options. - The president sees a CNN report and makes a technology decision. 960310 -- Interactive holograms are hot! Get me some of that! - The engineer is assigned to justify the president's technology decision. He took that well. Ouch! 960311 -- Wally and I came up with a great new product idea! - Inspiration alert in effect!! DANGER! NEW IDEA! - State your idea now Crush-o-matic Um, you tell him. 960312 -- If this company won't use our product idea let's quit and start our own business! - Why quit? We can run our new company from our cubicles and get paid too. - Wouldn't that be immoral? That's only an issue for people who aren't already in hell. 960313 -- It has come to my attention that some employees are running side businesses from their cubicles. Really?? - I don't want to see any signs of that in my department. Fair enough. What about "Yellow Pages" ads? Software outlet Sale Palms read $25 960313 -- Shoe world Walbert Inc. 960314 -- Ratbert, we'd like you to to be the director of marketing for the company we're starting. Okay! What do I do? - Be as annoying and illogical as you can. We'll whack you in the head with balled-up socks to make you shut up. - It's definitely 960314 -- better to be an owner than an employee. Let's link his salary to earnings! Hee hee! 960315 -- The business plan for your start-up is idiotic but I'm going to provide the venture capital funding anyway. - We'll generate lots of media hype, go public and make millions by shafting greedy and ignorant investors. - The latin word for "Close 960315 -- your eyes and open your mouth" is "prospectus." This is exactly why I'm afraid of dogs. 960316 -- Wally and I started our own company. We're selling the product that you said nobody wants. Soon we will be rich. - We do our victory jig in your face. Ba-bum - When he showed you your employment agreement - where you gave all patent rights to 960316 -- this company - what part of the jig were you doing? Turbo mooning. Sob 960317 -- I have an ethical question, Dogbert. I'm here to help. - Is it better to give customers a low quality product in a timely fashion... - Or is it better to lie about product availability until the bugs are fixed? - I will need my assistant, 960317 -- Ratbert, to address your ethical question. Snap - Let's say Ratbert is a trusting and innocent customer. - Suppose somebody abuses his trust like this... Smack - - How does this relate to my situation? To be honest, I wasn't listening to you. 960318 -- Hey, everybody. Meet our new intern, Asok. - I hope this one's sturdier than the last one. - My staple remover is broken. Somebody toss that intern to me! 960319 -- Asok the intern As an intern, your assignments won't be as glamorous as mine, but you'll gain experience. - Dilbert, I need a status report on the mouse pad inventory. - See? My assignment has the word "status" built right in. Danger! Alert! 960320 -- Asok the intern Asok, come quickly! It's an emergency! - You must crawl through the jeffries tube and shut down the furnace before it fries us all! - Today young Asok learns that life is *not* like "Star Trek." I'm stuck. Spank the intern 50 960320 -- cent 960321 -- I want everyone to prepare a presentation for the executive review board. Urgent. - What's that smell? Yes!!! ... It's the scent of unnecessary work for a meeting that will be cancelled. Sniff Sniff - Did you smell the unnecessary work? We can 960321 -- ignore it! It's like popcorn for the soul. Urgent 960322 -- Why aren't you slaving away, preparing for the executive review board meeting? - I have the male "work avoidance chromosome." I can detect unnecessary work, thereby avoiding it. - We *all* have to be ready to present something! Could you hold 960322 -- it down? I'm trying to sleep. 960323 -- I don't believe man have a special chromosome to tell them which assignments are a waste of time. We do. - I will test the theory on young Asok the intern. Mmm...the sweet smell of unnecessary work. - Maybe men are more perceptive than you'd 960323 -- think. She's aroused. I'll make my move. 960324 -- Here's the analysis you asked for... I worked all night. - But you said this was vital for your meeting today so I know it was worth the effort. - This is excellent work, Alice. - A rare compliment; it was all worthwile. MMM - I'll use it 960324 -- as backup material. - Backup?!! Nobody looks at backup material! - I'm going to grab your pointy hair, yank you out of that cheap suit and fling your naked body down the hall. - She's always irritable the week before her performance review 960324 -- cycle. Her distance improved this year. Ow 960325 -- At long last our product is complete. It ships tomorrow. - That's terrific. I only have a few additional features to add and the marketing department will be happy. Okay - I believe that our customers want hardware, not software. It's 960325 -- times like these when I wish I were a psychopath. You're not? 960326 -- I want you three to write the department newsletter. It's an important, high-profile assignment. - I am an experienced technical writer. You have placed me on a project with an intern and a rodent. - *My* next raise will depend on *their* 960326 -- performance. I'll do the sports page! I'll be the topless model on page two. 960327 -- Let's get one thing straight before we start writing the department newsletter... - I'm an experienced technical writer. You are an intern and a rat, respectively. Therefore I will be the editor. - I have no skills whatsoever. Therefore 960327 -- I'll be the executive editor. Is "publisher" taken? 960328 -- At the risk of dying from boredom, I must interview you for the department newsletter. - Let me give you some background before I talk about my project... - "The project is good." quipped the engineer. ...so there I am in my mom's 960328 -- fallopian tube... 960329 -- Wally, I'm hoping you'll agree to write about your project for the newsletter... - And in the grand tradition of engineering, I expect you'll give this the lowest priority, thus making me despise you. - So...are you saying you don't 960329 -- despise me *now*? WE ARE *NOT* HAVING A "MOMENT" HERE! 960330 -- Performance Review Your main accomplishment was the department newsletter which was both uninteresting and unimportant. You get no raise. - The newsletter was *your* idea, and it's boring because most of the articles are contributed by my 960330 -- idiotic coworkers. - You don't seem to understand the value of teamwork. I understand its value; it just cost me a two-percent raise. 960331 -- It's my honor to present this special bonus check to Barry. - That's you. *My* name is Barry?? - This is for working hundreds of hours of overtime. - While you quitters were going home by 9pm every night... - Barry remained at work staring at 960331 -- his computer for hours. - It's important to recognize extra effort. - Burp Sadly, that's the end of the special bonus budget for the year. - In retrospect, I shouldn't have told Barry that his screen saver is an epic miniseries. 960401 -- In an effort to boost sales, laptop computers have been given to every member in the sales force. - That could be a problem, given the recent cuts in the training budget. - Meanwhile, in the field And if you order today, I'll throw in this 960401 -- rectangular plastic thing. 960402 -- I wish I had an ivy league degree so I could be promoted to vice president. You don't need one. - It's impossible to be a vice president without one. I'll bet $100 I can turn a rat into a vice president. - That was good, but try saying it as 960402 -- though your soul just abandoned your body. - "We've reorganized to focus on our core competency." 960403 -- Remember everything t taught you, Ratbert. - If you can pass yourself off as a corporate vice president, I'll win my bet. - Yo, headcount! If you have any issues, put together an action plan. Our people are the best. Don't spend money. - Do you 960403 -- think he's really a vice president? Maybe. But I'm not ready to rule out "annoying rodent" yet. Quality. 960404 -- Mister Ratbert, I don't think I can hire a rat to be our vice president of marketing. - You need experience in the technology industry. - I spent a week in a dumpster at Procter and Gamble. - Close enough! Welcome to the team! I'll bring some 960404 -- cronies with me. They're flies. 960405 -- I had years of valuable experience as a rodent before I became vice president of marketing. - My marketing plan is simple. Each of you will cling to the leg of a technology columnist until we get some good press. - It looks like yours is full. 960405 -- You can cling to the cat until a space opens. 960406 -- I quit my job as vice president of marketing... - I was losing my scruples...becoming unscrupulous. Yes, I learned a valuable lesson about scruples. - And that lesson would be? It's fun to say "scruples." 960407 -- Go home, Dilbert. Relax! You're working too hard! - You told me to finish this by tomorrow. You said it's urgent. - Relax! Go home! Shoo! - Suddenly Dilbert is sucked into the "Boss Zone" where time and logic do not apply. - How can I relax 960407 -- *and* do urgent work at the same time? - Work smarter, not harder. AAEEII!! - Mercifully, the angel of cynicism appears. Slap something together in the morning. He won't look at it anyway. - The inspirational moral... Freedom's just another 960407 -- word for not caring about the quality of your work! 960408 -- The executive review board meeting is canceled. I hope you didn't work too hard preparing for it. - Must..control fist...of...death... Unlike Alice, I saw it coming and did not work whatsoever. - Did you see *that* coming? What does this do to 960408 -- headcount? 960409 -- Stupid machine, you've taken my coins and with them my sunny disposition. Soda - THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE!!! YOU'VE TAKEN IT ALL!!! - Okay, you got my dignity and my career, too...but I am drawing the line *here*, buster! 960410 -- Catbert the H.R. director This report says you went nuts at a vending machine because it took your money. - The company used to offer counseling in these cases. But we found it was more economical to apply the death penalty. - WHAT?! HOW IS 960410 -- THAT POSSIBLE? I'm not sure yet. You're too big for the microwave oven... 960411 -- Today was a bad day. First the vending machine stole my money... - ...and by the end of the day I have been sentenced to death by the director of human resources... - I've become totally desensitized to tragic news! The execution is scheduled 960411 -- for tomorrow. I should call in sick. 960412 -- Dogbert versus Catbert I understand you've sentenced Dilbert to death. Is that a problem? - My assistant, Bob the dinosaur, will now demonstrate how to give a cat a "fur wedgie." - I've been pardoned. Somehow they lost the paperwork ordering my 960412 -- execution. It probably fell into a crack. 960413 -- The internal job postings are out. Here's a job I love. - "Experience required: The candidate must be a guy named Eric, potbellied, nearsighted, must drive a red Ford Bronco." - They might have someone in mind already. If I squint...and leave 960413 -- my "control top" pantyhose at home... 960414 -- Dogbert would like to speak with you about the changes you made to my engineering proposal. - While Dogbert was getting his masters degree in electrical engineering... - You were majoring in art history so you could look at pictures of naked 960414 -- statues. - Dilbert often contributes articles to technology publications. - You, on the other hand, rub those same publications with a nickel, looking for hidden "Scratch and Sniff" panels. - In summary... - NEVER QUESTION AN ENGINEER'S 960414 -- OPINION, YOU THUNDERING MORON! - Nicely done, but I wouldn't have said "thundering." What were you drinking when you wrote this piece of crud?!! 960415 -- Alice, you've been working eighteen hours a day. I realized I must add a person to the effort. - So I hired a night shift manager. After I go home at five o'clock he'll take over and ask why you're behind schedule. - I like my status reports 960415 -- rendered in 3-D, but don't spend a lot of time on it- 960416 -- This dog is specially trained to detect wasted resources. - He'll help me find out why your project is behind schedule even after adding me as manager. sniff sniff - We'll begin as soon as he's done playing around. 960417 -- Oh my! This is shocking! What? - 40% of all sick days taken by your staff are fridays and mondays! - What kind of idiot do they think I am? Not an idiot savant. They can do math. 960418 -- It has come to my attention that 40% of all sick days are on Fridays and Mondays. This is unacceptable. HA HA HA!!! THAT'S A GOOD ONE!!! - Please tell me he was kidding. Welcome to hell, kid. 960419 -- I can make your employees more creative and spiritually fulfilled. - I use my special blend of poetry and dance to touch their souls. Okay. You're hired. - There once was a dog with a hat... Who got paid to dance like that... Hey! My soul just 960419 -- healed! 960420 -- Have my poems and dances healed your soul yet, Alice? The company cares about your total well being. Excuse me. - WE WANT MORE MONEY, NOT DANCING DOGS!!! M-O-N-E-Y!! - So you're saying those primal screams are healthy? Can you teach me to do 960420 -- it? Here's my invoice - Go wild. 960421 -- Yo, Dil-man! Uh-oh, it's Ken from sales. - I told our biggest customers how great our next product will be. - Now nobody will buy our current product. - When will the new version be available? In a year or two. - - Hmm... I seem to have 960421 -- single-handedly destroyed an entire product line. - Luckily our biggest competitor is hiring sales people. And I'm betting *they'll* have brisk sales this year! Commisions galore! - If there's justice in the world, the idiots will be 960421 -- punished... - ...before they get promoted. Um...we need the new version by Tuesday. 960422 -- Catbert, H.R. Director Wally, it might not seem fair that new employees are paid more than you... - But you could always quit and then reapply for your old job at a higher salary. - I just might do that!! Would you mind rubbing this catnip all 960422 -- over your body first? 960423 -- So I'm thinking I'll resign, then I'll reapply for my current job at a higher salary. - That's a good plan except for the fact that you're thoroughly unqualified for your current job. - I need to share some unrealistic plans with a friend who 960423 -- isn't an engineer. I'm more of a co-worker than a friend, per se. 960424 -- And that's the marketing plan. Any comments? - It appears to be a bunch of obvious generalities and wishful thinking with no apparent business value. - Marketing didn't turn out to be the glamour career I expected. - I circled all the words you 960424 -- won't find in any dictionary. 960425 -- Experiment #1: I am exposing a rat to my company's marketing plan. - He seems to have no adverse response to the introduction and background. - This is already far more exposure than humans could tolerate. Sales Projections... Brain Tumor... 960425 -- Get Tylenol... 960426 -- Here's my time sheet, including guesses for the next two days so I can meet your arbitrary clerical deadline. - If anything important comes up, I'll ignore it to preserve the integrity of the time-reporting system. - Are you finished annoying 960426 -- me yet? According to my timesheet I'll be here for another 14 minutes. 960427 -- I got myself a little work-avoidance device. - If I want to leave a meeting early, I just look down and say "Uh-oh" and scurry away. - What's the pager number in case I need you? You're not quite grasping the concept here, Alice. 960428 -- Great news! The company set a new record for profits! - That means T-Shirts for everyone! - You can choose from sizes "small," "petite" or "elfin." - Shouldn't these have the company name or logo on them? Hey, that's an idea for next year!! - 960428 -- It's 1% cotton, 99% "miscellaneous" and all hand-made by authentic slave laborers. - That's great! With slave labor you don't have the problem that the shirts made on Fridays aren't as good! - Do you ever worry that our career expectations have 960428 -- gotten too low? - Don't go there, Alice. "Casual day," here I come! 960429 -- Catbert, H. R. Director I've come to give you "employee orientation," Wally. - You still have a glimmer of hope. You'll have to watch this mandatory training video. - So, you still have hope... Relax...let it go. 960430 -- I'm pleased to announce another banner week of accomplishments! - I streamlined the business processes while honing my participatory style and my proactive attitude, all while valuing diversity! - You watched the mandatory training videos? And 960430 -- I lost my free will! 960501 -- I just watched the mandatory video on sexual harassment. It worked! - In only thirty minutes, that video corrected a billion years of evolution. Do something sexy and watch me ignore it! - I probably shouldn't have fast-forwarded through the 960501 -- boring parts. 960502 -- Here's your problem. The connection to the network is broken. - Uh-oh. It's a "Token Ring" LAN. That means the token fell out and it's in this room someplace. - You are the wind beneath my wings. I'll wait a week then tell him the token must be 960502 -- in the "Ethernet." 960503 -- We have to eliminate a few steps in order to hit the marketing window. - I think we can get rid of market research an technical testing. They're basically "overhead." - Gone! Now we'll hit the market window! ...Like a bird. 960504 -- Here are my budget estimates for the year. - Thanks to management bungling and indecision, I plan to use no capital for several months followed by a reckless year-end orgy of acquisition. - Is that what you were looking for? Tell me again what 960504 -- "capital" is. 960505 -- I need to move you one cubicle down. Why? - That way people will be in a square pattern. - You're in a random pattern now. The symmetry is bad. - You want me to waste two days of work to move... - I'll have no phone and no network 960505 -- connection for a week... - I'll have to order new business cards and update my cubicle address on dozens of records. - And you still won't have a *square* because there are *five* of us. - I got downsized. Apparently somebody complained 960505 -- that I formed a pentagon. That can happen. 960506 -- This week I kicked off the "Wally Compensation Equilibrium Project." - My goal is to lower the quality of my work until it is consistent with my salary. - I hate the first month after they see their raises. I'd go on, but I just achieved 960506 -- equilibrium. 960507 -- Catbert, the evil director of human resources We're moving to "Cafeteria Style" benefits. - Under this system, if you need health care, you wander through the cafeteria asking "Does anybody know what this red lump is?" - What if it's a 960507 -- life-threatening problem? That reminds me, the cafeteria won't be labeling the entrees anymore. 960508 -- I'm going to try my paw at being a career counselor. - Insecure people will seek my advice and I'll tell them to be more self-reliant. - That sounds lazy and unhelpful. Would you want career advice from somebody who has to work hard? 960509 -- Dogbert, Career Counselor You can't expect your employer to take care of you forever, Wally. - Don't expect raises, don't expect to be trained and don't expect a pension. - That's depressing. I need a sourball. Those are marbles wrapped 960509 -- in cellophane. 960510 -- Dogbert, Career Counselor According to your occupational preference test, you like to remove vital organs from helpless people. - That narrows the career choices to doctor or serial killer. Do you get along with other people? - Other 960510 -- people are insignificant insects. - We'll have to go a to a tie-breaker question. 960511 -- Dogbert, Career Counselor I'm a low technical writer now, but my goal is to become a famous novelist. - My plan is to write witty and scathing E-Mail messages about co-workers until a publisher gives me an advice. - They might expect you 960511 -- to write a book at some point. BLOOD SUCKERS! 960512 -- I'd like you all to meet our new vice president in charge of cost containment. - My first priority is to reduce our spiraling expenses for office supplies. - From now on, your supply cabinet will be locked. - The only key will be under 960512 -- the control of your bitter an inefficient secretary. Questions? - I am only an intern so please excuse this naive question... - I've noticed that the employees are all dispirited hollow shells, management is random and our products are 960512 -- shoddy. - How are you going to solve that by making it hard to get supplies? - I thought you said they like honesty. Ask how much he's paid. It shows you care. 960513 -- The company announced we're being bought by our long-time rival. - Don't worry about layoffs. They like engineers. In fact, they already have a division that does what we do! - Except they're younger and the aren't paid as much as we 960513 -- are... Spin 960514 -- After the merger, we'll reduce staff in areas that are redundant. - I hope the employees of this company will be evaluated fairly compared to those in the buying company. - We already have a bald guy. Does yours steal office furniture, 960514 -- too? 960515 -- I'm paralyzed with fear because of the pending merger. - Thanks to your leadership I've gone from being unmotivated to being inert. - I think I'm advancing to the next phase. Hello, Rigor Mortis!! Take me, I'm ready!! It might be time for 960515 -- a morale-boosting potluck lunch. 960516 -- In the "due diligence" phase of our merger you will give us access to all of your proprietary information. - Wouldn't that let you know how to crush us completely? Couldn't you cancel the merger and take our customers without paying a 960516 -- cent? - Must...contain...maniacal...laugh... 960517 -- "Due Diligence" before the merger You must reveal your secrets so my company knows what it's buying. - All of our projects are doomed. Most of the good employees left. Our customers are starting a class action suit... - At least the 960517 -- building is worth something. If you feel a tickle, that's asbestos. 960518 -- With all this talk of "diversity" there's no mention of the pain we smart creatures endure while surrounded by dolts. -Good point. I don't know how we do. - It looks like I'll have to hold secret meetings. Yeah, our lives are a constant 960518 -- struggle. 960519 -- Dogbert's Dream Analysis - I was in a big field full of Tofu and Carburetors. - It means you're a gullible moron. That's $25 please. - Then I was running, running, running against the wind. That means you're ugly. - Then the butterfly 960519 -- turned into an opera singer. That means you're bald. - Suddenly I saw a new algorithm for data compression. It means you're boring. - Then I told the car dealer I wanted the anti-rust sealant, the extended warranty and the lease option. - 960519 -- What do you think it means? It means I'm going to make some serious money today. 960520 -- It has always been my goal to become supreme ruler of earth... - But lately, I've been wondering if you dolts are worthy of my leadership. - Do you think maybe is your ego out of control, Dogbert? I like it that way. 960521 -- Our new policy forbids the use of weapons or any violence in the workplace. - Ummm...what was the policy before this? - I'm not sure... Maybe if you had a permit and it was season. There goes another company benefit. 960522 -- Alice, these unsightly stacks of papers are a violation of my "clean desk" policy. Alice - - ...And don't even get me started about the ergonomics of *this* situation. Wally 960523 -- Yesterday I was lying in a sun spot thinking about how you work, work, work but your net worth remains constant. - HA HA HA HA HA HA!! - Well... I guess you had to be there. 960524 -- I had a cat once... Soda - I petted that thing for two hours but I didn't feel any better. - Petting is for the benefit of the cat, not your hand. They're so selfish. 960525 -- A TWO PERCENT ANNUAL RAISE?!! WOWEE!! - Ha ha! You tried to disappoint me but I compensated by drastically lowering my expectations! - Yeah, it *might* be a good sign, but I'm thinking not. WEEEE!! 960526 -- BUSINESS LANGUAGE EXPLAINED - "We have to be more competitive" Meaning: Say goodbye to salary increases. Nice barrel. This old thing? - "We must focus on our core business." Meaning: We can't find our butts with both hands. Hello. - "You 960526 -- are empowered." Meaning: You're the monarch of unimportant decisions. I proclaim this to be "green ink day." - "We're reengineering your function." Meaning: Adios, Tonto, and the horses you rode in on. - "Training is essential." Meaning: 960526 -- We're trying to hire some trained people. You were a cannibal? I'm a people person. - "We're market driven." Meaning: We blame customers for our lack of innovation. What's your favorite odor? Research - "We value employee input." Meaning: 960526 -- We think humor is important. Thanks for listening. HA HA HA! 960527 -- He slips in like a panther to take the last cup of coffee and not make more. - I AM PHIL, THE PRINCE OF INSUFFICIENT LIGHT! I DARN YOU TO HECK!!! Phil? - You were always Mom's golden boy. Somebody brought potato salad. Give me your spoon. 960528 -- Mom wanted me to be a manager like you. But I chose my own path. - I became Phil, the ruler of heck, the punisher of minor sins! How do you make money? - Corporate sponsorship. "Procter and Gamble" pays me to stay away from them. You 960528 -- should sell a line of home-exercise spoons. 960529 -- This is Phil, ruler of heck, with a special offer for my patented "Exerspoon." - You can do over seven million exercises with the "Exerspoon." It even trims problem areas! - And thanks to the innovative spoon shape, storage is a breeze! 960529 -- MMM... 960530 -- I need this information today. Plus a complete analysis of the alternatives. - CRINKLE CRINKLE STUFF - That wasn't nice. - In today's lesson, you learn that you're my co-worker, not my boss. 960531 -- Wally, I need your input on this by the end of the day. - Please drop your request here, in "Wally's pile of perpetual ignorage." - Can' I just give it to you? I don't like to touch that stuff with my hands. 960601 -- When Dilbert comes by, tell him to add "walk the talk" to his presentation. - He wants you to use a "Walkie-Talkie" to do the presentation. - Um...Did he say why? - Hey, look at my paycheck! I just realized *I* don't get paid the big 960601 -- bucks! 960602 -- My next victim. - I am Phil, the prince of insufficient light and supreme ruler of heck!! Hi, Phil. - You must choose one of these two hideous fates to pay for your sins. - You can choose eternal high pay, but all of your work will be burned 960602 -- in front of you at the end of each day... - Or you can choose eternal poverty, but your work will be useful and appreciated. - WOW! They're *both* better than my current job! - Hey, Wally, you might want to get on this! - I watch TV when 960602 -- I'm supposed to be telecommuting. DO me first! I hate the nineties. 960603 -- Halt and submit the the mind scan of "Brainitor, the guardian of security." - The bag contains one computer..."Pentium" processor...One gig hard drive...Highly fragmented... - Please wait while I optimize your hard disk... This is vaguely 960603 -- unsettling. 960604 -- Do you see "Time" as a sequence of discrete events or simply as a line of perception through infinite possibilities? - I see "Time" as more of a magazine. - You know these moments we have together. We really must have them less often. Ask 960604 -- me about "Life." 960605 -- Although we are nothing but pond scum in this company... - It's nice to know we can still find someone of lower status to torment. - You call these brochures? How can I even consider buying products from a "Ven-Duh" such as you? Tell me if 960605 -- it hurts. 960606 -- Tormenting the vendor You must do our bidding, vendor. We control your economic future. - Of course, our buying will be based solely on quantifiable performance measurements. - Your competitor completed the "Vendor challenge course" in 37 960606 -- seconds. And he gave us *very* nice T-Shirts! 960607 -- Dilbert, I found your father. He's been at the "All you can eat" restaurant in the mall since 1989. - He's so literal - He doesn't want to leave until it was "All he could eat." - When's he coming home? I'm thinking of joining him. He got 960607 -- a booth. 960608 -- I can't believe your father has been living in the "All you can eat" restaurant since 1989! - You have the oddest family. What did he look like when you saw him after all these years? - I haven't seen him yet. I'm waiting for "Burrito 960608 -- Night." - Now is when you should be saying "just kidding." 960609 -- Where's Dogbert? - Uh-oh. - Are you gullible? Do you spend money on stupid stuff? - Call the "Dogbert gullible friends hotline" for help. Only four dollars per minute. - Hello, Dogbert. I bought an exercise machine and I'm still lazy. - 960609 -- Please hold. Okay! - Call now, and I'll replace your old television with a new one that looks just like it, while you sleep! - If you don't have a touch tone phone, stay on the line...until you get one. 960610 -- These are some of the advanced materials I'm designing at work. That jar holds a pyrophoric substance. Let's see. - FLASH - Yep, that's a good batch. - A person from a smarter gender might have said "What does 'pyrophoric' mean?" 960611 -- The Dogbert Consulting Company will help us design a new company logo. - Glug Glug Glug - When will you start? I just finished. I call it the brown ring of quality. 960612 -- Your new logo might look like a simple coffee stain, but what does the image say about you? - We're sloppy and unimaginative? We give lots of money to consultants and get little in return? - Wow. This is almost *TOO* good. - Ooh Ooh! How 960612 -- about "our opinions don't matter"? 960613 -- Our objectives are unclear and our mission statement is gibberish... - but thanks to an artificial sense of urgency, I'm working harder then ever! - What's the good nes you said you have? Apparently I'm insane. But I'm one of the happy 960613 -- kinds! 960614 -- This company makes perfect sense, now that I'm insane. - For example, it might seem as though we're woefully understaffed, but I can compensate by working smarter not harder. - Hey, if I'm capable of working smarter, the why do I work 960614 -- *here*? The healing has begun. 960615 -- Dilbert, I notice you've been looking depressed lately. - Here's a prescription for an antidepressant drug. Be sure to exercise regularly and don't skip meals. - What makes you think you're qualified to diagnose my mental health?!! I'd 960615 -- better double it. 960616 -- Dilbert, I've decided to downsize you. - It's nothing personal, just an economic necessity. - I calculated how much your salary was dragging down the value of my stock options. - Without you, I can afford to go to the movies one additional 960616 -- time per year. - And let's face it: recreation is important when one has a stressful job. - Hey, why don't you downsize Wally instead. You'll save enough in office supplies to buy popcorn too. Sheesh! - Mmm. - How'd it go? You know that 960616 -- team-building exercise we did last week? I didn't take. 960617 -- The status of my action is 50% done. - Specifically, I finished the item part but not the action. - Do you have an estimate for when the action will be done? Yes, and that estimate is 100% complete! 960618 -- 10 injury free days - BAM! AAAEEII!! R-R-ROLL THUD - This is very ironic. No, it was ironic when it happened eleven days ago. 960619 -- Some idiot stood on a chair and fell off. - Now we all have to take twelve hours of chair safety training. - Is that a "Do" or "Not Do"? 960620 -- Carol, I asked you to enroll me in the quality college, but the confirmation says clown college. - It's a prerequisite course. - This is gonna cost me on secretaries day. I hope it's okay to be an angry clown. 960621 -- I was going to get the "bus of steel" video but I'm making excellent progress without it. - When they say steel, it refers to hardness, not weight. - I *knew* it seemed to easy. Stay away from large magnets. 960622 -- The only employee suggestions that get accepted are the ones that are harmless and stupid. - I submitted some stupid ideas to test my theory. - Suggestion: Replace all #2 pencils with #4 pencils. The hard lead lasts longer yet costs the 960622 -- same. That could work. 960623 -- I won't always be around to be your mentor, Asok, . So I've captured all of my career wisdom in this software, which I call the "Automentor." - Automentor, how can I achieve job satisfaction? - Try giving yourself a massage is your cubicle. - 960623 -- Automentor, how can I make sure my accomplishments get noticed? - That's not a problem at this company; nobody accomplishes anything. - Should I look for a new job? - Too late. They don't call this place the "resume stain" for nothing. - How do 960623 -- you handle all the hopelessness? - I give it to the new guy. 960624 -- Here's a draft of my new objectives. I tried to make them achievable. - "No matter how stupid my co-workers are, I will not punch a hole into anyone's torso, rip out a vital organ and keep it in my cubicle as a warning to others." - I hope she 960624 -- gets those objectives approved. YES! IT'S MEASURABLE! 960625 -- I could sit here doing nothing. - Or I could implement a bold quality initiative with the help of my talented and energetic coworkers. - I crack me up. 960626 -- What exactly is the Dogbert Day Care Concept? - Progressive companies can provide day care without spending a bundle. - Wouldn't we spend a fortune on duct tape? It's reusable unless it gets slobbered on. 960627 -- Alice, I need to gather some requirements before designing the company child care facility. - Do you mind if your children spend the day sewing garments in a windowless room full of illegal aliens? I mind. - I'll put you down as maybe. Would I 960627 -- get discounts on those garments? 960628 -- Here's my final plan for the company's day care facility. - I call it free range day care. The children are allowed to roam free among the cubicles. It's very economical. - I don't believe he's really an evil troll. Look at the "Powerpoint" 960628 -- slides he's making. It's not human. 960629 -- The results of the employee satisfaction survey are in. Scores for my department are dismal. - I'm assigning you to the satisfaction task force until the problem is solved. - Please...anything but that... How satisfied are you *now*? 960630 -- I call my invention the D-Chip Television Filter. I feel safer already. - It screens out any show with violence. - There goes the news, sports and dramas. - It also gets rid of shows that feature dishonesty or sexual innuendos. - Goodbye comedy 960630 -- and commercials. Let's hook it up. - All we're getting is weather reports. - A huge tornado ripped through the Beep ssssssssss - It works! The evil can't get to us now, Dogbert. Unhook that #!*% thing or I'll rip off your leg and beat you to 960630 -- death with it. ..... 960704 -- In the short time you've worked in quality assurance, you've found a huge number of flaws in out prototype. That's my job! - You're jeopardizing our schedule. The entire project will fail and it's all *your* fault. Why is it *my* fault? - If a 960704 -- tree falls in the forest...and we've already sold the tree...does it have quality? How many angels can dance on your hand? 960705 -- Let's have a little premeeting to prepare for the meeting tomorrow. - Whoa! Do you think it's safe to jump right into the premeeting without planning it? - Okay, let's get this preliminary premeeting meeting going. You think you're funny, but 960705 -- you're not. 960706 -- I couldn't help noticing the bugs in the program on this old diskette you threw away. - I fixed the bugs and tightened the code from twelve thousand lines to sixteen. - It took me three months to write that program. I took the liberty of 960706 -- updating your resume. I'm guessing you'll need it soon. 960707 -- I'll be writing your performance review this afternoon. - But this morning I'm helping my daughter sell cub girl cookies. - For your shopping convenience, I have assigned a name to each volume level. - Zero to four boxes is the "downsizer" 960707 -- volume... - Five to eight boxes is the "low performer" level. - Let's say six hundred boxes Ahh... The "fast tracker." An excellent choice. - What's your daughter's name? Ooh...gotta go. - I only bought twelve boxes. - Now I'm the "united way" 960707 -- chairperson. I just signed your name for six hundred more.. 960708 -- Someday when I become the supreme ruler of earth... - I'll order everybody to go outside once a day and run around with their mouths open. - Because you support fresh air and exercise? Because I hate flies. 960709 -- Thanks for making that product mock-up last week. The customer liked it so much that he ordered a thousand! - That was a *mockup*! We don't make that product yet. It would take three years to make one. - Just give me a thousand mock-ups. The 960709 -- first one was terrific! The mock-up was our competitor's product with duct tape over the logo. 960710 -- I'll need your full management support in this meeting with sales. Just watch the master work. - I promised a customer a product that we don't make. You need to engineer-up a thousand units by early next week. Is Thursday okay? - Wait until he 960710 -- finds out that Thursday isn't "early next week." Hee hee! 960711 -- I'm assigning each of you to a separate "quality" initiative. - Is there any risk this will devour our productive hours, lower our morale and have an impact on our profitability? - And we'll have a contest with a name for the overall 960711 -- initiative. How about "Qualicide"? 960712 -- He's with the other managers in an employee ranking and rating session. - Your salary depends on how well your boss can defend your proposed raise to the other managers. SOB - I'm fairly sure this Dilbert guy works for you. Doesn't ring a bell. 960713 -- Catbert, the evil director of human resources Wally, it's time for your mandatory blood test. - I don't take drugs. I'm testing to see if you're stealing time from the company. - Time? How can you test for that? We test your general health. If 960713 -- it's good, you're not working enough hours. You thief. 960714 ** According to this phone bill, you've been making personal calls. - That's like stealing from the company, Alice. - Must..control..fist...of...death... - I spent eighty cents to tell my family I was working late. - Here's a dollar, the extra 960714 ** twenty cents is for the personal thought that I'm about to have on company time. - MMM - And here's my bill for $40,000 in unpaid overtime that the company stole from me. - That's not stealing; that's being competitive. I think I'll be 960714 ** competitive with a few bushels of office supplies later today. 960715 -- Catbert, the evil director of human resources. According to my sources, you've been enjoying your job, Wally. - It was temporary. I don't know what got into me... Please refer to page one of the employee manual. - "Job satisfaction is the same 960715 -- as stealing from the company." I'll have to charge you for admission unless I start hearing some shrieks of pain. 960716 -- In the year that we've dated, Liz, you've mentioned various problems in your life. - I have compiled those problems into a list of requirements and developed a comprehensive set of solutions. - How thoughtful. I didn't even know I was broken. 960716 -- No, no, not broken... just a bit buggy. 960717 -- Um...when I've shared my feelings with you, I wasn't hoping you'd design an action plan to solve all my problems. - Why else would you tell me all of your problems...unless it's some demented plot to make yourself feel better at my expense? - 960717 -- You were right. It was all a demented plot. I'm trying to gradually lift your veil of ignorance. 960718 -- Our new "recognition program" assigns the names of precious gems to your levels of performance. - The highest level is diamond. You get a new ring at each level. - Are you sure talc is a precious gem? I think I saw it sparkle. 960719 -- As you can see from my ring, I'm a member of the "Talc Club" at work. - With hard work and a bit of luck I will rise to the next level: Shale. - I can honestly say my respect for you has never been higher. Someday, god willing, I'll make it to 960719 -- aluminium. 960720 -- It's time for me to update your objectives, Alice - We need targets that can only be achieved by amazingly hard work plus the constant support of management. - I'm busy, so you'll have to write them yourself. What's wrong with this picture? 960721 -- Dogbert, do you think love is the strongest force in the universe? - No, I'd have to go with stupidity. - Followed closely by its cousin ignorance. - Morning breath is number three. Thanks for reminding me. - Then you've got selfishness, lust, 960721 -- fear, money and luck. - But love is in the top ten, right? - It's fourteenth, right after foolish optimism. - Someone needs his little round back scratched. Do not. - Where's love now? It's down and to the left... LEFT!! LEFT!! LEFT!! Oowahh... 960722 -- Now that job security is a thing of the past, I've noticed that my company loyalty has vanished, too. - And when you made my bonus primarily depend on the blunders of senior management, my motivation fluttered away like a lonely sparrow. - So 960722 -- your point is? - No point. I just didn't have any reason to be working. 960723 -- I may be an ignorant rat, but that's okay because ignorance is...um...um... - *Bliss*...Ignorance is *bliss* - Oh, great. Now it's gone. Oops. 960724 -- I admit I was skeptical when you said I would be empowered to make my own decisions... - But I give you credit. You've let me work indepently for three months... What's that look on your face? - Please tell me that it was empowerment I was 960724 -- experiencing. Did I ever mention that your project was canceled? 960725 -- It looks like we'll release our new product on time, despite its many defects. - We've minimized the economic impact of the defects via an advanced business process called "hoping nobody notices." - And we've doubles our projected income by 960725 -- modifying our assumptions! A lot of this job is mental. 960726 -- Here in the "Dogbert Institute for Advanced Thinking," I have devised a plan for ending poverty. - My plan is to wait until there are so many talk shows on television that all the people with wretched lives can be paid guests. - What about the 960726 -- poor people who don't want to be on talk shows? We'll get the stragglers on "Cops." 960727 -- From now on, I will not try to reason with the idiots I encounter. I will dismiss them by waving my paw and saying "Bah." - Just because someone thinks differently from you doesn't mean he's an idiot, Dogbert. - Bah. 960728 -- The budget trap I need a quick estimate for how much your next project will cost, Wally. - How should I know? You haven't even told me what my next project is. - That's okay. I only need a rough estimate for planning purposes. - I see where 960728 -- this is going. You're going to turn my wild guess into a budget. Later I'll be blamed when it's wrong. - No, no. I won't hold you to these numbers. - Well...Okay, let's say two million dollars. - Oooh...can't afford that. I'll put you down for 960728 -- twenty thousand dollars. - One year later... You're way over budget. Can you show me the cause? It depends. Can mirrors reflect your image? 960729 -- Larry, I'm here to announce my candidacy for supreme ruler of the earth. - That's funny! Tell us about your next movie, Sharon. I'm not Sharon Stone. I said that to get on the show. - So...when I embraced you before the show... I think we're 960729 -- both glad I have no visible mouth. 960730 -- Vote for me and I will reform the tax code so that only idiots have to pay taxes! - YAHOO!! DOGBERT DOGBERT DOGBERT - I hope nobody asks me to define "idiots." ...So, under your plan I wouldn't pay *any* taxes, right? 960731 -- I'm from the association for products that are bad for you. Here's a generous contribution to your campaign. - This is cool! I'll use your money to get elected, then I'll put your entire industry in prison to cover my tracks! - This probably 960731 -- wrecks my chances of being named briber of the month. 960801 -- The votes are in. I've been elected to the position of supreme ruler of earth. - I won in a landslide, thanks to low voter turnout and the fact that I voted for myself many times. - I hope you'll be a benevolent ruler. I think I'll make caning 960801 -- an olympic event. 960802 -- My dominion over the planet is not widely recognized by the dolts who are breathing my air. - SO I've declared total sovereignty over a small, ever-widening zone surrounding my body. - How big is the zone? You have just entered Dogbert-Land. 960802 -- Pleas show your passport and leave the oxygen alone! 960803 -- If we are to succeed, you must become change masters in an ever-changing, change-adaptive environment. - Let me get this straight...Every change seems to increase our workload while decreasing our job security and real earnings after 960803 -- inflation... - And the problem is *our* lack of flexibility? - Not entirely. There's also your bad morale. 960804 -- Carol, from now on I'd like you to type up all my incoming voice mail so I can just read it. - And print out all of my E-Mail every day so I don't have to log on to the network. - And get me a sandwich from the cafeteria. Ooh, no cash. I'll pay 960804 -- you back. - Do you want me to prechew the sandwich or can you handle that on your own? - Listen up, you overpaid engineers... - By order of our reclusive boss, the new dress code for engineers is bumblebee costumes. - If you don't believe me, 960804 -- send him voice mail and ask for yourself. Oh, and he wants you to buy him a sandwich. - Still no messages this week? Is everybody out sick? I heard they have hives. 960805 -- Tom, you delicious hunk of burning love: if you were in my cubicle right now I'd... - It looks as if I'm working. Nobody can tell that I'm sending steamy E-Mail to my new boyfriend. - Tina, two things: Watch out for the "send to all" address, 960805 -- and thank you very much. 960806 -- I accidentally send my torrid love letter to every person on our E-Mail system. - Should I hide forever or can I count on the professionalism of my co-workers? - We'll complete our "career day" tour with an exhibit that I call "Tina, the 960806 -- red-faced monkey of love." It's hiding. 960807 -- Catbert: Evil HR Director It has come to my attention that you use company resources to send E-Mail to your boyfrien. - I'm willing to overlook this ugly incident in exchange for five minutes of quality petting my soft, furry belly. - This 960807 -- seems so wrong. Try using both hands. 960808 -- It's time to do peer-performance reviews! - Remember, there's a limited budget for raises. Your best strategy is to slander your co-workers so there's more money for you! - I plan to say very nice things about *you*. Nice try, weasel-boy. 960808 -- Managing is easy when you hate the employees. 960809 -- Wally, these peer reviews are like the famous "prisoner's dilemma." - If you rat on me but I say good things about you, you get the biggest raise. But if we praise each other we can *both* get a small raise. - Wally, if you rat him out, I'll 960809 -- let you look at my "Victoria's Secret" catalog. This is exactly why there are no coed prisons. 960810 -- You employees are the key to our success. - Anytime we need a little stock-price boost, we just fire another batch of you. It's like printing money! - In fact, "incompetence" has become our most profitable product. Wow. It beat out "lying to 960810 -- customers." 960811 ** This voice-mail message is for the whole department. - Every morning from now on you'll get my "quality thought of the day." - Today's thought is...um... - Let's see...according to Webster's Dictionary... - Aardwark is a burrowing african 960811 ** mammal that eats ants. What if we were more like that? - I mean like the aardvark, not the ants... - That's weird. Every time I leave my quality thought of the day, the shared printer starts spewing resumes. 960812 -- Catbert: Evil HR director Hey, Wally... Big layoffs coming. - I've seen the list. I know more about your future than you do. But it's a secret. - Sadly, cats don't keep secret very well. Nice chair. 960813 -- We don't do "layoffs" at this company. But *you* have been selected to participate in our mobility pool! - As the name implies, you get to scurry around trying to find a nonexistant internal job before the ax falls. - How's this different from 960813 -- a layoff? With layoffs you get to keep your dignity. 960814 -- I hear you're on the layoff list, Wally. Has anyone claimed your chair, yet? - I claimed it a few minutes ago. LIAR! - I guess it's true what they say about layoffs being hard on the survivors. 960815 -- Dogbert: Career Counselor I was fired once, but I came back as a contract employee. Later I was rehired at a higher salary. - Now I'm being downsized again. Do you think they'll be dumb enough to hire me a third time? - Your story reminds me 960815 -- of the parable of the and and the spider. Really? How? - They're both boring. 960816 -- Dogbert: Career Counselor The company won't lay you off if enough people quit first. - Your best strategy is to convince your co-workers that their jobs are intolerable. - We do this for all the young employees, Asok. I'll capture on video the 960816 -- exact moment that your life force leaves your body. 960817 -- Good news, Wally. Most of our smart employees quit to get much better jobs elsewhere. Now we don't have to do any downsizing. - your job is safe. We need you to do the work of all the people who left. - Is it just me...or is the quality of 960817 -- "good news" really going downhill lately? I'd have to say you're both going downhill. 960818 -- People are getting stupider every day, relatively speaking. - The complexity of the world is increasing geometrically. - But your ability to learn is at the same slow trickle it has allay been. - Information is gushing toward your brain 960818 -- like a firehose aimed at a teacup. - You're at a crossroads in history. Even the smartest among you has become "functionally stupid." - Your only hope is to choose a leader whose vision can penetrate the thick fog of human incompetence. - 960818 -- DOGBERT FOR SUPREME RULER OF EARTH!! - Do you want my opinion? What are the odds of that? 960819 -- I've hit the glass ceiling. I'll never be promoted again. - That's because you're not willing to "play the game." You have to look and act like the person who can promote you. - Ooo-la la! This had better work. 960820 -- My idea is that everyone should be required to use smaller fonts. That way we'll save disk space. - And I've noticed that many people use entire colons in situations where a semicolon would do just fine. - You're right. That was fun. The 960820 -- real fun starts when he describes his new ideas at the next staff meeting. 960821 -- I invented a new data encryption program called P.H.B. which stands for pointy-haired boss. - It converts E-Mail into manager babble. Nobody can intercept and decode my private messages without the key. Who would want to read *your* 960821 -- messages? - Somebody *might* want to read my messages. It could happen! And maybe you should carry pepper spray in case supermodels try to kiss you. 960822 -- I am only a lowly intern, but I see an obvious solution to your problem. - Just click here...Clear your buffers and initialize the link...Now use this code patch for the memory leak. - This is funny if I consider that your salary is twice 960822 -- as much as mine. - I'm laughing on the inside. 960823 -- Asok the intern I came over the weekend and looked at the design you've been working with all year. - It turn out you could have built the unit at half the cost with just one minor change. - Is it true I can win awards for this sort of 960823 -- thing? Fetch the internapult. 960824 -- I'm going to use bad grammar more often. - My leadership will change the language through the principle of common usage. - And I won't stop until the entire language is reduced to a grunting and pointing! BUWAHAHA-HA!! I really got ripped 960824 -- off by that dog obedience school. 960825 -- Our senior vice president will be dropping in today. - Remember to increase your lies accordingly. - And decrease the details you provide. - If I think you're being too informative, I'll signal by fidgeting. - Just say everything is fine, 960825 -- but we need more funding. Here he comes. - Sorry I'm late. How is everyone? - I'm not saying. I'm fine, but I need more funding. I have a wide variety of super powers. - I feel a sudden, urgent need to unload my stock option. Fidget fidget. 960826 -- Catbert the HR director Morale is low because the employees are underpaid. - You can compensate by having more frequent performance reviews. They love feedback. - The hardest part is keeping a straight face. Tell me again why I'd want 960826 -- morale to be high? 960827 -- Good news, Alice. I'm going to have quarterly performance reviews to boost morale. - Wow! In addition to working sixteen hours a day in this big box, now I'll get 300% more criticism! - I'll have a chance to hear employee concerns four 960827 -- times a year. I assume comprehension will remain on the bicentennial plan. 960828 -- At first I thought you committed me to an impossible deadline. But I have a theoretical solution. - It involves flying around the earth so fast I can travel back into the past. - And then you'll have enough time? No, then I'll give you 960828 -- parents this pamphlet on contraception. 960829 -- ...So the salesperson made an idiotic promise to our customer. Now it's *my* job to fix it. The brain is an amazing thing. - Are you saying that if I use the untapped power of my brain, there's a solution? - No, I'm saying my amazing brain 960829 -- filtered out your boring story so I could enjoy my walk. 960830 -- I've become one of those people who misinterprets everything you say. Why? - Why? Are you saying that nothing should ever change? Maybe you shouldn't be so rigid. - This could be very annoying. Maybe you should see a therapist for your 960830 -- emotional problem. 960831 -- I hear you're becoming an annoying person who misinterprets everything. Yes, I'm more assertive. - I said annoying, not assertive. Apology accepted. - Whatever you do, don't climb in this clothes dryer. Yeah, it does look cozy in there. 960901 -- In this two day workshop, you will learn to embrace our company's mission and vision. - At first glance it will appear to be a bunch of useless jargon created bay functionally illiterate executives. - But after we do some mind-numbing 960901 -- group exercises... - ...you'll forget that you're underpaid and you have no job security. - We'll begin by writing down all the things that "ethical behavior" means to you. - I've got a better idea: If you let us leave now, we'll give you 960901 -- high marks on the class evaluation. - Ethical Behavior - Good job. You touched me. You wish. 960902 -- Why do you want a job as our network administrator, Mister Dogbert? - I don't like people. This is a good opportunity to annoy idiots such as yourself for my own entertainment. - Wow. You're perfect. Can you star tomorrow? Sure, as far as 960902 -- you know. I'll give you my pager number. 960903 -- I got hired as the network administrator for your company. - Here's my card. You can only reach me by E-Mail or by pager. - When the network breaks, no E-Mail. I'll just sit around and wag my tail. - Your pager number has a tilde... How do 960903 -- I dial a tilde? 960904 -- Network administrator I have total access to every employee's E-Mail messages. - With a few strategic edits I will transform the office into "Melrose Place." - Yes, Alice... I *will* be your "monkey of love." 960905 -- Network administrator I have forgotten my password. I humbly beg for assistance. - I have no time for boring administrative tasks, you fool! I'm busy upgrading the network! - You could have given me a new password in the time it took to 960905 -- belittle me. Yes, but which option would give me job satisfaction? 960906 -- As network administrator I can take down the network with a keystroke. - AAGH!! WAAA!!! AEEE!! EEEK!! MY WORK!! - It's just like being a doctor but without getting gooky stuff on my paws. 960907 -- The Network administrator Can you program the routers to block employees from all fun web sites? - Why stop here? I can program the routers to block *all* useless activities. How long will that take? - Done. I've seen your business plan. 960907 -- Poink 960908 -- Tina, we need a few minor edits on our product brochure. Minor? Uh-oh... - We've discovered that our product causes hallucinations and sterility. - See if you can put a positive spin on that. - This will be my greatest writing challenge 960908 -- yet. - "Are you tired of the same old sights? We've got you covered." - "...makes a great gift for those people who - in your opinion - should not reproduce." - Ooh.. I feel a tiny pang of conscience. That's one. - So the brochure was only 960908 -- a three-pager? Yeah, and I think I faked the third one. 960909 -- I've hired the "Dogbert Touchy-Feely Institute" to teach us about teamwork. - We'll start with an exercise about trust. I want each of you to sign blank checks and give them to me. - What will this teach us about trust? It will teach you 960909 -- that trust is an excellent quality for other people to have. 960910 -- Teambuilding exercisee This exercise will build trust. The partner in front will fall. The partner behind will break the fall. - - Okay, maybe trust isn't your biggest problem here. %*#!!* 960911 -- Teambuilding exercise This next exercise will challenge your ability to solve problems as a team. - Build a working sundial using only a pencil and a donut. - Four hours later... One more bite isn't going to make any difference. SOB 960912 -- Teambuilding exercise It's hopeless! You're losers! We'll never make a sundial out of a pencil and an eaten donut! - Hee Hee! All you had to do was stick the pencil in the donut. - We just broke all kinds of union rules. But hey! Look at 960912 -- the shadow from the pencil! ........ 960914 -- In today's news, our company has decided to buy another dying company in a business we don't fully understand. - Our stock rose five points on the announcement. - Why does our stock go up every time we do something boneheaded? I like to 960914 -- think of it as our competitive advantage. 960915 -- Mr Catbert, our evil director of human resources, will describe our new cubicle plan. - Last year we reduced the size of cubicles in the desification project. - We didn't save much money, but we did lower morale. - This year we'll build on 960915 -- that success... - With the patented "Head Cubicle." - Hold still, Wally. - And the head cubicle can be recycled after you're downsized! - We really need to draw the line at some point. While we still have our dignity. 960916 -- On weekends I'll feel my pager vibrate...but when I go to check it, I realize I'm not wearing it. - It's a classic case of phantom-pager syndrome. It's common among technology workers. - There's no treatment for it. I don't want to treat 960916 -- it. I want to relocate it. 960917 -- When the year 2000 comes, your computers will think it's the year "00" and cause major problems. - The Dogbert consulting company can fix the problem for only ten million dollars. Our work is guaranteed for one full year, starting today. - 960917 -- But why should I care? The year "00" is before I'm born. Amazing...you'd actually have to be *smarter* to do something *stupid*. 960918 -- Ratbert, your job is to review eighty million lines of computer code in the company's systems. - You're looking for any reference to the current year. Those pieces of code will be a problem when the year is 2000. Gotcha - Six months later 960918 -- I'm happy to report that the date did not show up once. In fact, it was all just zeros and ones! Oops. 960919 -- Here's my invoice for fixing your "Year 2000" computer problems. - AAAEE!!! - ...So his head spun, but *didn't* explode? Yeah. I guess I left some money on the table. 960920 -- Tina the technical writer To insert a column, click the insert column menu. - But let's be honest, userboy, if you need to be told *that*, you're too stupid to use this product. - Have you reviewed the draft yet? I'm up to the chapter 960920 -- titled "Duh." 960921 -- I've got an idea. Let's add a battery backup to our product. - One...Two...Three - I've got an idea. Why don't we add a battery backup to our product? Because our product doesn't use electricity. 960922 -- It's time to use my speakerphone to do voice mail. - I can't remember if I use the speakerphone because I'm inconsiderate or I'm too stupid to know how annoying it is. - I'll leave that question to the philosophers. - HI. THANKS FOR THE 960922 -- INFORMATION. TALK TO YOU LATER!!! - DID I TELL YOU ABOUT MY CYST? Dogbert, send Bob the dinosaur quickly! E-Mail sent - I'm here to deliver a wedgie. Use the service elevator. - Yank! AAEEE!! - What's the best part -- The look on their 960922 -- faces or the way they yell? I'll leave that question to the philosophers. 960923 -- I don't know how to fix any of the problems in this company. Maybe I'll just sit here quietly. - No, that wouldn't look managerly... I'll have to do something idiotic and hope it looks like leadership. - We're going to have an "iron man" 960923 -- team-building competition. What a bunch of leadership... 960924 -- My boss is making the engineers compete in an "iron man" event. It's supposed to improve teamwork. - I'm glad I take the stairs sometimes instead of using the elevator. I'm in pretty good shape. - Yes, you are, to the extent potato is a 960924 -- pretty good shape. I just wrenched a muscle. 960925 -- The first leg of the "iron man" team-building exercise is a ten-mile swim, I think. - I won't be participating because my teamwork skills are already excellent. - Two phrases you don't expect to hear in the same day are "iron man" and 960925 -- "doggie paddle." Hey! No splashing! 960926 -- The team-building exercise Uh-oh...I'm a mile from shore and too exhausted to swim back. - My only hope is that an intelligent dolphin will se my plight and rescue me. - I'm in luck! Two words: Tuna...Net. 960927 -- Some dolphins in my situation would help you get to shore safely. - Others might try to distract you while an accomplice played a cruel joke. - COME BACK WITH MY TRUNKS!!! Let's ask the humming fish to do the "jaws" theme song. 960928 -- ...There I was, naked and exhausted, miles from shore. Dolphins taunted me for hours. - Suddenly a deep sea sport fishing boat happened by. I grabbed the line and held on for my life. Wow! That's lucky. - That's what I thought...until the 960928 -- second time they threw me back in. I meant lucky for them. 960929 -- Groan. Accounting - I saved $500 in airfare by extending my business trip to saturday. - Why won't you reimburse me for the saturday hotel costs? - Saturday was not a business-related activity. - Hmm...let me see if I understand this... - It's 960929 -- not business-related to make sensible economic choices... - But it is business-related to waste money like an ugly, brain-dead troll... - Then he beat me up and took my lunch money. Are you saying I can get free lunch money by beating you up? 960930 -- Catbert, evil HR director I need to hire a programmer for my project team. - Our policy is to first seek candidates from within the company. If none is qualified, you must use a sock puppet. - How many of your policies are designed for the sole 960930 -- purpose of satisfying your sadistic tendencies? All of them. Some are just more obvious. 961001 -- We'll be having an ISO9000 audit soon. They'll check to see if we follow our own documented procedures for everything we do. - I've divided our preparation tasks into two groups: unethical and unproductive. - I'll train our department to lie to 961001 -- the auditor. You can document our inane procedures. No fair. You did unethical last time too! 961002 -- Carol, I need to document your procedure for ordering office supplies. It's an ISO9000 requirement. - If someone asks for something, I check the supply cabinet first. Then I say, "there's one left. You can't have it because then we'd be all 961002 -- out." - Then I spend the rest of the day complaining about the person who asked. Uh-oh... I'm out of ink. 961003 -- I need to document your job processes to satisfy our ISO9000 requirements. Okay. - I try to anticipate the shifting political winds. Then I wrap myself in the relevant buzzwords and try to achieve importance without adding value. - What's your 961003 -- job title? Director of ISO9000 quality process design. 961004 -- Your product looks good, but you can't be our supplier unless your company is ISO9000 certified. - So... You don't care how bad our internal processes are, as long as they're well-documented and used consistently? - That's right. Our documented 961004 -- process says I must now laugh in your face and double our price. 961005 -- You know what's funny? I'll tell you. - You're working hard. I'm doing nothing. In a hundred years we'll both be dead. - You might not have to wait that long. I think I'll spread some joy over this way. 961006 -- Nobody has nominated a co-worker for a special achievement award. - Someone in this group must have done *something* good this year. - No...I don't think so. We'd remember something like that. - This looks bad. All the other departments are 961006 -- giving themselves awards. - We might have to lower our standards a bit. I've been proactive in that area. - Why are we standing in the hallway? - We think the room is locked. We don't have the key. - Later that month This award goes to Alice 961006 -- for boldly trying the door knob. When I find out who nominated me... 961007 -- You'll head our technology alliance with a small Silicon Valley start-up. - Their corporate culture is a bit different from ours. Try to be flexible. - I've never seen a pierced brain before. I think I'll call you "Mister Conservative." 961008 -- Strategic Alliance These are the procedures my company uses to approve projects. - I guess a small company such as yours is used to flying by the seat of the pants. Not necessarily. - You mean you're flexible? I mean I'm not wearing pants. 961009 -- Our strategic alliance is working well. My company provides amazing technical skill and your company... - ...has a seemingly endless supply of three-ring binders. - Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. It it true that if your name is 961009 -- written in a binder you loose your soul? 961010 -- Issue one: Our two companies have very different corporate cultures. Strategic Alliance Issues - While you were droning I slammed out some beta code and put it on the Internet for comments. - My company prefers to have that kind of decision 961010 -- made by uninformed executives. We call it "Empowerment." I'll mention that in the press release. 961011 -- The status of our strategic alliance is "doomed." doomed - Our ponderous and inefficient management style caused their best people to quit and create a competing company. - We must find a way to destroy that new company. I'll se if they're 961011 -- interested in a strategic alliance. 961012 -- Catbert, evil H.R. director When I'm in a bad mood, I like to think of ways to humilitate the employees. - Hmm...how about an employee recognition program with a thoroughly worthless award. purrr purrr purrr - It's pocket lint from a vice 961012 -- president's trousers. He was wearing them on the day he left for a better job. 961013 -- Alice, your performance this year is "meets expectations." You get a two percent raise. - MEETS EXPECTATIONS?! I worked eighty hours every week! - Yeah...Well, I expected that. - I earned three patents this year! The company will make 961013 -- millions!! - Really? Wow. I mean... I expected that too. - I donated bone marrow to our biggest customer!!! TWICE!!! - I noted that under "attendance problem." - I told you the bone marrow thing would haunt you. I'm starting to think the time I 961013 -- worked through lunch was for nothing. 961014 -- Alice, I'm putting you in charge of developing our booth for the big trade show. - I picked you because the males in the department have disqualified themselves through a process of strategic incompetence. - What is strategic incompetence? I had 961014 -- written down someplace, but I lost it. 961015 -- If you plan to have a booth at the trade show, you need the "Dogbert Trade-Show Consulting Company" to design it. - I recommend the deluxe booth. It's guaranteed to generate the most revenue. - How would the deluxe booth generate more revenue 961015 -- for my company? Oh, suddenly this is about *your* company? 961016 -- Your booth at the trade show must be attention-grabbing. You have several option. - 1. Magic tricks 2. Special effects 3. Raffles 4. Booth babes - For the best result, combine all four: Create the illusion that you're raffling off the booth 961016 -- babes. Booth babes? 961017 -- Our consultant suggested putting attractive women in our booth at the trade show. - I rejected that idea. It is sexist and demeaning. I have a better idea to increase traffic to our booth. - What's the dental floss for? It's your thong bikini. 961017 -- You'll stand in front of our competitor's booth. 961018 -- At the trade show What kind of free stuff do you have? - Cheap pens? That's original. Okay, fill 'er up. But I'm afraid I can't give you any eye contact. - That's enough industry research for today. It's time to hit the buffet. 961019 -- At the trade show What can you tell me about your products? - Our products are defective, much like yourself. - I probably shouldn't have stayed up all night setting up the booth. What are you doing later? 961020 -- My project is right on plan. - It began last week as a bad idea from somebody in senior management. - Thanks to my leadership, it is already an object of widespread mockery and derision. - As I speak, our lawyers are purging every last trace of 961020 -- value it might have had. - With luck, the project will be a gigantic failure in a month. - People will forget my failure and remember that I'm experienced. Promotions will follow. YES!! - In six months I'll be dating an executive secretary 961020 -- named Yvonne. Good plan. - Wally, have you ever read our mission statement? Yeah, but I don't subscribe to a literal interpretation. 961021 -- On the surface, you seem to make some good points about technology... Click Click Click - But your E-Mail address reveals your newbie identity. You're probably a goat herder or a cartoonis. Click Click Click - How does it feel to be an elitist 961021 -- technology bigot? I prefer to think of myself as a technology "have." 961022 -- Thanks for the meeting. Here's my card. - You call that an E-Mail address? It's eighty characters long and mostly meaningless. - People with embarrassing E-Mail systems... I tell people, the reply function doesn't work. You have to type in my 961022 -- address." Loser. 961023 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. director I feel like committing random acts of catness. - Woman in suit approaching...activate purring and shedding. Purr Purr Purr - So, Alice, how long does it take to curl and style a suit like that? Do you dry-clean it or 961023 -- just give it a perm? 961024 -- The cubicle warrior prepares for a battle. - Fighting, fighting against the overwhelming boredom! - When my grandchildren ask me what I did for a living, I'm going to lie. I usually tell people you're a hobo. 961025 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. director Wally, you've been too busy to get the required forty hours of training this year. - So I hired a contract employee to help you out. When does it start? - Yesterday. He already finished eighty hours of your training. 961026 -- I'm a manager, so I don't do actual work... - And all the decisions are made above me... - Carole, tell me again what I produce. Carbon dioxide. Our plants would need that if they weren't plastic. 961027 -- Alice, I'd like you to meet the newest member of my management team. - Keith is highly qualified, he has a masters in business administration. - Very impressive. They must have taught you a lot about motivating employees. Not really. - 961027 -- Well.. You probably learned how to identify and hire good people, right? That might have been optional reading. - Did you learn negotionation skills? No. Strategic Thinking? No. Business writing? No. - It was mostly finance and accounting. 961027 -- and economics. - So, you're a highly qualified leader because... you'Re good at math? - What should I do here? In these situations I like to use swearing. 961028 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Hey, Wally, is there anything you still like about working here? - Um... I like making popcorn in the microwave and eating it while I pretend to work. - Your body language tells me that something evil is going 961028 -- to happen to my popcorn privileges. I love my job. 961029 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director *To: all employees* The smell of popcorn in the office is unprofessional... - He's banning popcorn! First it was tobacco, then perfume, now this... There's only one pollutant left. - ...This brings me to the 961029 -- unpleasant subject of Wally... 961030 -- This award goes to Tim for his incredible accomplishment. - After two days of stonewalling all progress, Tim finally agreed to do the work for which he was hired. - We look forward to working with Tim in the coming year. As if I'd have 961030 -- time for that. 961031 -- This next award goes to Kim for her exceptional work. - Kim worked evenings and weekends to fix the problems that were caused by her own incompetence. - And it looks like Kim has a full plate for the coming year, too. Which side faces the 961031 -- wall? 961101 -- Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Oh, no...It's the maddening sound of Wally clipping his nails. - The sound makes me crazy, but I can't complain because it would sound silly. Must... Must... Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip Clip - You made your own 961101 -- screensaver? It's called "Wally's 101 annoying cubicle sounds." Slurp! Mmm... 961102 -- What are you doing in the marketing department. It's an experiment. - I sneak down here once a week and move this guy's cubicle wall in by a quarter-inch. - What's this experiment going to prove? I forget. It's been a long time. 961103 -- Mmm...soon you will be mine, little chocolate bar. I think I have exact change. - I can smell it through the wrapper. Here's a nickel. - I rub it on my arm to get the total body experience. No, that's breath mint. - I am transformed to 961103 -- another dimension. Ooh, a roll of pennies...No, lipstick. - I'll give you a check. Where's that checkbook? - SNATCH - STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP - What a funny day to forget my wallet. 961104 -- The Dogbert Consulting Company will add credibility to your own selfish and idiotic opinions. - For example, your current budget should be...um... Doubled Doubled. It should be doubled. - Hey, what's that tingle I feel all over my body?!! 961104 -- Credibility. If you want another hit, it'll cost you. 961105 -- I hired the Dogbert Consulting Company to add credibility to my decisions. - As my analysis shows, it's much better to give your money to me than to waste it on future downsizees such as yourselves. - What analysis? This is a page ripped out 961105 -- of the magazine in our lobby. Perhaps you should upgrade to my deluxe service. 961106 -- I've decided to date other men. - NOOO!!! DON'T BREAK UP WITH ME! I'm not. I just want to date other men at the same time. - I am *not* happy right now. That's exactly why I need a spare. 961107 -- Liz started dating other men. Two can play at that game. - I will use the power of the Internet to find a hot babe. Ah! There's one. - She wants your credit card number. Ooh! She's inquisitive. I like that. 961108 -- Men who understand technology are the new sex symbols. Your online personals ad should emphasize your technical prowess. - How about "looking for woman who likes moonlit walks so I'll have more time alone with my computer"? - And "must 961108 -- like to dance." That's so I won't get a flabby, u ncoordinated applicant. Don't call them "applicants" on the first date. 961109 -- You have to move slowly with these online relationships. I'll ask her what she likes to do for fun. - YIPE! - You'd think that a woman named Madame Cruella would compensate by being extra nice. 961110 -- I've been offered a promotion in another department. - Fantasy I'm outta here, you worthless piece of snail crud!! HA HA HA HA HA HA !!! - Reality I meekly request to be released from my current assignment. - Fantasy I would never stand in 961110 -- your way. Congratulations! - Reality I can't release you. You're too valuable. - Fantasy If I'm so valuable, explain my last raise!!! - Reality In fact, I have *another* valuable assignment for you. Stunned silence - I'm doing a survey to 961110 -- find out why morale is so low. I think it's your breath. 961111 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director There are two ways to get an extra engineer for your project. - You can transfer some unqualified loser from within the company... Or? - Not so fast. I like to savor the moment before I crush your misplaced 961111 -- optimism. 961112 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Here are the resumes of highly qualified applicants for your opening. - It's too bad we don't pay enough to hire qualified applicants. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!! ZIP -- Let's see...we've got resumes in 961112 -- pencil...crayon...pencil...eyeliner... Hey! Dot matrix! 961113 -- We like to ask our applicants some questions that will allow us to see how you think. - If you have a five-gallon bucket and a fifty-gallon bucket, how can you tell which one holds more water? - When I said, "see how you think," what I 961113 -- meant was... Ow! Ow! Ow! 961114 -- Your resume looks good, but we could only pay half of what you're making now. Are you interested? - So...you're looking for a brilliant engineer who is actively seeking a pay cut? - Well, you have to consider the many intangibles. Such as 961114 -- my savings account if I worked here? 961115 -- If you were hired, what would be your long-range career goal? - I'd have your job in six months- In a year you'd be working for me, you big pile of dinosaur dung. - I see you attended an all women's college. Does that experience really 961115 -- make you more confident and assertive? Either arm. Let's go. 961116 -- So tell me...Brian...why do you want to work for this company? - Well, to be honest, I don't. I'm using this as a practice interview. - I guess we're done here. Hello-o-o!!! It's lunch time and I don't see sandwiches. 961117 -- The powerful leader enters cubeville to inspire the wretched underlings. - He spots one of the little people in desperate need of a morale boost. - The leader carefully assesses the situation. Every solution is unique. - Try identifying 961117 -- the problem and the solving it. - The leader waits while the brilliance of his contribution sinks in. - That's a much better idea than what I was doing. - I've been sitting here all day randomly pressing keys, but you've shown me a better 961117 -- way. - Suddenly the leader remembers why he really visits cubeville. My morale is soaring. 961118 -- Catbert, evil H.R. director Are you stressed out, Wally? I have a solution. - Start smoking. That way you'll have frequent company-sanctioned breaks throughout the day. - This is your strategy for downsizing, isn't it? Try it, you big 961118 -- wuss. 961119 -- I've decided to start smoking. I'll be able to take more breaks that way. - And frankly, I'm hoping it will add an interesting edge to my personality and help me socially. - Not that I need any help. I can only hope that your personal 961119 -- magnetism won't erase my hard drive. 961120 -- Here's my first cigarette ever. I'm looking forward to the many smoking breaks I'm entitled to. - I'll probably see you three times a day, just smoking and chatting and enjoying the fresh air! - I assume you light the color-coded end, 961120 -- right? I quit. 961121 -- According to the ads, this brand of cigarette will be like mountain biking past a sparkling waterfall. - Puff Puff Puff - Are you getting that weird "smokers' cognitive dissonance" yet? - Man, this mountain biking is overrated. 961122 -- How do you like your new smoking habit? - My teeth turned yellow, my breath is putrid, I'm a social outcast, I'm going broke, and my house burned down. - So you're going to quit? No, I'm trying to take a long term view of it. 961123 -- I never noticed this warning label on my cigarettes before. - "If this product doesn't kill you right away, the executives of our company will drive over to your house and finish the job. We know where you live, Wally. Quit now!" - Why am 961123 -- I paying for a color printer? - It's also an air freshener if you know how to use it. 961124 -- Last week our consultants warned us about a serious threat. - They said our competitors would "eat our lunch." Eat our lunch - I'm happy to tell the executive committee that I leapt into action. - I hired a security guard to protect the 961124 -- cafeteria. - Our lunches are safe. - I always thought that was just a figure of speech. Fool! Give me your department! - Let go of my hair!! SLAP OUCH!! This is going better than usual. - Why is the cafeteria closed? Someone ate all the 961124 -- lunches. Burp 961125 -- When will my raise be effective? - The same time you are. - The evil Mr. Catbert, director of H.R., is feeling "in the zone." It's as if all the employees are moving in slow motion. 961126 -- Whenever we disagree, I always end up yelling. - That's an indication that you have poor interpersonal skills. I'm sending you to a class to improve them. - It looks like you've gained weight. Would it help if I started jogging? This is 961126 -- exactly what I'm talking about. 961127 -- Dogbert's school for interpersonal skills The secret to good relationships is to be a huge phony. - Let's practice the three fundamentals. Loud Simple Smiley - HEY, HOW ABOUT THAT LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM, HUH?!! Again, but this time say 961127 -- "weather." 961128 -- This lesson in interpersonal skills involves listening to a stupid person without rolling your eyes. - My computer screen says, "Press any key to continue." Can I borrow your keys? Mine are locked in my Yugo. - Must focus...must...focus... 961128 -- I could break the driver's side window...but it's bad enough that the windshield is gone. 961129 -- Here's my presentation package. I worked twelve straight hours on it. - That includes three hours of creativity followed by nine hours of stupor, senseless twiddling and outright dementia. - I suppose there's only one thing that could make 961129 -- this presentation worse. Send it around for comments. 961130 -- I found many areas for improvement in your document, Alice. - I'm only an intern, but these errors stand out like huge, red, blinking lights. - You could put this on top of an ambulance as a warning. I was thinking the same thing about 961130 -- you. 961201 -- Catbert the evil director of human resources My tail is twitching... - That can only mean it's time to write some more evil policies. - To: all employees: new policy - Employees must wear shoes that are one size smaller than their feet. - This 961201 -- will reduce wear and tear on carpets by 5% - This is may favourite part. We must do this to be competitive. - I'm a reporter for "evil hr politics weekly." Do you have any success stories? purr purr - This is how industry practices are born Has 961201 -- anyone complained about the "footsizing" program? I haven't listened to a single complaint. 961202 -- This metric shows an excellent trend in the number of days since the beginning of my project. - That growth rate compare favorably with the best companies in our time zone. - I'm working smarter, not harder. It's a whole new paradigm. 961203 -- I'm going to enter a profession that will make a huge difference in my self-esteem. - I'll be a corporate trainer in a company that's downsizing. - Are you sure that will raise your self-esteem? Why would I want to *raise* it? 961204 -- I'm looking for a new corporate trainer to help me teach classes in stress reduction, conflict resolution, and teamwork. - I'LL BURN IN HELL BEFORE I'LL DO YOUR WORK PLUS MY OWN, YOU FILTHY WEASEL!!! - And they hired you? A good trainer doesn't 961204 -- have to be a subject matter expert. 961205 -- Ratbert, corporate trainer Pssst! - I'm the grim downsizer. Trainers are the first to go. I'll just hang around here until the next budget cuts. - Do you mind if I sit in your stress-reduction class? I don't think I'll read the class evaluation 961205 -- forms from this one. 961206 -- Ratbert, corporate trainer Let's go around the room and say who we are and what we hope to get out of the class. - I'm the grim downsizer. I'm here to decruit the entire training department plus all of the people who have time to attend the 961206 -- classes. - My name is Dilbert. I'm here in place of Wally who is working hard to build a better tomorrow. Nice try. I'm somebody else to. 961207 -- You're being downsized, Ratbert. Fortunately, there's a generous retirement plan. - Let's see.. For your length of employment, at your grade level...you get a wall calendar. - When do I get it? As soon as I'm done with it. 961208 -- Our pointy-haired boss will be joining us by speakerphone. - This is an important part of your engineering training, Asok. What do I do? - When ALice presses the mute button, you make witty and sarcastic remarks. ring ring - Hello, everyone. 961208 -- I'd like to talk about the new company plan. - Tell us some lies, you ugly, two-faced, hypocritical troll! - I am Asok the intern and I spit on your feeble compensation plan! - I've found stuff on the bottom of my shoe that was smarter than 961208 -- you!! HA HA HA!!! - Next time, a bit wittier...and make sure Alice really presses the mute button. 961209 -- Catbert, evil h.r. director The mandatory unpaid overtime is immoral. It's destroying the quality of my life. - Alice, Alice, Alice... Companies are designed to maximize stockholder value, not employee happiness. - Maybe the head of human 961209 -- resources should be a human. Privately I refer to myself as the director of disgruntled cat toys. 961210 -- Dogbert the consultant Let me do the talking when we meet with your boss. - As you know, any idea from the pointy-haired wonder is crud, but when you add my ability, what do you have? - Crudability? And good looks too! 961211 -- Your first draft was boring, so I added a bunch of exclamation points. - Wow! Those exclamation points make this technical document come alive! - This might be that sarcasm thing I keep hearing about. I'm in the presence of genius! I beg you to 961211 -- father of my children! 961212 -- I'm flattered. But I can't date you because we're different religions. - I'm flexible. I'd change my religion to get a date. It wouldn't work in this case. - Did you know there's a religion based on not dating me? Where do you think I go every 961212 -- sunday? 961213 -- We must change our culture of cynism and negativism. - You two will be the "happiness commitee." Come up with some ideas to improve morale. - So far we've got: 1) raises, 2) slap-the-boss day and 3) nude fridays. I feel the cynism melting away 961213 -- already. 961214 -- After I graduate from "quality school" I'll be a quality blackbelt master. - Is the title metaphoric, or is there a chance you'll be beaten senseless during a breakout session? Zip zip zip zip. - Was that necessary? I'm not sure. I haven't done 961214 -- the pre-course reading yet. 961215 -- I made an upgrade to your product design. - This would make the product overheat. - Let's try to look at the big picture. - Okay... let's see... Your upgrade has no benefits and it costs more. - The overheating would start office fires and put 961215 -- all of our customers out of business. - If our sales are strong, we could create economic chaos and a global firestorm. - Your "upgrade" would destroy civilization as we know it. Keep me informed. - So you're going to end civilization as we 961215 -- know it? I don't think I'll miss it, frankly. 961216 -- Our elbonian database product can replace every one of your current systems. No thanks. - It can do payroll, accounts receivable, inventory, sales... No thanks. - And I'll throw in some golf balls. It's a deal! Just toss them in the lake with 961216 -- all my other ones. 961217 -- We're going to replace our computer support systems with the elbonian database. - It's risky, but don't worry. I've hired an outrageously expensive consultant who has never done this before. - I earned five hundred dollars just coming to this 961217 -- meeting. How's *your* day going? It won't make my top ten. 961218 -- Ratbert the consultant I don't know much about computers so I compensate by being extremely exuberant. - YES!! YES!! COMPUTERS!! WAHOO!!! - Hey look! It's not my fault! It's some guy named "general protection." It's time for your flying 961218 -- lessons. 961219 -- As a consultant, I earn $150 per hour even when I'm unproductive. - I can earn 42 cents by wiggling my furry little behind for ten seconds. - C'mon, count with me!!! When I imagine my ideal career, It's never like this. 961220 -- Ratbert the consultant ...then we'll turn off the existing computer systems and fire up the new one. - What if the new system doesn't work on the first try? Won't the economic impact be devastating? - Let me check my contract... Nope. I get 961220 -- paid exactly the same. Yeah, same here. 961221 -- I am only an intern, but may I make a suggestion? - The elbonian database system you're installing for our company will never work... unless I rewrite the entire thing with just six keystrokes...done - I thought this was only possible in bad 961221 -- movies. Hey, let's hack into NATO's system. I can guess their password in three tries. 961222 -- Today is your ten-year service anniversary, Wally. - Pick a gift from the service anniversary catalog. - Is there a ceremony? Yeah. We just had it. - May I say a few words? Anywhere but here. - The selection of gifts at the ten-year level is 961222 -- somewhat meager. - The golf ball is nice. I'm leaning toward the "I'm with stupid" shirt. - All I see is a blank shirt. It comes with a fabric pen. - I can almost feel the love our company has for us. What do you mean "us"? 961223 -- I'd like a direct flight...aisle seat...and an upgrade to first class if possible. - The best I can do is to put you in an overhead luggage bin...with one stop in North Korea. - Is it non-smoking? That depends on how accurate the anti-aircraft 961223 -- fire is. 961224 -- This is Marily Vos Savant, the smartest human alive. - She will help you understand your airline "often flier" program. I'm stumped. - After this, could you tell me which phone company saves me most money? My brain's trying to escape; you 961224 -- scared it. 961225 -- This suitcase is the decoy. - While the airline is distracted trying to loose the decoy, I'll sneak aboard with this emergency carry-on bag. - What if they try to make you eat their food? Fake vomit. They'll think I already ate. 961226 -- This bag contains all the mail you've sent me about my "often flier" status. Happy Airlines - I'll trade everything in the bag for a seat upgrade. I'm currently assigned to an overhead bin. Okay - Whew! Disaster has been averted. Are you guys 961226 -- going to the colicky baby convention too? 961227 -- Welcome to the hotel. Allow me to touch your bag so you'll feel obligated to tip me. - I've got to make it through the gauntlet of bag-losing hotel zombies. $ $ - No room?!! I have a reservation!! Oh, that's original. 961228 -- This taxi is yours. Here's a description of how he'll cheat you. - It says you'll be running the meter despite the flat rate. Then you'll feign poor language skills when I question you. - I can't fault your efficiency, though. Whump Whump Whump 961229 -- Dogbert's tech support This is Dogbert. How may I abuse you? - I need to move my cursor to the right but my mouse is at the edge of the mousepad. - Have you tried rebooting without saving your files? - Yeah, several times. - Have you tried 961229 -- moving your desk? - - It didn't work. You need my $800 mousepad upgrade. - What account does this get charged to? "Idiot expense," just like everything else. 961230 -- No rooms?? If the pope showed up, would you have a room for *him*? Yes. - Okay, then give me *his* room! I am so clever. - Let's see how you squirm out of *that* logic, weasel-girl. 961231 -- The business traveller - - When I bought the suit, it said "wrinkle-free" on the wrapper. The wrapper? 970101 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Hey Wally, I pulled some strings to get you moved to a window cubicle. - It's for my own benefit. I plan to take naps while lying in the sun on top of your head. - Every day this job teaches me that I can get used to 970101 -- anything. zzzzzzz 970102 -- You need a million dollars but I only have authority to sign up for up to ten thousand. - Break it into a hundred separate business cases. - Thank you for your value-added management support. It was nothing. 970103 -- Per your request, my request for a million dollars has been broken into one hundred business cases. - Each one is for ten thousand dollars, which is your exact level of approval authority. - I meant I can approve for anything *under* ten 970103 -- thousand dollars...so if you wouldn't mind... Killing you? No, I wouldn't mind a bit. 970104 -- Our new corporate policy is that all employees must use the products we sell. - AAARGH!!!! WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO DESERVE THIS??!!! - So you're saying that many of these policies are *not* intended to be punishments? You get used to it after you 970104 -- lose your will to live. 970105 -- Alice, I'd like your input on something. - Uh-oh...my intuition is activating the fist of death. Must...control... - Our corporate culture is bad. - I'm trying to find the cause. - Well, obviously the problem isn't caused by managers who have 970105 -- no self-awareness...so what could it be? - The culture problem must be coming from the other direction. Some *employee* must be causing the problem! - I think it's the guy in the mail room. His bad culture is infecting the rest of us. - If it 970105 -- is about that conference room full of mail, I don't know how it got there. 970106 -- I've decided to end my loneliness by getting a mail-order bride from Elbonia. - The photos were grainy, but the advertisement guarantees that she's cute. - Elbonia Blonde. wigs 970107 -- My elbonian mail-order bride will arrive any day now. Why don't you know the exact date? - Because they're sending her by mail. I wasn't willing to pay for overnight delivery. - She's one lucky gal. I'll probably keep her in the garage. It has 970107 -- a sink. 970108 -- Hey, Wally. I hear you're getting an elbonian mail-order bride! - It's so sad and pathetic, yet so funny! I feel sorry for her already! HU-HAHAHA HA HA HA HA HA And people ask why I gave up on local girls. 970109 -- My elbonian mail-order bride has arrived. - I must keep my expectations low to avoid any disappointment. - Where's the ladies sty? I desperately need to powder my snout. 970110 -- ...so my elbonian mail-order bride turns out to be a pig with a wig. What a rip-off. - You're taking this well. I'd be mad if I paid for a bride and then I had to send her back. - You did send her back.. B.L.T. ? 970111 -- Wish me lick. I'm off to get my performance review. - Have you been napping? You've got a bad case of keyboard face. - What's wrong with your face? I have quertytis. It's from working too hard. 970112 -- Buying a car You're one tough negotiator. Thanks. - It only took you four hours to get me all the way down to the manufacturer's suggested retail price. - THERE'S NO PROFIT LEFT!!! MY FAMILY WILL GO HUNGRY!! BWAA! BWAA! - Sorry. I assume 970112 -- you want the rust inhibitor coating for only $500. Um...yeah. Rust is bad. - YES!! KA-CHING KA-CHING - Sorry. We also have an invisible spray that protects against scurvy and tax audits. Well...okay. - Initial here if you want your airbag 970112 -- to be full of fresh aspen air instead of gravel. Only $600 - And the lease terms are engraved on this free hood ornament! Be glad they didn't install it. 970113 -- This week I did equal amounts of work and anti-work. For every unit of work I did, I generated an equal amount of unnecessary work for co-workers. I figure I broke even. - Wally, come see me after the staff meeting. Oh, great. You're 970113 -- driving me into negative territory! 970114 -- I didn't read all of the shrink-wrap license agreement on my new software until after I opened it. - Apparently I agreed to spend the rest of my life as a towel boy in Bill Gates' new mansion. Call your lawyer. - Too late. He opened 970114 -- software yesterday. Now he's Bill's laundry boy. It must be dangerous for lawyers to iron pants; they'd always have one hand in a pocket. 970115 -- ...so you didn't read the software license and you inadvertently agreed to be Bill Gates' towel boy in his huge new house. When do we move? - RRRUMBLE! - PREPARE FOR ASSIMILATION. The house has come for me. 970116 -- You have been chosen as Bill Gates' towel boy. But first you must answer this quiz. - You're in a room with three monkeys. One has a banana, one has a stick, one has nothing. Which primate is the smartest? Um... - I guess the successful 970116 -- towel boy knows that humans are primates too. Stupid trick question. 970117 -- Here's your annual performance review, Tina. - I focused on your performance for the past two weeks because I don't remember anything farther back. - I WAS ON *VACATION* FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS!!! No time to chat. I need to spread some 970117 -- motivation over here. 970118 -- Business used to be like christianity; if you were faithful and obedient, you could obtain bliss in the afterlife of retirement. - Now it's more of a reincarnation model. If the worker learns enough in his current job, he can progress to a 970118 -- higher level of employment elsewhere. - These analogies aren't working for you, are they, Bob? My hope is that one day I will biodegrade and become "WD-40" oil. 970119 -- Office obstacle course Uh-oh, it's Phil. I never returned his call. Walk faster. - YES!! - Uh-oh, it's an unpleasant co-worker who wants to be my friend. - The crafty engineer blends with the herd to avoid detection. - Uh-oh, I owe Alice 970119 -- some information. RING - Hello YES!! - There's only one more obstacle between me and blissful productivity. - AAGH!!! MY HOLE DAY IS RUINED!!! It looks like you need a one-in-one coaching session. 970120 -- Bad news on your performance review, Wally. - Everyone performed the same. But I'm required to rank the group on a bell curve. - I had to make up some flaws to move you down the curve. Here's a pen. Sign it. "Employee does not wash hands 970120 -- after using the restroom". 970121 -- I can't sign this performance review! It's full of alleged misdeeds that you invented to lower my rating! - Yes, but I think it reflects things you *might* do. I had to make all reviews fit the bell curve. - I AM NOT SELLING CRACK FROM MY 970121 -- CUBICLE!!! 970122 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Effective immediately, the company will no longer allow time off for the death of a family member. - This "family friendly" policy will remove your incentive to extend vacations by killing relatives. - And more 970122 -- good news: We're cancelling your life insurance so your family won't try to snuff you out either. 970123 -- Don't mention any problems when you do your presentation to senior management, Alice. - They might try to solve the problems during the meeting. That would be a disaster. - As far as I can tell, every layer of management exists for the 970123 -- sole purpose of warning us about the layer above. Are you saying they have a purpose? 970124 -- I put you in for a compliment, Alice. - It's not automatic. The application must be approved by the executive review committee. - Executive review committee I don't think so. We don't want them to think compliments are an entitlement. 970125 -- The results of the employee survey have been tabulated. - As always, employees say they are underpaid, blah, blah, blah, and management is incompetent. - And your bizzare, unworldly response will be? Everyone gets a travel alarm clock with 970125 -- the company logo! 970126 -- What do you want for your birthday this year, Mom? - Oh, nothing. I have everything I need. - Oh, c'mon. There must be something you want. Well one thing. But it's silly. - You just name it. Okay. - I'd like a home entertainment theatre 970126 -- with a fifty-inch screen, "THX" surround sound and a 600 kbps satellite link to the net so I can view adult pictures during the commercials. - I was thinking more along the lines of a new toaster oven. - Oh, that's exciting. I'll put it 970126 -- next to the other one and watch them fight it out. - There's a real dark side to the information age. - Oh, and about the gift of life I gave you: you're welcome. 970127 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director We've decided to lower your base salary, Wally. - I realize this will be a hardship. But if you hand me your necktie I'll show you why this is being done. - What did he say was the reason? "Because I can." 970128 -- The network went down and I lost my work. The server crashed. - From now on, I want advanced notice of any unplanned outages. - And I need it yesterday. I used to think that was just a figure of speech. 970129 -- As you requested, here is a schedule of all future unplanned network outages. - I took the initiative to include a schedule of all future sick days, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes. - This is the point when you realize how 970129 -- stupid your request was and we have a good laugh. Does CNN know about this? 970130 -- A pessimist says the glass is half empty. An optimist says it's half full. - Did you put your lips on my glass again? - And the engineer says... It's a good thing I put half of my water in a redundant glass. 970131 -- Asok the intern I installed calendar software on our network. - Now you can see everyone's schedule and easily set up meetings. - I say we grab him and apply some cubicle justice. Good idea, but I'm in meetings until the year 3006. 970201 -- The more work I do, the more I'm given. - It doesn't pay to be a talented and hard-working employee. - How's it pay to be *you*? Not bad on an hourly basis. 970202 -- Carol, could you check our pointy-haired boss's calendar? Grumble. - We'd like to schedule a celebration for the engineers who got patents. Grumble. - We're all available on the sixth, ninth, twentieth and the twenty-first. - I'll schedule 970202 -- it for the tenth. That's the only day he can do it. - Um... None of the engineers can make it on the tenth. - It's not a perfect world. - When's the patent celebration? Shut up. - On the tenth We should do this more often. Yeah, I like 970202 -- cake. 970203 -- Every department is required to create a web page for our internal network. - It should include enough information to be difficult to maintain, but not so much that it's useful. - As a security precaution, we'll make it too dull and 970203 -- unorganized to read. Is pornography in or out? 970204 -- I spent all week tweaking HTML for my intranet web page. You should see it, Mom. - I converted the video of my birth into an MPEG file. Anyone behind the firewall can view it. - You should hear the nickname they have for you at work! You 970204 -- should hear the one I have for you right now. 970205 -- Alice, I gave you a low performance ranking because you haven't bothered me all year. - Logically, if your job were difficult and important, you would have brought me many issues to resolve. - Can you think of *any* other reason I might 970205 -- not bring you issues? Yeah, laziness. But I gave you the benefit of a doubt. 970206 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. director I was so good at my job that I never needed to bother my boss. But he gave me a low rating because he didn't see me struggling. - I must refer to my human resources binders to see how to deal with this. - 970206 -- Downsize Downsize Hire losers Downsize Downsize Downsize .... 970207 -- Don't mind the stopwatch. I'm testing my theory that people get dumber every minute. - It's not so simple, Dogbert. You also have to consider my "emotional intelligence," which is defined in a book I haven't read. - Twelve seconds. click 970207 -- Give me that watch, you hog! 970208 -- My old slogan was, "work smarter not harder." - But people kept leaving for companies that pay more for less work. - Work like a frightened idiot! Catchy. 970209 -- Job interview We're looking for a special kind of employee, Wally. - Specifically, we like people with low self-esteem. - That way we can bully them into working unpaid overtime. - Do you think you're insecure enough to work here? Let me put it 970209 -- this way. - Sometimes I pretend to choke in the cafeteria... - Then when someone performs the Heimlich maneuver on me I spin around suddenly... - Just to get a hug. - Did he really say you're over-qualified? Aak! Mmph! 970210 -- I need a bullet point for your monthly accomplishments, Wally. - Put me down for "leveraged synergy across all technology platforms." - That was your accomplishment last month. It's more of a journey than a destination. 970211 -- Today I'll find out how big my bonus will be. - After the work I did on that project, I'm thinking four digits, maybe five. - Later How many digits? I used one on each hand. 970212 -- I need my own secretary. I'm too busy to help you unless I get some support. - Too busy? You haven't done any work for me in six months. - Oh, suddenly this is about *you*? 970213 -- Carol, do you know why my raise hasn't showed up in my pay yet? I haven't submitted the paperwork. - I'm too busy to do it. Maybe you should talk to my boss about getting me a secretary. - Carol, *you* are the secretary. That'll cost you 970213 -- another month. 970214 -- My raise didn't get through because your secretary didn't do the paperwork. - I demand that you initiate disciplinary actions against her! I'll try, but... - Carol, could you get me one of those disciplinary action forms? Sure, right after my 970214 -- Ski trip to hell. 970215 -- This is Wendy, my new secretary. I didn't know secretaries could have secretaries. - Now will you have time to process my pay increase? It's been on your desk for three months. - HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Here's another case where more is not 970215 -- better. 970216 -- Leadership Seminar Grumble Grumble - What would you call a manager who motivates employees to work fourteen hours a day? - A filthy sadist. Pointy-haired imbecile. - Umm.. No... That's not what I'm looking for. - I think he means what do we call 970216 -- him to his face. - Leader. - Right! And what do you call someone who can make unpopular decisions again and again? - A filthy sadist? Wait, it might be another trick question. I hate training engineers. 970217 -- You didn't give me your five-year budget forecast. You didn't ask for one. - It was discussed at the project review meeting. You didn't invite me to that meeting. - Did you accomplish *anything* this week? I trained the bats who live in 970217 -- my cubicle to juggle mushrooms. 970218 -- I'd like to start the meeting with a whiny, unanswerable question. - WHY CAN'T ANYONE MAKE A DECISION AROUND HERE?! - That was good. My little intern is all grown up. Sniff 970219 -- Hey, that's a union job. Put it down or I'll file a grievance. - I'm only moving it ten feet. If I wait for a union person, I'll be unable to do my job for a week. Watch me not care. - If anyone sees you move the PC tonight, try saying you're 970219 -- Jonny Cash. Maybe I should just use the elevator. 970220 -- The bold commando stealthily relocates his PC at night, thus thwarting burdensome union rules. - Freeze, miscreant. - I hope this works. You don't look like Jonny Cash to me. 970221 -- You're accused of stealing a computer. We'll reduce the charge to "lewd conduct with appliances" if you'll plead guilty. - That sounds fair. People will understand it's just a plea bargain. - Would you like a minute alone with "Mr. Coffee"? 970222 -- I've decided to abandon logic and manage by cliches. - It won't be easy, but I'll take it one bird at a time. - And remember, the customer is always right-handed. This is actually an improvement. 970223 -- I dread this part of the staff meeting. - Let's go around the table and describe our accomplishments for the week. Wally? - It was another week of amazing success in Wallyville. - On Monday I realized that my left bun had fallen asleep. - I was 970223 -- shocked. The "boys" had always worked as a team before. - Thinking quickly, I shifted my weight to my right bun and hoped for the best. - That's your left side, not your right. - That's the other thing; apparently the boys switched sides 970223 -- sometime during the night. 970224 -- I had to promise the customer we could build the thing in a month even though you said it was impossible. - I'll solve the timing problem by shifting blame to engineering while spending the huge bonus I got for the sale. - Your planning has 970224 -- improved. Beginning blame transfer now... rrr rrr 970225 -- I'm totally frazzled. There simply isn't enough time in the day to meet my upcoming deadlines. - Let's have an all-day meeting off-site so I can explain why the deadlines are so important. - So, your theory is that I'll have more time in the 970225 -- day if you explain something I already know? I don't have a lot of tools here. 970226 -- Have you set up our off-site meeting so we can talk about how overworked you are? - I was thinking we should invite the rest of the staff, too. We can discuss our mission statement, maybe have a sack race. - Did you know that if you're a state 970226 -- trooper, you can shoot any animal that's been hit by a car? 970227 -- I've heard that some primitive cultures had no mathematical concept of "zero." - Sometimes I think you're like that when I tell you I have zero time left for additional work. - The conversation went downhill from there. NO, THAT'S "ZORRO." 970227 -- YOU'RE *NOT* LIKE ZORRO!! 970228 -- Dilbert asked me to speak to you about the project plan you created without his input. - IT'S IMPOSSIBLE, YOU ARROGANT BABOON!!! - Lean over here so I can slap you. I'm having flashbacks to my honeymoon. 970301 -- As you requested, I have learned to "do more with less." - I'm doing more unnecessary work, with less planning, less intelligence, and less guilt. - I hate the first staff meeting after budget cuts. And less career aspiration, too! 970302 -- Our new CEO will be announced today, Dogbert. Rumor has it that they picked a tall caucasian male with no experience in our industry. - I can't wait to hear the bizarre logic behind this choice. - I like your necktie. Is it new? Shut up. - Our 970302 -- new CEO has never worked in our industry, but that's exactly what we're looking for... - ...because we wanted a CEO who who doesn't know what can't be done! - Other hand... Other hand. Why? - He looks a bit overqualified. I really took the 970302 -- wrong approach on my resume. 970303 -- Ratbert, I'm going back into the consulting business and I need you to be my engagement manager. - You'll seem very smart if you randomly combine the words on this list and make many references to "Wal-Mart." It's like "Wal-Mart." Migrate your 970303 -- value into the white spaces of the ecosystem. Wow! That's one smart rat! 970304 -- Ratbert the consultant "Wal-Marts" business strategy was very successful. You can learn from their example. - Does their strategy involve sitting around and making irrelevant comparisons to other companies? - All I know for sure is that they 970304 -- don't let rats try on all the pantyhose in the store. Good strategy. 970305 -- Ratbert the consultant Your strategy options can be shown in this matrix. - The four boxes are "something... something... some other thing and whatever." - In phase two I hope to turn this matrix into concentric circles with labels and arrows. 970305 -- I'm under the consultant's spell. 970306 -- Ratbert the consultant I am under your consulting spell. Really? - Your overly complicated matrices and diagrams have convinced me of your intellectual superiority. - I am afraid to act without your approval. Did I say you could put your arms 970306 -- up like that? 970307 -- Our boss has fallen under the spell of a consultant. Must...make assumptions. - Must...write...large checks to consultant...because...employees...are...morons. - Just because we pay inexperienced strangers to tell us how to do our jobs, that 970307 -- doesn't mean we're morons! Yeah! It's a coincidence. 970308 -- Ratbert the consultant Now that you're under my spell, I'd like to sit on your head and play bulldozer. - Make some engine noises with your lips! HA HA!! Brbrbr brbrbr - Do you think our consultant has to much power? Hah, he's barely moving 970308 -- that file cabinet. Brbr brbr brbr 970309 -- You're probably wondering how my day was. - It was terrible...until I did *this*! - It all started when I deluded myself into thinking my opinions mattered. - I sprang into action like a cheetah on a trampoline! - I drew lines and boxes 970309 -- and arrows for hours. It was pure adrenaline.. - SUDDENLY, TROUBLE STRUCK! IT WOULDN'T FIT ON ONE PAGE!! - So I shrunk everything until it was totally unreadable. AND IT FIT!! - The moral of the story is that you don't have to feel bad 970309 -- just because you're totally worthless. I'd mock you but the challenge is gone. 970310 -- And now for the most absurd activity of the week: the timecard. - There's no project code for "staring at the wall and fretting about the reorganization." I'll call it "Training." - Before I worked here I wasn't a thief or liar. You can't 970310 -- get that kind of training in school. 970311 -- I am young and unexperienced, so please excuse this naive question, Alice... - You spend hours every day "doing E-Mail." How does this contribute to net after-tax earnings? - Day I learned that Alice can stuff my entire body into the shirt 970311 -- sleeve. 970312 -- I can't let you telecommute because then I wouldn't be able to manage you. - You're managing me right now, and all it's doing is preventing me from working. - And your point would be...? Just beyond your grasp. 970313 -- I need your help to negotiate with my boss for more telecommuting days. - I'm too logical to be a good negotiator. You need someone who is relentlessly irrational. - Dogbert says you're an excellent negotiator, Ratbert. I'M INSULTED!! 970314 -- I'm here to negotiate for more telecommuting days. - My negotiating strategy is to have Ratbert say such illogical things that it drains your will to argue. - You can't work at home because you might do unproductive things there. I've lost 970314 -- my will to argue. 970315 -- I convinced my boss to let me telecommute. How? - Well, technically, I called in sick, which comes out of my time bank for total days off. - So, technically, I'm working for nothing, but I'm ahead in principle. *Way* ahead, now that 970315 -- stupidity is a principle. 970316 -- You'll love your new assignment, Alice. Uh-oh. - You're going to redesign all of our brochures. - I'm an electrical engineer, not a graphic artist. - We can discuss your huge inadequacies during your annual review. - I'm not inadequate. 970316 -- I'm a highly skilled engineer. And yet you can't make brochures. - Okay, let me try to explain this in the simplest possible way... - You...are...an...idiot. - The simplest possible explanation isn't always the best. Hey, it looks like a 970316 -- brochure, only uglier! 970317 -- It's noon. Let's grab a sandwich at the cafeteria. - Okay, but make sure thats's *all* you grab. I'd like to keep this on a professional basis. - And I'll need to borrow five dollars. - He's like a beautiful, untamed beast. Sigh. 970318 -- I always fall for the wrong guys. I'm a jerk magnet. - Tina, the turkey in your sandwich is already deceased. You don't have to talk it to death. - I must disguise my arousal. Hey, look! We're eating exactly the same quantities for lunch! 970319 -- Alice, I think I'm developing a crush on Dilbert. - Is that so wrong? - Apparently it is. I have a report of a tech writer desiring an engineer. 970320 -- You are guilty of being a technical writer with an unnatural attraction to an engineer. - It's not a major sin, so you only go to heck. I'm Phil, the prince of insufficient light. Sit down and type, "I proactively leverage my synergies," a 970320 -- hundred times. NO-O-O!!! 970321 -- It's called a "smart card," and we should build our next product to handle this sort of payment technology. - Aaagh!! - I've never seen that happen. His body rejected the "smart card." 970322 -- I've invented a quantum computer, capable of interacting with matter from other universes to solve complex equations. - According to chaos theory, your tiny change to another universe will shift its destiny, possibly killing every 970322 -- inhabitant. - Shift happens. Fire it up. 970323 -- Whoa... I found a huge bug in our new software product. - I could alert the development team and work many hours of unpaid overtime to fix it... - Or I could surf over to my online brokerage service and buy stock in our competition. - Are you 970323 -- going to lunch? No, I have to do an analysis. - When Wally works though lunch... it's time to buy stock in our competition. - Wally's working through lunch! Quick! To my online brokerage service! - Our competitor is up ten points on no news. 970323 -- We're up two, maybe from the industry halo effect. - ...or maybe our new compensation plan is motivating smarter behavior. I think you nailed it. 970324 -- I studied your technical recommendation and decided it's impossible. I already did it. - It will never work. It's working perfectly. - You spelled this word wrong. That's a number. 970325 -- Avoid the pointy-haired boss today. I proved him wrong about something. - Oh, terrific. Now he's in a state of boss disequilibrium until he proves he's *right* about something. - They're *PHOTOCOPIES*! You don't need to proofread *EACH ONE*! 970325 -- We'll see about that. 970326 -- We plan too much. From now on we'll have a bias for action. - I want posters that proclaim our commitment to action. And I want them soon! - "Measure once. Cut twice." I like it. Told you. 970327 -- When I was your age, we had things called "promotions" and "raises." - These days you can only get ahead by leaving the company for a year then coming back as a high-level manager. - So the theory must be that anyone who would return to this 970327 -- company is... A moron. Correct. 970328 -- Profits are down. Morale is low. What is the root problem? - It's got to be those anti-management cartoons the employees hang on their cubicle walls! - And they aren't funny. This one has our mission statement. 970329 -- I'm banning the posting of anti-management cartoons in the office. They hurt morale. - You're banning humor to raise morale? Is there something wrong with that? - It's the subject of today's cartoon. And you see how it's not funny? 970330 -- This security system cost a fortune but it's worth it. - I put a camera in every room to deter any criminal activity. - We may now go to the park knowing our fortress is protected. - - - I can't wait to show my kids what I do at work. - I can 970330 -- only think of one thing worse than having all of my stuff stolen. - And that is having some of it returned. This thing is hideous in good light. 970331 -- Wally, I forgot to tell you that all of the project requirements changed. - WHAT?!! ALL MY WORK WAS FOR NOTHING?!! - He actually believes you did work? I think I'll get some homemade cookies out of this! 970401 -- HEY, DILBERT! YOU'LL NEVER BE HUNGRY AS LONG AS YOU'RE WORKING IN THIS STRIP... - ...'CAUSE YOU'RE SURE OF *THREE SQUARES* EVERY DAY! - SOME OF US HAFTA KEEP GOIN' AROUND IN CIRCLES! Security? 970402 -- In order to reduce expenses, only the employees in essential jobs may have business cards. - I'd better order some business cards to find out if I'm "essential." - Carol, order some new business cards for me. Ooh. No can do. But you can borrow 970402 -- some of mine. 970403 -- I hate to interrupt your loud conversation outside my cubicle... - But if you don't go away, I'll pound your inconsiderate head so far into your torso that you have to drop your pants to say hello. - Did you just hear a strange noise? It 970403 -- sounded like, "Melp! Melp!" 970404 -- I'm sending you to a training course. That runs at night so you won't miss any work. - It might seem like an immoral abuse of my power, but I like to call it "a mutual investment in your career." - Must...control...fist...of...death... And 970404 -- they have vending machines if you get hungry! 970405 -- Company training Let's go around the room and we'll each say what we hope to learn. - I hope to learn whether that hing on your head is a bad toupee, a dead animal, or a hideous freak of nature. - Can I call that "general"? 970406 -- Dogbert presents The Life Cycle of a Business Idea - The brain creates an idea. mmm - The mouth-operating indepently of the brain-creates words. Let's form proactive synergy restructuring teams. - The words are written on large paper. Idiot. - 970406 -- The large paper is delivered to a bitter secretary. Please? Grrrr - The secretary types it. "Let's...form...protein...symphony reactionary...teens." Close enough. - The typed notes are delivered to the staff. Drop it into the "to do basket." - 970406 -- Repeat. Mmm 970407 -- Alice, your performance is good, but you must learn to deal with ambiguity. - Did I just get blamed for your indecisive leadership? - I'm not indecisive; I'm flexible. That would explain how your head got where it is. 970408 -- Here's the new org chart. I had to rearrange the layout to make it fit. - Why is my box lower than Alice and Wally's It means nothing...nothing at all. - Okay, who told you that every year I fish your secretaries' day card out of your trash and 970408 -- save it for next time? What? 970409 -- The new org chart has my name lower than yours, but it doesn't mean anything. - See? It wouldn't all fit across the page. It's just a graphical layout thing, that's all. - Hey, Dil-boy, put a head on this and fetch my mail. Are you asking me to 970409 -- be your mentor? 970410 -- I notice that the new org chart has your box lower than before. It means nothing. - Perhaps. But your box seems smallish. And your reporting line line brushes against my box. It means nothing. - No, I'm sure this means I'm your new boss. I 970410 -- wonder if I killed someone in your previous life. 970411 -- I don't care what it "looks" like on the org chart! You're an intern, not my boss! - I just saw the new org chart. Congratulations on your promotion, Asok! - Let's make some strategies and pretend it's work! Not so loud. The l-u-s-e-r might 970411 -- hear. Bonk Bonk 970412 -- Carol, I don't mean to be critical about the department phone list you put together... - But it's traditional to list people alphabetically, not by phone number. - Because what possible use...? Incoming call from... let's see... it's Wally... I 970412 -- can ignore it. Ring 970413 -- Here's my project plan as you requested. - Our team is already working day and night on other projects. - I assumed we'd give up eating, sleeping and bathing to fit this in. - By the second week we'll be starving, delirious and stinking. - 970413 -- We'll be like wild, unpredictable animals. - Specifically, we'd be like wild chipmunks. Non of us are very aggressive. - This clip-art represents us in week three as a pile of dead chipmunks. - Now he wants it in two weeks? Never mix sarcasm 970413 -- with good clip-art. 970414 -- Alice, I need this ASAP. - ASAP? Does that stand for *a* *s*tupid-*a*cting *p*erson, i.e., someone who ignores tasks until the deadline? - That was embarrassing. I hope the other things I say don't mean anything. 970415 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director The company has taken out a life insurance policy on you, Wally. - We pay the premiums and we collect the insurance when you die. Is this because I'm so valuable to the company? - It's because we think you'll be 970415 -- more valuable dead. This is exactly why I don't like cats. 970416 -- There's been a lot of joking and grumbling since the company took out life insurance policies on all of you. - So we're having these catered lunch meetings to discuss your feelings. - Do you want the mad cow burger or the chicken bone surprise? 970417 -- I found another dead employee in the conference room. - I don't know what got him - the boredom or the hard work. But headcount is down one and the company has life insurance on him! - It looks like I found my "employee of the week." 970418 -- Catbert: evil H.R: director. Wally , the company bought a life insurance policy on you. - Our plan is to raise your blood pressure to dangerous levels. - Did you know that out CEO makes fifty times your salary even though our stock is down? Ow! 970418 -- Ow! Ow! 970419 -- Your success at work depends on what you have in your hands when you walk around. - A coffee cup is bad. A document is good. A cigarette is bad. A binder is good. But the very worst thing... - It doesn't look like you're heading for the fast 970419 -- track, Wally. Actually, I am, unless it's occupied. 970420 -- Here are some money-saving tips from headquarters. - "When calling long distance, use short words." - "If everyone did this, out fifty-billion dollar company could save nine hundred dollars per year." - "Tip two: For faxes, use sans serif 970420 -- fonts. They transmit faster. Annual savings could exceed three hundred dollars." - Next on the agenda, remember I'll be in Switzerland next week on a fact-finding trip. - If you need to call me at my four star hotel, be sure to use short words. 970420 -- - You might want to save those short words until he's on his clue-finding trip. - Switzerland #!%**!! Those are *not* all short words. 970421 -- My study shows that the companies with "family friendly" policies have higher profits. - Question: Do family friendly policies cause high profits or do high profits simply camouflage the true costs of the policies? - We'll take a five-minute 970421 -- break so the married people can slap you for asking that. 970422 -- This so-called "family friendly" policy is like a tax on childless people. - *You* get child-care; *I* get lower profit-sharing. *You* get time off for family; *I* get to pick up your slack... - I'm a victim, but in some strange way I'm 970422 -- enjoying it. Then you'll love this. 970423 -- I'm going home early because my kid i sick. - Remember, we have a new "family friendly" policy. We do? - So that is why my family seems so friendly? Maybe, but I'd test them for drugs. 970424 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director I'm being discriminated because I take time off for family emergencies. - I'll handle this by telling your boss that you ratted him out to the director of human resources. - I thought we had a "family friendly" 970424 -- policy. The key word is *friendly*. You've been acting as is you *love* your family. 970425 -- Good news! Our business plan is in complete disarray! - FREE TIME!! NO DELIVERABLES!!! AND IT'S NOT *OUR* FAULT! Yippee!! - Do you realize that all our joy comes from perverse sources? I didn't know there was an alternative. 970426 -- Alice, our business plan is in complete disarray so we're taking a three-hour lunch. Want to join us? - No, I've got to work harder than ever to turn this situation around! - Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between dedication and insanity. 970426 -- Which one are we? 970427 -- Here's your list of fake acronyms for the staff meeting. - Try to keep a straight face when you use them. - I've got a few action items. Who isn't busy? - I'd be all over it but I need to prepare a btr for the cpd meeting. - I'd love to help 970427 -- but this is xrp week for the entire lbq. - my spoo has to much fleem. - What? rrrrr - That was smooth. Hey, if I could lie I'd be in marketing. 970428 -- It's time now for the Wally report, a weekly status update. - My income is 80% of industry average, enthusiasm is at 63% of capacity and my ego shield is holding at 15%. - Your enthusiasm is up from last week. Someone left the supply cabinet 970428 -- unlocked! 970429 -- Good news about your compensation plan... I hate good news about my compensation plan. - Twenty percent of your pay will now be in the form of stock options instead of cash! - To get your stock options, simply sign this updated employment 970429 -- agreement. Why does good news feel like a mugging? 970430 -- My company won't give me my stock options unless I sign this new employment agreement. Here. - Yada, Yada, Yada, Yada, Yada, Yada, Yada, Yada, Yada, Yada. - What do you think? I'm not reading it. I just like to look at documents and go Yada, 970430 -- Yada, Yada. 970501 -- You want me to sign an agreement that I won't work for a competitor for five years if I leave here? - No problem. Here you go. This is too easy. - I haven't done any work *here* for five years, so how hard could it be? New game? 970502 -- I want you to work with our marketing people to design a product brochure. Groan Remember, what we do here might seem like criminal fraud but it's not. It's marketing! - Okay, as long as it's not wrong... Here's a jar to keep your conscience 970502 -- in. I'll put it in the closet with mine. 970503 -- Designing a brochure We'll want to emphasize the things that make our product unique. Good good - Let's see... We have higher prices...stale technology...fewer features...and it's hard to use. - Can you work with that? Suddenly I don't feel so 970503 -- bad that we won't be using 100% recycled paper. 970504 -- Who was the world's first salesperson, Dogbert? - Some people say it was a guy named Noah. - Noah's last name was Content. I have a big, curly stick and I don't even know why. - His job was to sell an ark cruise to animals. Did I say ark? I meant 970504 -- yacht. - He invented something called sales-babble to disguise his motives. We'll partner to leverage our value-adds in a win-win proposition. ? - He pioneered the lame joke. How's the weather up there? Hee Hee! - When he couldn't reach quota, 970504 -- he got creative. Strap this to your head and don't ask questions. - But his greatest innovation he called "blaming engineering." I can't find the honey spa. Think fast. 970505 -- I calculated the total time that humans have waited for Web pages to load... - It cancels out all the productivity gains of the information age. - Sometimes I think the Web is a big plot to keep people like me away from normal society. Uh-oh, 970505 -- he's on to me. 970506 -- Are you telling me that *you* invented the first Web browser? Not alone, I worked with our garbage man. - Flashback I wonder how long people would sit in front of a computer waiting for nothing. Let's find out. - What if this thing gets out of 970506 -- hand? We'll blame it on some drunken college kid. 970507 -- Flashback to the invention of the first Web browser What should we call our prank, Dogbert? - Well, it's designed to make millions of people sit around waiting for nothing to happen... - A few years later Hey, I can almost see a recognizable 970507 -- blotch! This is awesome! Note 970508 -- Flashback: Dogbert and the world's smartest garbageman invent the first Web browser as a practical joke. It's out of control. - I wonder what will happen to that college kid we framed. He'll be okay. - Where would you like this bushel of money? 970508 -- Stack it next to the photographers. 970509 -- Wally, we don't have time to gather the product requirements ahead of time. - I want you to start designing the product anyway. Otherwise it will look like we aren't accomplishing anything. - Of all my projects, I like the doomed ones best. 970510 -- We did an industry survey to see how your salaries compared to the average. - We didn't get the numbers we hoped for, so we broadened the definition of "our industry." - I'm so happy to be in the industry of "high technology, textile workers, 970510 -- teen-agers, and dead people." I feel overpaid. 970511 -- I am Carl, the cubicle dweller's friend. - I travel from cubicle to cubicle to tell people how hard I'm working. - I am working so-o-o-o hard. Work, work, work. It's all I do. - How is that possible? - You walk around all day with that 970511 -- coffee cup resting on your belly. - Does your job description say "transport coffee cup on belly"? - He's a terrible conversationalist. How many miles per gallon do you get? - Hypothetically, if you were downsized, how would the cup get 970511 -- around? What's wrong with these people? 970512 -- It's freezing in here. - I'll just give the thermostat a little bump. - Can we at least agree that when my cactus shrieks in agony, it's too warm? Aaagh!! It wasn't shrieking *before* you took your shirt off. 970513 -- Thermostat wars Be reasonable, Alice. When it's warm enough for you, it's too hot for normal humans. - Logically, you could wear a sweater. But there's nothing **I** can do to be less warm. Therefore, you must compromise. - Did she buy the 970513 -- argument? No. But I'm going to shave my back and take another run at it. 970514 -- My invention can detect human stupidity. - It has a very simple interface. All I do is point it at people. - Then what does it do? Why would it need to do anything else? 970515 -- Oh, no! I overslept...no time to apply makeup before my big meeting! - Okay, does everyone understand their tasks? I'll get right on it. Absolutely. - I wonder why they were so respectful today. IT'S NEWT GINGRICH! 970516 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director New policy: All company documents *must* use the official company font... - Let's see...what would be the most obscure and impractical font imaginable? purr purr purr - Somewhere in Elbonia I understand I can 970516 -- get the Elbonian font software from you. Yep. Unless you need consonants for some reason. 970517 -- Alice, here's the agenda for the next project meeting. - TWO HOURS?!! AAAGH!!! THERE'S ONLY TEN MINUTES WORTH OF TASKS!! - Uh-oh. I think I'm temporarily sane. Try breathing into a paper bag and repeating our mission statement. 970518 -- Thank you. Please come again. - After I'm dead. - If we each put in twelve dollars, that will give her a healthy fourteen percent tip. - The service was excellent. I'll put in a little extra. Me too. Me too. - That gives us...um...only 970518 -- thirty-four dollars. - One of us is a cheap, lying, unscrupulous weasel. - - Or maybe the service was bad. She didn't smile enough. Same as last week. 970519 -- Wally, two things... - Number one, I want you to chair the "fun committee" to improve employee morale. - Two, according to this report, you've been using the Internet for personal reasons. 970520 -- I was trying to decide whether you're stupid or just very ignorant. - Then I thought "Whoa, Dogbert, you're being narrow-minded about this." - You could easily be both. It only *looks* easy. 970521 -- It is physically impossible for me to finish both of my projects on time. Which one is more important? - Hmm... If I absolutely *had* to choose between them, I'd say... Do them both on time. - Wow. When you do that with your arms, it 970521 -- creates the illusion that you're thinking. What you need is a third project. 970522 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Any employee who uses the Internet for non-business purposes will be fired. - And any employee who sits in a company chair while having a personal thought will be executed by security. - The great thing about 970522 -- senseless, sadistic policies is that they don't require a lot of explanation. 970523 -- I wrote this labor-saving software. Watch it do its thing. - - How can you tell if it's working? You don't see any labor happening around here, do you? 970524 -- I've decided to become a consultant in the field of obvious generalities. - I'll work for small businesses that are run by artists. They'll think I'm brilliant, which I am. - Whoa! Are you saying we need *revenue* to make profit?? Ouch! 970524 -- I've got a headache on one side. 970525 -- Lately I've been feeling discouraged about my job. - You should talk to our pointy-haired boss. That'll cheer you up. - Maybe you're right. All I need is a little pep talk from our leader. - HA HA HA! HEE HEE! - You think you're 970525 -- discouraged... - I've been stuck in this dead-end job for years, grinding away, day after day. - And all I have to show for it is high blood pressure and worthless stock options. - It's so gratifying watch them grow up. - I need the number 970525 -- for doctor Kevorkian. 970526 -- I'd feel a lot more comfortable on this project if you'd tell me everything you know about it. - I've already told you more than I know. - I feel like I'm being followed. Doom 970527 -- I'll need everyone's help on this project. I hope you can overlook the cloud of doom that hovers nearby. Doom - BOOM! Doom crack - Doom Wow. It's luck that wasn't someone we like. 970528 -- Doom I notice you have a cloud of doom. I must admit it makes you seem dangerous and sexy. - Doom ZAP - Sorry. That happens to everyone who gets near me. No problem. I'm one of those women who never learn. 970529 -- I have a cloud of doom that zaps everyone near me once a minute. Doom - I'm looking for a woman who doesn't think past behavior is an indication of the future. Doom ZAP! - ...a woman with absolutely no sense of pattern recognition. Doom 970529 -- Ouch. I'm glad that won't happen again. 970530 -- The only way to get rid of your cloud of doom is to transfer it to a new host body. Doom - I will accomplish this with the help of our pointy-haired boss and a clueless co-worker named Tim. - We're secure. Begin transfer. Tim, your new job 970530 -- will be director of special projects. Doom 970531 -- Alice, I understand you had a conversation with my boss without my approval. - We don't want to give mixed messages. It would be very bad if she got any mixed messages. - I just gave her an honest status report. AAARGH!!! MIXED MESSAGES! 970601 -- I forgot my umbrella. I'm soaked. - Why don't you toss your clothes in the microwave and dry them off? - Would that work? - - Sixty minutes ought to do it. - We'll guard the door to the break room. - You know, ever since the downsizing began, 970601 -- I've felt much less company loyalty. Me too. - Why are you two so happy? There are free goodies in the break room. 970602 -- I put together some guiding principles for our network architecture. - I sure hope this isn't a bunch of obvious ideas disguised with techno-jargon and unclear writing. - Let the games begin. So tell me, do suspenders cause muddled thinking, or 970602 -- is it the other way around? 970603 -- I'm going into business as a professional bearer of bad news. - I'll try to find the humor that is inherent in every tragic situation. - I give up. What *is* the difference between my husband and the seventies pop group "Village People"? 970603 -- They're coming back. 970604 -- Dogbert: professional bearer of bad news We cannot offer you a position at this time, but you are obviously qualified. - Unfortunately, the other six billion people on earth are more qualified. - We'll keep your resume on file. 970605 -- Dogbert: professional bearer of bad news Your doctor asked me to tell that you have six months to live. - There must be a mistake. I'm here for a nose job. - Oh, you're right... I wondered why that last guy was so happy when I told him he'd 970605 -- have one huge nostril for the next forty years. 970606 -- Dogbert: professional bearer of bad news Wally, your boss asked me to tell you... - YOU'RE FIRED!!! AND THEY HAVE SECRET VIDEOS OF YOU STEALING STUFF!! - This can't be true. It's not. But watch how happy you are when I tell you about your 970606 -- one-percent raise. 970607 -- *Software license:* By opening this package, you agree... - ...you will not make copies or export to despotic nations. You will submit to strip searches in your home... - rrrip Frankly, both of us would have been happier if you had just walked 970607 -- away. 970608 -- I'm happy to award the "clean cubicle award" to Matthew. - It's a ten-dollar "Travelers check." Where's Matthew? - He was cruelly downsized last month. - His cubicle was clean because he shredded his important documents out of spite. - All of 970608 -- his furniture and equipment were scavenged by bitter employees who have to do his work now. - This is not having the motivational impact I hoped for. - Okay...the "Travelers check" will go to whoever knows what number I'm thinking. - They sure 970608 -- were sore losers. 970609 -- I teach kids that these things are right and those things are wrong. Period. End of story. - Wouldn't that teach them to believe anything they're told without applying any critical thinking? - I don't think about that. Duh 970610 -- Dilbert, you'll work with "Kenny the sales-weasel" on our biggest project. - Tell me all of our product's technical specs on the way. I like to be prepared. - Our product is beige. It uses electricity. Whoa! Brain overload! 970611 -- Visiting the customer When I introduce you to the customer, smile and give him a hearty slap on the back. - Get ready. Here he comes. I'd better take some practice swings. - Next time, less follow-through, aim higher, and if he turns around 970611 -- suddenly, hold off. Sorry ow ow ow ow ow 970612 -- Visiting the customer I brought Dilbert to explain what makes our product special. - It's exactly like our competitor's product except we charge more to cover the cost of our deceptive advertising. - While you're up, could you get me a cup of 970612 -- coffee? 970613 -- Visiting the customer No one has ever been fired for buying our product! That's true. - There *is* the occasional savage beating... and more than our share of suicides... - But that has "statistical cluttering" written all over it. 970614 -- Someday it will be possible to clone our boss. But the clone would have no experience and no knowledge. - I just sent an e-mail message to Japan. I don't know the language so I took your advice and typed it all in caps. - Wow. That put it all 970614 -- in perspective. 970615 -- Asok the intern explains the new rules of body language Fake happiness - This means: I am not motivated by the size of my paycheck. AHH!! WAHH! WAHH! - This means. I am slightly concerned about the impending reorganization. - This means: I have 970615 -- decided to work in the marketing field. Counter-clockwise spin - This means: I am being sarcastic. Oh, *there's* a good plan. - This means: The recent employee satisfaction survey has not captured the extent of my feelings. - This means: I 970615 -- think you are attractive but it would be very improfessional to show it. - This means: my lottery investment paid off. YANK! 970616 -- I scheduled a T.h.n.p.l. meeting for seven o'clock on friday night. - T.h.n.p.l. stands for "Tina has no personal life." I'm scheduling useless meeting to fill the void in my life. - Tina, this is insane. Are you suggesting we have a meeting to 970616 -- discuss this? Is Saturday okay? 970617 -- You're invited to a four-hour meeting, Asok. - Tina, it would seem that all of your meetings have no purpose other than to provide you with a surrogate social life. - Can you bring chips? I wish, I wish, I wish I had a spine. 970618 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director People are complaining that you schedule unnecessary meetings as a substitute for a family. - That's ridiculous! Come to my next meeting and see for yourself! Okay, I will. - I got us a family cat. How was your day, 970618 -- Dilbert? SOB 970619 -- Dogbert, I need your help. I keep getting invited to worthless meetings and I can't say no. - *You* can say no to anything. You have such a clearly defined sense of self-interest. - Will you teach me to be like you? Nope... Can't be bothered. 970620 -- Give me a final design for project Caribou by Tuesday. That's Wally's project. - I know, but I'm thinking about it now and Wally isn't in the room. Tell Wally it's your project now. Do you see this thimble? I keep my morale in it. 970621 -- ...So our pointy-haired boss put me in charge of your project... - ...because I was standing in his office when he thought about the project. - If it makes you feel better, you can keep your morale in this thimble with mine. I keep mine in a 970621 -- "Tic Tac" container with my ego. 970622 -- I have a great idea to save money. - We can make the photocopier ink last longer by adding water to it. - Wouldn't that make the copies too light? - Ordinarily, yes. But we can compensate by setting the copier to "darken." - You'll need someone 970622 -- to implement this idea...let's see. - Hey, what about Dilbert? He isn't doing much work lately. - I'd do it myself but there's no reason to waste a creative thinker on an implementation task. - Are you still mad that I got a bigger raise than 970622 -- you did? No, I found a creative way to deal with it. 970623 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director New policy: key employees must travel on separate flights to reduce risk. - Other employees, such as Wally, are encouraged to take up dangerous hobbies. - I've noticed that when a new policy mentions me by name, it's 970623 -- never a good thing. 970624 -- Alice, here's a bonus for good work. On what? - I can't be specific, because the you might do it again and expect another bonus. - Congratulations; you've motivated me to act randomly. I'm going over here and I don't know why. 970625 -- I did less work than usual this quarter and I got a bonus. - The implications are staggering. The entire system of capitalism has a flawed premise. - There's only *one* thing that could make the bonus more frightening. I got one, too. 970626 -- I'm writing a book that debunks the effectiveness of business consultants. - But common sense would say that you're being a consultant yourself, so your opinion is logically flawed. - Only people with no common sense will buy your book. I 970626 -- prefer to call them the mass market. 970627 -- From now on, we'll nurture the passion of our rebellious employees and for strategies around them. - We don't have any rebellious employees. The last one got fired for wearing culottes on casual day. - It was such a good idea in my head. We 970627 -- still have some sarcastic employees. Can you work with that? 970628 -- We've identified the people who will create the system to develop a product process. - While we were doing that, our competitor created a new Internet product that added a billion dollars to their stock value. - Experts attribute the company's 970628 -- success to the "employee of the week" program. Quick! Hire those experts! 970629 -- I want a ten-percent raise. There's no budget for raises. - I have an offer from another company that will pay fifteen percent more. - I'll give you twenty percent if you stay. - I thought you said there's no budget for raises. Well...it's 970629 -- supposed to be a secret but... - our policy is to give big raises to people who spend their time interviewing for other jobs. - Good news! The secret company policy is to reward disloyalty! - YIPEE! YES! WOO-WOO-WOO - What's the reward for 970629 -- leaving work early? He wouldn't show me the price sheet. 970630 -- I'm putting you on a "need to know" basis. - Here's a complete list of the things I need to know. if it's not on the list, I probably don't need to hear it. - Number one: "Run for it, Dogbert! The volcano is erupting!" Plurals will also be 970630 -- allowed. 970701 -- If the goal of all creatures is to be happy...and I'm happier than you are... - We can conclude that I'm more successful than you are. Isn't that right? - You are *really* starting to annoy me now. The gap widens. Yes! 970702 -- I finally figured out why everyone talks so funny in this company. - We're not morons incapable of clear communication. We're rebels like to "think outside the box." - It's always fascinating to watch an ego just before it dies. I'm a rebel! 970702 -- Task me with a "do it." 970703 -- Hi, Mom! Guess what. - I'm the process owner for our benchmarking initiative! - She's crying with joy... I used to think that too. 970704 -- beep beep boop beep - I am Dogbert, your lord and master! Submit to my will, you worthless cretin! - Does telemarketing work for that sort of thing? You'll know tomorrow; that was your voice mail. 970705 -- You two will be my telemarketers. Here's a list of known idiots to call. - I'll go first, Bob. Let's see... I dial the number. And wait for an idiot to answer... - ring ring ring C'mon, you loser. Pick up the phone. 970706 -- Hey, pointy-hair! - Thanks for your brilliant advice that I should, "work smarter not harder." - I didn't realize people could become smarter just by wanting to. - Watch me add a few IQ points right now! grrr grrr - Wow! Suddenly I can speak 970706 -- Latin! - Let's crank it up a few more points. grrr grrr - Why am I working in this dump? I should be a consultant. - When I woke up, my pillow was gone. Oh, wow. You woke up in the wrong joke. 970707 -- I hate it when the title of a book gives away the whole plot. - Take Hemmingway's "Old Man and the Sea." Geez, talk about leaving nothing to the imagination. - I guess the odds were very low that you would leap in the air and catch that. I'm only 970707 -- here to be a chick magnet. 970708 -- If you're such a chick magnet, let's see you do your stuff. - Okay. I'll wag. They love that. - It's working. You broke one out of the herd. She's coming this way. Be careful. I don't know how powerful this is. - Grumble. I'll be you work out a 970708 -- lot. I'm a dancer. Uh-oh 970709 -- Until I met you, Dogbert, I always fell for engineers. - But I'm tired of pretty boys. I want a guy who will appreciate my exotic dancing as much as my passion for physics. - Sob Scratch under this ear for a minute. Sure. I can't get enough 970709 -- touching. 970710 -- Wow. You're an incredibly sexy man. It's too bad I met this little fuzzy guy first. - But looks aren't everything. Studies show that women want a man who is in touch with his feelings. - AAGH!! I HATE MY LIFE!! Gee. That's enough to make me 970710 -- doubt the scientific method. 970711 -- As much as I like the petting, I still have to break up with you, Roxanne. Why?! - Humans are kind, intelligent, well-adjusted creatures. Until you get to know them. MAY THE HORNED DEMONS OF IXPAH SMITE YOU LIKE THE LAST SIX!!! This is what I'm 970711 -- talking about. 970712 -- It's done. I thought I asked for that to be in color. - Black and white are both colors. So technically... Oh, wait, I see what you mean. - Is that all it took to satisfy his need for irrelevant changes? And I did it while the color copies were 970712 -- printing. 970713 -- You're on the radio with Dogbert's "bad advice show." How may I hurt you? - My boss asked me for a date. We're both married. What should I do? - Divorce your husband. He sounds like a looser to me. - Yes, yes, it all makes sense when you 970713 -- explain it that way. - Then mail a dead woodchuck to your boss with a note that says... - "Unlike this woodchuck, my love for you will never die." Thanks, I love your show. - Moving on to household tips, did you know that black paint is an 970713 -- excellent stain remover? - Can we talk? ...and those are just *some* of the benefits of an all-cheese diet. 970714 -- I've been asked to give a presentation at the trade show. - I'd like you to put that together for me, Alice. What's your topic? - Technology. They didn't say if I'm for it or against it. I'll leave some wiggle room. 970715 -- I've prepared your pointless presentation for the trade show. - It's got the usual time-wasting filler: a graphic of moore's law, a "Netscape" comparison, and ironically... - ...it ends with an impassioned reminder to think in new ways. Maybe I 970715 -- should give out some awards, too. 970716 -- I only have thirty minutes and he's babbled for twenty-eight. Blah blah blah - It took three weeks to get on his calendar. My only hope is to send ESP messages for him to shut up. - Shut up shut up shut up shut up Nice try, but it's time for 970716 -- his next filibuster. Blah blah blah 970717 -- Which version appeared in your newspaper? 970717 -- Ten of our fines executives got together and created a statement of our core values. - "We help the community and the world by producing state-of-the-art business solutions." - I'm glad we didn't skimp and try to do that with only nine 970717 -- executives. Yeah. It might have sucked. 970717 -- Ten of our fines executives got together and created a statement of our core values. - "We help the community and the world by producing state-of-the-art business solutions." - I'm glad we didn't skimp and try to do that with only nine 970717 -- executives. Yeah. It might have been useless. 970717 -- Last week an alternate Dilbert strip ran in some newspapers. Guess which one was controversial... 970718 -- Can you explain how the company's new "statement of core values" will change my behavior? - I was planning to poison the town's water supply. But wait! It's against out core values! - Is your sarcasm absolutely necessary? Let me check. 970718 -- Hmm...it's not addressed. 970719 -- Give me the name of any famous person. Sandra Bullock. - Sandra Bullock was in a movie with Kevin Spacey...and Kevin spacey eats bacon. - See that? Everyone on earth is only one degree away from someone named Kevin who eats bacon! That is *so* 970719 -- close to being fascinating. 970720 -- As usual, I worked until midnight last night, Mom. - Well, at least you made some extra money. I don't get paid for overtime. - Well, at least it was important work. Not really. - My boss made me change my "Powerpoint" slides, but the 970720 -- changes made them worse. - Well, at least you're prepared for your meeting. It was cancelled. - But that's okay, because the project isn't funded anyway. - So...you worked for free to worsen a presentation for a meeting that won't happen 970720 -- for a project that doesn't exist? Yup. - Well...at least you could travel back in time without having any impact on history. Yeah, my glass is half full. 970721 -- Here's the agenda. The first hour will be u.b.r., as usually. - This reminds me of my first job, before crash dummies were popular. Man, I spent a fortune in Aspirin. - What exactly is u.b.r.? Unfocused boss rambling. Only 58 minutes to 970721 -- go. 970722 -- ...And that's your performance review. Any questions? One. - You talked about yourself for the full hour. Can we talk about me? - Okay. *You* don't seem to know that *your* meeting is over when *you* see me stand up. Ooh. 970723 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director I can't abuse people if they quit the company. I'd better find a way to reduce turnover. - All job titles will be changed as follows... - My new title is... "convicted felon." That'll look good on the ol' 970723 -- resume. 970724 -- Our new job titles from human resources are demeaning and insulting! - You've got to use your managerial influence to do something! My new card... - How'd it go? I don't expect much help from the "director of learned helplessness." 970725 -- Wish me lick. For what? - I'm going to find people who laugh nervously every time they talk. Then I'll smack them with my flyswatter. - And the reason would be? It wouldn't be a hobby if it had a reason. 970726 -- Alice, I found this article in a magazine. - I highlighted the most important stuff to save you time. - You highlighted the page numbers. It takes forever if you don't notice those. 970727 -- WHAT IF... Albert Einstein had been in marketing? - I have a great idea for increasing sales. - Nope. This will never work. - Um... is it possible that you don't fully understand the idea? - That's quite an ego you have there, Allan. 970727 -- Albert. - Experience managers know how to identify bad ideas... - Bad ideas come from other people. Now go work smarter, not harder. - I worry that a guy like that will go off and build a huge bomb. 970728 -- Great news! Our strongest competitor offered to sell us their entire product line. - Obviously they think their products are not viable. We'd have to be amazingly stupid... - And you'll be in charge of integrating their product line with 970728 -- ours. ...to work here. 970729 -- Tell me the truth. Use the engineer's secret code if you must. - Are there any little problems with the technology that my managers agreed to buy from your company? - HA HA SNORT SNORT HA HA HA!!! 1100111... Good. Go on. 970730 -- It's my job to integrate the bad technology that our idiot boss bought with the good technology we already own. Your advice? - Throw away the bad technology. Goof off until the next planned upgrade of the good technology. Tell your boss 970730 -- the improvements are a result of his brilliant buying decision. - Wow. That's almost pure evil. You're welcome. 970731 -- Due to space constraints, some people will have to share cubicles. - According to the list, your new roommate will be...the copy machine. - Is it claustrophobic in here or is it just me? 970801 -- I hope we get more office space soon. Otherwise, I'll have to share my cubicle. - If they send someone here, I'll arrange the usual "accident." Hi! - Sproing! Wow. She got the box too. 970802 -- You'll need to share your cubicle with the elbonian audit team until we get more space. - This is their holy week so I expect you to be open-minded and flexible. - So, how do you celebrate the holy week? - Wedgies, mostly. 970803 -- Welcome to employee rock-climbing seminar. - You'll learn valuable teamwork skills by doing dangerous things unrelated to your jobs. - Isn't rock climbing a solo activity? I'll help identify your body. - It seems like you'd need a strong 970803 -- grip to climb rocks. - I can't even open jars unless I use special tools. - OW! OW! CRAMP!! - I'M DISORIENTED BY THE PAIN! HEY! - Here are your diplomas. Now get out. Go team! 970804 -- I'm in charge of the office relocation. Where do you want your cubicle? - What's this huge structure? Wallyville. It's two floors of luxury housing, shopping, and gambling. - Do you think you might be abusing your power? What would be the 970804 -- other reasons to have power? 970805 -- According to the blueprints, your cubicle has a support beam in it. - At least I have a window view. - It's 108 by the window. But at least there's a breeze from the people who walk by and laugh. Don't let me slow your search for someone 970805 -- who's interested. 970806 -- We're going to try something called "open book management." - We'll teach you to read the financial statements of this company. It's all very motivating. - ...and our CEO got paid more the the entire capital budget... Is this what 970806 -- motivation feels like? 970807 -- Open book management So you see, if you got a raise, our earnings growth wouldn't be smooth. - And smooth earnings are good for who? Stock market analysts? - Specifically, the lazy ones. I'm fine, now that I understand. 970808 -- I appreciate your new "open book management" philosophy... - For example, I've learned that we're repurchasing stock while I'm working unpaid overtime. - Yet I remain highly motivated because I understand that income and equity are 970808 -- distinct concepts. Who said ignorance is bliss? Ha! 970809 -- Open book management ...then I sez, "hey our debt to equity ration is increasing." - I leapt into action and started sweeping like I've never swept before! - Then I sez, "hey, why am I using a broom on carpets?" 970810 -- Announcing project "Sparkle," the clean desk policy. - This is a company-wide effort to keep our work spaces clean. - Tiny question. I'm curious about one thing. - I'm picturing our top executives in the "war room." - They talk about the 970810 -- competitive threat and our lack of resources. Suddenly, panic sets in!! - A lone voice of reason penetrates the confusion. Two words: "paper towels." - Is that pretty much how it went? - Moving along, you each get a laminated card with our 970810 -- mission statement. Let me do this one. 970811 -- I have a new method for blowing off the idiots who ask questions. - I say, "that information is on my web page. Shoo, shoo." - What happens if they find out it isn't? I'll say, "you must have misunderstood your question." 970812 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Here's the "clean desk" policy, Wally. - "Employees must lick their workplaces clean at the end of each business day." - Do they seriously think we're this spineless and stupid? Ahm nah chanting it. 970813 -- There's a rumour the company is moving to South Dakota for tax reasons. - Do you seriously think they would disrupt the lives of thousands of employees just to save money on taxes? - I think they'd kill us in our sleep and sell our organs 970813 -- if the return on investment was good. Stop it. I'll be afraid to sleep in my cubicle now. 970814 -- There's a rumour that my company will move to South Dakota. But I don't believe it. - South Dakota...isn't that where your CEO grew up? Maybe he wants to be near his parents to get free baby-sitting. - That is the most cynical thought I 970814 -- have ever heard in my life. Thanks. I'm blushing under my fur. 970815 -- I've asked Bob the dinosaur to call your CEO and give him a telewedgie. - Will that stop him from relocating the company? ...now hold the phone behind you at belt level. - Stranger things have happened, albeit not often. YANK Aaiee!! 970816 -- I notice you only have one trash container with you... - Whereas I have two containers - one for trash and one for recyclable materials. - My theory is that you make two separate trips to each cubicle... Could you turn around for a second? 970817 -- I have a vague feeling of uncertainty. - It gets stronger at the office - The uncertainty saps my strength. My briefcase is getting heavier. - Must...get...to...cubicle. - The uncertainty feels like a piano upon my chest. - I decided to 970817 -- reorganize. Or maybe downsize. Unless there's a merger. - I summon the unholy demons of apathy, sarcasm and cynism!!! - Good thinking! Reorganizations always increase profits! Wow. Third time today. 970818 -- You'll be on the task force to recruit the smartest college seniors to work here. - Remember to lie often. And don't mock them for their lack of real life experience. - So you're saying meetings are just like parties? Well, I'm not allowed 970818 -- to say the "o-word"... 970819 -- Recruiting on campus I have better offers from twelve companies. Why should I work at yours? - - I'll se what I can do for you. Do you have enough copies of my resume? 970820 -- Recruiting on campus Nice to meet you... - CRUSH AAEEII! - I have to be honest: your company isn't my first choice. 970821 -- Recruiting on campus It's funny that *you*'re judging *me*. My engineering knowledge is current and yours is ancient. - I think I impressed him with my confidence. - Ooh! People skills! I forgot! bonk bonk bonk 970822 -- Ratbert, I want you to wear this pager at all times. I'll set it to vibrate. - YEEHAA!! - No one has actually paged you yet. IT GETS BETTER?!! 970823 -- Envy me, Bob. I have a digital pager and you don't. - I don't need one. My digital PCS phone has a built-in pager function. Oh, wow. - But the worst part is that he only uses it to clean his ears. I taught him that. The vibrating action is 970823 -- excellent. 970824 -- We have the results of the employee communications survey. The number one problem is "fear of giving negative news to managers." Negative News - What?! Why haven't I heard this before? - Well...maybe because it's negative news? - Do you 970824 -- have a solution or did you just come to insult me? Don't get involved. - Ooh. Um...maybe if we wait a few days it will take care of itself. - Happily, there are no other communication problems whatsoever. Heh heh. - I wonder why so many 970824 -- problems go away on their own. I have no comment at this time. 970825 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Alice you have to use your vacation time or you'll lose it. - But if you take time off, you'll lose your business. HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! - This is embarrassing. I laughed myself fuzzy. 970826 -- It's a shame you have to work during your vacation. The same thing happened to me. Really? - Actually, in my case I went on vacation when I was supposed to be working. But the concept is the same. - Apparently she wasn't looking for 970826 -- empathy. 970827 -- I admire your work ethic, Alice. You're even working during your vacation. - It must be hard to remain motivated when you know you can never break through the glass ceiling. - So, it looks it's just tile after all. 970828 -- I'm going back to my old job as a systems administrator. Why? - I'm attracted by the potential for reckless abuse of power. - This new ethernet card could solve your problem. Would you like a sniff before I throw it in a big pile in my 970828 -- office? 970829 -- Dogbert the network systems administrator The software manuals are locked i this room. - I don't let users have manuals, for reasons that could only be described as mean-spirited. - Is there any way we can meet halfway on this? Hey, that 970829 -- door didn't always have a window. 970830 -- Dogbert the network systems administrator Wally, did you know your E-Mail system isn't private? - I've compiled a binder with all of your off-color humor, unkind references to co-workers, naughty propositions, and admissions of theft. - 970830 -- Where is this heading? I'd like to sing that question while hopping on one foot. 970831 -- I'll make a quick copy, then we can discuss it. - No, no, I'll have my secretary do that. - That will take longer. It's more cost-effective. - We're highly paid professionals. Carol is...well...I don't know if we pay her at all. - Now 970831 -- we're free to do high-level planning. - Um...we kinda need that document. - Ooh, time for lunch. - So... do you fish? 970901 -- "This is Dogbert the network systems administrator, to all ignorant employees." - He who controls your information controls you. *I* control your information. - "The board of directors has appointed me emperor for life. Bring the 970901 -- pointy-haired boss to me." - Uh-oh! The escape key isn't working! 970902 -- Dogbert: company emperor Tell the employees to get wheelbarrows to carry my salary out here. - Turn out the lights when you're done. You're all downsized. Shoo! - The media loved him. Can we call you "Buzz Saw Dogbert"? I bought your 970902 -- parent company today. You're downsized. Shoo! 970903 -- Dogbert: company emperor I don't like to call what I'm doing "downsizing." It sounds to negative. - I like to call it "wedgiesizing." Now clean out your desk and Shoo! YANK! - He didn't take that very well. You can't please everyone, Bob. 970904 -- I've downsized this company and plundered its equity by exercising my massive stock options. - Yet my victory seems hollow. Something is missing. - Maybe you're missing a sense of meaningful contribution to society. Maybe...but I'm 970904 -- thinking book deal and trophy white. 970905 -- Since I'm the major breadwinner here, I decided to name the house "Dogbert's Manor." - And I've decided to name you Jennifer because I like the name. - I don't know why I bought this. It's just a box full of electronics that you can look 970905 -- at. Shut up, Jennifer. 970906 -- We can handle your investments so you can retire and live off the earnings. - Just sign this incomprehensible contract, hand all your money to total strangers and relax! - We'll need to know what your tolerance to risk is. I think I just 970906 -- maxed out. 970907 -- This is Dogbert's technical support. How may I disconnect you? - What are my choices? - I recommend the abrupt disconnect: simple, gets the job done. - I had that last time, What else do you have? - You might like our "please hold," 970907 -- followed by the "wrong button." - Too predictable. Do you have anything new? - Try our "Kevorkian disconnect." I put you on hold and play an annoying message until you disconnect yourself. - Your call is important. Please hold while we 970907 -- ignore it... Your call is important... Not bad. 970908 -- It's been a stressful day. Luckily I have this little balloon full of sand to squeeze to reduce my stress. - Oops Piff - You need a new kybard? What's a kybard? JUST SIGN THE STUPID THING!!! 970909 -- I'm thinking of growing a beard to disguise the fact that I have no chin. - Then I'll get some loose seaters to disguise the fact that I have no waist. - Maybe you should get a Sherlock Holmes outfit to disguise the fact that you have no clue. 970909 -- - Maybe some mannequins as friends... 970910 -- Have a nice flight. Remember to turn on your laptop computer during takeoff. - I thought they tell you to turn it *off*. - Off?!! How would they transfer control to you if they had trouble? - TURN OFF THAT !*#% LAPTOP!! No way! I have to land 970910 -- this baby! ...can I do that in "Excel"? 970911 -- I just heard that our pointy-haired boss's plane crashed. - I must admit I have mixed feelings. You don't know if you should mourn or celebrate, right? - No, I mean celebrate or leave early. Hurry if you want some cake. 970912 -- Now that our boss is presumed dead, I found out I *like* to work. I finished three projects today! - I lost five pounds, gave up coffee, and applied for seven patents! Go, Alice! - Life without management is like paradise! Who wants to 970912 -- spoon-hug? 970913 -- Work has been great since our boss went down on the jet! Uh-oh - I survived with only minor hair injuries. I was lucky to be on a flight that had a hundred nuns onboard! - You were saved by prayer? No, padding. They don't do a lot of Aerobics 970913 -- at the nunnery. 970914 -- Carol, I forget... How do I address an envelope? I'll do it. - I'm training him to be helpless. - It's part of my master plan to eliminate him. - I do everything for him. Soon he'll lose his ability to solve small problems alone. - Then I'll 970914 -- "accidentally" book him on a one-way trip to south korea. - Before he goes, I'll tell him they have a death penalty for speaking english. - We'll never see him again. BUWAHAHA!!! - It's worth a shot. Carol, what do I dial for an outside line? 970914 -- I'll do it. 970915 -- I am Mordac the Refuser. I am here to discuss your request for a computer upgrade. - Crinkle! Mmphh! Chomp Chomp Chomp - We lotht thuh pahperwurk. That's a huge surprise. Luckily I made seventy-five extra copies. 970916 -- I am Mordac the Preventer, your liason from the information technology department. - I come with tales of resource shortages. Your request for our services is denied. - I didn't request any of your services. Don't try your reverse psychology on 970916 -- me. 970917 -- I'm not using reverse psychology! I really don't need anything from the information technology department. - Curse you! You know our goal is to give you the opposite of what you want. If you want nothing we must give you everything! - Please 970917 -- tell me how you got them to do this. Watch me launch the space shuttle! 970918 -- For those who joined us late, this is Bob the dinosaur. He lives with Dilbert and me. Hi - Dinosaurs aren't extinct. They're just hiding behind furniture. This is Dawn, my mate, and little rex. - You'll notice that they use a lot of space and 970918 -- they aren't very relevant. I think Rex has my eyes. 970919 -- There's not enough room for all of you dinosaurs. One of you must be downsized. - If it helps, these spikey things are a safety hazard. And little rex ate your ficus tree. - Thanks for being professional about this, Bob. When you put him in 970919 -- good light, how cute is he really? 970920 -- Should the dinosaurs be downsized? You decide their fate. - Vote by E-Mail: dinosaurs@unitedmedia.com A. I love the dinosaurs! B. Stick to office jokes! C. No talking animals! D. I don't have any opinions but I like to vote! E. Get rid of 970920 -- everyone so I can use the blank space for notes. - There's a Jimmy Carter here to monitor the voting. Uh-oh. 970921 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Another evil policy. I'm a happy cat. purr purr - "Casual clothes will not be allowed this Friday..." - "...because we had hawaiian shirt day on Wednesday." ? ? ? - Um...can you explain the logic here? - We're only 970921 -- allowed on casual day per week. Why? - If we had *two* casual days, obviously it would have an impact on earnings. - Does stupidity have an impact on our earnings, too, or is it just bad clothes? - We're only sure about bad clothes. Alice, 970921 -- you're killing us with that outfit. 970922 -- Look at the "Rolex" watch I got from a vendor. Do you know there's a corporate limit of fifty dollars for vendor gifts? Sure. - And you know that's a maximum not a minimum. Ooh. Maybe that's why he whined when I took it off his arm. 970923 -- Do you realize this is our third date? We're not dating. I'm a vendor and you're my client. - You always say the only time we can meet is during lunch. That way I'm obligated to pay for it. - You're feisty. I'd better get the oysters. Make sale 970923 -- first. Then kill customer. 970924 -- I'm putting you in charge of ISO 14000 certification. - What's the difference between that and ISO 9000? Oh, about 6000. Ha ha ha ha!! - Hey, I think I'll use that one at the stockholder meeting. Yeah, that'll wake them up. 970925 -- I understand it's your job to make sure your company can pass an ISO 14000 inspection. - And I understand that your company *pays* the inspector for *each* inspection. So? - Dogbert: ISO 14000 inspector You fail again. That's $10,000 please. 970925 -- Next time, could you actually walk around and look at stuff? 970926 -- I didn't use my brain this week. - I listened to things I already knew; I waited for people who were late; I was a passenger in my car pool. - Let's start the staff meeting. YES!! KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE! 970927 -- We have to improve our image in the Internet community. Let's do a mass unsolicited E-Mail campaign to tell people how nice we are. - You have the look of a man who was just put in charge of implementing his own sarcastic suggestion. 970928 -- Get my approval at each phase. Finish in one month. - Let's see... You're on vacation next week. Then you're traveling. Then there's your executive retreat... - ...It takes three weeks to get on your calendar...and the project has six phases... 970928 -- - What we have here is guaranteed failure. - You've left nothing to chance on this one. - I mean, normally there's a bit of uncertainty, but you've...oh. - You've slipped into the "boss zone" where you can't see or hear employee input. - It's 970928 -- weird, I lost ten minutes, and when I woke up, my doughnuts were gone. 970929 -- I have a question about this document marked "proprietary." - If I spent my entire life searching, do you think I could find *anyone* who would care about this? - As you gain experience, you'll realize that all logical questions are considered 970929 -- insubordination. 970930 -- I have a personal crusade. - I'm going to hunt down the people who have strong opinions on subjects they don't understand. Then I'll bop them with this cardboard tube. - That would include everyone on earth except you and me. Lean over here. 971001 -- People with bad opinions The Internet should be free. Why should I have to pay some greedy corporation or look at ads??!! - I will now use this cardboard tube to explain the intricacies of capitalism. - Lesson one: *This* was something that 971001 -- should be free. 971002 -- Uh-oh. All of the stupid people you've insulted have formed a mob and surrounded our house. - We don't have to take that abuse. Let's see how long he can survive without water! Down with Dogbert - They're taking turns putting our hose in their 971002 -- mouths. I think they're trying to drink all of our water. 971003 -- A mob of stupid people attack Dogbert's house. Our plan to drink all of his hose water isn't working. Down with Dogbert - Hey, careful! You're getting water all over the grass... Down with Dogbert Wait, that gives me an idea!! - How's the 971003 -- attack going? They tried to ruin our lawn by spraying water on it. But now it's turned into a hose fight. 971004 -- Ahhh...it's going to be a glorious day of telecommuting. - There's nothing here to distract me. It's just me... - ...and my talking refrigerator. I'll bet you can't eat a whole jar of pickles. 971005 -- Mom, guess what...I got promoted! - You're talking to the new "executive engineer." - No...nobody reports to me. No...it's the same pay as before. - But I do get a *lot* more responsibility! - She's going to throw a party for me! - No...no 971005 -- gifts. No...no music. No...no food. No...no guests. - I guess it's just you and me. I'm busy that day. - I'm not allowed to get new business cards, but I can write my new title on the old ones! zzzz 971006 -- I like men who know how to communicate... - But not a man who only talks about sports, or computers, or his job, or TV, or sexx, or jokes, or his accomplishments... - That would leave...greek mythology...and...you. No greek stuff. 971007 -- I had fun talking to you tonight, Gilbert. - It got a little boring when you tried to steer the conversation away from me. But I managed to shut you down by looking uninterested. - It's Dilbert, not Gilbert. YAWN! 971008 -- How do you like telecommuting, Alice? It's good, except I've developed a tendency to snack. - Glug glug glug glug glug glug glug glug glug - I'm sure you'll keep your discipline. I *love* "zesty italian" dressing Burp 971009 -- Telecommuters can eat any time they want, just like wild animals. - There's only one way they'll ever get me back in the cubicle. - Here's the plan. You'll need tranquilizer darts, a flatbed truck and a giant shoehorn. No harpoon? 971010 -- Come out of there, Alice! We know you're telecommuting! - NEVER! I'M FREE! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO BACK TO A CUBICLE!! - Dang 971011 -- I ask for so little - - And boy do I get it. 971012 -- I have to make a quick phone call. - Do you want to make small talk? No. - I brought a magazine. - Could you tear out a few pages for me to read? That wouldn't be right. - Give me some pages or I'll ask Alice about panty hose. You wouldn't 971012 -- dare. - So, Alice, what do you think about the concept of panty hose? - AARGH!! WHAT MORON INVENTED LEG COVERS THAT CAN BE DESTROYED BY TOUCHING A TWIG?! - Here! Make it stop!! To late. KOOK AT THIS!!! 971013 -- I'm starting a mutual fund for investors who aren't bright enough to know their alternatives. - It must be a huge market. Otherwise most people would invest in index funds. - What's an index fund? Ouch, ouch! You're making me wag too hard! 971014 -- The Dogbert mutual fund As you know, past performance is no indication of future performance. - So my strategy is to use your entire investment for my personal expenses and see what happens. - Has that strategy ever worked before? Geez, it's 971014 -- like I'm talking to a wall here. 971015 -- Studies have shown that monkeys can pick stocks better than most professionals. - That's why the Dogbert mutual fund employs only monkeys. - Yes, our fees are high, but I don't apologize for hiring the best. 971016 -- Dogbert mutual fund I don't understand why any intelligent investor would put money in a fund that has no track record. - I try to steer clear of intelligent investors. Here's my life savings. - Do you want my name and address? No, I trust you. 971017 -- Dogbert mutual fund Is it hard to write an earnings report after you steal the investors' money? - I'll just compare my fund's performance to the S&P 500 under a common set of assumptions. Oh. - How did our Dogbert fund do? "Ten percent better 971017 -- than the S&P 500 if it were also managed by an unscrupulous dog!" 971018 -- My guest today on "money chatter" is the head of the "Dogbert mutual fund." - It's reported that your fund is the highest performer of the decade. Tell us how you made it happen. Okay. - Apparently, this guy will read anything you hand him. 971019 -- Catbert: the evil director of human resources You're next. - Wally, you've been randomly selected for an employee drug test. / Randomly? Why am I the only one who gets picked every week? - You're very unlucky at work. But I'm sure you 971019 -- compensate by being lucky in love. - HA HA HA HA HA HA - Anyway...our new drug test uses hair samples... - To be safe, give me six hairs...and one whole eyebrow. - I'll come back in an hour and say I lost the box. purr purr purr 971020 -- I'm going in the sports memorabilia business. - I've heard that most autographers are forgeries, so my initial investment will be low. - Can I interest you in a baseball signed by Moses? - Wow! That's going to be worth something. 971021 -- Sports memorabilia This is the best price I've seen for a baseball autographed by Babe Ruth. - But I don't see where the autograph is. - It gets autographed later tonight. I'll take this and three of the honus wagner cards. 971022 -- You say this football was autographed by Jesus... - But I'm no fool. This isn't a football. It has stitches. They healed. - Wow! And I think I heard it oink. 971023 -- Autographs for sale Wow...A softball signed by Martin Luther, leader of the protestant reformation. - I'm impressed, but what I'm looking for is something signed by Martin Luther *King Jr.* - Too bad you don't have anything from him. - 971023 -- Check back in ten minutes. 971024 -- If you want to be promoted, you have to be highly visible. - Ask questions at meetings. But make them easy so you don't embarrass your boss. - ...so if there's an accident in a company car, where should we bury the survivors? I usually put 971024 -- them in the trunk. 971025 -- I've been seeing a beautiful woman. But something came between us. - Her curtains? - Venetian blinds. Totally unforgiving. Maybe she got spooked when you put the lawn chair in her yard. 971026 -- It has come to my attention that one of you has a social life. - There must be some mistake. - We can't be successful until our social lives are worse than the industry average. - Our competitors spend the nights in their cubicles. They 971026 -- eat from vending machines. - Someone here has *not* shown the same level of competitive spirit. - Someone had a social activity last night! - I'M SORRY! I THOUGHT THEY WERE FRIENDS... BUT THEY WERE ONLY RECRUITING FOR A MULTI-LEVEL 971026 -- MARKETING NETWORK!!! - What were they selling? Edible wax fruit...brochure? 971027 -- Alice, I've noticed a disturbing pattern. Your solutions to problems are always the things you try *last*. - With all due respect, are you using your skull to store old rags or what? - It's a good thing you said "with all due respect." 971028 -- I discovered that our pointy-haired boss doesn't know he's being insulted if you say "with all due respect" first. - I love the intangible benefits of this job. - With all due respect, is that your face or is a monkey climbing down your 971028 -- collar headfirst? 971029 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director I can't raise your salary level because you don't have ten years experience with "Java" coding. - Nobody has ten years experience with new technology! You're just being evil. Admit it. - And could yo *please* 971029 -- shake your head back and forth instead of spinning it around? 971030 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director There are several mandatory classes for managers. - *Avoiding contact with subordinates. *Misplacing important documents. *The joy of listening to your own voice. - Have you taken the prerequisite class in time 971030 -- management? Twice. 971031 -- Manager training Never be in the same room as a decision. - I'll illustrate my point with a puppet show that I call... - "Journey to Blameville," starring "Suggestion Sam" and "Manager Meg." 971101 -- Manager training You will often be asked to comment on things you don't understand. ? - These handouts contain nonsense phrases that can be used in any situation. - ...so, let's dominate our industry...with quality implementation of 971101 -- methodologies. I'll get right on it. 971102 -- Marketing department Hey! It's a magazine! - Engineering department Danger! A magazine has been discovered in marketing! - Marketing has a magazine! Gasp - Gather the other engineers. We must get that magazine. War Room Check - We think it 971102 -- was a careless mistake by someone in the mail department. - As you know, there is nothing more dangerous than a marketing person with a little bit of knowledge. - We know where the magazine will be read. We need nets, rope and tranquilizer 971102 -- darts. I'll have to ask engineering to build one of these space stations... Phoot Men 971103 -- I'm starting my own business as a masseur. - My specialty will be in-office chair massages for cubicle dwellers. - Were you planning to touch my *back* at any point? It's a *chair* massage, pervert. 971104 -- We need Cobol programmers for our mainframe millenium problem. - If you see anyone who looks like a Cobol programmer, let me know. Turn around. - Are you a Cobol programmer? No, but I'm often told I look like one. You're hired. 971105 -- You two will be in charge of rewriting our Cobol code to fix the millenium problem. - I realize you've never worked with Cobol before, Asok. That's why I'm teaming you with Bob, so you can learn from his vast experience. - So, you 971105 -- recommend waiting for a meteor to kill us all. The glaciers are way too slow. 971106 -- Most problems go away if you wait long enough, Asok. - It might look like I'm standing motionless, but I'm actively waiting for our problem to go away. - There's been a reorganization... I don't know why this works, but it does. 971107 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director You don't need to reward employees. - Just torture them less. It will feel the same as reward. - You may skip my staff meeting this week, Alice. Thank you thank you thank you. 971108 -- We'll need a risk analysis on this project before I can approve it. - Risk 1: Indecisiveness Risk 2: Overanalysis Risk 3: Cluelessness Risk 4: Micromanagement... click click click - I don't understand these risks. That's number thirty-six. 971109 -- The theme of our engineering conference is... - "Employees are our most valuable asset." - And like most assets, you decline in value over time. - I know what you're thinking: not all assets decline in value. - For example, fine art is 971109 -- worth more every year. - But I don't think the Louvre will be asking for one of these anytime soon. - On your way out, Mister Catbert will give each of you a certificate of depreciation. - It's till better than last year's theme, "Have you 971109 -- earned your air today?" 971110 -- I'm with the cubicle police. This is a safety violation. - It's perfectly valid unless you tap it with a flashlight or a dog jumps on it. - This plays right into my theory that cubicles are living organisms. 971111 -- I heard that a stack of paper fell over and killed a cubicle cop. - What did you do with the body? I enrolled it in the quality workshop next door. - It's a temporary solution. The workshop is only three days. 971112 -- ...Well, that depends on many factors involving features and usage. - Do you engineers have a secret pact to withhold all useful information? You haven't answered one question and it's already...um... Two o'clock. - We hear you gave 971112 -- information to marketing. Just the time of day. He would have found out anyway! 971113 -- Dogbert's dating advice Women like men who have accomplishments. But they hate men who boast. - I will be your designated bragger, allowing you to appear humble. - One potential plan with this is that I have no accomplishments. If she 971113 -- isn't wearing makeup, we'll be honest too. 971114 -- Hi, Dilbert! Hi, Dogbert! Uh-oh. - She's a hugger on the first date. I never know where my arms should go. - I hope this doesn't seem awkward, but my watch is snagged on your bra strap. 971115 -- I loved it when you hugged your date and your arm got snagged on her blouse... - And it was hilarious when you tried to free your arm and accidentally ripped her top off. - But the best part was when you yelled, "I'm an engineer, not a 971115 -- diamond cutter, dang it!" Shut up. 971116 -- This is urgent, stop what you're doing and work on it right now. - Is this more urgent than what I was doing? - I don't know what you were doing. - Exactly. So how could you know if this is more urgent? - You could work late and do both. - 971116 -- Work late? Is this more important than my health? - Forget it! I'll have Alice do it. - Just out of curiosity, what *are* you doing? Playing "Quake." 971117 -- Tina, we're changing the job titles of all non-technical people. - Collectively, you'll be known as our S.C.C. group. - I like the sound of it - very dignified. We were beginning to feel like second-class citizens. What's S.C.C. stand for? 971118 -- All great ideas look like bad ideas to people who are losers. - It's always good to test a new idea with known losers to make sure they don't like it. - Dogbert's research Co. What a coincidence. We*both* lost three homes in flood zones. 971119 -- Let's begin. 971120 -- Dogbert research Co. First question: What would you losers do if a small dog with glasses took advantage of you? - We would complain to the...um...whoever handles that sort of thing! Yeah! - Bureau of Dogs It costs fifty bucks to file a 971120 -- complaint? And ten bucks to borrow a pen. 971121 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director The company has no implied contract to keep you employed, Wally. - But we expect total loyalty out of you. - I really, REALLY wish you wouldn't do your face-stretching exercises here every morning! 1-2-3... 971122 -- The new fog is rolling in. - This can only mean one thing. - Carol, schedule a staff meeting. It's time to reorganize the department. 971123 -- When you show this to our VP, put in some revenue figures. - There's no revenue. All we're doing is upgrading our network. - I might have told him the project has revenues. - Let's not confuse him by changing the story now. Yi-yi-yi - 971123 -- O-o-o-okay. How much revenue do you want. A million dollars? - I might have told him it was more. - JUST TELL ME WHAT LIE TO USE!!! - Can't you calculate it on the spreadsheet? Must...control...fist...of...death... 971124 -- I'm here to install you ISDN phone line. - This will only take twenty minutes...unless something unexpected happens. - Great, because I need it tomorrow. Uh-oh...your wire goes into a little hole in the wall. 971125 -- Installing an ISDN line First we need to make sure your phone line is connected to our network. - I'll yank the wire while you listen for a "whump" sound at the central office. - I heard something. 971126 -- Installing an ISDN line These digital phone lines require a very different installation process. - You'll have to show me your spids now. - What happened after the slap fight? Then it got awkward. 971127 -- The installation is successful. I have 128 kilobits per second of digital access to the Internet. - As tradition requires, I do the engineer's victory dance. - ...So if I ever have to kill him, the jury will realize it's justified. Could 971127 -- you hurry? 971128 -- This is an authentic baby, less than one week old. - As I feed this authentic baby in front of you, recall how big my stomach was last week. - So, do I still need a note from my doctor to explain my absence? Yes, unless you can prove where 971128 -- Mickey Rooney is right now. 971129 -- From now on, we'll only hire people with masters degrees from the top colleges. - I don't have a master's degree from a top college. I'm insulted by this new policy. - And new hires must be this tall to work here. HEY!! 971130 -- Ken, may we have a word with you? - We heard that you gave an interesting presentation at the sales staff meeting. Thanks. - Our spies gave us copies of your slides. - You told them that our new product kills mold and mildew. Won't it. - 971130 -- WE MAKE SOFTWARE! - SO? HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF THE PLACEBO EFFECT?!!! - Stunned silence. - ...In company news, our entire sales force shriveled up and died for no apparent reason. 971201 -- Asok, at this company, we think our interns are as important as minks to a mink coat. - Um... Minks do not enjoy any of the benefits of the mink coat. - And they're good eatin', too! I must report you to the analogy police. 971202 -- Analogy police Open - My boss said I was as important as a mink is to a mink coat. That sounds fine to me. - But the mink dies. I guess you won't be leaving a full fifteen percent tip. 971203 -- Are you sure this is where I report the misuse of analogies? You're dressed very odd. - It's casual day. - That's the most frightening outfit I've ever seen. You haven't seen my bicycle pants. 971204 -- I used to be Phil, the ruler of heck. My pitchspoon was feared by all who committed minor sins. - Then I made the mistake of merging with a company that makes non-alcoholic beer. I was ousted. - THEY SAID WE'D HAVE SYNERGY!!! Maybe it was 971204 -- just a bad pun. 971205 -- Can you help me write a resume? Yes, for a large fee. - How do I know you're qualified? Check my resume. - I'm having trouble believing that you invented coffee. Check my patent. 971206 -- Career counseling I'd be good at any job involving sin. - Perhaps something in the Bingo field...or maybe budget work. How about marketing? - I *HAVE* a soul. It's just a small one. Gotcha. No marketing...no auditing...no garment 971206 -- manufacturing. 971207 -- It is my pleasure to present the weekly "Wally Status Report" - This week I developed what I call "process pride." - It all started when I realized I have no impact on earnings. - Obviously I can't take pride in the *results* of my work. 971207 -- Obviously. - But I need pride. Otherwise, how could I maintain my high level of morale? - So I learned to take pride in my processes instead of my results. - Everything I do is still pointless, but I'm very proud of the way I do it. - Is 971207 -- that all you did this week? Hey, I'm only one person. 971208 -- When you're with a woman, everything you say will lower her opinion of you. - But I can give her compliments, right? NO! That's the worst thing! - Women keep a log of all compliments. They analyze the pattern to identify negative trends. 971208 -- Should I use my real name? 971209 -- Grunt grunt. You're absolutely right. Grunt grunt grunt. - Grunt grunt grunt Someone coached you well for this date. You haven't said anything I object to yet. - Date-Analyzer Grunt I see cubicle fibers...you have an office job. 971210 -- Grunt grunt. You're right. Grunt. All you do is grunt and agree with me. - I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it. You're an excellent conversationalist... It's a trap. - Aw, shucks. I'm not excellent at anything. You're *too* perfect. 971210 -- You've been COACHED! 971211 -- Sooner or later you'll say something that will lower my opinion of you. Grunt. - Men are like time bombs. At any moment you'll say something that will ruin the magic. I'm an engineer. - AAARGH!! KILL ME!! KILL ME!! I'll give you one kiss, 971211 -- no tongue. 971212 -- I finished all of my work. Can I go home early? No. - You're an 'exempt' employee. That means you're exempt from having a live. - I guess I could clench an unimportant document and shuffle around in quiet desperation. That's the spirit! 971213 -- We'll probably have to work all night on this presentation, Asok. - That's brilliant! You plan to use your inefficiency to make your procrastination look like martyrdom! - Now I have to kill you. Please do. Reincarnation is my only hope. 971214 -- We don't have a cubicle available for you yet, Bruce. - So I'm declaring this part of the carpet to be your office. - If someone goes to a meeting, you can sneak into his cubicle and use his phone. - Our computer budget is gone, but we 971214 -- have an old monitor that you could put on top of your briefcase. - Can I put tape on the carpet to mark my boundary? - That won't be necessary, thanks to this hi-tech device. A dog collar? - It will give you a mild shock if you cross your 971214 -- invisible boundary. - The new guy hasn't left that spot for a week. - Wally taught him to beg for food. 971215 -- Dilbert, I hired some contract employees from North Elbonia to help your project. - North Elbonia is an evil totalitarian regime. My project will create top secret military technology to use against them. - Sure, but you have to weigh that 971215 -- against the fact that they're willing to work for free. 971216 -- I'm a *little* concerned about your hiring communist north elbonian contractors to help on my top secret military project. - Don't worry. What's the worst thing that could happen? I could be executed for treason. - Talk to our legal 971216 -- department. Could I opt for the execution instead? 971217 -- The company lawyer I'm working on a top secret military project. My boss hired some North Elbonians to help me. - They're communists. If I give them any information, I could be guilty of treason. I could be *executed* - Can you help? Sure. 971217 -- What would I have to do - pull a lever? 971218 -- Don't worry that we'll take any military technology secrets back to North Elbonia. - We signed these little agreements that say we won't. - HA HA HA HA HA!! Moving on... 971219 -- My project has hit a little snag. - Our north elbonian contractors stole our military technology for their belligerent homeland. They're building a huge laser to vaporize us. - Next year, remind me to include contract employees in the 971219 -- team-building workshop. The floor is warm! 971220 -- ...The North Elbonians stole our military technology. We think they're building a huge laser to use against us. - Ask Tina the tech writer to create a user manual for them. Remind Tina how the North Elbonians treat women. - Later in North 971220 -- Elbonia Okay...the timer is set...we're lined up in single file...now we sing a Helen Reddy song. 971221 -- I'm back from training. - I got a big binder. - The training is already forgotten, but the binder will last forever. - A living monument to temporary knowledge! - I'll put it in my cubicle with the others. - Speaking of my cubicle, which 971221 -- direction is it? - Okay, thanks. That information should be in a binder. - Did he approve funding our project? Not yet. Step one was to free up funds from the training budget. 971222 -- Hi, I'm the illogical scientist. - I'm much smarter than you because scientists have invented many things. - But those are *other* scientist, not you. - Apparently you don't understand science. 971223 -- Hi. I'm Dan, the illogical scientist. - That idea won't work. I know because I've read many reports about ideas that didn't work. - You haven't even looked at my idea. Oh, I get it: you're one of those religious nuts. 971224 -- Hi. I'm Dan, the illogical scientist. That software you're writing will never work, and I can prove it. - I don't mean to be rude, but it's not logically possible to prove something *can't* be done. - It's impossible for most people, but 971224 -- *I'm* a trained scientist. Did the training involve electric shocks? 971225 -- You're my role model, Wally. - Despite all the pressure and frustration, you press on. You bend but you do not break. - My motto is "they can't break you if you don't have a spine." Wow. You're like a philosopher! 971226 -- My role model is using deception to improve his time management. Wally is dead. Sorry. - And now the daily planning session. zzzz - Asok, I don't think you've picked an ideal role model. Asok is dead. 971227 -- Wally the role model There's an art to sarcasm, Asok. - If you use your boss's own words, you can't be disciplined for insubordination. And do this with your lips. - Today I focused my resources on adding value to the product process. Our 971227 -- shareholders would be delighted to know that. 971228 -- Making soup is easy for a highly trained engineer. - I don't seem to have any "coarse sea salt." - I'll just mix regular salt with water. - Corn starch...hmm...that's basically flour. - Marjoram...I think that's french for butter. - "five 971228 -- inches of parmigiano-reggiano cheese rind." Uh-oh. - Eggs are basically cheese that comes from chickens. - Is this supposed to be served hot? You're thinking of Gazpacho. 971229 -- So, I'm thinking: What if every photon is just a densely packed universe, and to them, our universe looks like a photon? - If I'm right, I might be the first rat to win a Nobel Prize. - Stranger things have happened. Name one. 971230 -- So...each photon is a universe...then mass is just a probability cluster? That's how I see it. - Wow! I think my tiny skull is so full it's going to explode. Let me get a tarpaulin. - Have you been talking to our garbage man again? Don't 971230 -- get too close. 971231 -- ...As your consciousness passes through each universe, you tend to follow a line of probability. Got it. - And since it's more probable than matter is near other matter, you have the illusion of gravity as your consciousness moves toward 971231 -- the norm. - Did you get all that, Ratbert? - Hey, I'm not stupid. Does this Norm guy have a last name? 980101 -- I submitted our garbage man's philosophy to the Nobel Prize Committee. - I hope I wrote the theory right. I don't know shorthand so I used pig latin to save time. - Nobel Prize Committee What's an "Otonphay"? I love what you're doing wit 980101 -- your hair. 980102 -- Nobel Prize Committee Okay, we've narrowed it down to the theories we don't understand. - In science, the simplest solution is usually the best. Which of these theories is the simplest solution? - Well...that would be whatever is on top of 980102 -- the pile. Are we *sure* we can't vote for ourselves? 980103 -- Now that you've won the Nobel Prize, I guess you'll leave the garbage industry. No. - I'd miss the action. I'd miss the smells...the sights...the people... ...the rats. - I accidentally threw out a paper plate last week. Would you look for 980103 -- it? I'm kidding about the people part. 980104 -- I'll never get drunk. I don't want to be out of control. - Are you in control at work? - Well...no - Are you in control when you're on a date? - I can't get a date. - And whose idea was it to go on this walk? Yours. - Are you saying I 980104 -- should get drunk? No, no. - I'm saying the decision will be made by the beer companies. I hope they say it's okay. 980105 -- Did you go for a walk at lunch? Not exactly. - I got a bomb threat. I didn't tell anyone else, just in case it was a hoax. - It was only yesterday that I was saying my morale couldn't be lower. I bought a lottery ticket to increase the 980105 -- potential irony. 980106 -- Performance review Alice, I had to ding you for not keeping me informed about your project. - May I take a peek at your computer? - You have twelve thousand unread messages. Well, it's a little late for that now. 980107 -- Let's see...it looks like you haven't signed Ted's card yet. - STAMP - Do you thin "Congratulations" is appropriate for a death in his family? You never know. 980108 -- Are you free on Friday for Ted's surprise party? - Party? You don't give a party for someone who has a death in his family. Well...we got him a card, then flowers. It just snowballed. - I assume this will all be in good taste. I can't 980108 -- promise that. Karaoke is really hit or miss. 980109 -- Ted's brother was a mobster. Last week he was killed by a rival family's hit team. - We got Ted a sympathy card, then it snowballed into a surprise party for tomorrow. My job is to write a funny song. - For *he's* a buried good fellow... 980109 -- for he's a buried good fellow... which nobody can deny. Good. 980110 -- You'll have to write this in less technical terms for me... - Make it even less technical for my boss... even less for our VP... even less for for our EVP... much less for our CEO. - ...and compared to all the other technologies, there's a 980110 -- big difference in the mouth area. 980111 -- Wally, this is Rex Tangle, our newest employee. - Rex was specifically bred to work in a cubicle. - He looks like he'll fit right in. - Ask him about his personal life. - Rex, how's your personal life going? - I don't have one. That would 980111 -- be like stealing from the company. - Do you eat lunch? I would enjoy a good square meal. - Meet the future. Hello, you round pegs! 980112 -- Blind people often have excellent hearing. The brain compensates for any lost function by bolstering others. - In all likelyhood, Ratbert, you're so dumb that you have telekinetic power. Wow! - I have the power to watch Television! 980113 -- I will debunk your ludicrous claim of psychic ability with one hundred flips of this coin. - Call it. Edge. - That is just a coincidence. I call edge for the next 99 too. 980114 -- Just because you guesses a hundred coin flips in a row doesn't mean you're psychic. Coincidences do happen. - I call seven rotations followed by an inexplicable hovering and hen noises. - That is luck... luck, luck, luck, luck, lick! Are 980114 -- we done now? 980115 -- Is this the "Skeptics Association"? I need your help to prove my rat isn't psychic. - My name is Dilbert. Yes, I can prove it: I have a passport and a driver's license. Well, yeah, it's easy to get fake id, but... - Hours later... ...okay, 980115 -- what if I take a DNA test? NO, I CAN'T PROVE I'VE NEVER BEEN CLONED!! 980116 -- I'm glad the "Skeptics Association" sent you to debunk my rat's claim of ESP. - The others don't go out much since their bad experiences as jurors on the O.J.Simpson trial. - Well, I'm glad you could make it. Let's hurry. I have to debunk 980116 -- the so-called Hubble Telescope later today. 980117 -- Ken the Skeptic... I alone know the contents of this envelope. - It's a charcoal drawing of a woodchuck eating a small orange. - Nice try, you little fraud, but that's a long way from an ink drawing of a beaver eating a tangerine. 980118 -- Here's my bill. - It's for all the time we've spent together when I didn't enjoy it. - If it wasn't fun, it must have been work. - Dogbert, let me explain what friendship is all about. - Friendship is about giving freely of oneself. It's 980118 -- about trust and sharing. - Now, I expect you'll want this back. Yes. - I need to round it up to the next hour. - No checks. You have the face of a deadbeat. I don't think I'm reaching you. 980119 -- I've used the scientific method to debunk 100% of the people who claim that they have mental powers. - Are you saying that every test you perform turns out the the way you predict it will? - What's your point? YOU'VE PROVEN THAT YOU'RE 980119 -- PSYCHIC! 980120 -- Dogbert and the Skeptic If your controlled tests have *never* found psychic powers, how do you know the test works for that sort of thing? - Isn't that like using a metal detector to find out if there are unicorns in your sock drawer? NO! 980120 -- - Later that night A Skeptic checks *all* the drawers. 980121 -- The sales force was offered a retirement buyout package of fifty dollars. - One hundred percent of the sales force elected to take the offer. - I wonder what they know that I don't know. *There's* a hole with no bottom. 980122 -- I'd quit and become an entrepreneur, but I don't know how to handle such huge risks. Denial, probably. - We got bought by our archrival this morning. - Their CEO says he plans to be as "humane" as possible. He sounds nice. Maybe we'll get 980122 -- bonuses! 980123 -- Don't worry about my flu, Alice. Germs don't fly through the air. - ACHOOO! - Remember, germs don't fly through the air. Yours are gonna. 980124 -- I finished my work despite having a slight flu. Here's your copy. - Um...you should give that copy to Wally. Wally isn't on this project. - I know. I just figure he has the least reason to live. 980125 -- It's time to go home. That means... - Hi. Right on schedule. - Wait, let me guess why you're here. - You want to discuss a document that's been on your desk for a month. - It's something that could easily wait until tomorrow. - But you'll 980125 -- insist that I handle it now because you're a sociopath. - Wrong. I majored in Anthropology. - But that was a spookily accurate guess about the document. 980126 -- I appointed myself "deputy of common sense." - I will apply swift justice to those who exhibit a lack of common sense. - So, it's swift justice for people who aren't too swift? And I'm using a chocolate gun for irony. 980127 -- Deputy of common sense FREEZE! - You scheduled a four-hour meeting to find out why people are behind schedule! - No, look at the agenda! The fourth hour is a discussion about why morale is low! Shoot him. 980128 -- Deputy of common sense You are accused of trying to motivate your employees with insulting gifts. - You're missing the symbolism. I gave them chess pieces to show that we're all on the same team. - Specifically, you gave them pawns. I'm 980128 -- saving the rooks for bonus day. 980129 -- Deputy of common sense Are you the government safety inspector? Yup. I love my job. - Watch your step! HEY! - How does your boss determine your pay? It's based on the decrease in accidents after my inspection. 980130 -- Maybe I should quit and work for myself at home. - I would miss all the human contact. - Same as now. I'm testing my E-Mail. Did you get the "E" I sent? 980131 -- I'm thinking of quitting and working for myself. Come work for me. - Doing what? You'll invent valuable things and I'll exploit you...I mean them. - I'm not sure you'd be the best boss, Dogbert. Don't give me that input, you "resource." 980201 -- Let's start by introducing ourselves. - I'm Susan Block from I.T.G. I work for Emily Wooten. - I'm Max Blumf, I work for Susan. - I'm Alice, I work for...uh...I... - AAAGH!!! I'M FILLED WITH SHAME BY ASSOCIATION!!! - WHY ME? WHY WHY WHY - 980201 -- PLEASE TAKE ME INTO YOUR GROUP! I'M NOT TAINTED!!! - Can we start over? I forgot who the first three people are. SOB 980202 -- WARNING!! Author Norman Solomon has determined that the Dilbert comic strip is harmful to workers. - I will demonstrate the danger with this carefully controlled experiment. - Have your plans for rebellion been replaced by sarcasm and 980202 -- complacency? And I think I'm going bald! 980203 -- My new policy is to discriminate against single people. It's totally legal! - Write your marital status on this list, so I know who has no reason to go home at night. - Dang! What are the odds you'd all be polygamists? 980204 -- I'd like to talk about my career path. Okay. - My plan is to work you until your health deteriorates and your skills are obsolete. Then I'll downsize you. - I'm ill. Really? I've never had a plan work this fast before. 980205 -- I'm wearing my work clothes while I telecommute, to maintain discipline. Is it working? - I'll test the theory by seeing if my clothes stop me from going to the kitchen. - Apparently my clothes are defective. Haven't I been saying that? 980206 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director The company knows about you, Wally. - We have logs of all your phone calls, Web hits and E-Mail. We have your urine test, college grades, salary and family contacts... - It's against our policy to kill employees 980206 -- and replace them with low-paid impersonators, but I wanted you to know it's feasible. 980207 -- Our new E-Mail monitoring system shows that you sent a personal message last week. - Coincidentally, the new Alice monitoring system detects twenty hours of unpaid overtime. - According to the manual, productivity will soar now. 980208 -- Beep...beep...boop...now detecting cluelessness in the vicinity. 980209 -- I suggest that you deal with the issue on a going forward basis. - Thanks for ruling out time travel. You're usually not that helpful. - Are you saying he understands the concept of "time" now? Or he just got lucky on this one. 980210 -- Is it my imagination or am I getting sexier every day? - The mirror doesn't lie. I*am* getting sexier. - I've decided to be a supermodel. Okay, but stay away from Kryptonite. 980211 -- Do you have any "silly putty" I can use as a fake beauty mark? - Maybe you should use less. There's no such thing as too much beauty. - Meanwhile, at fashion headquarters... We got away with "heroin chic." What's next? How about dogs with 980211 -- tumors? 980212 -- Fashion headquarters You could be our next supermodel. I love the tumor. It's a beauty mark. - We prefer our supermodels to look unhealthy, in a sexy way. Okay, it's a tumor. - I can add a few more. It's just "silly putty." No, it would be 980212 -- easy to overdo that sort of thing. 980213 -- Dogbert the supermodel Your first assignment is a lingerie shoot. You'll be wearing black socks. - There's nothing sexier than a short, round guy in black socks. - Wow! It works! QUICK! GET ME A BIG BLOCK OF ICE TO SIT ON! 980214 -- How does it feel to be a sex symbol? Good. Playgirl In socks! - I realized that what's inside a person doesn't count because no one can see it. - I didn't realize you were such a philosopher. That's my point! 980215 -- I finished the technical recommendation you requested. - At first I was miffed that you told me what recommendation you wanted. - It made me feel useless and weak. - But rather than dwell on my powerlessness... - I decided to find joy 980215 -- in the one decision I *can* make. - I chose a Helvetica type font. And I never looked back. - Oh, so that's what's wrong with it. - I coach and I coach, but they still walk out of here all rubber-legged. 980216 -- I've been chosen for the industrial espionage program. - The plan is that I quit this job and work for our competitor. Every week I'll send back secret reports. - Bob, this is how we fire dumb people. That's why it's the perfect cover. 980217 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director The company's goal is to double the efficiency of all employees. - Question: If we double our efficiency, won't you downsize half of us? - Don't talk to anyone in marketing; they aren't so good at math. 980218 -- I'm going to make an infomercial. - I'm targeting the people who want to invest their savings but don't know how. - I hope you plan to sell educational information about how to avoid scams. Good idea for phase two! 980219 -- Would you like to make $1,000 per month for a whole year? - Send $13,000 for complete information about Dogbert No-load funds. - I'll include my free pamphlet explaining how to lose weight by eating less food. Show the number. 980220 -- Dogbert the consultant From now on, refer to your employees as "knowledge assets." - That will send an unmistakable message. - He calls us "knowledge assets" now. He must think we're complete morons. It's an unmistakable message. 980221 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Your personal lifes reflect on this company. - From now on, a strict dress code will be enforced in your homes. - On the plus side, it's one less decision I have to make every day. 980222 -- Happy birthday, Alice! - I was planning to get a gift... - But then I thought... - Why not give the money to charity an Alice's name? - Really? Which charity? - Um..."The united society of poor people with major health problems." - ...and 980222 -- Dilbert got me an ashtray, even though I don't smoke. You don't? - They say this sort of thing builds team spirit. It must be gradual. 980223 -- I believe it's what's inside a person that counts. How can you get respect for hidden qualities? - You have to act humble while generating as many clues as possible. - So, you recommend being a deceitful, manipulative, hypocritical, braggart? 980223 -- It's a funny world. 980224 -- I've been hired to find the gullible fool who continues to send anonymous chain letters to everyone. - I place the "curse of Dogbert" on all past and future senders of chain letters. - I think I saw Wally flinch. 980225 -- Oh-no! I got an E-Mail chain letter. It says I'll die if I don't send it to ten more people. - But if forward the message, the "curse of Dogbert" will be upon me. - ...So, I figured a curse is better than certain death, right? Spank you very 980225 -- much. 980226 -- ...And the "Dogbert curse" strikes anyone who sends a chain letter. But the letter said I'd die if I didn't. - You're the world's smartest garbage man; how would you handle this? - Did you know there's also a "garbage man's curse" for people 980226 -- who send chain letters? 980227 -- Are you a victim of a curse? Yes, I am. - Next on "20/20," John Stossel shows you the cure. - Ha! After the commercial I will get valuable information for people like me! Well, well. It seems my old nemesis, John Stossel, has been busy. 980228 -- Our new slogan is, "pressure makes diamonds." - How about, "pressure makes garbage more compact"? I wonder if that one is that taken. - I hate this strong job market for engineers. - "Irritation makes pearls." Or maybe "pressure makes whine." 980301 -- Good news on our budget. I made some recalculations last night. - I found a way to give more money to every project without increasing the total budget for projects! - Question: Does your new way involve poor math skills? - Ignore the skeptic. 980301 -- Hey, I have a suggestion! ? - Maybe you could recalculate our salary budget next. - And when was the last time you recalculated our vacation days? - I calculate that we have an hour left for this meeting. But I'm interested in *your* 980301 -- calculation. - I think we got greedy when we asked if he had change for a five. 980302 -- I need help on the assignment that you said is a "no brainer." - It's easy. Just skip the "interface design" phase and make everything beige. You can't go wrong with beige. - I always know where to go for no-brainer decisions. 980303 -- Project status Due to budget cuts, our new project will have no user interface. - Our target market is people who are too shy to return products. - Is it a bad sign if you spend the day wondering why there are no laws against what you do for 980303 -- a living? 980304 -- Sales conference Here's the product you'll be selling next quarter. It has *no* user interface! - That means no bulky user manual. And no loss of function during a power outage! - You were right. Our sales people can't distinguish good from 980304 -- evil. I strained a smile muscle. Clap clap clap clap 980305 -- From now on, I'll be using the chaos theory of management. - ? ? ? - And this will be different how? Now there's a name for it. 980306 -- It takes a certain type of personality to telecommute, Dogbert. What? - Just because other people have personalities doesn't mean *you* should try to develop one. - I *have* a personality! Let's not get into that "is zero a number" debate 980306 -- again. 980307 -- I estimated the hours it would take to do an excellent job on all the projects you've assigned. - That would be fifty hours a day. So I recalculated for "adequate" results. That would be forty hours per day. - Well, to make a long story short, 980307 -- let's skip down to "complete fiduciary misconduct." Blah blah blah blah blah 980308 -- Tina, we need to set measurable objects for you. - I'm a technical writer. How can you measure good writing? - Everything is measurable if you try hard enough. - Is that your well-reasoned opinion? - Or is it the dogmatic babbling of a manager 980308 -- in total cognitive surrender? - For example, we could measure the number of words you type. - We'll have to subtract the words you delete. That way we won't motivate the wrong behavior. - In this edition of Tina's hourly newsletter, I compare 980308 -- our projects to various types of wood. 980309 -- This is very technical. I'll explain... - SNAP - Gallery of googly-eyed marketeers Drool! Good one. 980310 -- Alice, I'm sending you to Elbonia to inspect our factory. - Fill out a trip justification form for my approval. - So, I need your approval to do what you told me to do? It will not be unreasonably withheld. 980311 -- I'm off to Elbonia, the land of waist-deep mud and misogyny. - On the plus side, you can kick people and blame if on the mud weasels. - What's wrong, Yugi? One second you are complimenting this chick, next second screaming. Mud weasel. 980312 -- Elbonian factory tour This is the sweat shop where we make our company's product. - We attach huge clamps to each employee's head. Why? - We tried cubicles but it damaged morale. 980313 -- Here's my report on the hideous treatment of employees in our elbonian factory. - The employees are forced to wear huge clamps on their heads. - Then I said, "the employees can't complain because they have no union." Swift. 980314 -- I'll call you back in one hour, Irene. - You're in a different time zone, so you'll get the call in...um...three hours. - Really? You're three hours *ahead*? Then that means...whoa! You're freaking me out here! 980315 -- While you toil in utter futility, I'm building my personal "brand equity." - I'm increasing my skills and my contacts every day. - My dream is to become the "Kleenex" of engineers! - 'Scuse me. I have real work to do. - Ooh...sneeze coming. - 980315 -- AAAAH... - CHOO! - I think of Wally as the "Kleenex" of engineers. Me too. 980316 -- I just read that the average woman is paid 75 cents for every dollar that men make. It's an outrage! - I'm the highest paid engineer in the company. - That's impossible. The article says "average women" earn less. Suddenly, the problem comes 980316 -- into focus. 980317 -- This article says men are paid 25% more than women. How do you explain that? - Actually, it says women make 75 cents for every dollar that men make. That's *33%* more for men. - I suppose there's almost no chance you'll praise me for my math 980317 -- skills right now. 980318 -- Alice, one day I hope we can be judged by our accomplishments and not our gender. - I got my fourteenth patent today. I'm on my way to a lunch banquet in my honor. - And you wore *that*? 980319 -- Our user manual has a typo. Our technical support calls are going to a phone sex place. - Complaints are way down. - Customer's house Well, okay, but...has that ever worked? No complaints yet. 980320 -- I'll need a letter of reference to apply for a job in another division. No problem. - ...For a man of his hygiene, he doesn't steal as much as you think. I suspect he's on drugs. - And then he says you're prone to anger and denial. Is that 980320 -- true? NO!! 980321 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director My boss is preventing me from transfering to a great job. - That's outrageous! There shouldn't be any great jobs in this company. - Once again, you've made a bad situation worse. That's the human resources promise. 980322 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director - There's been a slight change in the vacation policy. - Are we getting more vacation days? - You must be new here. - As you know, all vacation time must be used in the year it is earned. - I realize this is not 980322 -- always convenient. So I've decided to be flexible. - From now on, any time you spend in the restroom will count as vacation. - We should complain. If you need me, I'll be taking a porcelain cruise. 980323 -- My new product is a database of famous serial killers. - You can search the database by name, weapon or tattoo. - Let me guess, Wally: Six months ago our young intern asked you what the term "killer application" meant. 980324 -- I can replace your cubicles with "personal habitats." - They look exactly like cubicles, but we've made huge advances in what they're called. Is it expensive? - If money is an issue, you could start with the "hellhole junior" model and 980324 -- upgrade later. Do you have pictures? 980325 -- Your cubicle has been replaced by a "personal habitat." - It's exactly like your cubicle but much less cluttered. - Hey, all my stuff is in the trash can! That's a funny thing to call your personal storage unit. 980326 -- I'm the rag man from project luser. - Budget cuts have hit our project hard. I'm forced to beg for resources. - I can spare some pencil shavings. Excellent! We make coffee out of that. 980327 -- Can you spare any office supplies? I'm on an underfunded project. - How about a three-ring binder with one ring? Score! - I'll melt into the background and let you get back to your palace and your fancy coffee. It's a mocha. 980328 -- I hate being on an underfunded project. - Can you spare some resources, lady? How about that intern? Are you using him? - First you have to learn how to give yourself a sponge bath at the water fountain. 980329 -- I can only give you a two percent raise this year, Alice. - Because your job was not very challenging. - How could you possibly think it wasn't challenging? - You exceeded all your goals without complaining. - Compare that to Wally's 980329 -- performance. He complained all year. - And he missed every goal! Now *that's* a challenging job! - WALLY IS A FILTHY WEASEL! - Maybe his hygiene isn't the best, but he was right when he said you would stab him in the back. 980330 -- I can't give you a raise because you're above the salary midpoint. But at least your stock options are doing great! - I don't have any stock options. Oh. I'm probably thinking of me. - Next, it says I should coach you on your interpersonal 980330 -- skills. 980331 -- Is it my imagination, or is your necktie getting shorter every day? Heh heh... - I'm gradually moving toward casual clothes. In six months this necktie will be gone and no one will notice. - Everyone noticed when you went bald. I'm bald? 980401 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director I'm not enjoying my job. - Take this powerful anti-depressant drug for the rest of your life. I didn't know H.R. could prescribe drugs. - I'd hate a world where that was illegal. "Boss-proof cap." 980402 -- Human resources is prescribing powerful antidepressants to improve morale. - The label says it may cause "unwarranted optimism about your dead-end job." - I gotta get me some of that. 980403 -- Look at the warning label on Alice's anti-depressants. - It can cause fatigue, disorientation, memory loss, and lack of sex. - I wonder how long we've been taking them. There's no way to know. 980404 -- Alice is overdosing on antidepressants. We must induce vomiting. - Look at our mission statement, Alice. The people who wrote it earn ten times your salary. - The plan worked perfectly, up to the point where all three of us were heaving 980404 -- and Alice was punching on us. 980405 -- ...Now let's look at our year-to-date variance in depreciation. - Only five minutes left of our four-hour meeting. zzzzzz - If he keeps droning, there won't be any time for *my* presentation. zzzzz - I spent a whole week preparing my 980405 -- presentation. zzzz zzz - Everyone else is already asleep. - My only hope is to stun the presenter with a stale donut. - As you can see, there's nothing to report. - I wasted a donut. zzzz zzzz 980406 -- I am Mordac, the preventer of information services. I bring new guidelines for passwords. - "All passwords must be at least six characters long...include numbers and letters...include a mix of upper and lower case..." - "Use different 980406 -- passwords for each system. Change once a month. Do not write anything down." Squeal like a pig!!! 980407 -- I am Mordac, the preventer of information services. I come to confiscate your non-standard computer. - You'll give me a new one, right? This is heavier than it looks. - I'll have to disable it and leave it here. The new one is already on 980407 -- its way, right? 980408 -- Request denied. The information services department does not upgrade non-standard computers. - It's not a upgrade. It's a replacement. Our policy is that it's an upgrade unless you discard the old one. - Your trash is declined. Our policy 980408 -- is "no computers." 980409 -- I'm not allowed to get a new computer until I get rid of this old one. - The janitor won't allow it in the trash; union rules won't let me carry it to storage. So I built this catapult. - Like I always say, every problem has an engineering 980409 -- solution. 980410 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director There will be no layoffs after the merger. - However, many of you will be transferred to jobs on a frozen asteroid. - Will we have protective space suits? I label you "not a team player." 980411 -- If I don't accept the transfer to a frozen asteroid, I'll be surplussed. - Ted, let me show you something on this map. - See this tiny island? Yes. That's where the people who care live. 980412 -- I criticize my co-workers to make myself look smart. - Apparently it isn't working. - What do you mean by that? - Nothing. Ooh, that reminds me to add nuts to my grocery list. - I recommend that we have weekly sessions until you run out of 980412 -- money. - Can you cure me? - No, I'm paid by the hour. I'll give you problems you've never even heard of. - We have a few minutes today. Would you like a false memory? Maybe something with aliens? 980413 -- I just gave my two-week notice. - YES! YES! THE ARROGANT, OBSTRUCTIONIST BORE IS HISTORY! - Everyone seems to be taking this rather well. Count me in for the goodbye lunch! 980414 -- I'm glad he quit. He was such an obnoxious, useless co-worker. - We had to be nice to him because we needed his his cooperation. The jerk! - He should check expiration date on his cologne! Next time, I will *not* give two weeks' notice. 980415 -- I'm collecting for Ed's farewell gift. - Ed, you treated me like dirt. I find you guilty and I fine you five dollars. - I just put that in here. Come back if you get more. 980416 -- Heh heh. Ed is barely out the door and I got his old computer. The scavenging was good today. - Alice is going to be miffed that she's too late for the good stuff. - You got his pants? It wasn't easy. He'd already made it to the bus. 980417 -- I fought to get your project classified as our top priority. - Did you get my E-Mail saying the project isn't feasible? - I'll wait until tomorrow to tell him he's chairman of the "quality festival." 980418 -- Alice, I'm the new guy. I look smarter than the people who already work here. - As you get to know me, I'll look dumber and dumber. - That was fast. Ooga. 980419 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director You look stressed out, Alice. - I could fix that by becoming a champion for improvements in the workplace. - Or I could give you a little booklet called "stress no more." - Hmm...I wonder which way is best. - - 980419 -- "Stress is your body's way of saying..." - "...you haven't worked enough unpaid overtime." - I've never seen a woman's forehead ignite her hair before. 980420 -- I'm going to a very important conference. What's it for? - The brochure says the goal is to "create interaction around local and global issues of the coming century." - You're being sarcastic with your ears again. It sounds so exciting! 980421 -- At the airport Hey, Dilbert! We must be taking the same flight! - I'll change my seat assignment so we can talk for six hours. Oh, no! That's okay! - These flights can be very long if you don't have someone to listen to your golf stories. 980422 -- Before I check you in, let me explain something... - You're here for a technology conference. I am the only attractive woman who will talk to you for days. I am not free for coffee later. - Can I brush your hand when you give me the key? 980422 -- I'll toss it to you. 980423 -- At the conference They have some great keynote speakers here. - There's a CEO... A politician... Another CEO... And a cartoonist. - In this cartoon, Gilbert goes to a conference that has no useful content. I know guys like that. 980424 -- At the conference I liked your talk about your comic strip. Do you ever feel burned out? - You have to be funny every day. Then there are the books, the media, the speaking. So much stress... - Oops. #!*@* 980425 -- Ahh...sweet cubicle, I have returned from my trip. - It's just like being in a womb. - I just wanted to poke my head in and say hi. 980426 -- Our special guest is Tod, from the research department. - We recently did a study to assess the value of our previous research. - Sadly, all of our past work was either ignored or totally misinterpreted by idiots... - ...such as yourselves. 980426 -- So from now on, rather than do research, we'll just lie. - Play along and we'll make sure the "industry salaries" study goes your way. - Well, it's two o'clock, and that's quitting time in the research department. - You're not my role 980426 -- model anymore...I've found a new one. 980427 -- Dogbert the consultant I can give you excellent advice for $50,000 per month... - If budget is a problem, I also offer *bad* advice for the low price of $45,000 per month. - That's not a good sign. 980428 -- I saved a lot of money by hiring a low-priced consultant. - These aren't the best recommendations in the world, but the price was very reasonable. - I don't like this one about rolling on unwashed hamburger patties. Keep an open mind. 980429 -- Although your company is very profitable, I wouldn't be much of a consultant if I didn't recommend changes. - You recommend jailing our ombudsman and declaring martial law...makes sense. - Then could I shoot employees who make personal 980429 -- phone calls? It's okay with me. 980430 -- As a consultant, I am overpaid even if I do bad work. - Whereas you're underpaid even if you do good work. It's funny if you think about it. - I might have a terrible job, but at least I don't have any job security. 980501 -- Alice, I checked with the other managers; they don't know you well enough to promote you. - So we've decided to hire someone from outside the company. - At least the other managers have heard my name now. I didn't use your real name. 980502 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director I'm having trouble finding qualified external applicants. - All I have are a headless man, a mime, and a frozen Cro-Magnon guy we found in a glacier. - Does the mime bring his own invisible cubicle? I love 980502 -- those! Only if we pay his relocation costs. 980503 -- Dilbert, this is our newest employee, Matt. - Would you mind... Crushing his spirit? Right. - This little box will be your home for sixty hours a week. - It comes with an obsolete computer and a binder about safety hazards. - Your 980503 -- challenge is to look busy until someone gives you a meaningful assignment. - How long will that take? - I'm still waiting for mine. - *Safety tip 1*: Don't sit near any obsolete computers. 980504 -- I had a strange dream last night. - Research has shown that nothing is less interesting than hearing about someone else's dream. - ...But this was no ordinary grape. It was a *seedless*! My brain is gnawing its way out! 980505 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Alice, the experts say you need to balance work and home life. - You worked 80 hours last week. That's less than half of the hours in a week. - Give us some balance, you selfish hag. This conversation took a 980505 -- nasty turn. 980506 -- The marketing department saves the day! Check out these brochures I made. - This new product will allow us to dominate the market! - But we don't make this product. That hasn't hurt our sales so far. 980507 -- Maybe it was wrong to promise our customers a product that hasn't been designed yet. - But our motto in marketing is, "it's better to ask for forgiveness than to seek permission." - Your motto needs some design work too. 980508 -- I donated a million dollars to the United Nations today. That's nice of you. - My only condition is that they name something after me. - United Nations For the millionth time: Yes, I'm *sure* we want to keep calling it France! 980509 -- Alice, you'd get more accomplished if you were less of a perfectionist. - I've asked Wally to work with you - to teach you how to be less perfect. - When did apathy and low standards become positive traits? I call it the intrapreneurial 980509 -- spirit. 980510 -- What the...? - Alice, you know we don't allow anything on cubicle walls. - It destroys the acoustic absorption of the fabric. - OUCH!! MY EARS! DON' SHOUT!! - You're right! I've ruined the acoustic absorption. - It seemed so harmless. I'll 980510 -- remove it immediately. - - Why is it worse when they agree with me? What? Eh? 980511 -- Someday I'd like to see your office. It's a cubicle, Mom. - What's a cubicle? Imagine the most beautiful place on earth... - Okay, I've got it. Now imagine you can never go there because you work in a box. 980512 -- It's so exciting to vivit my son's cubicle! - I worked hard to put you in college. Now I'll se the results of my investment! - Um...you did attend classes, right? 980513 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director When you dumped more work on Wally, did he moan? Or did he scream? - It sounded like this... Aaoo-muw aahh-ow-ow!! - The staffing levels sound about right. 980514 -- The company is giving free flu shots, Wally. - The shots will be delivered by wealthy stockholders who will hunt you down and shoot you with flu darts. - At least I won't get the flu, right? You're probably thinking of the flu *prevention* 980514 -- shots. 980515 -- No one likes being hunted down and shot with flu darts, Wally. - But remember: companies are managed for the benefit of stockholders, not employees. - *I* own stock. It's in my 401(K) account. I'm not supposed to tell you, but none of that 980515 -- is real. 980516 -- I had to make some optimistic assumptions to meet the revenue target. - In week three, we're visited by an alien named D'utox Inag who offers to share his advanced technology. - Then we use his technology to design our new product? No, we 980516 -- kill him and sell the autopsy video. 980517 -- Are you the pompous airbag of the office? - Indeed. - I've been asked to deflate you. - My source tell me that you combine arrogance with trivia and try to pass it off as intelligence. - That's because I'm surrounded by fools who don't 980517 -- even know the capital of Elbonia! - I have a signed statement from your wife... - ...that you put wet laundry in the oven last night. - That explains the chewy casserole she served me this morning. 980518 -- I'm creating a comic strip called "Pipy the Ziphead." - I'm cramming as much artwork in there as possible, so no one will notice there's only one joke. - The joke is on the reader, isn't it? I'd better cram some more art in there. 980519 -- Your comic strip seems to be nothing but a clown with a small head who says random things. That's Pippy. - I'm maintaining my artistic integrity by creating a comic that no one will enjoy. - The important thing is that *you* enjoy it. The 980519 -- first two were okay, but now I'm just bitter. 980520 -- Dilbert, this is Allen, my new sycophant. - His head nods whenever I talk. But that's not the best part... - Very impressive. Is that great or what? 980521 -- So, Allen, what's it like to be a hideous sycophant? It's okay. - What's it like to have no hope of career advancement? Not bad. - Were you born that way or is it a lifestyle choice? I'll ask Mom, but I think it was bad parenting. 980522 -- That's my plan. What does everyone think? - THAT IS THE BEST PLAN EVER MADE!! WOW! OOH-WAH! YOU DA MAN!! - That's the type of hones feedback we need. I love it when you exhale in my direction. 980523 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director My eyes are sore from using the computer. - Try typing with your fingers, the way everyone else does. - Personally, I find computers very restful on my eyes. 980524 -- I'd like you to meet our newest customer. - You won't be sorry; we're one of the top five companies in this field. - I thought you said no one else makes this kind of product. - No one else makes one with so few features. - So...your 980524 -- strategy is low price, right? - No, high margins! - YOU! - I'd better ask someone what a "margin" is. 980525 -- I will now test my theory that people like to be told what to do. - QUIT YOUR JOB AND BUILD ME A PYRAMID, YOU HOMELY DOLT!!! - I liked it until the dolt part. I've noticed that honesty doesn't mix well with anything. 980526 -- What's the crown for? - There aren't any charismatic leaders in the world lately. I'm going to fill the void. - Don't charismatic leaders usually turn out to be egomaniacal, philandering sociopaths? And they look good in hats! 980527 -- Why are there no charismatic leaders anymore? Cable TV. - Scandal is the most economical way to fill new programs. They'll go after you, too. I'll need a diversion. - I don't care if it's a great news story; I will *not* take any fertility 980527 -- drugs! They're in your coffee. 980528 -- My dog put fertility drugs in my coffee. - At first I was mad. Then the tabloids offered me a million dollars for my story. - Have you seen a doctor? My agent advises against that. 980529 -- I've been eating like crazy since Dogbert put the fertility drug in my coffee. - I'm guessing I have ten of fifteen babies in there. It's hard to keep them fed. - And your only evidence of pregnancy is weight gain? Here comes another 980529 -- hoagie, kids! 980530 -- My dog slipped me a fertility drug. How soon before I give birth? - Um... It's impossible to have babies unless a woman is involved in some way. - Ooh, right, for the diapers. I'm going to give you a prescription for painful shots. 980531 -- PHARMACY - Is this one line or two? - I'll hedge my bets by standing in the middle. - This guy is confused too. - Get behind me... Get behind me... Get behind me... Get behind me... - Oh-no! He's forming a new line behind the fast cashier! 980531 -- #!%* - He's distracted! I take the angle! I win! - Stress medications are the other line. 980601 -- I'm having a severe case of telephone shyness. - I'm afraid to pick up the phone and make business calls. - I'll duck into a restroom stall until the shyness passes. 980602 -- I've been having severe shyness attacks at work. I can help. - I'll send nude photos of you to everyone on the Internet. - Will that work? All of my previous clients are dating "Mtley Cre" band members. 980603 -- I'll cure your shyness by putting nude photos of you on the Internet. - AAEEII!! COUGH COUGH UNH* - I didn't know the Internet could reject a body. I didn't know it could scream. 980604 -- STUPID SOFTWARE! WON'T COMPILE; EH?? - #%!** - We call it "code rage." I'm seeing a lot of it lately. 980605 -- How much budget do you have for my project? I can't tell you. - If you knew what your budget was, you'd spend it all. - Can you at least tell me what our company strategy is? No, I don't want you to lose hope. 980606 -- Our pointy-haired boss won't tell me our company's strategy. - So I spend my days wandering from cubicle to cubicle, trying to deduce the strategy. - So far I've outruled "first to market." and "premiere" anything. 980607 -- I need coffee. - But I'm too tired to go get it. - I'm in a downward spiral! - My arms go limp. The antidote is only yards away but I am immobile. - Maybe someone will notice and bring coffee. - My co-workers found me. I'm saved! - - As 980607 -- the frenzied mob yanked off my trousers, someone spilled coffee on me. Wow, lucky. 980608 -- Catbert: evil H.R: director Bad news: the employees are reading a newspaper. - If they see the low unemployment rate, they'll know the balance of power has swung their way. - I plan to use the cat as a gargoyle on my cubicle roof. If you 980608 -- run a current through him you can zap bugs. 980609 -- This week I discovered that the demand for engineers exceeds the supply. - I responded by increasing my insolence and decreasing my productivity. - I will never hire another engineer as long as I'm alive. Equilibrium has been restored. 980610 -- Your cubicle roof is looking good. Yep. - I love being a skilled worker in a period of low unemployment. I can get anything I demand. - Hey, Poindexter, fetch me a lemonade. Poink Ouch 980611 -- Unlike you people in marketing, I have highly sought technical skills. - I'm too valuable to fire. So from no won, I'll deliver my project status on a balled-up piece of paper. - Is the cheerleader squad ready? Grrr 980612 -- I'd like to reopen the question of what vendor we'll use, even though it's too late to change anything. - I darn you to heck! You will spend an eternity with other indecisive dullards! - WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME??! Here is fine. 980613 -- Dangerous asbestos has been found in every room in our building. - The problem will be addressed using a...scientific process. - Something called attrition. 980614 -- DOGBERT'S FIRST LAW OF BUSINESS Reality is always controlled by the people who are most insane. - Example Thanks for agreeing to work on my project. - I never agreed to work on your project. - You can't change your mind now! It's too late 980614 -- to get someone else! Um...I'm not changing my mind. I clearly said I would *not* work on your project. - YOU LYING WEASEL! I'LL RUIN YOU!! - OKAY! OKAY! I'LL WORK ON YOUR PROJECT! - Wally, thanks for agreeing to donate your computer to my 980614 -- project. What? 980615 -- No one in my division is using the company drug treatment program. This is very embarrassing. - My boss will think I'm not managing the drug problem. Don't *any* of you have a drug problem? - #!*%* CHILDPROOF "MIDOL" CONTAINER!! Hmm... 980616 -- Drug treatment program The first step is to admit you have a drug problem. I don't - My pointy-haired boss forced me to be here because he thinks it makes him look proactive. - Hallucinations are common during withdrawal. Let's do an 980616 -- inkblotch test. AAAGH!! 980617 -- Drug treatment program Alice, I'd like to talk to you about your registration form. - Under "objective", you said you want to use my "turnip-shaped head as a battering ram to break out of here." - Alice, drop the duct tape. Stay tense; 980617 -- that will help. 980618 -- Out top executives are in a special strategy lockup meeting, . The meeting won't end until they agree on a new strategy, so it might be a while. - Maybe if I wedge my broom here I won't forget where I put it. 980619 -- I just heard that all our top executives got locked in a conference room and starved to death. - Why didn't they use the phone to call for help? - One wee ago... It's agreed: we dial 8.3 to get an outside line. Uh-oh. This one doesn't do 980619 -- decimals. 980620 -- An executive search firm is trying to find a new C.E.O. for us. It'll be tough. - No ethical person would board a sinking ship just to plunder its treasure. - Are you ready to take the challenge? Oh, I'll take more than that! 980621 -- What the...? - You responded to quickly to my E-Mail. - Obviously you aren't focusing on priorities. - I do E-Mail while my program is compiling. - You can't weasel out of this with you technical Mumbo Jumbo. - You win. I'll ignore your 980621 -- E-Mail from now on. - The important thing is that I win. - I wonder if *my* programs ever compile. 980622 -- Mister Dogbert has returned as our C.E.O. because no one else wants the job. - I can't tell you my plan for the assets of the company...but it rhymes with "village." - I hope it's "fillage." 980623 -- Dogbert the C.E.O. I need a personal "gopher." Are you interested? Sure! - Good. You'll wear a special uniform and have a special office to show your status. - Sheesh. I haven't made a bank shot yet. 980624 -- Dogbert the C.E.O. I've decided to manipulate our stock price for personal gain. - I'll spin off a few divisions, buy back some of our stock and announce massive budget cuts. - Um...do you even know what products we make? How would that be 980624 -- relevant? 980625 -- Dogbert the C.E.O. I make a motion that the board of directors double my pay. - All in favor, bleat like sheep. - Ba-a-a Ba-a-a Ba-a-a I think we're missing a check or a balance somewhere. 980626 -- Dogbert the C.E.O. The "United Charities" would like you to be chairman this year. - I'd be honored. Oh, and while you're up, cancel the company health plan. - One week later Under his leadership, our free clinics have handled *twice* as 980626 -- many people. Thanks United Charities 980627 -- Dogbert the C.E.O. I'm an investment banker. I can help you loot this place and escape. - You'll merge with my other client company. Your golden parachute kicks in. Then you exercise your stock options on the uptick. - You rarely see a 980627 -- merger announcement with the phrase, "so long, suckers." Ouch. 980628 -- Our next product will determine the future of our company! $ - I need a project leader who has a passion for success! - Would that leader get extra pay? - It's not about money, Wally. It's about passion for success! - All I have is a vague 980628 -- preference. How about you? - Yes, I'm feeling something...maybe it's... - No, it's just my allergy medication. - What was it like? It tingled. 980629 -- Where's that budget forecast I asked for? - I put it on your chair this morning. - I'd better look again. 980630 -- Dogbert's tech support I don't know how to use my E-Mail. - You need to upgrade your I.Q. a few points. Try listening to classical music. - My old nemesis, Mister Radio, we meet again. 980701 -- Dogbert's tech support Our software is perfect. The problem must be with you. - Go to the cat scan machine in the break room and insert your head. I'll monitor you from here. - DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM? I blame it on the tight labor market. 980702 -- Dogbert's tech support How may I abuse you? The Internet is slow. What causes that? - That can only be caused by you looking at porn. - I'll need your name for our records. click 980703 -- I like men who have a sense of humor. - ...but not the joke-telling kind - the spontaneous kind - like when you spill something and we both laugh. - Maybe I'm trying too hard. 980704 -- I don't understand why you like the things you like. - I'm forced to conclude that you're socially defective. - Isn't it normal for people to have unique preferences? Do you have to argue wit *everything* I say?! 980705 -- My posterior is growing to fit the size of my chair. - Is that possible? - Posteriors are like goldfish. They grow to the limit of their environment. - That's ridiculous. I have the biggest chair. That would mean... - Forget that I brought 980705 -- it up. Well, back to work. - Mission report. Success. - The glue on his chair should be set by now. - I guess this is why goldfishes don't use chairs. 980706 -- Catbert: H.R. director "Consistent with our effort to eliminate privacy and dignity... - "...employees must share hotel rooms on all business trips." - After they get used to this, I'll introduce the tandem showering policy. 980707 -- Wally, as you know, employees must share hotel rooms at the conference... - So I was wondering if you'd like to...you know...be my roomie. Sure. - We'll have to agree on some rules. I can only spoon on my right. 980708 -- I hate sharing a hotel room on business trips. - I need to do my exercises before I go sleep. Do you mind? - There are so many ways this could be bad. I'm still a bit winded from yesterday. 980709 -- Sharing a hotel room I forgot to pack my exercise shorts. - I guess I can do my jumping jacks without clothes. It's just us guys. - Single occupancy isn't so hard to get. 980710 -- I don't see why our web pages need URLs. Get rid of them. - Did that make sense at all? Yes, it's brilliant. - Give me a month and I'll replace our URLs with uniform resource locators. Perfect. 980711 -- I'm pleased to report another week of stellar accomplishments! - I moved more than 800,000 bits of data to a disaster recovery back-up facility! - Did you just take credit for copying a file to a diskette? It was my resume. 980712 -- I can't believe I get paid for this. Blah Blah - This thing lasts two more hours. - Maybe I should fidget with my pen. - I'm too late. Now I'd look uncreative. Fidget. - I wonder how long I can hold my breath. Fidget. - Fidget. - WHUMP! - 980712 -- Ooh, *two* pens. What would *that* be like? 980713 -- I hired my son to manage our technology development group. - He's young, but I'm almost positive he went to college. - Where did you go to college? Actually, I hid in our attic for four years. 980714 -- My Dad taught me everything I know. - He used to say "don't drink the pickle juice until the pickles are gone." - Was this a big problem at your house? Have you ever been hit in the eye with a pickle? 980715 -- Son-of-a-boss You have to make our product so simple that even my Mom could use it. - It's already so simple a hamster could use it. How much dumber is your Mom? - Maybe we should leave my Mom out of this. *My* Mom is a physicist. 980716 -- Son-of-a-boss My complete lack of knowledge has not gone unnoticed. - I've been promoted to vice president of marketing! - If you feel the need to buy me a gift, I'd love a piano. 980717 -- Is your project plan done? I can't do a plan until you tell me the strategy. - My strategy is to make you do the plan. - Sometimes the leadership just radiates from my body. 980718 -- My name is Myron, not Moron! - Next time that you run spell check, don't automatically take its suggestions. - What's "spell check"? 980719 -- Here's the goal that will motivate you for the next year. - "Build a global satellite network. Budget: $12,000." - Motivation feels much different from what I imagined. - I was expecting a light, energetic feeling. - But it's more like 980719 -- being pinned under a burning couch. - Whoo! I'm getting dizzy. - I'd better lie down until the motivation wears off. - He's going to be trouble during the next round of budget cuts. 980720 -- Excuse me. I couldn't avoid hearing your conversation outside my cubicle. - I think I speak for a lot of cubicle dwellers when I say... - SHUT UP!! 980721 -- You haven't interfered with my project in weeks. Something must be wrong. - I believe in empowering my employees and staying out of the way. - Am I going to find my real boss's body in a dumpster? There's extra money in the budget. Would 980721 -- you like a bonus? 980722 -- I think the earthlings are getting suspicious. - Keep acting competent and caring. Our prisoner says that's how leaders act on their world. - Carol, let me do the org chart on my PC. You have too much work already. AAAGH! 980723 -- No one suspects that the real boss is in a prison tube on my spaceship. - Is it okay if I wear shorts? Sure. I only care about the quality of your work. - If our boss were replaced by an alien, would that be a bad thing? It depends on the 980723 -- alien. 980724 -- Apparently my boss has been replaced by a highly intelligent alien. - That means my real boss is being held captive in some sort of hideous alien prison. - What do you to plan to do about it? It was just an observation. 980725 -- Tell us your management secrets, earthling. - You have too many full-time aliens flying this UFO. Downsize half of them, then roll out the ISO9001 process. - ...But despite all of my help, they still plowed into a snow-covered alp. 980726 -- I need some management fire power. - The VP of marketing says we can't use the vendor we selected... - Let me write this down. - Do you want some paper? No, I'll use this tissue...oops. - Anyway, the other vendor can't deliver. Oops. - I 980726 -- have some note paper. No, this is fine. Oops. - All you have is a blotch on a scrap. - It's more of a reminder than a detailed note. - Hmm...it's not so useful when I put it with the others. 980727 -- My boss told me to buy a bunch of equipment we don't need. - That way our budget won't get cut next year. I'm so proud of you, son. - How do you say this with a straight face? I try to imagine you as a Navy seal. 980728 -- ...And we'll buy a dozen of these. We're trying to spend our budget so it doesn't get cut next year. - This is great! You guys are so dumb that I don't even have to use my fake personality to make the sale! - ...and nine of these blue 980728 -- things. There's a full moon on the horizon! 980729 -- I haven't talked yet, but all the good points have been taken. Blah blah Blah blah - We must make sure our momentum aligns with our value-added distribution! - That was just babble, right? All the good points were taken. 980730 -- I have no useful skills or knowledge. I compensate by "raising issues." - Our salespeople haven't been trained for the new product!! - Someone should have a meeting about that. Wow, I can actually hear oxygen being wasted. 980731 -- I'm a wothless employee who cuts out newspaper articles and routed them around. - I used to make sure the articles were relevant, but that was more work than it was worth. - I saw this already. It's from your paper. You always leave it in the 980731 -- third stall. 980801 -- Do you mind I jump on the grbage? - I don't even know why, but when I see a fresh pile of garbage, I just want to jump up and down on it. - The best things in life are silly. YEE-HA!! 980802 -- Performance review Let's see how many of your objectives you met. What objectives? - Didn't you know you had objectives? - I don't see how I would have any time to work on objectives. - My schedule was packed. - Doing what? - Every morning you 980802 -- leave things on my chair with notes that say "urgent: handle this." - No I don't - Wally, can I see a sample of your handwriting? Uh-oh. 980803 -- Let's see what's on my schedule today. - "Give vigorous wedgie to myself." - You're right - he *will* do whatever is on his schedule. Ow! Vigorously? 980804 -- Meeting with a vendor - I'm Larry. - And these people are my vast array of unnecessary tag-alongs. - What does your product do? We didn't bring the guy who knows that. 980805 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director I'm grossly underpaid for the type of work I do now. - Write a description of your current duties. I'll be happy to do a compensation review. - Based on a true story Sadly, it appears you're not qualified for your 980805 -- own job. But one of your subordinates is. 980806 -- We won the bid to create a digital archive of the world's greatest art. - This will give us a chance to fix any errors made by the artists. Errors? - For example, there was a guy who used too much blue for a whole period. 980807 -- We've digitized and indexed the world's greatest art. This is "The Last Supper." Nice, but... - The composition is cluttered. Delete a few of those guys. Do you have any clip art of bagels? - Do they look happy? Compared to me, yes. 980808 -- I'm creating a digital archive of the world's greatest art. But my boss insists on "fixing" the artist's mistakes. Hee hee - This is such a funny story for the newsletter. It's a funny story, but change "fixing" to "dramatically 980808 -- improving." 980809 -- We're discontinuing technical support of all our products. - A recorded message will explain it to the caller this way... - "In order to serve customers better, we've discontinued technical support." - How does that serve customers better? 980809 -- - We'll redirect those resources to other areas. What other areas? - Profits. - That makes your bonus larger. Any other questions? - Apparently I'm engulfed in evil. That's the spirit! 980810 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Are you able to work while being constantly interrupted? - No. I would be totally inefficient, just like anyone else. - We were done with the section you had to answer honestly. Oj. In that case, interruptions 980810 -- make me stronger. 980811 -- Initiate launch sequence. - We have liftoff. - I keep waiting for this to seem like a bad ides. 980812 -- We're the first cubicle to land on the moon. - The temerature and oxygen levels are fine. Apparently the space program is a hoax. NASA must be hiding something here. - Hi. We're the women who love engineers. 980813 -- NASA put all the women who love engineers on the moon. They say it's an important experiment. - Every weekend they send a shuttle full of male NASA engineers to check on our status. - Uh-oh. We have company. 980814 -- Somewhere on the moon So, you discovered where NASA hides the women who love male engineers. - How about a little drinking contest, tough guy? The loser can never return. - We probably shouldn't have insisted on entering the contest. I'll 980814 -- miss them. 980815 -- I need this vital information by one o'clock. - If I do a shoddy job, I can finish this and still make it to the lunch! - Today I traded my work ethic for a banana. I ate that banana years ago. 980816 -- The evil director of human resources spots his prey. - Wally, you haven't filled out a vacation request form yet. - If we don't get it by tomorrow, you lose your your vacation. - Where do I get a form? We're all out. - DID THEY EVER EXIST? 980816 -- - Wally, does anything really exist, or is it all just shadows on a cubicle wall? - I leave you with that thought. - Who says philosophy is useless? Bonk bonk 980817 -- This is today's motivational message for all employees. - Today is the first day of the rest of the week. - Or is it? 980818 -- Wally, did you review my draft of the user manual yet? - The characters in the examples gave me no reason to care about them. It left me empty. - Sadly, User "B" could never love user "A" because he was a bald engineer. 980819 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director You've been a good contract employee. We'd like to make you a regular employee. - You mean you want to pay me less? - We want you to be motivated by something other than money. Like... Stupidity? 980820 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Yes, regular employees are paid less than contract employees such as yourself. - But if you join the company, you'll get many intangible benefits. - MAybe your stockholders would like some intangible benefits. 980820 -- They can have mine. 980821 -- The employees aren't falling for the old "intangible benefits" story anymore. - Uh-oh. We don't earn enough money to give tangible benefits to employees *and* stockholders. - Stockholder meeting Stock ...now let's discuss your intangible 980821 -- benefits... %#!*# 980822 -- Here's my time sheet, in exquisite detail. - Crinkle Crinkle Wad - It's easier to input the numbers if I make them as I go. 980823 -- Happy combined birthdays. - Today we honor the employees who had birthdays within the past year. - That's Dilbert...Alice...Asok...Did I miss anyone? - Um...You missed me. - You too? That's spooky. - I'd cut the cake but it's a plastic 980823 -- prop. - Let's sing. Does anyone know the words to "Happy Birthday"? - I'll bet those weren't the real words. 980824 -- I like to con people. And I like to insult people. - If you combine con and insult, you get "Consult." - I'm here to consult you. It sounds expensive and demeaning. ...okay. 980825 -- Dogbert consults My recommendations are based on an analysis of accountability. Ooh. - As a consultant, I'm not accountable to your stockholders. So I can recommend anything that amuses me. - I recommend that you convert all of your U.S. 980825 -- Dollars to Elbonian currency...whatever that is. The Eyecrud. 980626 -- Your performance was excellent, but there's no bonus this year - Why not? - The company lost a fortune in the elbonian currency collapse. - But in a way, it's your own fault for working here. - Thanks. - That takes the sting out. 980827 -- At this phase, the project will be reviewed by a worthless manager. - Hee-hee! I wonder if he knows what people say about him. - Why are you marking it "done"? Did you decide to skip that phase? 980828 -- Our department mascot will be the industrious beaver. - That's a picture of a woodchuck. - He looks perky. That's close enough. He could be a beaver who lives in a hole. 980829 -- Don't think of yourself as a powerless peon in a box. - You're an agent of change in a dynamic, natural work group! - Can I put that on my business cards? I'd rather not leave a paper trail. 980830 -- I need to document your procedures. It's an ISO 9000 requirement. - So...the engineers submit their time cards and then you do what? - I put them in a pile until I'm sure they're all here. - Then I move them to the magic cylinder. The trash 980830 -- can? - No, it's a magic cylinder. I put my work in there and by morning it's gone. - I've been giving you my time cards for five years. - No one has complained yet. - After today, I am *not* rounding to the nearest fifteen minutes. 980831 -- It's nice, but the weasel down the street is selling it for less. - You should never settle for the lesser of two weasels. - Now that you mention it, it *did* seem too convenient. 980901 -- This project needs your complete attention. - Wally's right. Forget the other projects and focus on that one. - Did I miss anything at the meeting? We got you a little helper for your project. 980902 -- We can only succeed if each of you works nights and and weekends for a year. - I quit. Me too. I'll clear out my desk. - Or was that supposed to inspire us? Like I'd know. 980903 -- I can't process your voucher because these receipts look fake to me. - They aren't fake. Then why aren't they notarized? - BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST RECEIPTS! And now you'll tell me there's no DNA evidence either. 980904 -- How long will it take to process my voucher? - I assign a priority to everyone. I'm happy to say you're a "one." - One chance in a million. 980905 -- Alice, thank you for your twelve-page response to my E-Mail last week. - But I was only sending it to you as an "FYI." Those decisions are already made. - If I read your reaction right, you're wondering why I didn't say FYI on my E-Mail. 980906 -- Why did the I.S. department deny my request for a PC upgrade? - BECAUSE WE ARE EVIL INCARNATE!! BUWAHAHAHA!! - I was looking for something more specific. - You didn't provide a dollar estimate of the benefits. - That's ridiculous. I can't put a 980906 -- value on every tool I need to do my job. - If you can't quantify it, then it must not be necessary. - Then why does the company give me a chair? I can't quantify that either? - Here's one more reason why it stinks to be me. 980907 -- Ring - Hello, I'm a rat. This is a consulting company. We'll pay you $200,000 per year to work for us. - I'm more interested in investment banking. *#!* Job market. 980908 -- Come work for our consulting firm and you will get this bushel of money. - All we want in return is twenty hours of work each day... - ...with clients who hate you for a variety of good reasons. At least there's no travel, right? 980909 -- Ratbert the consultant As our newest partner, you'll get the least desirable assignments. - We'll load you in the consultant cannon, shoot you to the client's site and monitor your progress. - The window is more to the left. The client is more 980909 -- to the right. 980910 -- Ratbert the consultant I'm making $200,000 per year! - - Apparently that's all I know. 980911 -- Thanks to my consulting job, I'm wealthier than you. - And I'm cuter, obviously. The only thing left is personality. - Shouldn't you be spreading disease somewhere? Three for three! Yes!! 980912 -- I built a ring with a tiny computer i it. - It only displays one character at a time. Then what good is it? - No time for chit-chat. I'm surfin' the net! Don't make me come over there. 980913 -- It's time for my annual inspirational talk! - We must work twice as hard, or the competition will crush us! - I want you to feel afraid twenty-four hours a day! - Question: Wouldn't that lower the quality of out lives? Seems like it might. - 980913 -- I'm too afraid to work here now. I wonder if our competitors are hiring. - Question: Should we continue to be afraid of our own mamagement's incompetence? - Let's compromise. I'll cut the meeting short if you'll all agree to feel worse in some 980913 -- way. Now I remember why I only inspire them once a year. 980914 -- I got caught in traffic. - Let me recap what you missed. - We spent the past hour deciding not to change the name of our department. - You just inadvertently trained me to be late to all meetings. Oops. 980915 -- I've been building up my forearm so I'll have a bone-crushing handshake. - Why? Hey, what's this - some sort of hen party? - That was very witty, Wally. Congratulations! Oh. 980916 -- The safety award goes to Ted for his five years of injury-free work. - Thanks for this award. Without awards, there would be no incentive to avoid injuries. - 980917 -- If I work too hard, I get stressed out. But if I don't work hard, I get bored. - I recommend submerging your hed in icy water twice a day. - Wouldn't that hurt? Is there no end to your list of complaints? 980918 -- I'm finding it a burden to remember your name. - From now on, I'll refer to you as either "Buddy" or "Big Guy." - How aobut if I get a name tag? Then you just could read it. Do I look like I have that kind of time? 980919 -- I don't have any meetings today. - I'll change all my software settings until something doesn't work. - Keep up the good work. Keep up the good managing. 980920 -- I'm going to do some personal business during my lunch hour. - Normally I would work through lunch. - But this will take a full hour. - It would only take two minutes if I used the Internet. - But the Internet is for business use only! - 980920 -- Our company has a limited number of zeroes and ones. - When tey're gone, they're gone! Furthermore... - You mocked him for a full hour. Now it's time to eat. 980921 -- You're under arrest for stealing empty cardboard boxes! - The company needs those boxes to meet its recycling goals. But reuse is better than recycling. - There's got to be a way out of this cell. 980922 -- Catbert: H.R. director You can improve an employee's performance by making him feel bad about himself. - So, although that wouldn't work on me, it works fine on other people? Exactly. - I'll read your faults one at a time. Tell me when 980922 -- your performance improves. 980923 -- My source tells me that you're not meeting your objectives. - Tht's not true. Who are these sources? Name one objective I haven't maet. - I don't even know what your objectives are. Must...control...fists. 980924 -- Who said I wasn't meeting my objectives? I can't remember. - Therefore, I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the information. - Check the facts! That sounds like something a guilty person would say. 980925 -- I've decided to be one of those guys who says whatever is on his mind. - - Still nothing? Boy, this is a real eye-opener. 980926 -- Do you mind if I fill the gaps in our conversation with random observations? No. - So, you got a little pillow there, eh? Eh? - When I say, "Eh?", that's your cue to answer. 980927 -- Based on a true story I'm drowning in work! - You have to do sometinh. - I could build a partition right here. - How will a partition help? - Carol, you shouldn't be afraid of new things. - If it doesn't work, we'll try something else! - - Are 980928 -- you over there? It works! 980928 -- Asok, you're the winner of the prestigious "broken binder award." - It's a once-in-a-lifetime award that is voted on by our peers. - How long have you been dumping your trash here? Since my can got full. 980929 -- We're having an all-employee talent show for charity. Tickets are three dollars! - We'll give you three dollars apiece to forget the whole thing. It works out the same. - Deal. Ironically, math is my only talent. 980930 -- This is urgent. I need it by tomorrow. - You've known about this for weeks. Now I'll have to work all night! - Could you at least say something that sounds grateful? I'm glad I'm me! 981001 -- I am Mordac, the preventer of information services! I summon the Y2K demon! - roar roar You're not as big as I imagined. I wonder why everyone is so afraid. - Cute! 981002 -- 981003 -- You've been a great temporary employee. Would you like to be a permanent one? Yes! - HA HA HA!!! YOU SIMPLE FOOL!!! - What was that? That was your employee orientation program. 981004 -- This bell will improve your morale. - You ring the bell whenever you achieve a goal. - THEN YELL YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT TO THE REST OF THE OFFICE - I know it sounds corny, but the bell has worked at other companies. - Does your information 981004 -- come from the *bosses* of other companies? - No. It comes from a magazine who interviewed those bosses. - I'll go first. CLANG CLANG - I RESISTED KILLING MY BOSS WITH A STUPID BELL!! 981005 -- From now on, anyone who misses a staff meeting must buy donuts for the next meeting. - - Did I just sell them their freedom for donuts? 981006 -- Here's another shovel full of assignments. - How am I supposed to get all of that done? Only do the most important ones. - "Identify all the acronyms that have never been used." That's an important one. 981007 -- I have time to do *one* of these two assignments. - One is essential to the business. The other one is not. Which *one* do you want me to do? Both! - I know you *want* both. But if you can only *get* one... Combine them and just do the 981007 -- one. 981008 -- It's not my policy to fire morons, Donald. Firing is expensive. - It's my policy to make your job so unpleasant that you quit. - So, your project involves being bitten by coyotes? Only two more years and I'm vested. 981009 -- Put this strip on your nose to get more oxygen to your brain. - I'm hoping it will make you a more interesting conversationalist. - How 'bout that? I'm no longer optimistic. 981010 -- I can no longer hold this inside. - YOU CALL THAT BREATHING??! GET THE OTHER NOSTRIL INVOLVED! - I wonder if he'll ever realize that I just enjoy yelling. 981011 -- It's not enough to "serve" our customers... - We must *delight* them! - You mean we have to stop price-gouging? - No, I think we can still do that. - Ooh ooh! I know! - We could stop selling products with known defects. - I'M TALKING ABOUT 981011 -- CUSTOMERS, NOT PRODUCTS!! - Do you feel like delighting customers? I barely have the empathy to pity them. 981012 -- I'm sending you to teach a class in Cobol. I don't know Cobol. - Maybe you can learn it in the plane. - Maybe I'll take some Scuba lessons up there too. I'm making my getaway. 981013 -- Why are you sending *me* to teach Cobol th the Elbonians? Wally is the one who knows Cobol, not me. - Wally said he's busy that day. Can't you reschedule the class? - Okay... Does tomorrow work for you? YOU'RE SOLVING THE WRONG PROBLEM! 981014 -- Somewhere in Elbonia I've been sent to teach you Cobol. - We don't have any computers. That's okay. I don't know Cobol. - ...and if you had a keyboard, you would do this. Oops...how do I delete? 981015 -- Dilbert teaches Cobol in Elbonia ...and that's how you fix your "Year 2000" problem. - This concludes my four-day class. Are there any questions? What's a year? - And is Cobol a kind of cabbage or what? Class dismissed. 981016 -- Catbert the H.R. director Asok, it's time to groom you for management. - I don't see too many bugs in your fur. Can you lick the top of your own head? No, I can't. Then you can't be a manager. 981017 -- We'll take away the cubicle walls and force employees to work in an "open plan" office. - Surveillance cameras will record their every move. We'll monitor phone calls and Web use. We'll even test their blood! - Can we flog them? Whoa, 981017 -- Cobboy! Wait for phase two. 981018 -- It't time to delegate. - Dilbert, I want you to give me a new cash flow estimate for your project. Okay, fine. - When will I get it? When do you need it? - As soon as possible! Okay! - And when do you think that will be? - I usually wait a 981018 -- few days to see if you change your mind. - Then I'll give you last year's cash flow as a test to see if you read it. - The more experience they get, the worse they are. 981019 -- Catbert: H.R. director New policy: Employees are not allowed to eat at their desks. - Because why? I need a semi-plausible reason. - Because I hate you. 981020 -- Alice, meet the newest member of our team. - I hired him myself. That means I can never fire him; it would look like I made a bad decision. - Microsoft hired his head. It's in a jar in Redmond. And we got the part that goes to meetings. 981021 -- If we're going to work together, I should know your name. - Let's see if you have a wallet with some identification. - Geez, Alice, could you let the new guy settle in first? 981022 -- According to his driver's license, the new guy's name is Edward Mann. - Is his middle name Lester? How did you know that? - What we have here is an Ed Less Mann. 981023 -- The new guy isn't working out. Why not? - Maybe because he has no head. So, you think I made a mistake hiring him? - Um...no. But the new guy thinks so. Then he's fired for insubordination! 981024 -- Dogbert the consultant You must brainwash your customers to prefer your brand for no reason. - The long-term goal is to train your customers to mail you money every time they see your advertisements. - Would we send them our product? 981024 -- Hello-o-o, brain stem. 981025 -- In order to improve communications... Please don't. - Every morning I'll give you two pennies. - Every afternoon, you return them and "give me your two cents worth." - Get it? It's cute. - So, I get to keep the money if I avoid seeing you? 981025 -- - - How much will you pay me to ignore your voice mail too? - I'll pretend you're dead for a nickel. I hate them all. 981026 -- Thank you all for coming to the meeting that has no real purpose. - Maybe we could raise issues and then form action plans. - I have an urge to stomp you to death. That's not very professional of you. 981027 -- That's the plan. Now I will pretend to listen to your irrational concerns. - Go! - This is another situation where ambiguity would be better. 981028 -- Dogbert the consultant Our target market is the gullible moron segment. - Our commercials will feature an actor who seems sincere. I care about the rain forest...and you - I like kittens...and you. Wow...we made it into his top two. 981029 -- Dogbert the consultant Our ad campaign featuring phony sincerity is working. - In phase two, we'll introduce our newest product, the invisible robot. - We don't know how to make an invisible robot. Do you know how to make an empty box? 981030 -- Dogbert the consultant Some customers might complain that the invisible robot they bought from us... - ...is nothing but an empty box. I will train our support staff to handle those calls. - Customer's house According to our sensors, he's 981030 -- in your house...and he's watching you. 981031 -- Cublicle walls will be removed "in order to improve communication." - Why do the worst ideas always have the noblest sounding reasons? - Employees will be leashed and branded "in order to improve morale." 981101 -- I have a solution to our morale problem. - We need a nickname for our group. - Can it be something scatological? - Um...no. - How about something that involves monkeys? - I don't think so. - Ooh... But could it be something that's both 981101 -- scatological *and* involves monkeys? - It's hard to be optimistic while he's so grumpy. 981102 -- I must warn you. I'm one of those women who like to curse at work. - %#**!!* - That was a warmup. MY EARS FELL OFF!! 981103 -- If you anger me, I will curse at you until your eyebrows burn off. - I will demonstrate my power by burning Wally's left eyebrow. - %#**!!* OW! OW! THAT'S NOT AN EYEBROW! 981104 -- Get out of my way, weaklings! - This closed door can't stop me! I'll curse it off its %#**!!* hinges! - You could have knocked. I'm a barger, not a knocker. 981105 -- Ann, I made a bet with Ted that you could ignite this match by swearing at it. - HOW DARE YOU BET AGAINST ME, TED, YOU #%*!!*! - Dang! How about double or nothing? I want my dollar. 981106 -- Dilbert, I'd like you to meet the humorless blob I hired. - Blob is our new creative director. His job is to foster innovation. - I have some ideas. Whoa, loose cannon. 981107 -- The presentation This cartoon says it all! Hee hee! - Uh-oh. I just realized you're all humorless blobs. - Join us, Dilbert. Be a blob. Yes...humor is uncalled for. 981108 -- Wally, you haven't done any actual work for years, yet we continue to pay you. - Have I said thanks? - I'd fire you, but your performance reviews are all "excellents." - So, my plan is to make your job a living hell until you quit. - 981108 -- You'll never win! My standards are lower than you can imagine! - I'll start by moving you to a smaller cubicle. - IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT? HA HA HA!!! - Mom, guess who got an office wit a door! 981109 -- Catbert: H.R. director I work hadr, but all I get is tiny raises. - If we gave you everything you wanted, then you would have nothing to motivate you. - I don't want to be motivated. That's why I enjoy doing it! 981110 -- I'll need a project plan to justify the resources we need to change our software. - I can make those software changes in ten seconds. Done. - Good work. Now all we need is that plan. 981111 -- I don't understand your technical recommendation, Alice. - I will rely on my keen insights about you as an engineer. - That too would require knowledge on your part. Shush! 981112 -- I AM YOUR KING! BOW BEFORE ME, PEASANT! - This was a test of the emergency monarch system. - If this were a real monarchy, you would already be wretched. 981113 -- You need to sign the non-employee certification form before I process your raise. - But this would be a lie. I'm not a non-employee. I'm only the messenger. - Where did it come from? The file cabinet. 981114 -- Why should I fill out this form? It would take an hour and it doesn't even apply to me. - I don't make the rules. I just apply them with a helpless and defeated attitude. - You're doing an excellent job. Seven more hours until quitting time. 981115 -- From now on, the organization chart will not be distributed. - And the internal phone lists will be shredded. crumple - This will prevent headhunters from easily picking us clean. - Why would headhunters call *us*? - They want to steal you away 981115 -- and double your pay at another company. - What makes you think we won't leave on our own anway? - Because working here drains all of your initiative. - Let's prove him wrong! Yeah! I'm *not* going to shred my phone list! 981116 -- You expect me to sign this? The legalese is totally incomprehensible. You will. - Do you expect me to give up legal rights just because it's too hard to figure out what any of it means? Yes. - And initial the "involuntary biological testing" 981116 -- box. Okay, okay! 981117 -- Our new line of business is testing experimental medical procedures on employees. - Today's test is called the unicorn antidepressant therapy. - According to the instructions, in a few minutes, I'll see something that will make me laugh. 981118 -- Lately, I've been growing a unicorn horn. - In some cultures, this would be a sign of great virility. - It's time to admit that I don't know what women want. 981119 -- Don't complain to me. You signed the form giving us permission to alter your DNA. - No one reads legal documents before signing them. It makes you look stupid. - You have a point. That is *so* not funny. 981120 -- At least I can count on my Mom to love me, despite my horn. - Yes, of course, albeit not as much as before. - How much less? Don't worry. My love of unicorns practically covers the gap. 981121 -- Looks like someone has a bad case of unicornitis. - I've got a pre-horn sample of your DNA in the truck. I could fix you up with my cell normalizer. - Why do you have my DNA in your truck? It's for exactly this sort of situation. 981122 -- Our goal in this year is zero disabling injuries. - Last year, our goal was twenty-six disabling injuries. - In retrospect, that was a mistake. - We had to injure nine employees to meet the goal. - If you have an injury, fill out these forms 981122 -- immediately. - These are resignation forms. - If you cover the word "resignation" with your thumb, it's an injury report. - This place makes me sick. We'll miss you. 981123 -- I'd love my job if not for my slow-witted co-workers. - - Am not. You're drinking my soda again! 981124 -- I'm feeling much healthier since I strapped all of these magnets to my body. - That's fascinating you show them to Wally. It would have a big impact on him. Okay. - YOU ERASED MY #%!!* HARD DRIVE!! 981125 -- I'm going to teach morons how to get high-level jobs. - Why? - I'm addicted to wagging. Carry on. - Now turn your ear clockwise to get your tongue back in. 981126 -- Job counseling We'll need to disguise the fact that you're a moron. - Ironically, the best way is to become an expert in something called "knowledge management." - We must develop knowledge optimization initiatives to leverage our key 981126 -- learnings. Smart. 981127 -- Then we need to PV the DCF and get the ROI to the EOC ASAP. - Are you our new CFO or a babbling idiot who just happened to wander by? - Which one pays more? The mystery deepens. 981128 -- Chief financial officer I need one-sentence descriptions of each of your projects. - You're planning to make critical budget decisions based on *that*? Yes. - Wow. Five pages without using a period. Thank god for semi-colons. 981129 -- Welcome to the mandatory Windows NT(TM) class. - Personally, I've only been using a computer for... How long? Anyone? - But a good trainer can teach any subject. - Okay, everyone stand up and stretch! - Or sit there and glare at me. - That's 981129 -- good too. - I forgot to reserve the room with the computers, so I'll use this box. - ...and let's say this eraser is the mouse. - I left when he told us to use our teeth as a keyboard. Ooh-yah. 981130 -- Alice, you're the first recipient of the motivational "Stone of Quality." - It cost a thousand dollars to have it engraved. It's my way of saying "thanks." - There's no weapon, but I found this cool motivational rock. 981201 -- The accident left him with no brain function whatsoever. - But that hasn't stopped him from talking. I'll drive him back to work. - If I double the length of our staff meetings, we'll accomplish twice as much! 981202 -- Microsoft Headquarters We misspelled a word in our spell-checking software. You know what to do. - Um...use our market power to make the new word an industry standard? And...? - Kill myself as an example to others? In our booth at "Comdex." 981203 -- What the...? I've been sabotaged! - No, I am not part of a global conspiracy to plant a misspelled word in your "spell checker." - GASP! THEY GOT TO WEBSTER TOO!!! 981204 -- If you want to get promoted, you need lots of "face time" with your V.P. - I recommend sending photos of yourself every week. - More photos...he must be a relative. I'll start the promotion paperwork. 981205 -- This report shows how much your raise would be if raises hadn't been canceled. - Wow! My imaginary life is doing great! - Now back to pretending to work. 981206 -- Wally, may I tap in to your vast wisdom? - Okay, but make sure you pull out before your head explodes. - I've noticed that many employees are evil, sadistic obstructionists. - Do all the nuts work *here* by some strange coincidence? - Or are 981206 -- most employees evil? Don't focus on the evil, Asok. - Focus on the few employees who seem good. - *They're* the ones who will stab you when you're sleeping! Trust no one but the lazy! - Ow! Ow! Ow! I warned you to pull out! 981207 -- From now on, Asok, you'll report to Alice instead of me. - You can never directly speak to me again. Everything must go through Alice. - Tell him I understand. Submit your request by E-mail. 981208 -- Alice, you never responded to my E-mail. - Maybe I could ask my question now. In person? Send me a voice mail. - Will you respond to voice mail? Sometimes the phone company loses them. 981209 -- No one returns my phone calls... No one reads the E-mail I send. - I find myself hanging around with other pathetic, defeated losers. - No offense. None taken. 981210 -- I created a complex financial model for our company. Let's see. - It's dangerous if you don't understand it. That's what they told Lindbergh... - But that didn't stop him from inventing the lightbulb. 981211 -- I did some financial modeling on my own. - But you don't know any of the assumptions that went into the original spreadsheet. - That didn't stop me from developing a strategy. Our pay is based on the tax rate now. 981212 -- Nothing is more dangerous than a boss with a spreadsheet. - If I increase the page number, our sales go up. I'm onto something. - On page 843 the sales would be higher, but I was exhausted. 981213 -- So... Justin, tell me why you want to work here. - I want to find a cure for Asthma! - We don't do medical research here. Oh - Then I want to build the biggest hydroelectric dam in the world! - We don't do that either. What do you do? - We sit 981213 -- in fabric-covered boxes. - Shrivel Crinkle Ack! - That was the sound of your idealism dying. Show me to my box. 981214 -- I discovered I'm much cuter when I put my ears up. - It seems impossible that I could be any cuter than I was. Maybe you aren't. - I could kill you and no jury would believe I did it. Okay, *that* was cute. 981215 -- I will now use my power of cute ears to abuse the banking industry. - I'd like to make alarge withdrawal from other peoples' accounts. - It was funny when I made her count it twice. 981216 -- I wionder if my ear-related cuteness will let me get away with crimes. - You passed an ambulance...on the right. - And your license is a blank piece of cardboard. I have to give you a verbal warning. I'll cry if you do. 981217 -- Hey, Alice, I brought my radio to work. You can hear it from your cubicle too. - Is there anything in particular that you want to hear? Yes, there is. - BAM BAM BAM HEY! 981218 -- I'm strongly opposed to your plan. You haven't read it. - Oh, right, but now I'm emotionally invested in my opinion. - THIS PLAN WILL NEVER WORK!! That's the meeting agenda. 981219 -- WE HATE YOUR PLAN!!! - Good, because the *real* plan is the opposite of what I just showed you. Real plan - Who wants a nice worm? 981220 -- We have a problem. - I ordered direction signs for our conference tomorrow. - But they all point to the right. I need left arrows. - Is it too late to change the site of the conference to match the arrows? - Well, that would put us in the 981220 -- middle of the lake. - I suppose we could use helicopters to build a deep-water platform hotel...by tomorrow. - Okay, but get two bids...What? - Spooky. 981221 -- I'm chatting with a supermodel who has trouble finding dates. - She says men are intimidated by her beauty and her computer skills. - Dang! The system administrator is making a move on her. TYPE FASTER! 981222 -- I set up a date with the supermodel I met on the Internet. - Supermodels don't look good in person. That's silly. - I don't know how to use a vase. Do you mind if I throw those in the trash? 981223 -- Dating a supermodel I hear the camera adds...um...eighty pounds? - Yes. And if you use black and white film, the camera adds makeup too. - Does the camera add hair? Why would it need to? 981224 -- I'll have the jumbo spaghetti meal with a loaf of garlic bread. - I'll absorb moisture from the air and sniff the mints on the way out. - Is it fun to be a supermodel? It was until now. 981225 -- I realize we're from different worlds, Bonita. - You're a famous supermodel and I'm just a sexy engineer... - But when I gaze into your...um...eye sockets... Good night. 981226 -- We must maintain a sense of urgency. Speed is the key, we must be faster than the competition. - Does that mean you'll sign the stuff that's been on your desk for a month? - Logical questions don't mix with motivational messages. 981227 -- Alice, we have a new corporate policy. - And I quote... - "initiate the description of the criteria for requirements... - "...by developing a framework for the application architecture... - "...consistent with the planning corridor specified in 981227 -- our strategic initiative." so tired - zzzz Did you get all that - Wally, come here for a minute. - Read this and tell mes if she's doing any of it right now. zzzzz 981228 -- Every work group has one sadistic nut who makes the job unbearable for everyone else. - That's why I hired Dennis. - He already seems indispensable. YOU'LL ALL DIE IN YOUR OWN VOMIT! 981229 -- The sadistic nut Are there any questions? - WHY DOES YOUR BODY LOTION SMELL LIKE THE ROTTING FLESH OF A THOUSAND DEAD CAMELS? - I assume he has valuable skills. No, you're thinking of a prima donna. 981230 -- The sadistic nut HEY, IT'S A LITTLE INTERN! Please spare me, Mister Nut. - I'M NOT CRUEL, I'M HONEST! No-o-o-o - Let me tell you why you'll never be married. No-o-o! You have to admit, it's fun to watch. 981231 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Wally, I'm sending you home. Shorts are not acceptable dress. - These are not shorts! - Tomorrow I'll accuse him of being a skinhead. purr purr 990101 -- For the tenth year in a row, the employee satisfaction survey says morale is low. - Manager's bonuses are linked to these results. You can be sure we'll make big changes... - ...to the survey. 990102 -- The company will no longer pay for newspaper subscriptions. - I pay for this myself. This news is highly relevant to my job. - Is there anything I can do to make it less enjoyable? Just keep jabbering. 990103 -- Catbert the director of human resources So, you want a job here, Tubby? It's "Toby." - Did you just correct me? Um... - I ALONE WILL DETERMINE YOUR NAME!! - Now, what is your name? Tubby. - Tubby, is it true that you're so dumb that you... - 990103 --- ...sent your resume to the human resources department? - Do you think that's what this department does? Let me show you what I do. - I think I just became an entrepreneur. 990104 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Your co-workers say that you're a sadistic nut. - GIMME FIVE, YOU BIG NUT! AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! - Hey, I'm having a party on saturday. Can you make it? Sure! I'll bring my spinach dip. 990105 -- Don't use the shredder today. - I rigged it to kill our new sadistic nut co-worker. Woa! Whoa! - Doesn't that void the warranty? I'll switch shredders with marketing tomorrow. 990106 -- From now on, we will celebrate our service reps who give exceptional customer service. - Question: Why would we celebrate employees who do extra work without getting extra pay? - It will make them happy. Can we celebrate the smart employees 990106 -- someday? 990107 -- We must be like eagles, not ducks. - For the eggs? - I didn't do the pre-reading. 990108 -- Alice, I need you to attend a meeting with me to handle the technical questions. - If they ask me a question, I'll move my lips while you do ventriloquism. - ...and that's why I suggest putting your IP router in a suppository configuration. 990109 -- Alice, your performance exceeded all expectations this year. - But I'm not giving you the top rating because I want you to have something to shoot for. - It's always good to have something to shoot for. Stay here while I get my harpoon. 990110 -- I'm writing a comprehensive "how to" book. - In chapter one, I teach people how to pick winning lottery numbers. - Chapter two: How to find free real estate in very niceneighborhoods. - Chapter three: How to lose weight by eating huge tubs of 990110 -- ice cream. - Chapter four: How to build strong ABS by joining a gym and never going. - Finally, how to see angels by giving yourself a near death experience. - That last one is just to get rid of all these witnesses. - ON the plus side, I don't 990110 -- feel so bad about not recycling. 990111 -- In this week's "Wally Report," I've decided to let my hair grow long in the back. - Eventually, I'll put it in a ponytail to show I have an artistic side. - What's your artistic side? I collect coffee mugs. 990112 -- Watch this, Asok. I start out looking like a middle-aged guy with bad hair... - But simply by putting my hair in a ponytail, I transform into... - the coolest guy in the office. Curse you for raising the bar for us all! 990113 -- Wally, we're venture capitalists. We want to invest in your Web-based business. - I don't own a Web-based business. I'm just an engineer with a cool ponytail. - That's good enough for us. We like to get in early. 990114 -- Venture capitalists gave me money to start a Web-based business. - Do they know you're lazy and dishonest? I didn't come up. - What'll you create...besides accounting irregularities? That's all I have the energy for. 990115 -- Venture capitalists Despite your cool ponytail, you seem to have squandered our investment. - You'll get no more funding unless you mutter empty Internet words that make us swoon! - E-Commerce. gurgle 990116 -- How's your Internet start-up company coming? Good. - My plan is to be the dominant Internet source for tuna sandwiches. - So, if I buy one, you ship it overnight? No. You have to come pick it up. 990117 -- Security Stop. - Show me your "equipment removal authorization form." - This requires the signature of *two* employees. - Good catch. You'd better sign it so it's legal. - This seems wrong...but I don't know why. - And I'll need to see your 990117 -- birth certificate. - I don't have one. Then how do you know you were born? - I have baby pictures, but they could have been doctored by my alleged Mom. 990118 -- I used company resources to build my own Internet company. - Apparently my low job satisfaction bred disloyalty, which drifted into outright theft. - Sabotage can't be far away. 990119 -- Wally, tell our viewers how your Internet start-up got so hot. - Beats me. I was wondering how *you* got so hot. I'm burning up over here! - It says here you were an engineer. Is my ponytail doing anything for you? 990120 -- I sold my Internet business and married Roxie. - Don't worry about my money. Roxie insisted that we sign prenuptial agreements. - Now for our honeymoon. - Whoa! That's not in our agreement. He didn't read it. 990121 -- I lost my fortune and my trophy wife today. But I learned a valuable session. - munch munch munch - I hope I wrote it down somewhere. 990122 -- Our profits were good until a manager... - ...used his credit card to make a 900 call from an airplane phone. - Hey, I'm allowed to call my wife when I'm traveling! 990123 -- Do you mind if I floss? - Yes. I would be thoroughly disgusted and hate you forever. - Well, I can't please everyone. 990124 -- You spilled red wine on your shirt. - You should dilute it with white wine. - You'll thank me for this later. - I think that helped. You need salt to absorb it. - Try my Margarita. - Salt didn't work. Let's try pepper spray. Perhaps lighter 990124 -- fluid... - No harm in trying. I have one more idea. - Just once, I'd like to go to a party and not be set on fire. There's a stain on your rag. 990125 -- ...and one box of those big binder clips... ring ring - TIMMY, UNTIE THE NEIGHBOURS AND DO YOUR HOMEWORK - Maybe I'll come back later. DO *NOT* LIGHT THAT GASOLINE! 990126 -- As usual, Carol is on the phone yelling at her kids. - I wait, like a cheetah, for a chance to ask her for the key to the supply cabinet. - Are you waiting like a cheetah? I'm more of a Panda. 990127 -- Bob, have you ever noticed that the people with the people with the most experience are the ones who die? No. - My plan is to spend the rest of my life in an old coffee can, experiencing nothing. Hence, immortality. - How was your first week of 990127 -- immortality? So far, it's overrated. 990128 -- I stayed awake for two days to finish this R.F.Q. by the deadline. - But it will all be for nothing if you don't send it out today. - I'll put it in the middle of this stack so I won't forget it. 990129 -- I'm taking your urgent document to the overnight drop box, with nine minutes to spare. - The box is only eight minutes away. I'll stop for coffee first. - Don't worry. If the truck is pulling away from the box, I'll wedge this in the back 990129 -- bumper. 990130 -- Alice, we lost our biggest customer because you missed the R.F.Q. deadline. - That's because *you* said all overnight mail must go through your evil and lazy secretary. - So you're probably going to apologize and give me a bonus for my effort. 990130 -- What's your second guess? 990131 -- Make your report consistent with our strategic plan. - What's our strategic plan? It's a secret. - Are you saying you don't trust me? - I don't think it's a coincidence that most employee sabotage is done by employees. - How can I do my report 990131 -- if I don't know the strategy? - Okay, okay. I'll let you glance at it. - TIME'S UP! THAT'S LONG ENOUGH! - That's the warranty for your chair. Really? I've been managing to this for years. 990201 -- Carol, I'd like to reserve the conference room. - HA HA HA HA! I laugh at your request without even explaining why. - Someday I will be so powerful that secretaries will *have* to eplain why they laugh at me. 990202 -- We didn't include engineers in the product planning sessions because...um...because... - Because we were art history majors in college. Pa-r-r-rty! - How soon can you build the cloak of invisibility? Let the man think, Clover. 990203 -- Bob, from now on, I will refer to myself in the third person. - Dogbert does this to emphasize his special brand of greatness. - Bob thinks that is a good idea. Hey! You're spoiling it! 990204 -- I need a job where my immense ego seems normal. - I've decided to be a doctor. I will determine who lives and who dies! - What? I can't die from an ulcer! Maybe not, but I enjoy the challenge. 990205 -- Doctor Dogbert I'm putting you on an extreme herbal therapy. - Come to my house once a week and eat my lawn down to one inch. - After six months, if your hair doesn't grow back, I have more herbs in my storm gutters. 990206 -- Doctor Dogbert I hurt my elbow, doctor. Let me see it. - - I recommend a carreer in marketing. And it's not a good idea to vote. 990207 -- I an Mordac, the preventer of information services! - I'll take your computer and your little P.D.A. too! - Do you recognize *this*? AAAGH! THAT'S MY NETWORK CABLE! - WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?! - Mordac, it is I, Catbert, the evil director of 990207 -- human resources! - YOU MADE MY PERSONAL PRINTER A SHARED DEVICE! - GRRRR!! AAAGH!! - Two wrongs make a right. Welcome to my reality. 990208 -- The "Meeting Moth" is attracted to all meetings. - Excuse me. I can't resist the urge to beat myself senseless on your table. - You have to envy his sense of purpose. 990209 -- #!** - #!** - A "meeting moth" should never go to a meeting on an empty stomach. 990210 -- My moth sense has detected a meeting. - Hi, guys! What are you talking about? Is this a meeting? I can't resist joining in. - RUN FOR IT! I'LL HOLD HIM OFF WITH THIS CEDAR-FLAVORED DONUT!!! 990211 -- Dogbert's tech support First, I need to ask you many questions. - Then I will transfer you to someone who will ask the same questions again. - We do this to remove any hope you might have had that we understand technology. 990212 -- Dogbert's tech support I'll need your serial number, which is conveniently located inside the unit. - The sticker says my warranty will be void if I open the case. - Well, call me if anything changes. 990213 -- Do yout think I have too much false humility? - Try going a week without using any false humility, so I can see the difference. - Wake up, you piece of fetid carp, and experience the joy of knowing Dogbert!! This could be a long week. 990214 -- Catbert: H.R. director The ceiling in my work area collapsed. - No one else has complained. - A steel beam hit me in the head! - How can I be sure it didn't happen in your home? - There aren't any steel beams in my house!! - Maybe you removed 990214 -- them with your head. - Uh-oh...losing consciousness. - If you can hear me, don't worry! I'll write your suicide note!! 990215 -- I'd like to spend the first hour defining what "Information Technology" means. - Ooh ooh! Can I help pass out the materials? - It's not a good idea to mix enthusiasm with stupidity, asok. Oh. Sorry. 990216 -- Catbert: H.R. director I value the input of all employees... - ...including the morons. Although in those cases, I cover my ears and sing loudly. - So I was thinking maybe... HE's A PINBALL WIZARD 990217 -- I didn't know how to design a power supply, so I put a nail in a piece of wood. - I'm on vacation tomorrow, so I'll give you my files in case you need to make changes. - Once I had the idea, it all came together pretty quickly. 990218 -- Anyone who takes more than thirty minutes for lunch is unprofessional. - That's still too long! I say you're unprofessional after *six* minutes! - That's a little *too* professional, Wally. - DEATH TO THOSE WHO EAT! 990219 -- Would you like to see my pierced bellybutton? Um... - AAAH! AAAH! OW! OW! OW! - I still have a chance of a kiss if I keep this to dry heaves. 990220 -- This one has been on my desk for a month. It's critical. - I'll stick it back in the pile and see if it helps. - Yes, I feel better already. 990221 -- It's time now for the weekly Wally report. - By tuesday the pointy-haired troll had dumped record levels of work on poor Wally. - Wally's happiness was in extreme jeopardy. - It was a moral dilemma too. - Would Wally disappoint the stockholders 990221 -- to save his own skin? - Or would he fight with his last ounce of happiness to complete all the assignments? - In the end there was only one choice. - You wrote the Wally report instead of working? STOP READING AHEAD! 990222 -- Dilbert, meet our new sacrificial lamb. - I filled our headcount vacancy so we have someone to dump after the next budget cut. - Should we shake hands? I don't want to get attached. 990223 -- Allen, I have to cut the salary budget. I probably shouldn't have hired you yesterday. - Luckily, I have extra money in the furniture budget. - As God is my witness, someday I will be a credenza. 990224 -- Catbert: H.R. director My boss treats me like furniture! - I'd help you, but it might set a dangerous precedent. - I need a new position. Have you tried couching? 990225 -- Our executives have started their annual strategic planning sessions - This involves sitting in a room with inadequate data until an illusion of knowledge is attained. - Then we'll reorganize, because that's all we know how to do! Have you 990225 -- tried it with a magazine? 990226 -- ...so Tina, you should have... I'm in trouble. Must use secret weapon. - WAAH!! WAAH!! EVERYONE HATES ME NO MATTER WHAT I DO!! - Thanks, that lowered the glass ceiling about a foot. I plan to marry a rich guy. 990227 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director "...new policy on reimbursement for travel..." - "do not tip more than ten percent for meals..." - "if the meal costs more than six dollars, bring back a fork." purrr 990228 -- Asok, I can't give raises to young employees. - Because as soon as you get a few dollars in your pocket... - you buy small motorcycles and disappear in the night. - I know that's generalization. - Some of you prefer the crack cocaine. - The 990228 -- good news is that I'm willing to be your mentor. - AAAGH! I GOT DOUBLE EIGHT HUNDREDS ON MY SAT!!! FOR WHAT?!! - Sometimes when I'm in a bad mood I tickle my own feet. 990301 -- ...and we know mass creates gravity because dense planets have more gravity. - How do we know which planets are more dense? They have more gravity. - That's circular reasoning. I prefer to think of it as having no loose ends. 990302 -- Prepare a presentation for our foreign visitors. On what topic? - It doesn't matter. I'm told they're from Austria and they only understand their own language. - Or was it Australia? 990303 -- They say people fear public speaking more than they fear death. - So technically, if you kill a guy who's scheduled to speak, you're doing him a favor. - When are you going to sleep? Never. 990304 -- I'd like to start with a cartoon. - It's about a guy who shows a cartoon before giving a boring presentation. - But it doesn't work because the cartoon has no punchline. 990305 -- This concludes my presentation. Are there any questions? - HOW DO I GET THE BOREDOM OUT OF MY HEAD?!! - The funny thing is that I'll list this on my annual accomplishments. AIR! I NEED AIR!!! 990306 -- I believe god created the earth because he hates people. - And I believe coffee tastes better if you stir it with your finger. - It sounds like a lonely religion. They all start that way. 990307 -- ...so our morale...umm... - What's that on your desk? It's a family picture. - I might be wrong, but I think it's only a picture of you. - The rest of the family is hard to look at. - I see no reason why I should suffer. - Now what was your 990307 -- question about morale? - Alice? - We're surrounded by freaks. 990308 -- Mwa fwa fwa ooh mah fuh. I can't understand a word you say. - And you're poorly dressed. You must be some sort of technology expoert. Or a rodeo clown. - There's a fifty percent chance I hired a data network engineer. I smell hay. 990309 -- WAH-WAH! WOO-WOO! - snort YEE-HA! - Just as I suspected, the new guy is a rodeo clown. He's fast. 990310 -- You must use the stars as your management guide. Does that work? - If you believe it works, then you're not bright enough to make your own decisions anyway. - So randomness is probably an improvement. Q.E.D. 990311 -- My astrologer told me to approve your project plan as is. - What? That's the correct decision. What's going on here? - My theory is that his ignorance clouded his poor judgement. 990312 -- My astrologer tells me that someone here is plotting to rip me off. - How much is your astrologer charging you? - Are you plotting to rip me off? I prefer to call it hourly billing. 990313 -- Yesterday you told me to do the exact opposite of what you told me today. - It's my way of holding you accountable. - I have a vague feeling that I am not being all that I can be. 990314 -- I'm from the Dogbert wrecking company. - I'm running a special on crushing your boss's new car in the parking lot. - What does it cost? - The first one is free. - If you're satisfied, I hope you'll consider my monthly plan. - It's the red one. 990314 -- He brags about it every day. - And when you spend that much, the dealer gives you a free model of your car! beep beep beep - And next month can you crush that little one on his desk too? 990315 -- Who are you? - I'm a scapegoat. BANG! - Oops. I was aiming for the messenger. It's his own fault for being here. 990316 -- I'm sorry you got shot, scapegoat. I'm used to it. - The worst was the day I blundered across the National Rifle Association's chili cook-off. - At first, everyone wanted to stand near me. Then the accusations started... 990317 -- I'm transferring you to the sales department, scapegoat. - Then we can make useless products and blame you for our low sales. - Wouldn't it be better to make good products? In a perfect world. 990318 -- And then I said, "How am I supposed to do all that?" Then I glared at her. - Do you have that woman's phone number? She sounds nicer than you. - I don't see why it's *my* fault she can't tell a decent story. 990319 -- Wally, did you finish the analysis for tomorrow? No. - I'm waiting until the last minute so you won't have time to ask for unnecessary changes. - I'm a step ahead of him - the analysis itself is unnecessary. 990320 -- I have to disagree with you, Alice. - Have you noticed that every time we disagree, I'm eventually proved correct? - EVERY SINGLE TIME!! Yes, but I'm always right initially. 990321 -- Alice, I'd like you to work with this big dumb guy. - He doesn't know he's dumb, so he'll tell people *you're* dumb if you ever disagree. - He's also lazy and a habitual liar. - THEN WHY DO YOU LET HIM WORK HERE?! - He has an excellent track 990321 -- record. No one knows why. - - Look what I just did. Excellent work. - Remember, Alice, you're never too old to learn. 990322 -- You're getting a visit from Hammerhead Bob! - I can't tell when I'm boring now and I don't even know it. - There's no way to end a conversation with me; I'll follow you to the bathroom. I'm nailed. 990323 -- You can't escape the relentless conversation of Hammerhead Bob. - Buwhaha! Your body language can't stop me! - WHERE'S YOUR PERSONAL SPACE NOW?! SOB EAR PLUGS, ASOK! EAR PLUGS! 990324 -- Wally, what's your project budget code? E473. - I'm switching you to E947, effective immediately. Why? - That's my new code for bald engineers. - It will grow back! 990325 -- My wife had ababy! - I hope it's not a moron. Have you looked into Foster Care? - Maybe we shouldn't have gone with our first instinct. We meant well. 990326 -- I wish we could wear Jeans at work. I'm wearing Jeans right now. - I wear my work pants over the Jeans so no one will know how comfortable I am. - Why does Wally's butt look so good today? I'm sworn to secrecy. 990327 -- I use art as a way of finding myself. - You're over there, Ratbert, in front of a bad painting! - And I did it without using any art. 990328 -- I'm trying a little experiment tonight. - I'll attribute a stupid opinion to you... - Then I'll aggresively mock you while you sit there saying nothing. - So, according to you, the Internet is a passing fad. - YOU MORON! LOOK AROUND YOU! THE 990328 -- INTERNET IS EVERYWHERE! - AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! NOTHING!! - How did that feel? Quite satisfying. - I needed a back-up plan in case you ever get laryngitis. 990329 -- ...I'm going infrared from the keyboard to my "Linux" box. Nice, Mom. - I just sent a flaming E-Mail to Bill Gates, saying, "Linux rules!" You what? - Launch the competitionkeeper missiles. 990330 -- Dogbert, Mom told Bill Gates she uses the "Linux" operating system! - I'm tracking four incoming missiles. I'll launch our anti-Microsoft weapons to intercept. - I wondered why a press conference was being held on a huge catapult. 990331 -- Dogbert's Tech Support You'll need to do a hard reboot. Listen carefully. - Rent a van and fill it with stolen Dynamite. Park it near the power company's main relay station. - Can we talk? ...now aim the Bazooka at the van. 990401 -- Wally, I've been calling you for two hours! Why don't you answer your phone? - Is that a trick question? - Wally, unless you're in a meeting... Hold on. I'd better get this. ring ring ring 990402 -- You're suggesting a process that will fail even if we do everything right. When can you start? - Listen carefully. No amount of skill or effort can make this plan work. no pain, no gain. - You're not working with many tools here, do you? We 990402 -- need some sort of conference call. 990403 -- I never told my last boyfriend what a despicable creep he was. - BUT YOU'LL PAY FOR HIS CRIMES, AND PAY DEARLY!!! - Why don't you call him and tell him how you feel? I have a date with him at ten o'clock tonight. 990404 -- Dilbert, this is Peggy the P.R. director. - I want you to review her press release for technical accuracy. - Who wrote this? A trained squirrel? - I don't know where to begin. - I'll cross out the run-on sentences and transparent lies first. - 990404 -- Then the failed attempts at cuteness...the spelling errors...grammar. - There you go. Remember, criticism makes you stronger. - It was a mistake to make her stronger. 990405 -- Our annual ISO9000 audit is next week. - We can pass the audit if we put all of our non-conforming documents in the trunks of our cars. - Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a voluntary audit? And then torch the cars. 990406 -- Asok, I've chosen you to put our budget forecast together. - It's a hard job, but you'll get the satisfaction of making everyone hate your tiny guts. - My guts are not tiny. 990407 -- The budget cycle And I'll need a helicopter, double rotor. - If you have any respect for me or the budget process, you will not ask for such obvious budget padding. - And I'll need that chopper filled with albino tiger cubs. 990408 -- Do you have the budget calculated yet, Asok? I need to double-check the numbers. - Give me a copy now. I'll mentally adjust for the possibility the numbers are wrong. - Am I making a hug emistake? This six is probably an upside-down nine. 990409 -- It's a funny thing about budgets... - No matter how hard you try, there's always a spreadsheet error that makes it all an exercise in futility. - Do you mind if I hum? 990410 -- I downsized the "ease of use" lab because there's no budget for a staff. - They *have* a budget. I put it on the back of these two-sided photocopies! - Well, they lived by the sword, and they died by the sword. 990411 -- There's Ted. He never sent me the information he promised. - Why have you ignored my request, Ted? - I was killed by a squadron of giant military squirrels. - He doesn't respect you enough to tell a plausible lie. - I DEMAND A *PLAUSIBLE* LIE! 990411 -- Okay, maybe I *wasn't* killed by giant military squirrels. - But I *was* imprisoned in their secret lair at the center of the earth. - You can't prove that one either way. He did say it was a "secret" lair. 990412 -- Introducing the new bonus plan. - Yes!!! I'm already working at peak performance, so that bonus is as good as mine! - Asok, Mr. Reality wanted to visit you, but his car won't start. I'm Phil. 990413 -- Asok, come to my secret lair and I will teach you about reality. - Your secret lair is a dumpster? Get in. - It's like my cubicle, but with much better lumbar support! French fry? 990414 -- Asok, life is like this dumpster. - On one hand, it stinks... - Both of my hands stink now. And you reincarnate. 990415 -- Phil, you have taught me so much about life. How can I repay you? - You can wax my huge spoon. - Why do you have a huge spoon? I'm just lucky, I guess. 990416 -- Hello. May I speak to the moron who designed my computer? - My computer locks up five times a day. I'm going to drive over to your house and kick your white, pimply... - Hi, Mom. Oh, I'll *find* it! 990417 -- We have a report that you threatened to kill a computer manufacturer. - It freezes up five times a day. I have to unplug it to turn it off. - Okay, we're with you. When's it going down? Is Tuesday good? 990418 -- Patty is our new "Process Manager." - Patty doesn't know how to *do* anything. - She only knows how to do things *better*! Process! - For example, this meeting is poorly managed because you have no process. - And this intern obviously had no 990418 -- process for deciding whether to attend. - Okay, Patty is annoying. All in favor of getting rid of her. - - You lasted longer than Timmy the "Facilitator." 990419 -- GOOD MORNING! - I said, good morning. - If I convince them they don't exist, I won't have to pay them. 990420 -- As requested, I did a "risk management" assessment. - I concluded there was no risk of any management. - Do you have anything to add? I'll get back to you. 990421 -- Dogbert Consults Eliminate phone support for your product. Provide help only via the Internet. - Then discourage people by making them answer an ominous list of personal questions. - 1. What is your home address? 2. When do you shower? 990422 -- I just realized that if my project is a success, my job will be eliminated. - The smartest thing I could do is fail miserably and blame it all on your indecisiveness. - I'm happy because I have a clear strategy! I haven't nodded in a while. 990423 -- Tell me what morale issues you have. I'll summarize them under the appropriate categories. - My managers are incompetent, arrogant, micromanaging miyogynists. - That's one under "Time of Month." 990424 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Alice, you blame others for your low morale. - BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS YOUT TIGHT PANTYHOSE! - I don't think so. Then how do you explain your oversized head? 990425 -- Dogbert presents Managing by Analogies It's easy! - We'll solve our distribution problem the eskimo way. Hu? - The eskimos gather ice all winter long. - Latr, during the lean summer months, the eskimos eat the ice they stored. - We'll do the 990425 -- same thing! - But...the eskimos would starve if they only ate ice. - Maybe they eat penguins too. They're delicious. - Did you know that the zoo can ban you for life if they catch you using a hibachi? 990426 -- I lost two pounds! I'm happy. Guess why. - Because you're supportive? Because there's less of you. - I was hoping for a scrap of encouragement. I'm all trapped out. Try back tomorrow. 990427 -- Do you have those budget numbers from last month? They're totally inaccurate. - I konw, but those are the only numbers we have. Actually, we have infinite inaccurate numbers to choose from. - Let's keep those in our back pocket in case we need 990427 -- them. I'll encrypt them so no one else can use them. 990428 -- Asok, I've been calling and calling, but you don't pick up your phone. - I'd like you to meet a little something I call the "fist of death." - It looks like he gnawed through the wall to escape. 990429 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director I'm starting an employee skills database. - Question: is this the first step in moving everyone to jobs they don't want? - No, no, no...the *first* step was when I laughed myself fuzzy thinking about it. 990430 -- There's been a rash of thefts from cubicles. - The suspect is described as fat and slow-witted, with poiny hair. - The bulletin stops short of actually naming her Alice. 990501 -- I used a hidden camera to capture the thief who's been raiding our cubicles. - - The picture is grainy but I can almost make out a human form...or maybe a cat... 990502 -- The project will take six months... Time line - Unless there are unforeseen problems. - Question. - Your leadership has made me unmotivated. - Is that considered foreseen or unforeseen? - And Wally is dysfunctional on many levels. I really am. - Was that 990502 -- foreseen? Or are you saying the schedule is random? - He looks mad. I didn't see that coming. 990503 -- The boss is away. - An unscrupulous employee could send E-Mail from his account. - The following employees have odd-looking nostrils. 990504 -- Continue with your presentation while I take this quick call. Ring Ring - Go ahead and ignore me, you vice presidential pile of stinkin' money... OKay, bye. - Crapital spending. Look how small my phone is. 990505 -- Asok, when I was your age I'd eat a huge breakfast, so I wouldn't have to stop working for lunch. - Then I'd eat a huge lunch, so I could work all night, or until dinner, whichever came first. - That's how I got to be the man I am today. Fat? 990506 -- This is our most reliable computer, unless you try< to use software. - It'll freeze several times a day. But you can restart it by poking a spoon into a hole in the back. - Has that ever worked? We think people are doing it wrong. 990507 -- Chest pains... My heart... - I INVENTED AN ANTIGRAVITY BELT, BUT IT'S HIDDEN!! - Do you think it's true? It's what engineers say to increase the odds of getting CPR. 990508 -- Tina, I want you to write the chinese version of our product's instructions. - Can you tell the difference between chinese words and random scribbles? - No. I'll be done in five minutes. 990509 -- I made a few upgrades to your design, Alice. - Do you realize you're not an engineer? - I'm better! I'm a well-rounded graduate of a liberal arts college. - The broad exposure to diverse topics made me what I am today. - A modern renaissance 990509 -- man. - You scribbled out my timing circuit and wrote in, "Moby Dick by Charles Dickens." - Exactly. I'll bet you didn't learn *that* in your engineering classes! - Poor engineers; their world is so small. 990510 -- We've reduced the volume of technical support calls... - by replacing our "on hold" music with the sound that balloons make when you rub them. - Do you ever feel like we're driving the getaway car? 990511 -- I've finished all of my objectives for the rest of the year. - What happens now? Do you double my salary, or do I take the rest of the year off? - You were wrong, Wally: there *is* harm in asking. Oops. 990512 -- I fear I am not meeting my personal goal of self-actualization. - I put all of our outdated binders in alphabetical order as you requested, yet I feel unfulfilled. - I assume that in phase two of this project I will find meaning. Now ship the 990512 -- binders to the dump. 990513 -- Wally, what is the quickest way to send these old binders to the dump? - I ususally use "Fedex." Charge it to marketing; they never look at their expense reports. - Here's one more thing I can never tell anyone about my job. 990514 -- We'll redesign our processes to enable enterprise integration of knowledge resources and tools. - Question: Is it okay if I do nothing? - No. Well excuse me for making a suggestion. 990515 -- This completes my portion of the project. - This project is so well-engineered it would take a squadron of idiots to ruin it. - Meanwhile in marketing And when I'm napping, it is *not* okay to use my ears as coasters. 990516 -- Blah blah blah I'll have to be proactive to escape this boring meeting. - I'll fake my own death and hope someone drags me into the hallway. - AACK!! MY COFFEE IS POISONED! - Maybe we should drag him into the hallway. No. - Let's wait for him 990516 -- to stiffen. Then he'll be easier to drag. - We should pose him before he stiffens. - Something obscene? Or spread eagle, so he won't fit into a casket. - It never pays to be the proactive one. 990517 -- Look at this great alphanumeric pager I bought. - Wow! It's the kind that clips to your ear instead of your belt. Is it? - You're going to hell Ow! Ow! 990518 -- Wally, are you sure this kind of pager is supposed to clip to my ear? - It hurts. Maybe you can call someone to double-check. Good idea. beep beep beep - Bzzz bzzz bzzz Is there anything else I can do for you? 990519 -- Aaagh! I'm having a recovered memory of ritual abuse! - You had your annual performance review this morning. - Do the memories ever fade? It takes about twelve monts. 990520 -- Well, we're almost back to my place. - Thanks for the date. I can make it from here. - I'd better attach the tracking device. I'll run down that alley and hide until he leaves. 990521 -- My date tried to run away, but I attached a tracking device to her coat. - Now I'll just compromise a spy satellite and a radio network. - ...so, if next weekend is good, nod once. 990522 -- Alice, I expect you to work all night to finish that project. It's vital! - Aagh!! I'm a victim of a random act of management! - I was sure the arm-pumping would make it seem less random. 990523 -- Can I ask a quick question? - I doubt it. - Oh, sure, it'll start as an innocent, work-related question. - Then you'll try to impress me with your knowledge of engineering... - ...in the pathetic hope that I value intelligence over physical 990523 -- appearance. WELL, I DON'T!!! I ONLY CARE ABOUT LOOKS! - Do you drive a red BMW? The lights are on. - And you still tried to ask her out? She's hard to read. 990524 -- I'll give you a million dollars if you go to work like that. - I'll call your bluff. I'm doing it. I'm going right now! Go ahead! - Tonight I expect a long debate over the exact definition of "Go to work like that." 990525 -- A bathrobe! This can only mean he found out how much market power an engineer has. - I'LL GIVE YOU a 30% RAISE IF YOU DON'T QUIT!! - Um..okay. Take me, you terry-cloth rebel. 990526 -- When I saw you wear a bathrobe to work, I knew you were a rebel. - From now on, when you come upon a group of us cool rebels, we won't suddenly stop talking. - But if *I'm* right, and yellow *is* a flavor, I get to hammer a nail into *your* 990526 -- skull. 990527 -- You must be the new office rebel we heard about. Nice bathrobe. - We're called rebels because we're easily manipulated into doing stupid things. Give it up for us! Whoo whoo! - I dare you to use branding irons on each other right now. Start the 990527 -- fire! 990528 -- You say you'd give me a million bucks if I went to work like this. Pay up. - I'll bet you double of nothing that you won't go to work totally naked. - Wait...what were his exact words. 990529 -- Carol, give everyone a copy of my reorg announcement. - They're already organized this way because I never distributed your last reorg announcement. - LET'S SEE YOUR "EMPLOYEE OF THE WEEK" DO *THAT*! 990530 -- Alice, make a few changes to this contract. - Changes? This contract was signed six months ago. It doesn't hurt to ask. - You want me to ask for a sixty percent discount? - No one said it would be easy. - You're asking me to be a clueless jerk 990530 -- in front of our primary vendor. - Please don't ask me to do this. - And ask if they'll change the part about "acts of god" to include poltergeists. - That's why our vendors never try to steal our best employees. 990531 -- But then I... Excuse me. - Does your story *ever* end? Or must I purchase your silence with my fist of death? - I might have to go to a two-warning system. 990601 -- Alice, it's okay to for men to be assertive, but when a woman acts that way... - Well, it's the "B" word. - Boxer? O-o-okay. 990602 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Alice, did you kill another co-worker? Yes. - But you did not discriminate, sexually harass, steal or take drugs. Hmm... employee manual - It looks like I have to give you an award for your cost-saving idea. Thank 990602 -- you. 990603 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Asok, you have taken too many training classes. Too many? - You're too skilled now. There's a risk you'll leave for a better job. - Does the "secret untraining method" work every time? I've never tried it before. 990604 -- Dogbert Consults Spray this Teflon(tm) on your body to better ignore the input of your subordinates. - SPLOIT! - Next time, shake well before using. Who cares what you say? 990605 -- That's my opinion. - That's my opinion. - Nice try, but I can wipe it off with a damp sponge!! 990606 -- E-Mail two copies to me when you're done. - Two copies? It's *E*-Mail. So? - Never mind. I'll e-mail two copies. - And fax a copy on green paper for my files. - Green? It's a *Fax*! - And bring me a hard copy of the Internet so I can do some 990606 -- serious surfing. - Motivation...gone...losing...consciousness... - How did I end up with all the lazy employees? 990607 -- I can't talk now, Wally. I'm rushing to meet my deadline. - Sounds like poor planning. Why must I suffer? - Do you mind if I stay here and think up new nicknames for coffee? Java-wava... Bean-brew... 990608 -- Will you *please* go hang around in someone else's cubicle? I need to finish my project. - Hey, I see Wally is helping on the project. Good teamwork, Wally! - I hope you do good work. I have a reputation to maintain. 990609 -- Dilbert, I'd like you to testify in the lawsuit against our company. - Tell the truth, but do it in your usual engineering way so that no one understands you. - Actually, I've decided to be a whistle-blower. Whatever. It'll all sound the same! 990610 -- The corporate lawyer Let's prepare for your court testimony. I'll pretend to be the other side. - LIAR! WHY IS YOUR ATTORNEY SO HANDSOME? WHAP? - They can hit me? I don't see why not. 990611 -- Can you explain the meaning of this internal E-Mail message? - It says we'll "use integration tools to leverage the utility of our enterprise-wide processes." - It appears to be something we call communication. PERJURY! 990612 -- Okay, whistle-blower, explain to the jury the alleged crimes of your employer. - ...then our applets were designed to corrupt cookie data from all competing portals. - Nice jury selection. So far you've made them hungry. 990613 -- So, that's my idea. What do you think? - Dilbert, you are so naive. - There are many things you don't understand. - That's because you never tell me anything! - LIKE NOW, FOR EXAMPLE! Dilbert, Dilbert, Dilbert... - Jeepers cripes! Just tell me 990613 -- what's wrong with my idea. - Lean over here so I can pat your head in a condescending way. - So you took the pat? I didn't want to leave empty-handed. 990614 -- Heh-hen...I'm using company resources to E-Mail my resume to a headhunter. - It's the perfect crime. - I've got mail! 990615 -- I just got this resume from a headhunter. - Evaluate her engineering skills and let me know if I should interview her. - Well, Alice, you're almost qualified to work here, but I'm concerned about your loyalty. 990616 -- I'll wear a clever disguise then interview for the engineering job here. - If he offers me more money than I make now, I'll take the job. Heh-heh. - You're suspiciously fashionable for an engineer. I store tools up there. 990617 -- I'm prepared to offer you $120,000 per year plus a parking space for your gigantic head. - Ha ha! It is I, Alice! I accept your offer for a higher-paying job! - Ha ha! It is I, Catbert! I'm not authorized to hire anyone! #!**ing cat! 990618 -- She's hiding her name tag so I won't get friendly with her. - I'll toss these fake babies in the air. When she catches them, I'll see her name and start flirting. - Dang! I knew I should have brought a third fake baby. 990619 -- These fake rubber babies will make me a chick magnet. bzzzzzzz - WHAP! Stupid fly. - It's tough love. 990620 -- Catbert: Evil director of human resources. I hired a new engineer for your project. - He's never been an engineer before. - But *you're* an engineer, so how hard could it be? - And he's cheap! I'll get a huge raise for being under budget. - AND 990620 -- YOUR PROJECT WILL FAIL! HA HA HA HA! - Uh-oh. I laughrd myself full of static electricity. Fuzzy. Cute. - ZAP! - He's dead. Now what? I guess you'll have to drag him to meetings. 990621 -- Now move the thing next to the other thing and label it "RAM Cache." - I'm your boss, so it stands to reason that I'm a better engineer than you. - I'm telling you I'm working on my timeline chart. No, I'm sure that's a cicuit design. 990622 -- Asok, I'm moving you to my "Quality Assurance" group. Gasp* - I realize tos is bad for you... and bad for the company... but it solves my headcount problem. - Will that be my contribution to the world: "He solved a headcount problem"? That tops 990622 -- me. 990623 -- They're transferring me to "Quality Assurance," Wally. - BUT I'LL BE BACK, NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES, OR HOW HARD! JUST STAY ALIVE!! - Wow. There must be a million web sites about Wiener Dogs. 990624 -- I'm exiled to the quality assurance department. My career is doomed. - I can't let my old department forget me. They're my only hope of returning to engineering. - It must be break time in the Q.A. department. I'll get the fire hose. 990625 -- Asok! Did you escape your job at quality assurance? - Yes. I had to take a job as a secretary's assistand. I'll work my way back up to intern. - It's four o'clock. Call my kids and yell at them. Cursing or not cursing? 990626 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director I will now use the science of face-reding to determine your potential. - I see your face riding proudly atop a mighty thoroughbred horse. - Jockey? Saddle. 990627 -- Someone should take care of that problem! - *You* could take care of it. - I can't do everything. - You don't do anything. Not a single thing. - It's my job to angrily identify problems. Wally... - That is *not* your job! What? - Everything is 990627 -- so ambiguous here! Someone should take care of that problem! - Is it just me, or is this meeting taking forever? 990628 -- Cube farming Weed. - Got it. - Sudenly there's more light...and I feel more nourished. 990629 -- Cube farming He outgrew his container. - I'll replant him in a big container with a door. - Why do tall guys always get picked? I'm sure there's a good reason. 990630 -- My cube farm has an excellent crop this year. - Here you go, fella. This will fatten you up. - If you ever need salt, just lick this pretzel stick. Mmm...ooh! 990701 -- My cube farm has an excellent yield this year. - I reckon I'll have to put this one down so he won't reproduce. - Sorry. No problem; I hear that a lot. 990702 -- Do you want to see a technical trick I taught myself? - If I shuffle my feet, I can make a tiny spark with my finger. - She's right; this thing does make an excellent doorstop. 990703 -- Dogbert's tech support If you upgrade your software, all of your data will be lost. - But if you don't upgrade, the old software will corrupt your data one bit at a time. - And if you try to back up your data, our software will hunt you down 990703 -- and bit-slap you until you delete it yourself. 990704 -- If you don't finish the project on time, I'll probably lose my job. - What would happen to us? - We would get a better boss. - We might get a better project too! - There could be weeks of confusion with no work at all! - YAY!! - It's all ours 990704 -- if we simply do less work! - Whoo! I've never felt my morale go up before. I'm dizzy. *!%*# 990705 -- It has come to my attention that some of you believe there are hidden cameras in the ceiling. - How did that come to your attention? - Hey, aren't you the one we call "Mister Itchy"? 990706 -- I DID IT! - It's a strategic technology plan that everyone supports. - If only there were a way to copy images from one piece of paper onto many. 990707 -- Your analysis disagrees with my intuition. - Your intuition also told you the Internet would be replaced by modems...whatever that means. - I'm misunderstood, just like...um...what's-his-face. Satan? 990708 -- Before I eat a sandwich, I always remove the useless edges of the bread. - That tells you what kind of manager I am. - You're the anti-crust? 990709 -- I'm here to perform an exorcism. - YOUR MOTHER IMPLEMENTS MULTI_VENDOR PROCESSES WITHOUT SYNERGY!! - Here's the problem. Someone gave you this oversized coffee mug. REORG!! 990710 -- Meet with our vendor and come up with a plan. I'll do the same with their executives. - Can you see any reason why *my* meeting might be a complete waste of time? - Sure, lots of them, but I'm planning to spring those on you during your 990710 -- performance review. 990711 -- I need your budget estimate today. - We won't have useful numbers until next week. - It doesn't work that way, Asok. No? - As soon as he asked the question, he went into "Boss Hibernation." - He can't see or hear anything until we say a number. 990711 -- Watch. - Three million dollars. Uhn! - Three million. Good work. - The first time I saw it, I panicked and ended up with a budget of $911. 990712 -- What's your new management book about? - It's a bunch of obvious advice packaged with quotes from famous dead people. - Did Ghandi really say "get that #!*% dessert cart off of my foot!"? He might have. 990713 -- Dogbert gets a loan. I plan to buy all the copies of a book I authored, thus making it a bestseller. - And I'd like to use your house as collateral. Unless it's a dump. - How are you planning to pay us back? Do you take books? 990714 -- Dogbert in Hollywood I'd like to turn your book into a movie. - We have to keep it real, so any normal person can relate to it. Do you know any normal people? - No, but I'm willing to watch movies to learn about them. 990715 -- Mister Dogbert, would you autograph my book? - Sure, kid. But I'll need to use your back as flat surface. - He's got parents. "Matthew" won't fit, so I'll call him "Allen." 990716 -- Did you know you can buy your own island nation? - They even sell a kit that helps you conquer and oppress the indigent people! - I'd like to buy Rhode Island...and one "evil tyrant" conquest kit. Would you like a flag with that? 990717 -- In tape one, I'll teach you how to conquer a small island for no money down. - First, you must teavel to the place you plan to conquer. - I'm designed to sitting. That's why my butt is covered with soft fur. I think that's happening to me too. 990718 -- The Feng Shui consultant This office is swarming with evil spirits. It is? - There's one in your vent! Ooh - he ducked back in before you saw him. - Put rubber bands around your pant legs to keep the spirits out of your trousers. - I figure the 990718 -- evil spirits will mount a rear assault through that window. - AAAGH! - WHAT DID YOU SEE?!! It's gone now. - Your only hope is to turn your secretary's cubicle into a koi pond. - Do you feel any luckier? **!*%* 990719 -- May I have a tissue? NO! - Why should the low-paid secretary provide free tissues to engineers? - Hey, free tissues! Gaaa! 990720 -- Reorganizing didn't work. We're going to try something new. - Synergistic realignment! - What did I tell you about doing "The Wave"? I got swept up in the emotion. 990721 -- Tina the tech writer My derogatory and condescending E-Mail will set things right. - Send! click - Every time I send E-Mail, I get a stomachache and an urge to flee the country. 990722 -- Why do you seek Mordac - the preventer of information services? - I regret sending an insulting E-Mail message to our CIO. I need to delete it from the server. - The server was in that closet, right? That's the CIO's office. 990723 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Tina, you are accused of shooting the CIO's credenza five times. - I'm writing "Tina was bad" on this cardboard. I order you to attach it to a special hat for two weeks. - How did it go? I got a suspended sentence. 990724 -- Our new software will gently warm your keyboard so the keys are easier to press. - We'll bundle it with our software that makes your laptop lighter. - In a word, we have become "market driven." Create a diversion. I'll run for help. 990725 -- Welcome... - ...to our annual employee meeting. - Our theme this year is "The Hindenburg." - ...which I'm told was a famous cigar-shaped balloon. - Let's all thank ALice for choosing the theme and planning the event. - Now please enjoy this 990725 -- film clip of the Hindenburg. - Aaagh! The humanity! - He's coming on you. Detonate the costume. One, two... 990726 -- You gave me a project that can't get funded because it's not in the strategic plan. - And you won't let me make waves by asking for a change to the strategic plan. - So I'll be in my cublicle creating "Powerpoint" slides and prayinf for a 990726 -- reorganization. 990727 -- Wally, your performance is slipping again. - This calls for my most severe disciplinary action. - HE MADE YOU WATCH HIM EAT? MONSTER! 990728 -- My name is Juan Delegator. I bring you an assignment. - This is *your* assignment. You're trying to get me to do your work. Teamwork! - Well, I guess I could do you a favor. And I wouldn't say no to a haircut. 990729 -- Juan Delegator ...and this one also requires your decision before I can work on it. - Do you have any more assignments for me that I can turn into work for you? No. - And have you learned your lesson? Yes: Give all work to Alice. 990730 -- Overtime is no longer mandatory. - It's required. - I manage and I manage, but nothing seems to make them happy. grrrr 990731 -- We need six weeks to make a good product design. You gave us three. - Thanks to your leadership, the product is bad, our stock will plunge, and our lives are totally meaningless. - Oh, and happy birthday. We all signed a card. 990801 -- The new policy from our CEO bans coffee from cubicles. - Because he says, "it causes a distraction" and can "mess up desks." - How did... Hold it, Dilbert. - It's Alice's turn. You get the next easy one. - Make us proud. Ahem, ahem. - How did 990801 -- he become a CEO... - ...if he's too stupid to drink coffee and work at the same time? clap clap - Our CEO also discussed unnecessary expenses. Lucky! Ahem. 990802 -- It took me three days to enter all of my appointments into this PDA. - I'll enter our next meeting. TUESDAY... TWO O'CLOCK. - Is it voice-controlled? I sure hope so. 990803 -- Finally! I've been in the tech support queue for an hour! - Loser. - Can I speak to your superior? There's some religious debate on that question. 990804 -- Dogbert's tech support Hello, I... Shut up and reboot. - Hey, it work... Shut up and hang up. - My average call time is improving. 990805 -- Computers aren't for everyone. I love my trusty manual typewriter. - Oops. - I hope I can correct that before all my friends evolve into birds. 990806 -- I feel sick every morning. - All day long, I feel like either crying or punching people. - You've got a bad case of mahjobis crappus. 990807 -- You're a tough negotiator, but I think we have a deal. - Just sign the contract and we'll deliver the equipment. - This contract is totally different from what we agreed. - Must act surprised. Really? - Why are you springing all these 990808 -- conditions on me at the last minute? - No one has ever complained before. - May I borrow your briefcase for a minute? Um...okay. - That wasn't nice. NO one has complained before. 990809 -- Your requirements document is the biggest I've ever seen. - It's to big to read, but I can guess from its weight what must be in there. - You know it's a multi-user, global system, right? No, I'm not getting that. 990810 -- One of us will have to read this gigantic product requirements document. - Unless it gets destroyed in a freak accident. - It's like watching Thomas Edison work. I have some oily rags in my cube. 990811 -- The huge product requirements document was destroyed in a freak accident. - I'll ask marketing to send you a new copy. - I told you we can't stop the one-bee-at-a-time. We have to go for the queeen. 990812 -- I'm going to capture the queen bee of marketing. - No matter what she says, don't be seduced by her marketing buzz. - A man with a rope is here to see you. I wasn't loyal enough to stop him. 990813 -- Queen Be of Marketing See if you can create a buzz over this. Yes, my queen. - Is that a free rope? Give it to me, you wothless engineer! - Look, everyone! There's enough to go around my neck and over that beam! 990814 -- It seems a bit dark in my office today. - I think you employees are hogging all the electricity. - You just double-clicked! I heard it! 990815 -- The pointy-haired boss wants to see you. - He tried to reach you by phone, E-Mail and pager. - But you resisted his electronic attempts to ruin your productivity. - So he decided to send in the ground troops. - DON'T MAKE ME USE THIS! - Could 990815 -- you wait outside while I return some phone calls? - Get to the back of the line. - Does anyone want to have a conversation? I have a magazine. 990816 -- Hammerhead Bob Are you going to lunch? I'll join you! - ...and that's why it's called a "clean room." But how clean is it really? - I'll speak louder in case the other tables want in on this. 990817 -- My spring-loaded butt will help me join neary conversations faster. - So then I... SPROING - Did you know I'm an authority on whatever you're discussing? 990818 -- Your invention will earn the billio dollars for this company. - By the way, you're not allowed to have decorations above the walls of your cubicle. - We both did something important today. Give me five. 990819 -- Asok, you've been chosen to head our customer appreciation celebration. - The theme is "Thank goodness there are so many idiots." - When do you plan to tell him it's a joke? Let's see how the posters turn out. 990820 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director So you think you're leaving for a better job? Yes. - Your agreement with us bans you from working in this industry if you quit. Ha! - Holy cripes! It *does* say you can dance on my head. Hold still. 990821 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director In order to eliminate all traces of individuality... - All computer wallpaper must be the same. What next? - In theory, with enough helium, the employees would all sound alike. 990822 -- There's no reason to be stressed, Alice. - Allow me to be your role model. - I remain calm despite the pressure of impossible deadlines. - That's because you have no pride and no ambition! - I've worked day and night to make this deadline! - 990822 -- And when I succeed, the glory will be mine! - Our new VP just canceled the project so the last VP would look bad. - They say that when the student is ready, the master will appear. 990823 -- Dilbert, I'm putting you on a team. - You'll be working with other intelligent, highly motivated people plus... - a stubborn dumb guy with a V-neck sweater. 990824 -- You've all been chosen for this team because of your talent and professionalism. - Except for Dan, who is a big stubborn guy who will prevent our success. - Shall we commence failing? I can't do work without a vision statement. 990825 -- Big Stubborn Dumb Guy We should remove the contract employees from our E-Mail bulletin list. - Um..they need that information to do their jobs, and there's no incremental cost. - This is when you agree with me and we move on with our lives. I 990825 -- will fight you to the end of the earth! 990826 -- I'd like you to meet the little stubborn dumb guy. - If for any reason I cannot fulfill my duty to thwart your project, the L.S.D.G. will take over for me. No, I won't - YES YOU WILL!! 990827 -- We can save money by cutting used paper into little squares to use as note pads. I made these in less than one hour. - Not counting the time it took me to print the blank pages. 990828 -- Then if you... ...analyze the data... - It's a hostile takeover of my presentation! ...you'll see a pattern... - And you let him do it? He had a laser pointer the size of your head. 990829 -- Remove that last bullet point. It's stupid. Gasp. - Yesterday you told me to add that bullet point. - So either you were wrong today or you were wrong yesterday. - Everyone come quickly! He has to admit he's wrong! 990829 -- - - Say it. - Alice heard me wrong yesterday. - It takes a big man to admit Alice is wrong. CAN YOU HER AU, ALICE? 990830 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director We like to promote from within the company, Asok. - But what we like even more is yanking your chain and then hiring from the outside! - Explain why you work here if you're so smart. I'm timid. 990831 -- In order to save money, I made a checklist of your most common mental errors. - It'll be a hot day in hell before you need that, my friend. - I need to add a new category. 990901 -- I'm off to a meeting about your project. Is there anything I should know? - Yes. You should know how dumd it is to have a meeting about my project without inviting me. - Everey time I leran something it makes me unhappy. 990902 -- Every employee gets a lovely mug with our new motto, "I made a difference." - Question: May I have the cash equivalent of the mug instead? - No. May I have a mug that says, "I didn't make a difference"? 990903 -- Mordac denies your request to add memory to your laptop! - But you would replace it if it were damaged, right? That is my policy. - Maybe I should rethink that policy. 990904 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director "To reduce airline travel expenses..." - "sprint across the runway and cling to the plane during takeoff." - That'll weed out the dumb ones. 990905 -- Good idea, Dilbert. I made a few changes and sent out. - GAAA! - You removed the parts that made it a visionary idea! - Now it's just an unimaginative retreat of an idea that has been widely discredited. - GAAA! AND IT HAS MY NAME ON IT! - That 990905 -- idea was the energizing force that gave me strength to work. - NOW IT'S DEAD! YOU KILLED IT! - I'd love to chat but I have to manage someone else now. gurgle 990906 -- Move out our budget system onto the under-utilized mainframe. - It's under-utilized because it's obsolete. - Reality versus management; who shall be the victor? 990907 -- Cost Everything went wrong in exactly the way I told you it would. - In the next phase you will experience something I call "reverse amnesia for managers." - Wait a minute; *I'm* the one who told *you* that the project wouldn't succeed. 990908 -- If your numbers are correct, my strategic plan is irrational. - SPOINK Cognitive dissonance takes over - You sure are bad with numbers. What was that noise? 990909 -- I found some numbers that support your strategic plan. - I had to take the square root of a negative number to do it. - The timeline is on the mobius strip. Good work. 990910 -- A prospective client will be touring our marketing department in an hour. - We need you to sit in a vacant cubicle so it looks as if work is done there. - Hey! That one is only *pretending* to work! 990911 -- Carol, come here! All of my words have squiggles under them! - The software is telling you that every sentence you wrote has bad grammar. - Press F1 for help and...it's a third grade enrollment form. 990912 -- I'm relocating to a better cubicle. - Tonight a team of movers will take my boxed possesions to an undisclosed loaction. - They're also going to laminate my company I.D. - I'm supposed to leave it with the guard on the way out. - And I got paid 990912 -- two days early! - It's all because management appreciated the constructive criticism I posted on the message board. - As I hoped, my condescending tone helped then to see their folly. - Do you mind if I rifle through your boxes and take office 990912 -- supplies? 990913 -- This is the bare minimum budget I need for my project. - What could you do with half this amount? Fail. - When can you start? I think I just did. 990914 -- I'm working on a project that is too under-funded to succeed. - Every day is a slow but unevitable slide toward failure and humilitation. - At least I'll always have my mom's unconditional love. Are you going to hold me to that? 990915 -- I see some water damage on your ceiling, Mom. - That's usually the first sign that the roof will collapse. What should I do? - Well, if you hear any strange sounds, you might want to leap to a window. 990916 -- Your wall is warm, Mom. Is that bad? - There's no way to be sure unless you remove the sheetrock and look. - Please stop finding defects in my house. I smell propane. 990917 -- Thanks for dropping in. Too bad you have to leave so soon. - Your sidewalk is cracking. You need to build a drainage trench, with sump pumps. - When I told her she was living in a powder ked she made a weird yelping sound. 990918 -- As you recommended, I canceled the software upgrade project. - Tht's the exact opposite of what I recommended. You only hear what you want to hear. - Yes, I do look thinner. It must be because of the sit-up I did yesterday. 990919 -- The boss asked me to give his presentation. - I'll start with his irrelevant comparisons. - Our budget is lower than last year... - ...when we had completely different projects. - Our average product development time is less... - ...than the 990919 -- average for companies who make different products. - Let's move on to his list of blindingly obvious insights. - If it's okay with you, I won't read them aloud. Computers are getting faster! 990920 -- Asok, the boss wants to see you in his office. - He must want to thank me for all of my hard work. Am I right? - I'm supposed to measure your torso. Is he knitting me a sweater? 990921 -- I have been summoned to the boss's office. - He probably wants to give me some sort of award for my good work as an intern. - Why do you need to know where that air duct ends? It's been bugging me. 990922 -- I have never been summoned to your office before. It is a great honor for an intern. - I need you to crawl through this air duct and find out where air comes from. - Air comes from outdoors. No, I think it's coming from our building. 990923 -- Hello, Mother. I called to tell you I get your joke. - You don't know what I'm talking about? Ha ha! You're really playing this one all the way. - It turns out that this is my actual life. It's the good part. 990924 -- The wavy pattern on the carpet is making me dizzy. - I'd better go home and sleep it off. - I'll be back tomorrow unless all the sleep makes me groggy. 990925 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director Wally, you've taken sick days for unusual reasons. - For example, one day you got sick because you "...accidentally imagined what it would be like if you were a fly." - And today it's your hair? I lathered and rinsed 990925 -- but I don't remember repeating. 990926 -- Dogbert the Consultant This is my final report. - I'm recommending big, big changes... - Because I know you're too cowardly to implement them. - So...it will be our fault if nothing improves. Exactly. - AAAGH!!! We can't do all of this! - 990926 -- Couldn't we just change the names of all our departments? - THOSE IMBECILES! HOW DARE THEY IGNORE MY ADVICE! - You're supposed to say that behind our backs later. I'm in a hurry. 990927 -- Our safety department has tested our drinking water and found no problem. - Then why do you only drink bottled water? - Because that's what the security department drinks. 990928 -- I'm going for a fifty-mile run. Would you like to join me? No. - I signed up for two triathlons this weekend. Do you want the entry forms? No. - Next week a few of us will be leaping into geosynchronous orbit... GAA! 990929 -- All new laptop computers will be Osbornes. - They come with something called a floppy drive. - Something tells me we're not operating on "Internet Time." 990930 -- I like your Internet business idea. Let's do it. - I sent you that idea a year ago. Since then, five companies have gone IPO in that space. - Can we buy one of them? If by "one" you mean one share of stock, yes. 991001 -- Here's what I don't understand... - You just asked me to follow a procedd that has failed thirty times in a row and you know it. - At what point can this no longer be called "optimism"? When it succeeds? 991002 -- So, what do you do for a living? - I slavishly obey the insane commands of a pointy-haired baboon. - The sad thing is that you're the best catch at the party. I work in a big box. 991003 -- I am Mordac, the preventer of information services!! - You have exceeded your allocation of disk space on the server! - I sentence you to one week without E-Mail. - No problem. - No problem? How can an engineer survive without E-Mail? - UP 991003 -- AGAINST THE WALL!! - WHERE IS IT? - He found the modem taped to my ankle but he missed my wireless pen modem. 991004 -- Wally, technology is a young man's game. - That's why I'm replacing you with this low-paid embryo. - Teach him to do what you do. He's already doing it. 991005 -- I hear you're being replaced by a low-paid embryo. May I see it? - He is so-oo cute! I'm teaching him to drink coffee. - Is that healthy? It must be. I drink six quarts a day, and look at me. 991006 -- How's the new guy doing? Not bad for an embryo in a jar. - I hate the fact that he only got fertilized a week ago and ge gets paid more than I do. - In all fairness, he does obstruct progress less than you do. Everyone sides with the cute one. 991007 -- I'd better ruin then career of this upstart embryo before he replaces me. - I need volunteers to give constructive criticism to human resources. - O don't like your attitude. 991008 -- As a leader, I must listen to my customers. - What are you hearing from our customers? Not a peep. - Our customers are defective. 991009 -- A good leader listens to his employees... - No matter how much he is laughing on the inside. - Maybe this isn't a good time. 991010 -- It's "positive attitude week," Alice. - If you see a co-worker with a positive attitude... - ...give him the positive attitude paperweight. - There's one! - - It worked. He's back to normal. #*!!** - HA HA HA!! Uh-oh. **!!** - ONE MORE! QUICK!! 991011 -- Your project is twenty percent over budget and two months late. - That's because you bungled the allocation of resources. - Bosses hate the word "bungled." 991012 -- Wally, you're invited to my new "After-5 Club." - A select group of employees will meet after work to think of creative ideas. - Is there a club for people who know how to think during business hours? 991013 -- Tina the tech writer I grew tired of writing the same old stories for the newsletter. - So I started inventing stories of bizzare workplace crimes. - Sometimes we in the media have to give the copycat criminals a little kick-start. 991014 -- Our company newsletter has reports of bizarre workplace crimes. - I've never thought of these crimes before, but now I have the urge to be a copycat. - Thank goodness my parents raised me to be lazy. They were very wise. 991015 -- Your compensation is related to the number of people you manage. - Likewise, my career as director of human resources depends on the quantity of employees. - It's as if there were a conspiracy to hire hordes of incompetent employees. 991016 -- If I eliminate the training budget, I can afford to hire two more people. - Then I'll have enough direct reports to get a vice president title. - Shouldn't we have a strategy? I have one. Thanks for asking. 991017 -- My boss is so dumb, he brought a tape measure to a distance learning class. - HA HA HA HA HA! - My boss is so dumb... - He puts postage stamps on his E-Mail. Now he can't see his PC screen. - HA HA HA HA HA! - How about you, Dilbert? Do you 991017 -- have any dumb boss jokes? - Dilbert, my PC is warm. I think our fire wall is acting up. - We're sorry. We didn't know. 991018 -- Write on a scrap of paper the names of employees who do great work and put them in the hat in my office. - And then do you select one name to receive valuable rewards? - No, the scraps of paper make my hat more comfortable. 991019 -- Every department was asked how it could reduce its budget ten percent. - Your project is vital to the future of the company, so I cleverly offered to eliminate it, knowing they couldn't accept. - Now this is the funny part... 991020 -- Photography is my new hobby. - Click - Do you want a picture of me? No, I like to look at them later. 991021 -- My long-term plan is to drift into a job where I have no impact on anything. - - He was to uninspired to finish swallowing. 991022 -- I decided to try motivating you. - ...if you do a great job, you get to go on a golfing day with co-workers. - Question: Can I take a pay cut instead. zzzz 991023 -- Lately, I've been feeling a lot of pressure to do work. Wally, do you realize this is your job? - There - that's exactly what I'm talking about. 991024 -- Dogbert's ad agency. According to my research... - ...people don't use your products when they are outdoors. - Somehow we must keep people indoors. - I recommend an intensive ad campaign... - Featuring this slogan... Outdoors is for loosers - 991024 -- The TV spot will show hummingbirds attacking a man in his garden. - Question: Wouldn't that destroy the happiness of gullible people? - We'll them it doesn't. 991025 -- We'll be destroying another healthy company via a process we call merging. - NO engineers will be downsized after the merger. - And tech writers... Yes?! Should write that down. 991026 -- Tina the tech writer Why must the tech writers be downsized after the merger? - If you prick us, do we not bleed like engineers? - What kind of experiment? 991027 -- Alice, I need a carreer that has job security. - Teach me to be an engineer. I don't care if it takes all day. - But don't tell anyone; they'll all try to get in on this scam. 991028 -- It takes years of training to be an engineer. - But you don't need any training whatsoever to be an engineer's boss. - It's unskilled labor without the labor. I could do that. 991029 -- I'd like to enroll in Dogbert's accelerated management course. - Take out your checkbook and begin your final exam now. - Question one: what is today's date? 991030 -- I can't give you a raise because you came to work on one of your vacation days. - Employees are not allowed to change vacation days without permission. -On an unrelated note, try to be more empowered. 991031 -- Here are the strategies from our seven silo teams. . your job is to merge them into a coherent company plan. - These are all mutually exclusive. - I'd have to totally change them to make them coherent. - In effect, I would be deciding the 991031 -- strategy for the entire company. - That's okay. Is it? - No one ever reads it anyway. - I feel sorry for those losers on the silo teams. 991101 -- Your project is to build a call center to handle customer questions. - Keep the costs down by making the workin conditions inhumane. - My conscience won't allow me to harm innocent employees. We won't be paying enough to hire any innocent 991101 -- employees. 991102 -- I've been ordered to build a company call center with inhumane working conditions for the employees. - But I don't feel guily because I'm only acting under orders. And maybe they did something to deserve it. - I might need your help to demonize 991102 -- them. I'm all over it. 991103 -- Designing a call center Give the employees six minutes of bathroom breaks per shift. - Tiny cubicles...and we'll monito calls and have incompatible objectives, such as speed and customer service. - How's the project going? I'm still collecting 991103 -- the abuser requirements. 991104 -- Designing a call center If the employees get this volume of calls per day they will wish they were dead. - But they won't be dead, just too beaten-down to look for better jobs. - I don't know how to make it any more inhumane. We can punish them 991104 -- for not being cheerful. 991105 -- So Mister Ratbert, why should I hire you to work in my call center? - I thrive on the challenge of inhumane working conditions. - Watch me go without a restroom break for four hours! You're hired. 991106 -- Call center Here's where you'll be working, Ratbert. - This must be where people leave their shoes. - Is it okay if I hang things on my wall? 991107 -- I'm the newly designated fire warden for this floor. - You might expect me to be bitter about this assignment. - Granted, It tells the world I wasn't productive at my regular job. - And if the building burns, I'm expected to be the last one 991107 -- out. - But my only concern is your safety. - In the event of a fire, don't be too proud to panic. - If the windows won't open, try flushing yourself to safety. - And never, *ever* get between me and the exit door. Wally... 991108 -- The attendance award goes toJudy for missing the most days. - I think we all agree that morale is higher when Judy isn't there. clap clap clap - We took turns coughing on the certificate. 991109 -- ...and since our bonuses depend on things we can't control... - ...can mine be based on the performance of some other company? - You ask one question and suddenly you're not a team player. 991110 -- I'll reduce turnover by showing I care about you. - Tell me about your kids, Asok. - I don't have any. - Let's say you do for the sake of this exercise. 991111 -- Alice, I care about you... - Bunt only enough to improve your morale, not enough to be illegal in any way. - So, tell me about your healzh in the least specific way possible. 991112 -- Do you mind if I pretend to like you? I hear it increases productivity. - - I need to go back to my cubicle now. It's working! 991113 -- I'll come around the desk so it appears that I consider you an equal. - - So, what's on your little mind? 991114 -- Sale - Do you have any questions? - What's your best running shoe? - They're all the same. Sneakers are sneakers. - Alan, may I have a word with you? - - The expensive sneakers are far superior. I'll take them. - I feel like I'm clubbing a baby 991114 -- seal. - Will these work with my old socks? 991115 -- Alice, your name was accidentally omitted from the reorganization paperwork. - You're in a place known only as org-limbo. - Stop making it sound scary! Where did Alice go? 991116 -- Forgotten in the reorganization plan, I exist in org-limbo. - The normal people can't see me or hear me. - Sometimes the unassigned have unfinished business. I can see them. 991117 -- I can contact employees who are in org-limbo. - Hello-o-o! Why doesn't anyone return my calls? - COME TOWARD THE REVISED ORG CHART, ALICE! It's so beautiful! 991118 -- The company will not buy PDA's for employees. - Question: will you still pay for business trips of no discernable value? Of course. - A lot of people are traveling to Palm Pilot California lately. 991119 -- rrring - I've been watching you through your Web Cam and I don't think you're working hard enough. - Well, it wasn't *much* of a fire wall. I'm using your mail server to spam my Mahjongg club. 991120 -- A hacker broke into our system and found our corporate strategy. - Did he post it on the Internet? I'd like to read it. - I'm also curious about my objectives for this year. Do you have the guy's E-Mail address? 991121 -- Young Dilbert Mom, can I go skateboarding at the construction site? No. - Why not? Everyone else does it. - If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do that? - Well, that would depend on many factors, including height, training and equipment. 991121 -- - But if 100% of the people who jumped off cliffs said they enjoyed it, as in my skateboard example... - ...then I would conclude that it was safe. - A better question might have been, "if everyone wore clothes, would you do that?" - Her 991121 -- credibility gets worse every day. 991122 -- This is our new CEO. He has a reputation as a turnaround expert. - It is a pleasure to meet you. Do you favor TQM or more of a business process approach? - I'm partial to the value-based management method. I'm not familiar with that one. 991123 -- Everyone says you're a grat turnaround CEO. - What does it take to turn around a company like this one? - I guess it's better not to be noticed the first month. 991124 -- The turnaround CEO ...from a value-based management perspective it's clear... - ...that the training department's return exceeds the cost of capital... So please don't kill me. - Okay, you're next...and begging doesn't work. 991125 -- The turnaround CEO If you let me keep my job, I'll do the work of ten people. - Specifically, it would be the ten people in our strategic planning group. - They don't do much. I'd like you to be my traitorous mole. 991126 -- The turnaround CEO Tell me, mole. Who can I fire without affecting revenue? - In theory, you could outsource everything and run the company with one smaprt employee. - And at the risk of sounding rude, only one of us knew that. 991127 -- The turnaround CEO The turnaorund is complete. I'm off to my new job. - It's a meat packing house that needs to reduce overhead. - I figure I can switch a few room signs and finish in an afternoon. 991128 -- Catbert: evil director of human resources I love my job. - Hello, hapless employee - I've renamed the four levels of employee performance... - ...to accurately reflect the views of management. - The category of "exceeds expectations" is renamed 991128 -- to... - ..."at least he or she doesn't drool on himself or herself. - "meets expectations" will be called "loser". "does not meet expectations" will now be called "die! die! die!" - I could send it out by E-Mail but I enjoy seeing the looks on 991128 -- their faces. 991129 -- In addition to ISO9000, we will strive to be QS-9000 compliant. - That means falsifying the following documents: QSR, APQP, FMEA, MSA, SPC, PPAP and QSA. - Remember, you can't spell compliance without "liance". 991130 -- I brought my kids to work because day care is closed. - Tess is a yeller and Smokey is a biter. - Why is day care closed? The towns-people torched it. 991201 -- I thought you were telecommuting today. I'm sick. - So I came into the office to get some rest and be pampered. - Fortunately, my pajamas look exactly like work clothes. 991202 -- I can't send you to this class, Alice. We need you here. - And after we use you up, we'll need you to be someplace else. - What will I do when my skills are obsolete? Try walking around with a coffee cup. 991203 -- The Web site needs to be more webbish. - But not too webbish. - How long will that take? 991204 -- I found a book about astral projection. - I'm gonna try this during our meeting. - Does anyone want to switch chairs? 991205 -- Congratulations to my secretary Carol for getting her MBA. - At this company we believe hard work should be rewarded. - The next time you fetch my coffee, get some coffee for yourself too! - You should be promoting me, you pompous baboon! - How 991205 -- can I explain this in the most sensitive way? - The secretarial stigma will cover you like a mountain of wet carpets until the day you die. - I'm glad we had this talk. I think it helped. - The next time you ask for coffee, we'd like to watch. 991206 -- I speak english but I think in french. - Someday I'll take french lessons to find out what the heck I'm thinking. - Croissant. 991207 -- You're all idiots. I quit! - There...I found a higher paying job two miles away. Adios, suckers. - I'm the new web designer. I hear you're idiots. Where's the Ethernet jack ? 991208 -- Webmistress Ming Our web site needs some dancing skeletons. - Normally I suggest dinosaur pictures but they're too big for our disk drives. - Are you getting this down, Ming? How do yu spell "#%**!"? 991209 -- I linked our web site to various sponsors who pay us for eyeballs. - Those sponsors link to other web sites who link to us. - The net-net at the end of the day is we owe ourselves a billion dollars. Eyeballs? 991210 -- Webmistress Ming You have a broken link. I know, I know. - You have a broken link. I know, I know. - The men are getting perverse pleasure from reporting my broken links. - Your graphics are slow, too. 991211 -- Webmistress Ming Ming, I think the Internet might catch on. - I rushed over her so I could be the first to say it's a new paradigm. - Did anyone beat me? I wish someone would. 991212 -- dilbert, come meet the two new employees. - This is Sophie, one of the best engineers in the business. - The other one is her incompetent husband. - We had to hire him so Sophie would agree to relocate. - Are you saying I didn't get hired for 991212 -- my talent? - You don't have any talent, honey. Oh, that's right. - Dilbert, your job is to do his job in addition to your own. - Do you want to see my collection of squirrel heads? 991213 -- I rescheduled the pre-meeting. - Now the pre-meeting is after the meeting. - I'll schedule some time for me to pre-care. 991214 -- Being a manager means never having to be less condescending just because you're wrong. HA HA HA HA HA - Did he finish my performance evaluation? I heard him working on it. 991215 -- I heard your project got cancelled. What? - NO! NO! WHY ME? I'LL NEVER LOVE AGAIN!! - I renounce my religion. Ouch. 991216 -- Free blood pressure screening today 135 over 88. - You're below the company average. Here's some more work. - How long did you think you could get away with that? 991217 -- We have the best employees in the world... - ...not counting the people who refuse to work here because the pay is so low. - Improve morale...done. 991218 -- Alice, I've been asked to counsel you about your abuse of co-workers. - The theory is that I can alter your personality by talking to you. - If you feel a tingle, that's probably your DNA changing. 991219 -- May I get a laptop computer? - No, but you can order one for me. - May I go to this technical seminar in Hawaii? - No, but can sign me up for it. - May I take this Friday off so I have a four day weekend? - No, but I can sit in for me while I 991219 -- take that friday off. - May I eat this caterpillar? Give me that. - I hope they never recognize the pattern. 991220 -- Asok, I want you to observe our VP so we can figure out what our priorities are. - We've built a duck blind in his office using cubicle material. - 10:28AM, the subject is flossing. 991221 -- 2:19P.M., the VP reads a document. - The subject tries to lose the document to avoid making a decision. - 2:21P.M., the subject learns to use tools. 991222 -- Wally, don't do anything until we get the market research data. - - No longer must I put my hand on the mouse when I hear footsteps. Yes!! 991223 -- I'm creating a Web site of free medical advice. - GET SOME EXERCISE, YOU LAZY HOG!! - That's it? Nothing to do now but wait for the IPO. 991224 -- DogbertMD.com had a successful IPO today, netting billions for Dogbert. - The company has no profit now and expects no profit later. - The company issued a press release that says, "neener neener. Profits are for losers." Succint. 991225 -- Now I'll use my hype-inflated stock to buy companies that have real value. - The lesson is that hype always triumphs over substance. - How's your moral compass doing? Spinning, just like you said it would! 991226 -- You were totally correct. - We *can* develop the product on time and under budget. - All we have to do is give up some features. - For example, the original design called for a scalable wide area network switch... - ...with multiprotocol 991226 -- support and full network diagnostics. - The new design calls for a shoebox full of yarn. - So we're in good shape..assuming yarn is free. - You're a serious threat to my open door policy. 991227 -- Our strategy is to detect any trends and react accordingly. - Isn't that exactly the same as not having a strategy? - Hey, this slide didn't make itself. 991228 -- I signed up for an executive MBA program. - It's one-hour long and I get a degree from a prestigious university. - I'd better run. I'm already a half-hour late. 991229 -- Welcome to the Dogbert one-hour executive MBA course. - Notice that I took your money and I'm giving you almost nothing in return. - That was a case study. We have time for one more. 991230 -- This concludes your one-hour executive MBA course. be boring $=good remember to embazzle! - On your way out. Pick up a diploma from the laser printer and fill in your name. - Remember, your degree can be prestigious if none of you ever discuss 991230 -- what happened here. 991231 -- I scheduled the meeting for 6:00 A.M. so everyone can make it. - I assume you'll show up at eight o'clock and blame traffic. - The great thing about being a sociopath is that I always get enough sleep. 000101 -- I hired the "Bait and Switch" consulting group because they're so smart. - I'm assigning Eddie to work on your account. You will never see me again. - So, what is it that you do here? 000102 -- CEO says... The research supports my strategy. - You can read the research but don't make copies. - Senior VP says... I can tell you about it but you can't read it. - VP says... I don't remember the reason but I'm sure there is one. - Assistant 000102 -- VP says... There's no reason. - Our strategy is a huge mistake but we have to do it anyway. - After I fall asleep tonight, please smother me with a pillow. - My people love me because I manage with data. 000103 -- Dogbert Consults You need to do data mining to uncover hidden sales trends. - If you mine the data hard enough, you can also find messages from god. - ...sales to left-handed squirrels are up...and god says your tie doesn't go with that shirt. 000104 -- Dogbert Consults My data-mining software has found another message from God. - It says you've been stealing lunches from the refrigerator in the break room. - Then it says, "Ha ha, that wasn't pudding!" 000105 -- Our consultant has been mining all the day. - The results are quite shocking. - According to the data, sales are always highest when I do this... - 000106 -- The Data Miner Eureka! I found another correlation. - Whe you're on vacation, all your employees telecommute. They do? - And 100% of all expense vouchers are signed when you're out sick. We have vouchers? 000107 -- Asok, your bonus is only 5% this year. Don't fell bad; I only got 5% too. - But 5% of your salary is four times more than 5% of my salary. - May I feel bad about *that*? Sure. Go wild! 000108 -- I've got a good crop of lint in my belly button today. - I'll leave it on Dilbert's keyboard. - I wonder if there's such a thing as managing too much by instinct. 000109 -- I quantified our marketing strategy because you insisted. - I listed the pros and cons on this sheet. - Then I added up the columns. - The pros outnumber the cons, so we're going forward. - Let's see. Your cons include...unhealthy and 000109 -- unprofitable. - Your pros are...waffles, eggs, bananas and milk. - Oops. That might be my grocery list. - YOU FOOL! I TOLD YOU QUANTIFICATION NEVER WORKS!! 000110 -- I completed all my assignments. How may I be of service now? - I think I have something in here. - My other assignments were on wrinkled paper, too. 000111 -- Mister Catbert, could you help me see the relevance of my work to the well-being of society? - Your shuffling of unimportant documents helps the air circulate. - All of my documents are E-Mail. 000112 -- Carol, you parked in my reserved space. - I scheduled you to drive to meetings all day. Oh. - Tomorrow I move my stuff into his office and the coup is complete. 000113 -- When you finish rhis, I have more assignments for you. - Carol, you're the boss's secretary, not my boss. And this is a page from a magazine. - Keep up the good work. You didn't listen. That can only mean you're my new boss. 000114 -- Look who's back early from his business trip. How did it go? - Excellent! I won every meeting by default. The other side never showed up. - Did you know your secretary uses your office when you're gone? For what? 000115 -- Hey Alice. What are you eating? Let me have a sniff. - SNIFF! - MY LETTUCE IS GONE! 000116 -- Asok, can you help me install an Ethernet card? - Tina, I am not your personal tech support. - But you know how to do it and I don't. - Well...that is true. - Could you carry the PC to my new cubicle? It's too heavy for me. - Someday I'll repay 000116 -- you by teaching you about semicolons. - How come I have many useful skills and you have none? - I guess I'm just lucky. 000117 -- Mister Dogbert will be CEO of our financial subsidiary. - My goal is one million victims in the first year. - Then I'll do some cross-selling, which I prefer to call "bayonetting the survivors." 000118 -- This investment combines the best features of an annuity plus a twenty-year car lease. - How can I tell if there are hidden fees? You can pay me 1% per year to advise you. - Wouldn't that be like paying a burglar to guard my house? Excluse me 000118 -- while I wag. 000119 -- Wow! The Dogbert Investment Fund has higher fees than any other! It's true! - That's how you can tell it's the best fund. I'm in. - Are you diversified? Yes, I have suckers of all types. 000120 -- Dogbert Investments For a 1% annual fee I will invest your money with a certified financial planner. - He'll charge 1% per year to put your money in mutual funds that charge 1% per year. - Will I make any money? I don't see you doing any of the 000120 -- work. 000121 -- Dogbert Investments So, you charge a fee every year even if you do nothing? - It takes years of training to know when to do nothing. - I guess that makes sense. Here's my bill for not removing your tonsils. 000122 -- Dogbert Investments Before I invest in a stock, I talk to the management in person. - What good is that? They're all huge liars. - You believe I really talk to them, right? 000123 -- We're changing to a cash balance pension plan. - It will make the company much more competitive. - Yippee!!! A cash balance plan is good for young employees! - Oh, yeah? Well it's not so good for me! - I demand that you change it back! NO! - 000123 -- I'LL SNAP YOU LIKE A DRIED TWIG, YOU LITTLE ZYGOTE! - OUCH! STOP CLUBBING ME WITH YOUR ARTIFICIAL HIP!! - On the plus side, they do seem more competitive. 000124 -- From now on, all teams will be formed on the basis of Myers-Briggs personalily types. - If you do not have a personality, onr will be assigned to you by human resources. - We need a quiet dumb guy to pair with an extroverted thinker. 000125 -- I have the results of your Myers-Briggs personality test. - You've been classified as a "PHB." - There's a fourth letter, but that was for an expletive. 000126 -- In this week's Wally report, I'll discuss a serious threat to my productivity. - By tuesday my brain was so full that I had to forget things to make room for new things. - Wally, I have some information for you. Great, I'll just forget the 000126 -- fifth grade. 000127 -- Ed, the experts say managers should over-communicate during times of uncertainty. - YOU'RE FIRED, YOU'RE FIRED, YOU'RE FIRED, YOU'RE FIRED, YOU'RE FIRED! - I'll come back in ten minutes to do that again. 000128 -- I'm stuck in an assignment that has no hope of succeeding. - HA HA HA HA HA - Can I hvave the first bite of our sandwich? 000129 -- I'm stressed out about work. Maybe i'd feel better if I verbally abused a co-worker. - YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF MONKEY SPIT! - Dang. I was going to use that one. Aah... 000130 -- My anti spam softwar eis complete. - It checks my incoming E-Mail for key words. - Then it deletes anything that looks like an advertisement. - Suppose a beautiful woman sends you a message saying... - "I am a model for Victoria's Secret. I 000130 -- want to date you on my sailboat." - But she spells sail S-A-L-E. What then - - What's she wearing? 000131 -- Another company offered me twenty percent more. Will you match it? - No, I prefer to hire someone who is loyal, even if I have to pay forty percent more. - Managing is supposed to be a science! My mime wall blocks your sound. 000201 -- I know I could earn more money at another company. So why do I stay? - Maybe the coffee is good and you enjoy watching the anthics of feeble, unaware losers. - No, I don't think that's... Zhis coffee is good. 000202 -- Should I stay at my current job where the commute is easy? - Or should I risk everything and join a fast-paced start-up company? - I joined a fast-paced start-up company while you were yanking. Mine went IPO. 000203 -- If I quit I'll lose some unvested stock. Tht's why I'm willing to suffer my job. - A normal brain irrationally puts more weight on a small loss than a huge opportunity. - But now that you explained it... Now you're just stupid. 000204 -- I can't do anything because I'm always waitnig for someone else. - And you can't quit because your stock isn't vested. - Am I in heck? No, I'm just working the overflow from Limbo. 000205 -- Limbo A Division of Heck Step inside. - You'll be sitting in the career limbo section. Goodbye. - Jeepers! The service here is terrible! 000206 -- My tests prove our product is defective. - Customers expect delivery tomorrow. - Our corporate philosophy is "quality is our primary goal." - So...you want me to delay shipment until we fix the problems? No. - I want you to ship now so we can 000206 -- book the revenue. - GAAA! THAT'S THE OPPOSITE OF OUR PHILOSPHY!!! - Now you know why there aren't any rich philosphers. - There used to be one, but he believed I was a swiss bank. 000207 -- I need to see a web site that's blocked by our I.S. group. - Submit a business case to the Web Productivity and Security Committee. - Hey, bro, where's your shell? This ain't casual day. 000208 -- Wow! You've developed eight patentable ideas, Asok. - We'll have to bury them or else it will look like we have too much free time. - Then I said, "Literally?" and then he said... 000209 -- Come to the VP's office with me. You need to get some face time. - What is face time? It's very important. - And this is you asking for a raise. 000210 -- I'll get this information for you. - No you won't. You'll wait until I hunt you down and then you'll say you were too busy. - Today I started hating people in advance. It saves time. 000211 -- Dilbert, you've become too aware of reality. I'm sending you to "cynics anonymous." - A higher power will help you to regain the naive optimism that once made you a perfect employee. - Why can't the higher power change me while I'm sitting 000211 -- here? Fluorescent lights block his power. 000212 -- Cynics Anonymous My company sent me here to regain my naive sense of trust. - All in favor of using Dilbert's company-paid dues on beer, say Aye. - Make sure you sign up for our gambling cruise. 000213 -- Don't invite marketing to the planning meeting. - If I don't, they'll sabotage the implementation. - Yes, but if you *do* include them in the planning... - ...they'll hose the plan? Exactly. - And they'll still botch the implementation. - If we 000214 -- know it's doomed, why do we bother? - It's the same reason I had kids. - At least there's a reason. 000214 -- The new poicy says you must drive carefully while using cell phones. - This policy is just in time. I had planned to drive into a tree. - Is there anything there about handling poisonous snakes? 000215 -- Yikes! Our CEO is selling his stock! - Don't worry. It's routine diversification of his portfolio. - Oh...I guess that's okay. Sell, Sell, Sell. 000216 -- Dogbert Consults Management is like an organism that needs to survive and grow. - Employees are your fertilizer. - So I'm like a weell-fertilized plant? No, and sadly, weasels don't need fertilizer. 000217 -- Let me do all the talking to the customer. Check! - You'd better make up your mind fast. We plan to discontinue that product any day. - Well, excuse me for trying to fill al lull in the conversation. 000218 -- He's on the phone. You'll have to stand here and wait. - Don't leave. Don't make noise. Don't try talking to me. - Arm hair LX-943 is growing nicely. 000219 -- I created a prison morse code so we can communicate during the day. - Tap your secret messages on the cubicle wall. - tap tap tap I S E N T Y O U E M A I L 000220 -- Our division is unusually profitable this year. - That means our targets for next year will be set impossibly high. - Our only hope of reaching our profit target next year... - ...is to sabotage profits for the rest of this year. - It's too 000220 -- late to stop customers from buying our products. - So we'll focus on increasing our wasteful spending. - Wally, I'm sending you to a leadership training class. - Did you ever stick out your coffee mug and just follow where it took you? 000221 -- My name is Paul Tergeist. error - I have a way with technology. system failure - Have you met your new lab partner? My pen is hovering! 000222 -- This technology will work or my name isn't Paul Tergeist. - - I wish I had a nickel for every time that happened to a co-worker. ow 000223 -- Put together a demo of our new product. Our CEO wants to see it. - My partner is channeling the angry energy of a thousand dead souls. - Why can't you be more like that? 000224 -- The technology demo The software isn't 100% complete. - If it had a user interface you would see something here...here...and sometimes here. - And then you'd be saying, "I gotta get me some of that." Any questions? 000225 -- I', planning to give worthless awards to famous people. - If enough celebrities come to the award ceremony, it will become prestigious. - I've never heard of the Dogbert Gullibility Award, but it's an honor to be nominated. 000226 -- The Lifetime Gullibility Award goes to Bob Flabeau. - I would read Bob's biography but it's comprised entirely of false memories planted by his herbal therapist. - It looks like a stick but it's solid gold. Wow! 000227 -- I'd like to start with a diagram. - It's a bunch of shapes connected by lines. - Now I will say some impressive words. - Synchronized incremental digital integrated dynamic e-commerce space. - Any questions? - May I have a copy of your 000227 -- presentation? - - The results of my experiment are disturbing. 000228 -- I can't meet next tuesday because that's a B.V. day. B.V.? - Boss vacation. I don't need to pretend I'm working that day. - And on wednesday I'll be walking around all day with a binder. 000229 -- Did you do any action items this week? - I gathered costs for a strategy we had already decided not to use. - That helps the ol' GNP. I'm not giving back your tuition money. 000301 -- Ted resigned. Your job is to find out where he hid his file. - Our only clue is that he was disgruntled. - Negatory on porcelain patty. 000302 -- I have found where Ted hid his files before he quit. - A skeleton! I know what I must do. - Who's the babe? Stay away, home-wrecker. 000303 -- Asok, it's against company policy to date a skeleton you found in a closet. - We're just fiends! I swear! Eh! Eh! - It's just as well; I think I chipped a tooth. 000304 -- We can't make enough of our product to meet demand. - Our new strategy is to be more arrogant. We hope that will lower demand. - Can you teach me to be arrogant? Bah! 000305 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director We've decided to give you a new personality. - What? Why? - Your current personality is non-standard. - You must choose one of the approved corporate personalities. - The choices are sycophant, gladhander, sadist, 000305 -- quantoid, prima donna, empty suit or whining misfit. - Empty suit sounds interesting. - Excellent choice. Here's the spec sheet. - How did it go? Same ol' Same ol'. You got that right. 000306 -- This will be your cubicle. - In six weeks our I.T. people will connect you to the network so you can do your job. - I'll stop by every few minutes to see what you're doing. 000307 -- We don't pay enough to hire brilliant people for our Web team. - I need webiot savants who know they should have better jobs. - I'd expect stock options, of course. NEXT!! 000308 -- One out of ten research and development projects will succeed. - I recommend cancelling the other nine. - I wonder where he gets all these crazy ideas. 000309 -- Can you turn your one-page report into a two-page executive summary? - I was planning to spend the day snapping myself with the elastic band of my underwear. - But your idea is good, too. 000310 -- The employee appreciacion luncheon will be potluck. - Drop off your dish at my house on your way to work. - If this works, I'll never need to buy groceries again. 000311 -- I've been asked to quantify the benefits of our knowledge management systems. - I measured our intern's head to see if it got bigger. - The higher drag coefficient means we lost a little in the sandwich-fetching department. 000312 -- Alice - Stirrup pants are not professional attire. - I just filed a patent that will earn fifty million in license fees for the company. - Really? Wow. - But it's no excuse for bad pants. - Whatever. Did you sign the budget request I gave you 000312 -- last week? - No...I've been busy with various pant-related crises. - Here's another. 000313 -- My idea is to change our department name from engineering to... - e-engineering. - I'm working on a similar idea for marketing but it's not done yet. 000314 -- ...so my head swelled up like a beach ball and the I.R.S. wants to put me in jail. - In summary, you're a basket case. - Women hate it when you summarize. 000315 -- I hired a psychologist to help you handle stress. - We need another engineer, not some freakin' quack!! - Is there a pill for that? I took it. 000316 -- The psychologist It's normal to have stress when a merger is pending. - Merger? What merger? - There I go again! 000317 -- Should I be trying to discover a shared vision that will foster enrollment rather than compliance? - Or should I modify my conceptual map to focus on organizational complexity? - Is any of that the same as work? It pays the same. 000318 -- I performed many tasks, but I can not claim any accomplishments. - Because things might have turned out better had I never been born. - Technically, it's true. Remind me to slap you later. 000319 -- We found a dozen bugs in the software you sold us. - We can fix these bugs for $20,000. What? - You can't charge us to fix your own defective product! - BUWAHAHA!! - Sorry...I was overcome by an evil euphoria. - I guess we have to pay. We have 000319 -- no choice! Excuse me. - Put more bugs in the software! I'm making a fortune out here! - Phblllt! I'm starting to question our single source strategy. 000320 -- As requested, I came up with a plan for doing more work with fewer people. - A future version of me will arrive via time machine to help on the project... - ...unless you say something now that makes me unmotivated. 000321 -- ZZOOP! - I am you from the future. Your time machine invention works. - How does may head get like that? Stick a finger in this hole. 000322 -- A future me built a time machine and came to help on my project. - Hello, you miserable pile of solid sewerage. - You always got bad assignments after today. 000323 -- Alice, this is me from the future. Hi. - At the next holiday party, she's all over you. - Is that true? No, but after today she never drank again. 000324 -- I know every tragedy that will happen in the future. - HERE IT COMES!!! - I'll never forget the day I spilled hot coffee on my crotch. 000325 -- I must return to the future now, your majesty. - They don't call me majesty, yet. You'll make it retroactive... - ...so you could boss around the time travellers. In that case, dance for me. 000326 -- Tina, move that title... - ...over here. - AAAGH!! - YOUR FINGER OIL IS ON MY SCREEN!!! - Now I have to spend ten minutes cleaning it... - ...because you don't understand how to hover your finger. - See?! This isn't hard. You hover the finger! 000326 -- Don's touch! - I hope I'm not losing my aura of infallibility. 000327 -- Here's my CD-ROM business card. - It has a film archive of all my character flaws. - Including this one? It's number 34. 000328 -- I reviewed your CD-ROM business card last night. - I browsed your personal web page. - Maybe we should do some conversation. I already had one in my head. 000329 -- Anne, I need you to review my first draft. - TYPO! AAAGH! MY WORLD IS FLYING APART!!! - You killed Anne L. Retentive with a typo? - No, she's in a comma. 000330 -- I did the analysis using your bad assumptions. - Then I applied your flawed logic and arrived at your predetermined answer. - Shall I begin disillusioning the team? This needs a pie chart. 000331 -- I cancelled our dumpster service to save money. - I discovered an alternative that costs nothing. - Everyone tear off a piece and put it in your pocket. 000401 -- I want you to perform a gap analysis for our department. - Be completely honest. - The gap is located between two pointy tufts of hair that move about the office. 000402 -- Can you sing or dance? - Ted? I thought you resigned in disgust two weeks ago. - Well...I wrote a huge resignation manifesto thet I planned to E-mail to the entire caompany. - But I thought it needed pictures. - Before long I was adding video 000402 -- clips an huorous sound files. - Then I thought, hey, why not put it all on a Web site? - Now I'm turning the whole thing into an off Broadway theatre production. - I saw my first motivated employee today. 000403 -- I'm thinking about going out on a fake disability claim. - Do you think anyone will believe I'm disabled? It's hard to believe you're not. - Do you need a note from my doctor? No, it's been obvious for a long time. 000404 -- Wally is out on disability. I want you to spy on him. - We need video evidence of Wally doing a vigorous activity. - Can you think ofanything that Wally does vigorously? I'd rather not. 000405 -- Wally's claim of disability will be put to the test. - Here we go...oh, yeah...come on Asok...go baby, go! - Does he ever move? It looks that way when I jiggle the camera. 000406 -- I came back from my fake disability leave. - I missed the camaraderie and the stimulating conversation. - I didn't know you were gone. Not bad for a tuesday. 000407 -- Always ask yourself, what would Dogbert do? - This bumper sticker will help remind you. Gimme. - Umm...I wouldn't do that. You really should try it. 000408 -- At all times I ask myself, what would Dogbert do? - Then it doesn't matter that my brain is the size of a timy dried peanut. - That thought would make Dogbert hungry. 000409 -- Fly to Austin and answer some questions for a big customer. - Doesn't this customer have a telephone? - You don't *call* big customers! - Um...why not? - You have to go in person to show that you care. - Actually, thet would show that I don't 000409 -- understand the concept of the telephone. - Just go. - Do they have these where you come from? 000410 -- Remember the time you wnet skydiving? No. - You will. I'm planting false memories in your subconscious. - It won't work. But you believe you went to college, right? 000411 -- Did I ever tell you about the time I went skydiving? - That sounds like a false memory planted by Dogbert. Bah! - My parachute didn't open. Luckily, I landed on a trampoline and bounced back into the plane. 000412 -- Take this to the technology buddha for enlightenment. - He's busy meditating. - He must be very wise. Huge bowl of vanilla ice cream. 000413 -- Technology Buddha How did you become so enlightened? - I just eat a lot and tell people their ideas stink. - Whose shoe did you scrape this off of? 000414 -- I'd quit this job, but next year I'll get an extra week of vacation. - If you get an extra week for every ten years of service... - ...you'll be happy in 480 years. Good plan. Shut up. 000415 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Would you work harder if we offered stock incentives? Yes. - So you admit you're not working hard enough now. Umm... - Lastly, are you still beating up customers? 000416 -- ring ring Again? That thig rang last week, too. - Hello. May I interest you in long-distance phone service? - How long is it? - Umm...it's very long. Extremely long. - I need to know exactly how long it is! - If it's too short I'll have to 000416 -- shout the last mile! I hate that. - Okay...it's fifty miles long. - No, thanks. I don't know anyone fifty miles away. 000417 -- I got huge severance packages from my last four employers. - If I get fired one more time I can retire. - Ken, we need to talk. KA-CHING! 000418 -- I've been taking a self-paced online training course to "sharpen my saw." - What's the subject? I don't know. - How could you not know?! What part of "self-paced" is confusing you? 000419 -- I'll make your life miserable! I'll thwart your every move! - Hi. I'm the new sadist. What happened to the old one? - He went to sadist paradise. The auditing department? 000420 -- The company sadist You're invited to my four-hour meeting. - There's no agenda. It's just supposed to hurt. Any donuts? - Yes, but I'll drop one on the floor and hide it with the others. I like those odds. 000421 -- The company sadist I forwarded your E-Mail to everyone. - Gaaa! That E-Mail insulted half the people on our project!! - Tht's an interesting theory about why my hair is brown. 000422 -- The company sadist Okay, sadist, it's time to meet the fist of death. - Note from the author If you are the sort of person who is influenced by comic strips, I assure you nothing bad or violent happens next. Alice and the sadist discuss their 000422 -- differences and become lifelong friends. - What was in that big bag I helped you drag to the dumpster? 000423 -- ZZZZZ beep beep beep - It's time to complain about my workload. - An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of assignments. - I'm working day and night! - I've got projects, assignments, deliverables, tasks... - ...must-do items, action items, 000423 -- fire drills, and dog and pony shoes. - Wally, I have an assignment for you. ! - I solved my glare problem. 000424 -- I finished the project plan without your input. - You would have lied to me anyway, so I just skipped that step. - I've already assigned blame for failure, but don't worry, it's just preliminary. 000425 -- Dilbert is one of our social misfits. - Your job is to keep him away from normal people. - Hello! I'm right here! Your title will be "engineering liaison." 000426 -- Engineering liaison Tell me your project status and I'll translate for our clients. - The project will never be completed because our idiot clients change the requirements every other day. - I'll just say you're drunk. 000427 -- I understand you're the new engineering liaison. - Does that mean what I think it means? - She claims it doesn't mean that. Ohhh. 000428 -- Demons have possessed my PC. They force me to view web sites of unspeakable abominations. - The only solution is for you to approve the purchase of a new PC for me. - How are the unspeakable abominations today? Much faster! 000429 -- I'm Bucky, the project manager. - Your assignment is painfully difficult and probably unnecessary. - If you need me, I'll be complaining about you to your boss. 000430 -- Dogbert consults Your software product is riddled with bugs. - I recommend repackaging it as rust inhibitor for computers. - The ads will say "you know it's working because of all the error messages." - People aren't stupid. - According to my 000430 -- research, they are. - Dumb Ignorant Stupid Ear Wax - I need that rust inhibitor, I spit when I type. - I think the rust turned my exclamation upside down. That's the letter "I". 000501 -- Asok, this will be the most important assignment in your entire career. - You must affix the asset tags in this folder to our office equipment. - BWAA-WAH-AH!! He must be having problems at home. 000502 -- My assignment is to put asset tags on all equipment. - Did you know that staplers are not considered equipment? - No one likes to make conversation with the asset tag man. 000503 -- As CEO, I thank you for making me obscenely wealthy. - Yesterday I built a guest house using bundles of cash as bricks. - I need a new speech writer. 000504 -- I've been asked to summarize my project into three bullet points. - I had to invent some new words. - Believe me, you don't want to be any of these things. splurby noobah pizkwat 000505 -- I'm starting to get an inferiority complex. - If it makes you feel better, that isn't a complex. - Now if you excuse me, I gotta take that wicked wag. 000506 -- I need to take a class to learn the new technology. - Our vendor's sales person will teach you everything he knows. - You only need three "moist towlettes" to give yourself a sponge bath. 000507 -- Which presidental candidate do you like? - I strongly favor the one with the funny hair. I forgot his name. - His social policies are the exact opposite of your views. Really? - Well, I kile his tax plan. - Every credible economist thinks it's 000507 -- a bad plan. Oh. - It's a good thing we talked before you polluted the system with your vote. - Do you want to make out? - She claimed to like intelligent men but she lied. 000508 -- I've decided to become a generic self-help consultant. - I'll tell people to keep a journal of all their thoughts. Then I'll bill them. - How would that help anyone? I lead by example, my friend. 000509 -- You can lose weight if you write down all of your meals in a journal. - That's all I need to do? Yes, if you use our patented weight-loss pencil. - 000510 -- This product would melt the polar ice caps and doom humanity. That's okay. - You're part of humanity. No, I'm in marketing. - I won't help you destroy the planet. That's what I said until I saw the free t-shirts. 000511 -- My marketing plan calls for the annihilation of all life on earth. - Our only serious competitor is a company that sells tobacco and junk food. I'd like volunteers. - I need some accomplishments for my quarterly review. 000512 -- To the untrained eye it might look as if I do no work. - But inside here is a raginf sea of knowledge management and strategic thinking. - Did you hear that gugling sound? 000513 -- Dogbert consults My team can build an E-commerce site for you. - It will be so well-documented that your I.S. group can easily maintain it. - But the coolest part is that the documentation will be delivered by flying pigs! 000514 -- Carol, from now on, I want a live person answering my phone. - What attracted you to that idea? - Was it the inefficiency or the drain of morale? - Important executives don't use voice mail. - I have some information for you. Call me. - beep 000514 -- beep beep beep beep beep beep - He's not here. Do you want to leave a detailed message? Yes. - WELL, YOU CANT!!! 000515 -- I scheduled a meeting with your boss. - He'll probably ask me to speak frankly about any problems in the department. - This couldn't get any worse. He's cute. I might ask him out. 000516 -- Um...how was your meeting with my boss? - We each told our favorite stories about you. Then we laughed and laughed. - He has stories about me? He thought they were urban legends. 000517 -- Alice, maybe we shouldn't date. I'm a VP and you're an engineer in my division. - Sheesh. Get over yourself. I'm just using you to drive my boss nuts. - Your indifference arouses me! I will make you mine! VPs 000518 -- I brought you a bouquet, Alice. - That's a bunch of pencils, not a flower bouquet. Really? - May I use your phone? I need to fire my secretary. 000519 -- Performance review You didn't show any initiative this year. - That's your fault for creating an athmosphere of fear and distrust. You, you, you. - Note to self: increase fear. 000520 -- Performance review Do you have any weaknesses that need improvement? - Sometimes I work so fast I become invisible. - If I seem blurry right now, it's because I'm multitasking. Once a year is way too often for this. 000521 -- Can you explain why your project is behind schedule? - Yes, a schedule is an artificial device created without knowledge of the future. - Wild guesses are used as surrogates for knowledge. - Project deadlines are tied to trade show dates 000521 -- instead of reality. - Then management cuts the budget until failure is assured. - I assume you called me here so you can apologize for your role in all this - - Would you like to hear how budgets are created? 000522 -- Your new CEO is the most powerful woman in the high-tech industry. - I recommend exploiting her fame in your advertisements. - Why do I have to be the one to suggest this? CEOs love this sort of thing. 000523 -- My consultant thinks you should be featured in our ad campaign. - Is that because I'm your new CEO and the most powerful woman in our industry? - Um...yes, that's why. Remember to ask about tan lines. 000524 -- CEO as spokesperson Shouldn't I hold up our product instead of leaning on a chair? - NO! - That helped your hair but you're still dressed like a nun. 000525 -- CEO as spokesperson What does this pose have to do with our product? - I'll use blue screen technology to add important elements later. - My blouse is blue. Five minutes. 000526 -- At ten you'll be firing Ted. I'll organize his goodbye party. - Do you know what would be more efficient? - What happens after we yell "surprise"? 000527 -- We know these random drug tests are unpleasant for employees. - That's why we offer free cashews. - Suddenly I thought about Charlie Brown but I don't know why. 000528 -- Pssst - Yes? Come in and shut the door. - I bought a fake video surveillance camera. - Install it in the break room tonight. - It's cheaper than a real camera and it will discourage thefts. - If you treat employees like criminals, they'll 000528 -- leave. - Good point. You'd better hide the camera so no one knows it's there. - Trash 000529 -- My socks use an antimicrobial polymer to bond chlorine atoms to cotton. - I can wear these babies for days before they start to stink. - What was that other pick-up line we talked about? It was "Hi." 000530 -- My patent for no-click shopping was granted. - I'm sure some whiners will say it's an obvious idea. - You'd better click something or I have to ship you some books. 000531 -- I'm documenting everything you do so I can easily fire you someday. - - Maybe you could call me if you do anything. Leave it here and I'll fill it out for you. 000601 -- The five hundred dollar morale improvement award goes to Ed. - GAA!! IT'S ONLY $240 AFTER TAXES!!! - So that's what good morale looks like. Apparently we've had it the whole time. 000602 -- Ming, everyone says our Web site is ugly. - Really? Every person on earth said that? Even tibetian monks? - Maybe it was just one person. And you confused him with the entire planet? 000603 -- If I could turn invisible, I wouldn't need to make decisions. - Invisible...invisible...you can't see me. - I gues we're done. Run silent. 000604 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Wally, our auditors found 40 Gigabits of bikini pictures on your PC. - That is grounds for dismissal. How do you plead? - Innocent. Technically, they didn't find any pictures. - What they found were zeroes and ones 000604 -- resting harmlessly on magnetic media. - It was the auditors themselves who activated those harmless bits to form pictures on the screen! - I demand that those godless auditors be fired! - And if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to have my 000604 -- zeroes and ones back. Was justice served? It's a grey area. 000605 -- I am Mordac, the preventer of information services! I am Web mistress Ming! - Your firewall is inadequate. You must be punished! Your HTML is weak! You must be punished. - I must have you! Talk Cobol to me, baby. 000606 -- Ming, I'm moving your Web mistress function to I.S. You'll report to Mordac. - NO-O-O-O-O - We can still date but I feel obliged to hate your guts now. It works for me. 000607 -- Dearest Ming, my love for you is boundless. Mordac. - P.S. If you don't stop putting food garbage in the recycling bin you will be terminated. - Never date your boss. Okay. 000608 -- Hi, I'm Edfred, the two-faced employee. - If you tell you boss his new plan is stupid I'll back you up. Really? - I don't like the looks of this. 000609 -- I disagree with Dilbert. The boss's plan is brilliant. - Your other face agreed with me two minutes ago! What other face? - No...I still just see the one. 000610 -- I've decided to manage like a sadistic game show host. - Because it would be insane if I kept doing what didn't work. - Would you rather have a performance review or be pecked to death by trained birds? 000611 -- I cut you budget in half. - How can I do a technology installation without an adequate budget?! - Try being unethical with our vendors. - What= It's easy. - Tell them we might make a huge purchase later... - ...if they give us a bunch of free 000611 -- stuff now. - If it makes you feel better, wait until *they* lie first. - And there are no hidden costs. Um...we might make a huge purchase later. 000612 -- Dogbert Consults All of your employees are ignorant. - I can fix that by selling you intranet collaboration tools. - But if they're sharing their ignorance... sign it sign it sign it 000613 -- Who wants to share knowledge with me via our new intranet collaboration software? - You don't have any knowledge to share. Ouch. It hurts because it's true. - I'm hoarding my knowledge in case I ever need it. 000614 -- Dogbert Consults No one uses the intranet collaboration software you sold us. - Your employees are sefective. I recommend cat scans. - This one is defective too. Next in line! 000615 -- My accomplishment this week was schedulingfifty people to discuss the bug in our product. - I fixed the bug this morning. - And thanks for not inviting me to the meeting. 000616 -- Our server named "Pointy" is overloaded. - So we're moving some of the load to "Haired" and "Idiot." But we still need a new server. - He signed the purchase order for "Clueless". 000617 -- Uh-oh...suddenly this meeting and all the strange words make sense. - POW!! - It's your turn to buy the card. 000618 -- Welcome to workplace violence prevention training. - How can we identify potentially violent employees? - Ooh! Ooh! - Wally? - Do they have beards? - Um...no. That was a stupid answer. - Violent employees are usually creepy, ineffective males 000618 -- who are widely disrespected. - May I change seats? 000619 -- Ming, our Web site needs a FAQ section. - I find your suggestion ignorant and without merit. Away with you. - So...are you doing anything this weekend? GAAA!! 000620 -- Help me understand the male brain, Dilbert. - I treat you like dirt and you ask me out on a date? - Good personalities are overrated. You're getting me all hot over here. 000621 -- Frankly, I'm insulted that you asked me out. - It means you think we're about the same level of attractiveness. - You'd better have a heckuva sexy car. It's electric. 000622 -- I don't like to talk on dates. Do you mind if I hum? - That's okay. I'll pretend you're the radio. Hmm mm-mm mm-m-m mmmm I need a new radio. 000623 -- Do you mind if I chatter about people you don't know? No. - Do you mind if I gawk at every woman who walks by? Yes. - In fact, I would appreciate it if you displayed no male traits whatsoever. Can do. 000624 -- Yeah, I'm having the worst date ever. I'll check. - What's that on the ground? It looks interesting. Not so good. 000625 -- I'm grossly underpaid. I want a raise. - Oh, Dilbert, Dilbert, Dilbert. - What? What? What? - People don't work here for the money. - They work here for the challenge! - If challenges are more valuable than money... - Why don't you give me your 000625 -- money and I'll give you my challenges? - Well? I must kill him before he infects the others. 000626 -- ...and that's the plan. YIPIEE! WOOHA!! - I'm very inspiring lately. - How did people survive meetings before these things? Webvan split! 000627 -- You've got to work eighteen hours a day to compete in this industry! - Let's just *say* we work eighteen hours a day. Maybe our competitors will die trying to match us. - Would that work? It almost worked on us. 000628 -- Ratbert is our new company concierge. - I will perform any errand, no matter how personal or degrading it is. - I need a loofah. Lather me up! 000629 -- Ratbert the concierge I'd like a date with a woman who thinks I'm hot. - Remember, you promised you would do any errand for employees. - Tell me again how hot I am. 000630 -- Company concierge I don't have time for my doctor appointment. - Go in my place and tell him you're having trouble sleeping at your desk. - And don't let him sweet-talk you about diet and exercise. I want pills! 000701 -- Company concierge I need an alibi. - The police will try to beat truth out of you, but don't let them break you! - I also need lye... and a barrel... better yet, make that two barrels. 000702 -- We had fifteen system failures with the previous software. - Your data aren't actionable. - What? - Your presentation has no practical value. - Well, if that's suddenly a crime then call me guilty! - Now the meeting feels awkward. Can we go 000702 -- back to acting interested? I guess. - Fine. Let's put this ugly incident behind us. - And if you multiply the digits you get five. 000703 -- Dilbert, you'll be working with Lulu. She's almost normal. - But she has no sense of proportion for problems. - Did you notice that he looked at you funny? WHAT?! 000704 -- THE ADVENTURES OF LULU the woman who has no sense of proportion - GAAA! DOES THIS MEAN YOU HATE ME?!! - It's called an assignment. This is war! 000705 -- Come help me on this assignment. It's a huge crisis! - Lulu, do you ever wonder why your life is a series of crises? - I assume god is softening me up before smitting me. Excuse me while I put on my static guard. 000706 -- My project was in a death spiral. - I leapt into action and reorganized my filing system. - Did that help? My stress is gone! 000707 -- The employee of the month is Lulu. - Lulu overcame long odds to win this award. I.e., her name was randomly picked. - I'd protest but I don't want to taint my victory of last month. 000708 -- Lulu, you've stalled my project for long enough. I want your input... - NOW!! - I found out my jaw unhinges when I'm mad. You frighten my hoagie. 000709 -- My software will create human simulations from DNA samples. - What's the market application? - Well...there are many various applications. Name one. - Well...someday the entire human genome will be mapped and decoded. - You could take a hair 000709 -- sample from a woman who refuses to date you... - and create a software simulation of her to keep in your computer watch. - You could have one button to feed her and one button to punish her. - I'd buy it. Can you add a button? 000710 -- Write a performance evaluation for yourself. - Shoot for about a 3% raise...because that's what you're getting. - Dilbert's inventions will earn a billion dollars. But we think he steals almost as much. 000711 -- Dogbert Consults Here's a free sample of my work. - So company "A" was managed by idiots with no Web strategy. - What would you recommend for my company? First, change its name to "A". 000712 -- Dogbert Consults I saved some money by buying a used consulting report. - We're going to give the exclusive rights for something called DOS to something called Microsoft. - I have a good feeling about this. 000713 -- Dogbert Consults I golf with your CEO. - For a million dollars I can accidentally bean him with a golf ball. - He always wears a helmet. Not in the clubhouse. 000714 -- This week I was rendered useless by the stress of bad management. - That's something we only say in the cafeteria. - You're doing a terrific job! Try to find a middle range. 000715 -- I got the stress everyone talks about. What should I do? - Try using it as an excuse for not exercising. - So...it's a good thing? It made me the man I am today. 000716 -- This plan is impractical. - My philosophy is that if it isn't hard, it isn't worth doing. - That's easy to say. - So according to your philosophy, you shouldn't have said it. - And it's easy to walk around. Maybe you should hop on one foot. - 000716 -- Or would it be better to recant your absurd philosophy... - ...and bow before my superior reasoning capabilities? - ... 000717 -- I heard that you won't give marketing the information they need. - I respectfully decline the invitation to join your hallucination. - Your system works. Next time try shortening it to "bah". 000718 -- This special T-Shirt is awarded to Ted for all of his achievements. - Next on the agenda... - We're planning some staff cuts. 000719 -- We'll be shutting down our global communications business and de-orbiting our satellites. - Question: wouldn't that create dozens of deadly flame balls speeding toward earth? - That's why we're aiming for cities that have lots of swimming 000719 -- pools. 000720 -- Our investigative reporter has identified the company behind the deadly falling stellites. - WHUMP! - Your plan worked. What plan? 000721 -- I'm tired of getting no respect at work. - I'm going to send my resume to a company that's located in a place I'd never want to live. - I wonder why tey don't respect you. That's what I want to know! 000722 -- Have you met the new CIO? No. - I hear he's young. - Hello. - We need to integrate our enterprise resource planning with our existing E-commerce platform. - How if you'll excuse me. Nature calls. - Aaahhh... - Then we'll decentralize the 000723 -- procurement function and...hold on a second. - Gramps, could you do me a huge favor? 000724 -- And we finished ahead of schedule. Question - Are you referring to the original schedule or the eighth revision? - Schedules can change. That would be called a "calendar". 000725 -- Step aside. I'm from I.S. - I didn't ask for any upgrades. That's what they all say until... - It's reformatting my hard drive! That's ten in a row. Maybe it's me. 000726 -- How long has he been under your desk? Three days. - Did you feed him? Just some licorice. - You should never feed the I.S. people. More licorice. 000727 -- Well, I upgraded three things an I accidentally broke three things. - In I.S. terms, I came out ahead. Does my computer work? - No, but if it did, it would be much faster. snap 000728 -- I finished upgrading the sales support network. - Is that why I can't unlock my Lexus?!! - You don't own a Lexus. You only look like a guy down the hall who owns one. I hate that guy. 000729 -- Thanks to you, my computer screen is all fuzzy now! ? - You're always fiddling with something that makes something else stop working. - Don't clean your screen with your handkerchief during flu session. Stop changing the subject. 000730 -- Help me interview a candidate for engineering. - I think he's terrific! Uh-oh - According to your resume, Paul, you invented E-commerce. Wow! - I'm going to hire him right now! Hold on. - Paul, you didn't really invent E-commerce, did you? 000730 -- Well... - Maybe I was...um...part of the team that invented it. - No one invented E-commerce! When can you start? - Why am I here? Maybe Paul can teach you how to invent things. 000731 -- Catbert: evil H.R: director You need my approval for any outside jobs. - Oh, my...I have the sudden realization that you control my entire life. - But you can't control what I *think*!. employee will say "you can't control what I *think*!" 000801 -- I plan to spend the next year adding automatic registration to our product. - It already has that feature. - Oh. 000802 -- Ted, I'm giving you a promotion in title. Wow! - Now you're the Senior Vice Duke and Imperial Majesty of all Engineering. - Can I have business cards now? No, you're only a vice duke. 000803 -- We're going to start tracking our time spent with internal clients. - I will cleverly send fake bills to other departments to show how helpful we are. - I can't help you. I'm busy with my time sheet. 000804 -- Someone stole my purse. - So I used my Navy Seal training to booby-trap my cubicle. - AAIEE!!! The mail is early today. 000805 -- Alice, did you booby-trap your cublicle? - The question is, why are you in my cubicle? - What if I promise to never again borrow your guest chair? 000806 -- Catbert: evil H.R: director Video cameras hve been installed in all work areas. - Employees must wear I.D. badges around their necks. - Your Internet and telephone usage will be monitored. - Everyone will undergo mandarory drug testing. - 000806 -- They're not resisting. They're ready for phase two. - Prepare to be permanently marked by hot irons. - Will that hurt? I'll be fine. Thanks for asking. - Wally is about to experience brand awareness. 000807 -- I work harder than you. Why do I get paid a fifth of what you make? - That's because there are many people like you but few people like me. - Maybe thet's because the people like me eventually kill the people like you. 000808 -- I should create my own little Internet start-up. - All I need is a business plan. - The V.C. are sick of B to B. The Vietcong are sick of breakfast in bed? 000809 -- I'm not allowed to poach employees if I leave this company. - But there's no law against you asking me for a job...wink wink. - I'M NOT GOING TO WINK ALL DAY, YOU MORON! 000810 -- Have you finished my billion dollar business plan yet? Almost. - I'm up to the part where the S.E.C. investigates you for securities fraud. - I can't decide what the employees will be singing when you get handcuffed. 000811 -- I had planned to hire another engineer. - At the last minute I remembered I could just make you work twice as hard. - Maybeyou could nominate me for one of those cost-saving awards. 000812 -- Ted, your ten year service party will be on Tuesday. - I'm having surgery Tuesday. - Maybe you could drop off a casserole on your way. 000813 -- This is Rasputin, our new consultant. - He stopped my paper cut from bleeding. - He has charisma. - I'd like to see a demonstration on Asok. - Ack...can't...breathe... - That's called the evil eye process. Now do Wally. - 000813 -- Ack...can't...breathe... - He never had a chance. Your anti-charisma is string today. 000814 -- I was so motivated by your pep talk yesterday that I came to work ten minutes early! - Wally, we start at eight, not at nine. - That's gonna cost you ten minutes. 000815 -- Our disaster recovery plan goes something like this... - HELP! HELP! - Someday we hope to have a budget. 000816 -- As you can clearly see in slide 397... - GAAAAH! - "Powerpoint" poisoning. 000817 -- Your salary is 115% of the midpoint for your range. Isn't that exciting? - Why don't you say it's 115% below the top of the range which can never be achieved under our system? - No peeking at the supervisor's page. 000818 -- Due to worsening storm conditions, all "non-essential" personnel may go home early. - - This will be the easiest round of layoffs ever. 000819 -- I know our E-Mail addresses are supposed to be our first initial plus our last name. - But could you make an exception? No. - That Brenda Utthead is quite a whiner. 000820 -- A good manager hires people who are smarter than he is. - So...your boss is dumber than you? - And your boss's boss is dumber yet? - According to your theory, our CEO is the dumbest person in the company. - Unless all of you are bad managers. - 000820 -- Truly we are doomed either way. - Thias concludes the motivational part of the meeting. - I'd give you a high five but I don't like to move. 000821 -- If I hired you, how would you respond to something like this? - I usually ignore chain letters. Let's try another. - Did you finish your in basket? No, I'll need a few more applicants. 000822 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Employees waste too much time at funerals. - On a related note, our heating costs are too high. - As a matter of fact, I *would* mind being cremated in the company furnace. 000823 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director We increased the complexity of your pay slip. - NOW YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHEN WE RIP YOU OFF! YEEHA! YEEHA! - The only part that really bugs me is the yeehas. 000824 -- Would it be okay if I worked part times? That depends. - Would you be willing to come in on your days off to finish urgent projects? Yes. - So, basically you negotiated a fifty percent pay cut? 000825 -- I'm sittin' in a box and checkin' my stocks. - I must use all my willpower to resist checkig every ten seconds. - I'm sittin' in a box and checkin' my stocks. 000826 -- Our new corporate slogan is... - "The power of the Internet lies in converging the future with the here and now." - Goose-bumps? Psoriasis. 000827 -- So they replaced our computers and never trained us. - I told them we needed a training class but they ignored my requests. - So our computers sit there unused while we do our work the slow way. - Why don't you read the computer manual? - I 000827 -- don't have time for that! - But you have time for a class? It doesn't add up. - I'm cold. - You should try wearing a coat. They're terrific. 000828 -- I now offer self-service consulting. - Write down your strategy and I'll send you massive bills. - Do you have a card? I was hoping you'd print some for me. 000829 -- Self-service consulting I was hired because you're all dumber than a crate of anvils. - Now, can anyone tell me if your operations are centralized or decentralized? - Ooh! Ooh! I just thought of a strategy! 000830 -- I'm going to follow Tom Peter's advice and become my own brand. - The phrase you're least likely to hear is, "I gotta get me some of that." - Day one: not so good. 000831 -- Step away from that network server! I'm certified! - I SUMMON THE VAST POWER OF CERTIFICATION! - Well, this is embarrassing: that's all I remember from the classes. 000901 -- Ha ha! You never should have let me get a technical certification. - I used my new power to get a better job at a different company. - Tell me again why I hired you? 000902 -- As a manager, it's my job to reduce the turnover of our most valuable employees... - ...and to increase turnover of our least valuable employees. - Ow! For the jillionth time, who keeps kicking me? 000903 -- Is it okay if I take naps during the day? - Or would you prefer that I make important decisions while groggy and delusional? - Either way is okay with me. It's your call. - He looks funny all purple. - Must...stay...awake. 000903 -- Make...important...decisions. - Must replace optical switches with dancing lemurs. - GAAA! FRENCH PEOPLE ARE TOUCHING ME WITH CIGARETTES! - I hope that's how engineers design missile defense networks. 000904 -- Your resume says you're a multi-celled life form. - That's exactly what we're looking for! - I'm trying to shake hands. If you feel harassed in any way just let out a yelp. 000905 -- Dilbert, meet the new guy. You hired a giant amoeba? - You can't go around judging people by their looks. - Would you mind... Training him? Keeping him moist? 000906 -- So, I hear you're a single-cell organism. - What's up with that? - The new guy is rolling into a ball and shedding water. Been there. 000907 -- This isn't working out. I have to let you go. - Maybe you can get your old job back at Farworks. - Great. Now he's going to secrete. 000908 -- Today I will know the joy of uninterrupted productivity. - We're forming a posse to find out who leaves crumbs in the sink. - I assume it's you. - We need more black sheep around here. 000909 -- Work is for losers. - A winner says, "that's on my list" and never commints to a deadline. - Wouldn't people respect me less? I don't see how. 000910 -- I mapped your genome, Wally. - I dodn't know the human resources department had that technology. - I used a pencil. - Your genes predict that you will be a bitter, lazy, caucasian guy with hairs and poor vision. - You'll hate cubicles, 000910 -- measurable objectives, and cats who map your genome. - This is a violation of my right to privacy! I'll fight it all the way to the supreme court! - No, according to my map, you'll lose interest and fall asleep. - I wonder if this technology 000910 -- will ever fall into the wrong hands. zzzzz 000911 -- Now sign this and this and this. - This is a murder confession. It's for the file. - Someday I'm going to take a good look at that file. 000912 -- I hid the emergency flashlights so no one can play with them. - Who plays with flashlights? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. - The short Jedi will die first. 000913 -- Send ooh! - I get a tiny feeling of self-worth when I send E-Mail to my boss. - Looks like someone has an E-Mail monkey on his back. I can quit whenever I want! 000914 -- I have an E-Mail monkey on my back, but I can quit whenever I want. - I don't need to check it every minute. I can resist. - But look! The stupid monkey hit my keyboard with his foot! 000915 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director Asok, you have a bad case of E-Mail monkey-on-the-back. - The only cure is to deactivate your Internet connection. - No problem. Heh, heh. heh heh I know you have a Palm VII strapped to your ankle. 000916 -- I used to have an E-Mail monkey on my back, but I wnet cold turkey. - I still do little chatting but that's not addictive. Is it? - I'm Rofl. Oh, just shut up and hop on. 000917 -- I decided to become a business manager for celebrities. Why? - Because banks have locks. - Everything you own has been put in my name..for...um..tax purposes. - You're such a good friend. How can I ever repay you? - You can sign this. It gives 000917 -- me the rights to your life story. - In the unlikely event that someone steals your fortune and you become a pathetic drug addict... - ...I can sell your story to the "biography" channel. - They start filming on Thursday. 000918 -- From now on, this is going to be a fun organization. - When are you leaving? - I had no idea that a rubber chicken could hurt so much. 000919 -- What the work-at-home person says Don't disturb me unless the house is on fire. - What the rest of the faily hears I am your servant. My speciality is killing spiders. - What the spiders hear The house is full of wounded flies. 000920 -- The marketing guys are stalling. You need to escalate. - Must escalate. - I'll never understand how this helps. Sale 000921 -- Can you test the software today? No, I'm making major changes tuesday. - You could test the current version. - I wish people wouldn's slap their foreheads and say "aye-yi-yi-yi" everytime I talk. 000922 -- This to-do list will make me more efficient. - I have three fake emergencies, two doomed projects, four unnecessary meetings... - I figured out why you never ask me how my day went. Off you go. 000923 -- Speed is the key to success. - Is it okay to do things wrong if we're relly, really fast? - Um...no. Now I'm all confused, thank you very much. 000924 -- Halt! - You moved your computer without approval from the Central Cubicle Committee. - I was simply adjusting the angle gasp - Fool! It will cost $200 for a team of technicians to move it back! - It's better this way so my plant won't fall off. 000924 -- - WE HAVE GUIDELINES!! - I know. I stapled them to my wall. - You'd be surprised at what isn't allowed. 000925 -- Dogbert consults Here's my report full of obvious generalities. - My fee is $90,000. What are you recommending? - I recommend telling everyone it was free. 000926 -- Dogbert consults You can revive the entrepreneurial spirit by reminding people of the early years. - Your founders were two bums who began in a cardboard box. - One bum misdialed his bookie and accidentally bought Cisco stock at the IPO. 000927 -- This needs your approval. - The company will save forty million dollars but you'll be ten thousand over budget. - And before you ask, no it won't work the other way around. Whose side are you on? 000928 -- I'm sure your boss will increase the budget if you show him my plan. - I just asked him for something else. I can't keep asking him for resources! - So...you think that doing your job is a sign of weakness? Look what it did to you. 000929 -- Ted, there's a huge demand for employees like you. - But not you specifically. ...which is funny if you think about it. - Hey, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at? 000930 -- My stock options are worth a fortune now, you miserable bag of crud! - Oh, look, they're back down to worthless. - Try telling him that bags of crud are highly valued in some societies. Shut up. 001001 -- Wally, what's the status of our vital records protection plan? ? - Think fast. - I...uh...did extensive interviews with key shareholders. - Then I...uh...formed a plan... - Now all the records are digitized and stored with 512 bit encryption... 001001 -- - ...at the center of the earth...on natural magnets. - I meant you should read the project team's status report. - They claim to have a plan. Liars. 001002 -- The evil h.r. director What evil do you bring me, union steward stuart? - Employees should not be allowed to move company computers. That's union work. That's old evil. - It's new we include PDAs and laptops. - I like the cut of your giblets. 001003 -- Our new office building will be an architectural masterpiece! - The voices in my head are shouting "no storage space! no storage space!" - WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME? It's called experience. 001004 -- Dogbert consults You need to reorganize by customer type. - One division would focus on sellig to feeble-minded people. - Are you gesturing at me because I would work in that division? What's your second guess? 001005 -- My philosophy is: measure twice... - then cut twice, then uh... - Give the tape measure a bad performance review? Hee hee! Ooh. 001006 -- Your office is too far from the executive offices. It is? - They are actively forgetting your name even as we speak. It's going...going...GONE! - Carol, we have to move my office! Have we met? 001007 -- Performance Review Lastly, what have you done to improve the morale of your co-workers? - I didn't give them the beatings they so richly deserved. - I'll shorten that to "team player"? 001008 -- The Inspirational CEO Our Company is too good to have results this poor. - Question. - %#!* Engineers. What? - Are you saying the laws of cause and effect do not apply? - Logically, if we were good, we would generate good results. - Is it not 001008 -- more likely that we are pathetic losers who get exactly what we deserve? - Yes, individually you're all losers. But together we're a great company. Thanks to my leadership. - I feel like squirming but I don't have the energy. 001009 -- We can't pay you this week because your position code is misaligned with your module. - Worse yet, no one knows what that means or whose responsibility it is to fix it. - Who told you about the problem? It was an anonymous note with 001009 -- disappearing ink. 001010 -- I'm trying to find someone who can help me with a payroll problem. - You're close. I'm the guy who forwards your call to the wrong person. - I'd like to speak with your supervisor. I'll forward your call. 001011 -- Helen, I'm transferring you to the temporary zombie division. - You will be with other people who are planning weddings, raising babies and divorcing. - She took my dog. All good places are booked. 001012 -- Do you want a stock tip? - Are you asking me to believe you're a loser at every aspect of life except picking stock? - That's not what I'm asking. It's implied. 001013 -- Here's the new guy. I don't know his name. - He's either rude or shy. No one knows for sure. - If you figure it out, name him either Shilo or Rudy. 001014 -- Why don't you have a little coffee with your sugar, Alice? - Heh, heh. It's because it's usually the other way around. - I don't see how something can be funny 300 times but not 301 times. 001015 -- How do I get rid of my old computer? - Why don't you give it to a school? - Well, it would take me a week to find someone to take it. - The hard drive is broken and it has no software. - And it would cause a tax accounting nightmare. - Maybe 001015 -- you should leave it on the school playground at night. - That's what I did with my old refrigerator. - What I hate most is that I didn't have a better idea. 001016 -- I just met with with the birdabon society. I had to promise we won't hurt any birds. - Our caterer served chicken sandwiches for lunch. - I pretended to give mine CPR but I was really eating it. 001017 -- Did Dilbert do something terrible or am I hallucinating? - I'd better play it safe and punish him in ways that are ambiguous and untraceable. - I had to change your network password to "die-dilbert-die" and I can't say why. 001018 -- You need "Dogbert's Dysfunctional Employee Recruitmet Services." - I only recruit employees who were raised in dysfunctional families. They don't mind being mistreated! - How soon can you get me some? I have a dozen in the trunk of my car. 001019 -- I understand that you were raised in a dysfunctional family. Yes - YOU'RE GONNA WORK SEVENTY HOURS A WEEK OR YOU'RE WORTHLESS!! - You love me. Are there any more like you at home? 001020 -- You're working me too hard! I want to get home in time to kiss my daughter goodnight! - And I'm the only one who feels this way. - I've seen your daughter and I'm fairly certain you're the only one. 001021 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director You think you're satisfied with your job. - IN REALITY YOU'RE JUST AFRAID OF CHANGE! - That was some of my best work. purrr purrr 001022 -- Sometimes a manager must deliver bad news. - Luckily I enjoy it. - Our sales force failed to meet their goals. - So I have to fire an engineer to reduce expenses. What? - You should fire the incompetent sales people! - It's immoral to punish 001022 -- innocent engineers for the sins of people! I will fight this all the way! - I'm firing Ted, not you. - Fair enough. Can you wait until I borrow his hole puncher. 001023 -- What the...? - You still work here? - That's gonna take a bite out of my productivity. 001024 -- Your personal use of the Internet is like stealing from the company! - You work for human resources; that's like stealing from the company, too. - Maybe we should form a gang. 001025 -- Our records show that you used the Internet for personal reasons. You're fired. - Please, I merely ordered groceries online so that I might have more time for working. - My motto is, you can't spell "who cares?" without h.r. It's evil, but it's 001025 -- true. 001026 -- I...must...resist...using...the Internet for personal reasons. - Gaa! There's a whole world of knowledge and entertainment at my fingertips...teasing me! - Ice cream! I'm so hungry! No eating in your cubicle. 001027 -- I fired everyone who used the Internet for personal stuff. - The only wrinkle in thatz policy is that you and I are the only employees left. - And frankly, I use the Web for personal stuff too. Can you teach me how? 001028 -- And what's your reason for leaving your previous job? - You fired me yesterday for non-business use of the Internet. - Crime doesn't pay. Wait until you hear my minimum acceptable salary. 001029 -- Thank you. Have a nice day. - She's flirting with me. - Um...would you like to go out with me on saturday? - I wasn't flirting. This is my phony customer service smile. - Employees are required to smile. - Okay, but *now* you're flirting, 001029 -- aren't you? No, still phony. - Wally has to see this. - Hey, it looks like she's flirting with me! Is this great or what? 001030 -- My son is flunking all his classes. I'm hoping he can get a job involving computers. - Carrying them? - People dont like it when you fill in the blanks in their stories. 001031 -- Ted, your thirty-day dance of death begins today. - You must find a new job within the company during that time. - Is the spray-paint absolutely necessary? That's an "L." 001101 -- I need a new job within the company before the window shuts. - Catbert is already up to "O." Next week he gets an "S." - He wouldn't say but it starts with an "L." 001102 -- Catbert says I have to get a new job within the company. - Could you find it within your heart... I'll check. - Nope. No jobs in there. 001103 -- Today is my last day. I'm saying my farewells. - We've never talked, but I was working my way down the row and here you are. - So...let's stay in touch. Don't be a stranger. 001104 -- I've always been an incurable romantic. - Do you mind if I take off my shoe? I'fe got some sort of fungus that needs air. - I'M CURED! I like to scratch it on the table leg. Oops. Is that you? 001105 -- Am I fired? - Of course not, Ted. I enjoy e-mailed jokes as much as anyone. - I'm still laughing about your "Top Ten Signs that Your Boss is a Hairless Rodent". - I asked you here to discuss the reclassification of your job. - Starting today, 001105 -- the job required a PhD. Feel free to apply for your own job. - Whew! Luckily I have a PhD. - You do? Well, the job also requires an olympic gold medal. - Synchronized swimming, 1992. And a post-humous congressional medal of honor. 001106 -- This sign is my passport to cubicle tranquility. DO not Disturb - I wonder why no one ever thought of it before. - Nice sign. Does it keep away the undesirables? 001107 -- You should put an "E-" in fron of your title. - It's too boring just being the director of information, operations and technology. - From now on, call me the E-diot. If only there were an easy way to remember that. 001108 -- You can compensate for your lack of knowledge by talking too much. - And don't be limited by society's expectatin that you be interesting. - Sometimes I like to sit quietly and think up ideas. Nothing good can come from that. 001109 -- I'm learning to golf. - Now I won't be excluded from all the male-dominated golf events. - Have you been dominating golf events? Sometimes I can make them miss putts on TV. 001110 -- Thanks, hun. HON?! - YOU SEXIST %!*%! I WILL BURN YOUR VILLAGE AND MAKE SLAVES OF YOUR CHILDREN! - It's short for Attila the Hun. Everyone calls you that. That seems harsh. 001111 -- I declare next friday to be "Hawaiian Shirt Day." - Hey, you're disguising punishments as perks! - They're on us. Did you try the fake smile? 001112 -- I signed you up for a trip to the south pole. - Um...why? - You'll love it. You leave tomorrow. - I AN *NOT* GOING TO THE SOUTH POLE! - Oh, I get it, you're a control freak. - GAAA! CAN'T YOU SEE IT't *YOU* WHO IS TRYING TO CONTROL *ME*?!! - 001112 -- All I see is you trying to manipulate me into not sending you to the south pole. - It seemed easier. 001113 -- We have a gigantic database full of customer behavior information. - Excellent. We can use non-linear math and data mining technology to optimize our retail channels! - If that's the same thing as spam, we're having a good meeting here. 001114 -- Catbert: evil H.R. director What's the most evil way to use our database of customer information? - Should we sell our mailing lists, spam without mercy, or just blackmail customers? - Um...do you have *me* in that database? We know all about 001114 -- your clumping problems. 001115 -- The Dogbert Temp Agency uses genetic engineering to grow our own workers. - Isn't that dangerous? I wear safety goggles. - I'm the new temp. Um...I'm Alice. 001116 -- It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice. - - Ooowee! That was a good hand shake. 001117 -- I'm from the Dogbert Temp Agency. Do you need a hand? - I get it. Hee hee! Get what? - Then I said, "Don't get mad; try counting to fifteen." Ouch. 001118 -- These copies you made for me are blank. - That's because all the originals were blank. - Maybe you could have checked the other sides. Talk to the hand. 001119 -- I'm writing a business book called "Change happens. Get over it." - The title says it all. Yeah. It needs filler. - How about a parable? Good idea. - Two bulls were talking. - One bull says, "I'm afraid of change." - The other bull says, "Get 001119 -- over it." - Later that day they were both ground into hamburgers and served a picnic. - The hard part will be finding someone to write the foreword. 001120 -- All music on the Internet should be free. Artists could make money from tips. - Great idea. We'll do the same thing here with the engineers. - Have you ever noticed that my ideas are only brilliant when applied to other people? 001121 -- My name is Wally and I'll be your engineer. - Our special today is incomprehensible mumbling in an acronym sauce with a snide of attitude. - I'll just have a technical review. Do you want sarcasm with that? 001122 -- I hate working for tips. No, I ordered the R.F.P. - Maybe you were THINKING R.F.P. but you SAID spec binder, you arrogant cow! - With any luck, she'll say, "You had me at cow." 001123 -- How much did you make in tips today? - Three breath mints and one death thread scrawled on a napkin. - I hope I don't forget which breath mint came from the napkin guy. 001124 -- Dilbert, my man, you're stayin' real and keepin' to the core. - Is tha good? I don't even know what it means. - Why do you say things that have no meaning? DU-U-U-DE! 001125 -- I used not to care about my subordinates. - But that's all changed. - Now I delegate the not-caring function to what's-her-face over here. 001126 -- My analysis shows that your pet project isn't feasible. - Try working the numbers. - That wouldn't change the underlying reality. - What if we massaged the numbers? - Massaging the numbers means the same thing as working the numbers. - You 001126 -- can't make the impossible possible by hallucinating new numbers. - Do you have any other ideas? - That depends what the phrase "fiddle with the numbers" means. 001127 -- Wally, we can't find our CPR dummy. I need your help. - Finding it? - Yes, assuming you can do that while lying on your back with your mouth open. 001128 -- The company will be holding mandatory CPR training for all employees. GAA!! - I am surrounded by pear-shaped, beef-eating, middle-aged men who I prefer not to touch. - Uh-oh...I hope that's just stress. 001129 -- Asok is down. Does anyone know CPR? - Is CPR the one where we take his kidney and leave him in a tub of ice? - Um...I don't think so. We'd better strip him and shave him just in case. 001130 -- Okay, we have one vote for using CPR, one vote for the Heimlich maneuver... - and two votes for sneaking up behind him and yelling "Boo." - I don't see how we can get behind him. What if we drill a hole from below? 001201 -- I'll see if the guys in marketing know first aid. - Really? I picked that intern in our engineering dead pool! - Apparently our team.building potluck lunch didn't take. 001202 -- I'm alive! - Which one of you angels administered the live-saving CPR? - Speaking of "lifesavers," I could sure use one right now. 001203 -- I'd like to work flex time. - I'll work for five hours before anyone else gets into the office... - Then I'll tale abreak for ten hours... - Then I'll work five more hours after the witnesses...er...co-workers go home. - You'll know I'm working 001203 -- hard because my cublicle will be filthy. - But I have to be perfectly honest: there's a down side to this plan. - I would miss your staff meetings that I cherish so much. - I'm having trouble keeping my clever schemes separate from my sarcasm. 001204 -- Jury room Aahh, one sweet week away from my job. - I'll have hours of quiet time to read my new book. - yadda yadda blah blah yadda There's a guy here with a book. blah blah blah yack yack 001205 -- Jury duty What excuse are you planning to use? - I'm happy to serve. It's my civic responsibility. - Insanity, good one. 001206 -- Jury selection Juror eight, do you have any medical problems that would prevent you from serving? - No, I need jury duty. - Would it be fair to say you don't know what you need? Why does everyone ask me that? 001207 -- Jury selection Your honor, it is against my religion to judge others. Only god may judge. - You're excused. - Ooh ooh! I just changed my religion! Jerk. 001208 -- My clients life now rests in your capable hands. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ - Jury deliberations Did anything happen after "please rise"? 001209 -- The jury verdict We find the defendant guilty... - ...of this crime and maybe a few others that didn't come up. - Lastly, do you have any brochures for the witness protection program? 001210 -- And we'll have sub-second response time. - Actually, it's already two seconds and your change will add two more. - Why do you always have to be right? - Just once can't xou admit I', right? - Oky, I admit that two plus two equals less than one. 001210 -- I don't mean now, jerk. I mean in general. - Okay. In general, I admit that the rules of physics are optional. - YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!! You're right. My fault again. 001211 -- We don't have enogh engineers to handle all the requests for sales support. - Build an online database to log all the requests. - It might look as if I'm staring at you with a mixture of contempt and disbelief, but I'm actually meditating. 001212 -- Is that what you wantaed? I'm not saying. - If I tell you it's good, you'll rub it in my face at your performance review. - I'm sorry. See how you are? 001213 -- Dogbert Consults I've been told to make a succession plan. - The plan should say what to do if I die. I can help. - And if Satan makes you stand in flaming worms up to your nose, try standing on your tiptoes for eternity. 001214 -- The Succession Plan If anything happens to me, Wally will be your leader. - I HAVE A MULTI-VITAMIN! QUICK, TAKE IT! - We're safe for now. This turns out to be a mixed blessing. 001215 -- Why did you cross-charge your time to my budget? I attended your meeting. - All you did was sit there like a drunken minkey. I want a refund. Talk to my boss. - ...so it doesn't seem fair. KA-CHING! 001216 -- Are there any questions? - - Do you ever feel alone when you're with people? I try to. 001217 -- Everything is ready. We just need the budget. - You did the funding...didn't you? - I've been very busy. - This project has been your top priority for over a year!!! - You only had one task: get funding. - What have you been doing for the past 001217 -- year?! - I remember attending meetings... - AAYIIIYIIIYIII!! If you need anything, just holler. 001218 -- I worry that casual dress days encourage flirtatious behavior. - I mean, look how adorable I am in my turtleneck sweater. How are the ladies supposed to concentrate? - Do you think I should put warning cones around my cubicle? 001219 -- casual dress day is hurting our productivity. We need to cancel it. - Is it possible that our real problems are caused by irrational management? - NO, I think comfortable pants are the problem. Sounds right. 001220 -- There will be no more casual dress days. - We believe that employees work harder when they are wearing uncomfortable clothing. - I feel all motivated but I can't lift my arms. 001221 -- I'm thinking of adopting an incomprehensible accent so people won't ask me questions. - Um...are you leaving that coffee pot empty right in front of me? - Meeyerna derna furna algnkin buhjoorna. 001222 -- Wally, are you free for lunch? - I need to remind myself how lucky I am that I don't have your laziness or personality or looks. - Would you say I'm kind of a renaissance loser? 001223 -- As you know, I'm the only employee who is not exceeding expectations. - You should punish the others for unscrupulously padding their objectives! Thos lying weasles!! - Can I get a whistle-blower award for this? 001224 -- I've been thinking about your birthday, Mom. How sweet. - It seems so inefficient to wrap up your present. - You'll just rip up the wrapping paper an hour later. - So I was thinking of throwing a towel over it instead. - You'd get all of the 001224 -- element of surprise without wasting paper. - Maybe I can use one of your towels so I don't have to lug one from my house. - Of course, dear. I wouldn't want you to lug a big heavy towel just for me. - Good. It's settled. Those aren't for you. 001225 -- I must clear my mind of all thoughts. - At the end of the day We'll be in a market space on a going forward basis. - Om...om...page... I'll come back when you're done practicing being useless. 001226 -- I think he tried to meditate. That's the problem. - You shouldn't mix meditation with management. The mind gets too empty. - What can we do? I plan to rifle through his pockets. 001227 -- He might be faking a coma to avoid work. - The only way to find out is to punch him repeatedly. - Maybe we should get Alice. Do you remember if I'm right- of left-handed? 001228 -- I'll tape a pencil to his hand and use it to sign a raise for me. - That would be so unethical...hiccup May I have ten percent? - That hiccup damaged my moral compass. 001229 -- A manager's brain is like a pump. If it becomes empty you must prime it. - Whatever he learns first will form the foundation for all of his future perceptions. - This guy has been talking smack about you. Unh... 001230 -- I asked for more E-Mail storage space and you deleted all of my files! - You complain when I ignore your requests and you complain when I delete your files. - THOSE AREN'T YOUR ONLY CHOICES!! I can't please everyone. 001231 -- Any advice? - Try to be less like you. - That might work. - Less like me...less like me. - I collect crystals. Uh-oh. - I don't know of any scientific evidence that they can heal. Whew. - But it's my point of view that they do. - When did 001231 -- ignorance become a point of view? - Too much like me. 010101 -- Dilbert, meet Topper. He's amazing. - No matter what you say about yourself, he'll top it. - How are you? I can't go first. It ruins my system. 010102 -- I'm getting a mouse cramp. - I spent seven years chained upside down to an Elbonian prison wall. - At the risk of sounding too competitive, I believe I'm winning this conversation. 010103 -- My project will save the company a million dollars. Mine save twenty million. - My project will take a year to complete. Mine takes a week. - Topper, I have half a mind... I have one percent of a mind. 010104 -- My headache is doozy. Ha! That's nothing. - BAM! BAM! BAM! - Um...you win. I'm just getting started! 010105 -- I created software that makes all copyrighted work on the net available for free! - Wouldn't that destroy all forms of creativity and plunge us into a depression? - Yes...but it is very neat. 010106 -- My plan is to give away our product for free. - We'll only bill customers who ask us to deinstall it. - For once, those reports of consumer decapitations will work in our favor. 010107 -- No known battery technology can handle this load and be this size. - That's not what you wanted to hear. - So your mind will erase what I said... - ...and replace the memory with something totally ridiculous so you can question my motives. - 010107 -- GAAH! The transformation is complete. - How can you say there's no such thing as a battery?! - You're lying to avoid work! I'm going to talk to your boss! - Lately, the only thing keeping me from being a serial killer is my distaste for manual 010107 -- labor. - You're preaching to the choir. 010108 -- Do you have a plan for retaining the best employees? - I whittle at their confidence until they believe no one else would ever hire them. - Doesn't that make them sluggish? Yes, but if they're *all* sluggish, it looks right. 010109 -- Hello, employee, I'm the motivation fairy. - My magic wand will make you enjoy working despite the utter futility. - Knock yourself out. Wally?! Gaa! I thought you were a myth! 010110 -- The Motivation Fairy You will be my greatest challenge. - I'll bet you get paid less than minimum wage and they don't reimburse you for travel. - Wings...so...heavy... So, what kind of carreer path you got going? 010111 -- The Motivation Fairy If you work hard, you will gain respect of your peers. - If I avoid the stress of hard work, I will outlive my peers. - Hard work can kill me? If you're lucky. 010112 -- The Motivation Fairy It seems like your job isn't very rewarding. Vision getting blurry. - Long hours. No raises. No cubicles. Hair coming out in clumps. - He's good. He's very good. 010113 -- If you work hard, you can achieve great things! - And then you die. - It never pays to mix reality with inspirational speeches. 010114 -- I have the results of the employee personality type preferences. - Remind me again why we're doing this. - Your teamwork will be better when you understand that you have different styles of thinking. - For example, Dilbert prefers to use logic 010114 -- to solve problems. - But Randy relies more heavily on morals and values to solve problems. - That sounds like a fancy way of saying Randy is an idiot. - Oh, yeah? Well, I might be an idiot but you're illogical. - That didn't sound as menacing 010114 -- as I had hoped. It's okay. We understand. 010115 -- I'd like you to meet our ad agency's creative team. - Pete Peters, Robert Roberts, and Holly Hollister. - Witty remark, anyone? I've got nothing. 010116 -- The Ad Agency This cat will say something. - Then this other cat will say, Yeah, right." It's like sarcasm. - HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! This explains so much. 010117 -- The Ad Agency The stick man runs through a tire fire and gets eaten by a giant wolverine. - Will that make people like us? - It's not an exact science. 010118 -- The Ad Agency Is it wise to insult all of these minority groups in our commercial? - What's the worst thing that could happen? - Does our company have to spit on a flag? That's it; you're on my "difficult client" list now. 010119 -- The "Exactly" Man Your idea won't work. No one would by this kind of product. - We already sell ten million of these per year. My idea just makes them better. - EXACTLY!! ? 010120 -- The "Exactly" Man Everything you said in the meeting was wrong. Here's the exact proof. - EXACTLY!! - Okay, I'm not even sure that was a humanoid response. 010121 -- Professional Liar - What kind of lie do you need? It's...it's embarrassing. - Are you a producer who needs a good review for a lousy movie? No. - Are you an autho who needs a slobbering quote for the cover of your lousy book? - It's wors than 010121 -- that. Much worse. - Worse? That could only be... Aaack! - FIND SOMEONE ELSE, YOU FILTHY DOT-COM FOUNDER! I HAVE MY LIMITS! - ...and since your firm underwrote our IPO... Would I get to be on TV? 010122 -- Um...Mordac, my new PC arrived without a monitor. - Bah! Only interns with weak memories need monitors! - Please. I am having enough difficulty memorizing my calendar. Did you want any cheese with that whine? 010123 -- I'm going to start up a discount brokerage firm. - I'll offer my lowest commissions to customers who don't mind bad advice and verbal abuse. - Did I mention that I won't be keeping any records? You didn't need to. 010124 -- Discount Brokerage You can only open an account if you meet my stringent requirements. - True or false money evaporates because of photosynthesis. True? - You're in. Don't yell yee-haw! 010125 -- Discount Brokerage I need an estate plan for after I pass away. - Here's a plan: Stay dead. No one likes a Zombie. - What about gifts? Zombies make bad gifts. 010126 -- Discount Brokerage When you open an account, you'll get a free dart board and make money. - If your balance drops below five hundred dollars, we'll order the monkey to kill you. - Well, think about it and get back to me. 010127 -- Discount Brokerage Can you give me free investment advice? Sure - GIVE ME ALL OF YOUR MONEY NOW NOW NOW!! - What if I paid for some advice? It's the same except my ears don't flip up in a threatening manner. 010128 -- We've got to figure out why all our projects fail. - What do all our projects have in common? - It might not be obvious. - But if we're honest with ourselves... - We can find the source of the problem. Ah-ah-ah- scratch scratch - ACH-ITZ-YOU!! 010128 -- Gesundheit - So, does anyone know what the problem is? - I've noticed that Dilbert doesn't work as hard as I think he should. 010129 -- Your stock will rise if a stock analyst says good things about your company. - How is that even possible? One word: weasels. - I just found my new pick-and-shovel core holding. 010130 -- Equity Analyst I'll rate your stock a "must buy now" if you give us your investment banking business. - Aren't you supposed to have a chinese wall between those two businesses? - Am I too early? Use the door, idiot. 010131 -- We outsourced our sales and fulfillment functions to an Elbonian company. - Um...are you sure that's the best way to sell complex technology? - Could you call back? We have a bad string. 010201 -- This is the Elbonian fulfillment service. How may I thwart you? - Grunt grunt grunt grunt grunt - Okay, it wasn't funny the first 300 times either. 010202 -- The results of our customer satisfaction survey are in. - 83% spat at their telephones until they died of dehydration. - We're calling that group "the lucky ones." 010203 -- Hello, is this the sales department? - May you die a thousand deaths by choking on your own bile! - A supervisor may be monitoring this call for quality control. It's good. 010204 -- I'm a reporter for "Dogbert's Technology Magazine." - I'm writing a totally objective review of your newest product. - First question: Will you advertise in my magazine or is your new product a piece of junk? - Um...we'll advertise. - Will it 010204 -- be a multi page ad or is your new product a piece of junk? - It'll be a ten-page ad. - Can you stand on your head for an our or is your new product a piece of junk? - Would you like to subscribe to my magazine? It's ten pages of ads. 010205 -- I hired a creep to help determine our product features. - You need more features. Good work. - When can you have that done? GAAA!! 010206 -- The Feature Creep Is it too late to give our product a low-battery indicator? - I'd have to work night and day for a month! My health would decline and I'd miss all my objectives! - I just realized that other people's problems make me all warm 010206 -- inside. 010207 -- The Feature Creep Being a feature creep is like having a super power. - That's what makes me so sexy. oomp - That oomp sound just bought you a new feature, Missy. 010208 -- You have failed to meet a goal set by our CEO. - Do you mean the impossible goal, the ill-advised one, or the one you didn't tell me about? - I figured out what's wrong with life: it's other people. 010209 -- My flight didn't get in until three this morning. - Would you mind slapping the back of my head until my eyes uncross? - Pour all of your coffee in here and no one gets hurt. 010210 -- My flight took all night but I still came to work on time as usual. - I didn't want to jeopardize the company by missing work. - You're not allowed to park in the lobby. SINCE WHEN?! 010211 -- My nephew wants a job. Interview him and tell me what you think. - Let's see...your work experience is...bowling. - Are you a professional bowler? I only bowled once. - But the balls were heavy. It seemed like work to me. - That experience taught 010211 -- me everything I know. - Unfortunately, I don't remember most of it. - But I remember you're not supposed to bowl in the snack bar. - I recommend having him whacked. - He's your new boss. 010212 -- Our CEO says we are poised for huge growth in earnings. - In an unrelated move, he announced that he will leave the company before any of his stock options vest. - The poor guy will miss all of our growth. 010213 -- Is that work? I can't see what's on the screen. - If he sees me I'll pretend I'm in mid-stride, just passing by. - The small font is working. good. Muscles cramping. 010214 -- Smile, Alice. It won't hurt. - GAAAK!! - I found out I can kill people by looking at them. I wondered why you were smiling. 010215 -- The key to happiness is self-delusion. - Don't think of yourself as an organic pain collector racing towards oblivion. - I've never had that thought...untli now. Don't blame me; I said don't. 010216 -- I'm a nature lover. When I fish, I only do catch-and-release. - In other words, you torture fish for fun. - I wonder why everything I do sounds bad when it's put in other words. 010217 -- Good news: the deadline got pushed back a week. - Good news?! I've been working for forty hours straight to finish on time! - I just realized I don't know the difference between good news and bad news. 010218 -- The Call Center Carl. Reduce your average call time or you're history. - beep beep beep beep - WHAT?! - I have a question about your product. - FASTER! FASTER! FASTER! - Um...it's about the interface. Great. Thanks. click - Your average call 010218 -- time is way down. You get a bonus. - Maybe it's a mistake to do this job while I study for the priesthood. 010219 -- What is this strange and beautiful feeling inside of me?! - Waves of ecstasy are pulsing through my soul. - This is why I only give positive reinforcement once a year. I'm all tingly! 010220 -- I experienced something called positive reinforcement today. - I'm addicted to it now...but it's wearing off...must get more... - Say something nice about me! For a crazy woman you don't drool to much. 010221 -- I'm addicted to positive reinforcement. - I need some deliverables so I can be praised again. - results 010222 -- I inadvertently gave Alice verbal praise. Is she addicted? - She's been lyingand stealing to get more. She leaves us no choice. - I have to promote you to management. 010223 -- Hello, Alice. I'm your soul. - You're a manager now, you won't be needing me. - Here's a claim ticket in case you get demoted or learn to play Sax. 010224 -- Alice the Manager How do I cope with the emptiness of having no soul? - Try doing this with your teeth while you dance. - Is there another way? I can teach you to play air guitar. 010225 -- I have an idea! - We'll automate our online tech support. - Our software will analyze incoming E-Mail and send responses based on key words! - That's an excellent plan. I know. - But what about the one percent of our customers who actually get 010225 -- a useful response? - Maybe we could wear ski masks and throw rocks at their houses. - Then we could achieve our goal of 100% customer dissatisfaction! Woo hoo! - Maybe I should work someplace where sarcasm and supportiveness are different 010225 -- things. 010226 -- No one knows the secret location of the management training facility. - If no one knows where it is, how do we get there? - This part can get loud. 010227 -- Management Training What would you do if you made a huge, incredibly stupid mistake? - I would try to learn from it. - Did you learn anything from your answer? 010228 -- Management Training There are two essential rules of management. - One: the customer is always right. - Two: they must be punished for theitr arrogance! 010301 -- Management Training You twist the ears to unlock the skull. - Find the moral compass and deactivate it. - The result is something called leadership. You're working weekends! 010302 -- Management Training Tim will demonstrate the management cloak of invisibility. - I admit it doesn't seem very special when you know how it's done. 010303 -- How do you like being a manager, Alice? - Do me a favor; sneak into my house tonight and smother me with a pillow. - I think she was kidding. I'll see if she puts up a struggle. 010304 -- Fred, you're an incompetent VP. You're fired. - May I ask for one favor? Sure. I could use a laugh. - Please don't make my resignation announcement terse. - If it's terse, everyone will know I was fired for incompetence. - Does that smile mean 010304 -- you'll do what I ask? - I'm sorry if that was ambiguous. Let me try again. - I'm still not getting your meaning. - Re: Fred Carreer dead. 010305 -- Souls I'd like my soul back. Here's my claim ticket. You've been demoted back to non-management. Very well. - Get back in the cubicle. No-o-o-o!! 010306 -- I use my huge bottle of water to avoid work. GLUG GLUG GLUG GLUG GLUG GLUG GLUG - Wally, would you...um...Wally? Uh...Wally... GLUG GLUG GLUG GLUG 010307 -- I'll take this one. No, no, no. Huge mistake. - You need the security and reliability of the XQ-7 - Okay, I'll take the XQ-7 Shoot! I wish my company made that one. 010308 -- Wally, you have to see this vendor. Why? - I think he's telling the truth. NO WAY! - When the focus groups saw this product they were afraid to eat our sandwiches. 010309 -- The Honest Vendor Five minutes after you buy it you'll want to throw it through a window. - We sell these at a loss but we make it up with our window repair business. - It fell off. - Sometimes the components sctually die from shame. 010310 -- The Honest Vendor It wan't nice to meet you. - You didn't buy enough; I'll probably spank my hamster for no reason. - Repeat business is overrated. 010311 -- The master of delegation hears the footsteps of his prey. - Hi GAAA!! - Call this vendor and tell him I want the third thing he told me about. - Okay, that will save two minutes of your valuable time. - When the vendor asks me dozens of 010311 -- questions should I just guess at the answers? - Or would you prefer to spend an hour giving me enough background so you can avoid a two-minute call? - You know what's funny? This conversation lasted a minute...and there are two of us. - Are you 010311 -- done? I think you wrote down your own phone number. 010312 -- Don't be afraid of change. - You're right! I'm going to get a gender change operation and move to China! - I've always wondered what would happen if someone listened to you. 010313 -- I'm a bit suspicious about you calling in sick yesterday on a Monday, Alice. - GLAH! - Luckily I had lots of optional guts. 010314 -- I'm safe from your germs, Alice. You can sneeze all you want. - AHH... - 010315 -- I'm promoting you to president of our dot-com subsidiary. - Your job is to fire everyone. - Would I get a raise? How does a billion shares of stock sound? 010316 -- Dilbert: Dot-Com CEO We have no profit now and we never will. You're all laid off. - Does anyone know what laid off means? It must be a compliment. - You're pretty laid off yourself, dude. Want a hit of this? 010317 -- Dogbert't Tech Support Your mousepad is incompatible with your operating system. - Try rebooting the mousepad. If that doesn't work, I'll call you back. - How will you know? I'll watch you through your monitor. 010318 -- Get approval from marketing. - doom - I REJECT YOUR PATHETIC PLAN - Do you have any interest in knowing what the plan is? doom - Not unless you're proposing to smite my enemies. - I prefer to call them customers. And yes, they'll take it in the 010318 -- shorts. doom - As an added inducement I will give you this cool little cloud of doom. doom - I'm going to staple you to my sales projections. doom 010319 -- We need to reduce staff by twenty. - Here's a list of peopler you've a-l-m-o-s-t worked to death. - I have another project for you...uh...Ted. 010320 -- I hope she's home. beep boop beep - If you'd like to take me to Paris, press one. If you are inviting me to a lousy movie, press two. - I've got a bad feeling about this. beep 010321 -- I like take-charge men who just say, "c'mon, we're going someplace." - C'mon, we're going to the bowling alley! - Tht's the dumbest idea I've ever heard. I think I see how this works. 010322 -- You don't give your opinion on anything. Are you spineless? - Maybe you create an environment in which giving an opinion is an invitation to unnecessary pain. - GREAT! YOU'RE MAKING ME CRY IN PUBLIC!! 010323 -- We can't show these numbers to our VP. They make us look like loosers. - Find something we're doing well and give him those numbers instead. - Wow! Our internal subterfuge is up eighty percent! 010324 -- We try to retain our best employees by giving them "golden handcuffs." - The rest of you will experience our other program, the one I call "prickly panties." - Then he gave me a huge bowl of candy. Hey, they cut our dental plan again! 010325 -- Tina, I have to give you a performance review of "poor" because you did no work this year. - NO WORK? - I wrote hundreds of technical documents this year! - I worked seventy hours a week! - I e-mailed every one of the documents to you... - 010325 -- ...with instructions to forward them with your approval to the end users. - That reminds me: I don't know how to open attachments. - Why didn't you tell me you never got my documents? Who are you? 010326 -- Do you have any advice for my job interview? - Try juggling the items on the desk. It will make you seem confident. - Sorry 010327 -- Ratbert, I have good and bad news. - The good news is I'm starting up a power utility company and you're my new VP of operations! - The bad news is that your office is inside a wheel attached to a generator. 010328 -- Bob, I'm starting a power utility company. - You'll be my director of marketing. Your job is to increase revenue. - Normally I'm an herbivore, Billy, but when the lights go off... 010329 -- Buy your electricity from the Dogbert Power Company. - We generate all of our power with the help of California Environmentalists. - These are getting harder to find lately. 010330 -- ...and so you agree that the delays are your fault? yeh. - I WON THE MEETING!! - Only a sore looser would trip someone on his victory lap. He is so-o-o immature. 010331 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director ...and I have five years experience as a dot-com president. - You're in luck. We need someone who can burn trhough twenty million dollars without making a profit. - Really? The last nine interviewers said the same 010331 -- thing but they were joking. 010401 -- Would you like to join me for a hardening? What's that? - A hardening is when an employee is given more work than his central nervous system can handle. - His whole body suddenly goes stiff. I'm in. - I've been ripening Asok all month. purr 010401 -- purr - So much work...no time. - Asok, I have another assignment for you. GAAA!!! - I heard a hardening. Get the apathy cream. - He'll be okay when the apathy sinks in. We forgot the air hole. 010402 -- Why aren't you signed up for the 401K? - I'd never be able to run that far. - I did a 10K wheelchair race once. The guy who pushed me still has whip marks. 010403 -- Which assignment is the highest priority? - Is it the totally worthless one or the other totally worthless one? - I hope I'm empowered to make that decision. Hope is a double-edged sword. 010404 -- They can make me work in a little box, but they can't crush my spirit. - Our ISO9000 coordinator died of boredom. You'll have to do his job plus yours. - And one of the quality assurance guys is looking pale... 010405 -- Wow! I've been selected for the "Who's Incredible" list! - For seventy-five dollars I can buy a leather-bound book with my name in it! - Ha! And people said I was to gullible to be a success! "Dear Occupant" 010406 -- I'm bringing my copy of "Who's Incredible" to my high school reunion. - If anyone asks how I'm doing, I'll casually open the book and point to my name. - I got rich selling a book called "Who's Incredible" to gullible people. 010407 -- High School Reunion I started with nothing. Now I have my own cubicle. - Say, now that we're both adults, would you like to...you know? Yes. - I've got to be more specific. 010408 -- Did you call me here to punish me? - No, no, Asok. I want you to manage our annual business plan process. - How do I do that? - First, you beg your co-workers for information about their budget needs. - Half of them will give you lies. The 010408 -- other half will ignore you, thus underscoring your unimportance. - Then you'll combine the lies and guesses into a worthless ball of data for senior management. - Then our CEO will make budget decisions based on magazine articles. - How bad was 010408 -- the punishment? Worse than I expected. 010409 -- We've discovered oil in the Elbonian Wildlife Preserve. - Don't worry about the endangered species. Our drilling will have no impact. - Oops 010410 -- I'm sad to report that our oil drilling has caused the extinction of the Elbonian unicorn. - Save a sample of the animal's DNA so we can clone a new one. - Don't finish that. 010411 -- Our oil wells in the Elbonian Wildlife Preserve have caused the extinction of seven species. - Luckily, they were useless species who did nothing but eat and grunt. - mm...mm...mm... 010412 -- You're ruining the pristine beauty of Elbonia! - This is a picture of pristine Elbonia. - ...and then you said, "it doesn't matter if we see it first." Then I said... 010413 -- Due to a tight labor market and increasingly complicated tasks... - Harder and harder jobs will be staffed with dumberand dumber employees until the logical limit. - This meeting. 010414 -- Your user requirements include four hundred features. - Do you realize that no human would be able to use a product with that level of complexity? - Good point. I'd better add "ease to use" to the list. 010415 -- What is your most valuable asset? - Employees? HEE! - Your most valuable asset is rampant ignorance. - For example, you would never start a project if you knew how much it would really cost. - Employees stay here because they don't know there 010415 -- are better jobs across the street. What? - Customers buy your products because they don't know about all the bugs. Good point. - I recomment wearing trash cans on your heads to avoid any accidental exposure to knowledge. - Did he tell you he 010415 -- was a consultant? He said he was selling trash cans. 010416 -- How about mandatory lunchtime meetings? On the subject of worktime balance! - HIGH FIVE!!! - Uh-oh. He's been high-fiving Catbert again. 010417 -- My cubicle is sucking the life force out of me. - I mean, it always has, but it seems like it's happening faster now. - They noticed. LifeSuck 3000 010418 -- What's the worst thing that could happen? - Our beta product could turn into an evil robot that annihilates the galaxy. - Apparently I don't know what "worst" means. 010419 -- I believe there is one true soul mate for every person. - He must be very busy. I meant one per erson. - Your way would be stupid. Can your soul mate be a monkey? 010420 -- Our company values are trust, integrity and teamwork. - For the first time in my life I feel the warm glow of unconditional love! - You're under a heating vent. Oh...well. That's good too. 010421 -- I must keep in mind our company's core values of trust, integrity and teamwork. - May I borrow your chair? Okay. - What are you selling on E-Bay? 010422 -- Why don't you try using a wireless fiber multipage? - Well, first of all, no such thing exists. - If it did exist, it would surely be the wrong solution for a software bug. - And there's no extra money in our budget for hardware. - yawn It 010422 -- would take six months to write a business case and get funding. - Then our I.T. people would refuse to install it because it's not an approved vendor. - Do you have a better idea? Yes. I just fixed it. - Do you think you can hold the fort while 010422 -- I go coach someone else? 010423 -- Now for the weekly Wally report. - Wally struggled to maintain his morale despite the niety percent drop in his stocl options. - Then he remembered that someone lost much, much more than he did. 010424 -- The key to success is to remain optimistic even when you fail. - What's the point of succeeding if failing feels good? - I'll read another page of that magazine atricle tomorrow and get back to you. 010425 -- Maybe I can stave off the boredom by imagining my co-workers naked, - AAAGH! NO-O-O-O! - No more donuts for you. Hey, don't even kid about that. 010426 -- I downsized Ted and outsourced his important job functions. - I'd like you to do all of his unimportant job functions. - Why do we do unimportant things? Because we can! 010427 -- It feels like everyone in the world is lying to me. - Congress is lying about the budget, stock analysts are lying about their recommendations, my boss is lying... - This therapy stuff is scientifically proven to work, right? It's 100% 010427 -- effective. 010428 -- Do you have a good job? It depends on what you mean by good. - If you consider the decline of my stock options, I work sixty hours a week for nothing. - Hey, look at the time. My boss thinks I work eighty hours. Hee hee hee! 010429 -- Our industry is in a slump. We need to make changes. - Our current management style could be described as paternal. - Our new management style doesn't have a name yet. - Ooh ooh! I have a suggestion. - The new management style could be called 010429 -- "We hate our employees." - Not bad. - I need a volunteer with our "back to the nineties" kick-off. - How is this like the nineties? Stop wiggling. 010430 -- My next generation Internet project is right on schedule. - It'll be done sometime in the next generation. - If you know any cute single women with low standards, it would really help 010501 -- A happy Dilbert prepares to go home after a long day in the cubicle. - Too late! The six o'clock horror is upon him! GAAA!!! - In your workspace no one can hear you scream. What was that. Just keep walking. 010502 -- A nigerian banker needs my help getting thirty million dollars out of his country! - All I need to do is give him my bank information by E-Mail and I'll get a ten percent commission! - Dear Gustava, my bank is a tube sock that fell behind the 010502 -- dryer. 010503 -- I think we have snails in the office. - There's a slime trail on everything. - That might be the second sign that I'm addicted to hand lotion HAND LOTION 010504 -- Why are our software expenses higher than marketing's software expenses? - For the same reason that monkeys don't wear watches. - An hour later Does it involve fur in any way? 010505 -- Try rebooting your computer. - - Thanks. I feel much better now. 010506 -- The Too Helpful Guy Dilbert, meet the new guy. - Do you like cheese, Dilbert? Um...yes, I guess so. - I'll send two truckloads of parmesan cheese to your house! - Thanks...but I don't need that much cheese. - Message received! I'll send you 010506 -- some bread and a fondue set too. - Here are two tickets to the "world-o-cheese" exhibition in Wisconsin. - Your new nickname will be "Cheeseboy" to reflect your weird obsession. - Hi, I'm Wally. Wally, do you like leather products? 010507 -- Someone threw a computer off the roof and killed our biggest customer. - We plan to replace him with a lookalike who will continue buying from us. - Hey, that's Willy from the club of people who look exact like me. 010508 -- You'll impersonate our dead customer and make large purchases from us. - I've never done anything like this before. - It's called "work." Am I doing it right? 010509 -- Wally's in jail for impersonating a dead person. - He'll have to use all of his street smarts to survive. - I'll need some temporary tattoos? Which way is the gift shop? 010510 -- Wally's in jail. Can you help get him out? - Tell him to try the door. The guards only pretend to lock them. - But I'd have to say it was the lifers who were the most embarrassed. 010511 -- Wally, now that you have a criminal record, I can't let you work on anything important. - I don't have a criminal record. I gave the police a fake name. - You might notice a change in the quality of your assignments. 010512 -- There aren't enough friendly people to fill our call center jobs. - All we can find are angry people who refuse to put their telephone headset microphones near their mouths. - No, I'm sure the problem is on your end. 010513 -- Carol, your overall performance rating is "good." - Aaag! Good is bad! What did I do to deserve this humiliation. - Well, you gave me six hundred phone messages that said, "It might have been Bob." - You can't tell me that none of them were 010513 -- from a Bob! - You arranged for all of my flights to have connections in war zones. - Excuse me for trying to save the company some money. - You held a press conference to announce that I was the parkside strangler. - And he refuses to take any 010513 -- responsibility for giving me vague objectives. 010514 -- Carol, screen my calls and don't let any salespeople through. - Hello, I'm a huge customer or perhaps a childhood friend of your boss. - Give me some flirting and you're in. Is it hot here or is it just you? 010515 -- Carol, why do you keep putting sales people through to me? - I'm taking bribes to supplement my income. It's a natural extension of empowerment. - I sense some micromanagement brewing. 010516 -- Carol, you can't keep accepting bribes from sales people who want access to me. Bad! - Didn't a vendor recently take you on a golf trip to Vegas? - That is so-o-o different. Let's compare price sheets. 010517 -- Do you feel guilty about taking bribes from vendors? - No. Do you feel guilty getting paid to walk around with a coffee cup? - I need to get a bigger cup so it looks harder. 010518 -- Thanks for taking me to dinner. You're a terrific conversationalist. - With you it's so easy. - I discovered that I can write code in my head while you complain about your job all night. 010519 -- My date complained about her life all night long! - But I complain about just *one* thing and she calls *me* a looser. - Did you complain about her personality? That's *one* thing! 010520 -- This is Jittery Jeff. He needs counseling. - I put him in a cubicle at the end of abusy aisle near a doorway. - Now he's jittery because he thinks people are always looking over his shoulder. - Leave him here. I'll counsel him up. - Relax. 010520 -- Jittery Jeff...it's okay now. - RELAX relax relax relax - AAAGH!! SOMEONE IS BEHIND THE DOOR!! - Counseling is mostly instinct. 010521 -- I'm meeting a vendor for drinks tonight. He says it's the only time he has to answer my questions. - If that works, please let us know. - What do you mean "works"? And who is "us"? It's already working! 010522 -- A vendor invited me for drinks. It's the only time he has to talk about his product. - He's the old bait-lube-and-switch trick. That's how I got my first and third wives. - I don't understand. That's why it's works. 010523 -- This is strictly business, right? We're going to talk about your company's product. - I'll bet I can chug more Chardonnay than you can. - You're a hanshum man and so ish your twin bruver. BURP 010524 -- I'm dating an unattractive man. What should I do? - Every man is ugly until a woman fixes him up. Think of it as a project. - Next, lose the combover, or at least stay out of the wind. How'd you know about the combover? 010525 -- The Boyfriend Project I'm putting you in turtlenecks and jeans. - You don't like to fish anymore. Now you're training for marathons. - WHAA! WHAA! You can only cry at movies. 010526 -- The Boyfriend Project You're making good progress. - I'm ready to be seen with you in public. But don't do any talking. - ...and that's why I think there should be a nobel prize for wrestling. I said... 010527 -- ...and that's why I recommend using this vendor. - Why don't we use our internal developers? - Let me explain how this will play out. - Step one: we select an outside vendor because our internal developers are clueless weasels. - Step two: We 010527 -- sign a contract and begin work. - Step three: Our internal weasels complain to our VP and she orders us to use them. - Step four: The outside vendor sues us while our weasels grunt out steaming mounds of worthless code. - Do I plan too much? Is 010527 -- this the conversation we practiced yesterday? 010528 -- Dilbert, I'd like you to meet incredulous Ed. - No matter what question you ask him, he'll react as if you're inventing words. - Do you have a family? Do I have a WHAT?? 010529 -- Incredulous Ed Ed, do you have the lates budget numbers? - Budget??? What is a "budget"? and why in the world would I have one? - Because you're the budget manager. Here you go. 010530 -- I found the ultimate tool for the mobile professional. - It's a combination PDA, phone, pager, digital camera, fax, e-mail, laptop and shredder. - It clips right into my belt! 010531 -- Carol, order an extra battery for my mobile technology platform. - Do you want the one that straps to your back or the one with its own wheelbarrow? - I think I just lost a lung. 010601 -- I can't give you a raise because you don't ask enough questions in meetings. - Questions show that you care about your job and have a thirst for knowledge. - Who else likes wood? 010602 -- We should read the set-up instructions. - Alice, a true engineer never reads the set-up instructions. - It says to keep it away from any sluping sounds. GAAA!! 010603 -- I'm sorry, Brian. I need to fire all my consultants to save money. - Who will do your highly technical work? - You can transfer your knowledge to Flossie. Hi. - What's with the hand? Do you want to borrow my pencil? - Um...no. This is an 010603 -- invitation to shake hands. It's a greeting ritual. - OUCH!! BRAIN OVERLOAD!! IT'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION!! - PURGE! PURGE! PURGE! - Where am I? I need to raise my rates. 010604 -- What's the lowest ratio of work-to-gabbing that is still considered "work"? - I'd have to say one-in-eight, maybe one-in-nine. Sounds right. - Does talking about work count as work? Well...I'm not enjoying it. 010605 -- We're cutting back on advertising to boost earnings. - Um...excuse me. I'll be right back. Me too. - We got another mass exodus doorway jam. 010606 -- This will be your new motto... - Dance like it hurts. Love like you need money. - Work when people are watching. - You can't assign mottos to me. You'd better read our contract. 010607 -- Our contract clearly states that I can give you nicknames, mottos and political preferences. - I demand a new contract based on the fact that I didn't read this one before I signed it. - Too bad. Skippy. You're a communist now. 010608 -- Did you look an my travel request? Not yet. - Assume it's approved unless I tell you otherwise. - It's too bad that being useless isn't an olympic sport. 010609 -- Blah blah blah blah I'm trapped in my own cubicle. - Maybe I can gnaw off my arm to escape. - And that worked? People don't stick around when you gnaw on your arm. 010610 -- Defective Co-Workers Hall of Fame Parrot Man - Your idea won't work. The components are too close. They will overheat. - Let me explain something to you, Dilbert. - These components will overheat. They are much too close. - The reasons involve 010610 -- heat and something I call "proximity." - GAAA!!! I don't have time to explain all the details. - You take everything I say and explain it back to me like I'm a moron! - Excuse me, but I hear a clicking sound and feel compelled to eat a 010610 -- sunflower seed. 010611 -- I expect everyone to work sixteen hours a day. - It seems like that would make us tired. - Wouldn't that make you tired? I wasn't listening. 010612 -- Leaving at seven? - All of my work is done. Then get some more work. - That would make my life an exercise in futility. Exercise is good for you. 010613 -- It looks like someone is leaving early. - I started at 5 A.M. and I've already worked eighty hours this week. So? - I have a doctor appointment for...female... NO DETAILS! GO GO GO!!! 010614 -- I'm running out of new things to say. - I'll have to start repeating myself just to fill the airtime. - You could let other people talk. So, anyway, I'm running out of new things to say. 010615 -- ...and incrementally develop a time-to-market benchmark framework... spoink - THIS MEETING STOLE TWO HOURS OF MY LIFE!!! - Did that help? Yeah, I'm good for another hour. 010616 -- I designed a product that could fill a gaping hole in the market. - But thanks to the miracle of teamwork it turned into a product with no actual features. - In phase three I fantasized about my co-workers being eaten by squirrels. 010617 -- We found a bug in our software. - It searches your E-Mail address book for your mother's name. - Every sunday it uses your E-Mail to send her a message... - ...comparing her face with various parts of animals. - Do you have any hard data that 010617 -- proves we should fix the bug? - We can't throw money at every problem. It's your mom. - YOU MISERABLE **%#@!!! - see what I mean? No. I get this call every day. *#%!* 010618 -- I told them you would be at the meeting on monday morning. - What??? That means I have to travel all day sunday. You're stealing my life! - Then he said he'd reschedule if I had social plans. Ouch 010619 -- We overbooked. But I can give you the co-pilot's seat if you know how to fly a 747. - Um...yeah, okay. I can fly a 747. - Should I do something? Beats me. I'm a chiropractor. 010620 -- The room costs five dollars per night. - The mini-bar has a a motion detector; you'll be charged three hundred dollars every time you get within eight feet of it. - It's going to be a long night. 010621 -- I'm not a loser who can't get a date. I'm a business traveller. - What's your girl-friend's name? I'll call her and check out your story. - Maybe I should order. Maybe you should. 010622 -- Give me $35 worth of food, including your 15% tip. - If I bring you a penne pasta, will you promise to not build a log cabin on your plate? - I can't promise that. Well then, we have a situation here. 010623 -- DOGBERT! I'M HO-O-OME! - I'll be right there. I have to sign the temp's sheet. - If you're ever interested in a permanent position, give me a call. 010624 -- GAAA! E-Mail is down! - Don't panic...think...how would the ancients handle this? - I've got combustible materials...I can start some sort of fire. - E-Mail is down...hold me. - I'll keep my arms straight out so I don't seem to eager. - This 010624 -- might be the least satisfying hug of my entire life. - E-Mail is working again. - So, dou you want to have some coffee? Sure! I'll be doing my E-Mail. Just drop it off. 010625 -- Per marketing request, I did an O.R.D. for the B.G.G. that resulted in a O.R.B. - Then I discovered that marketing uses those acronyms for different things. Their version doesn't require nudity, just to pick one example. 010626 -- I've decided to become a perfectionist. - That way I'll have more reasons to hate people. - Your rock is eroding wrong. 010627 -- We're having a meeting to discuss employee retention. - Tell them that employees quit because thare are too many useless meetings. - We won't be getting into reasons at the first meeting. 010628 -- We need to do more with less. - I propose that we work smarter while broadening our focus. - Wally, that doesn't mean anything. Well, excuse my leadership. 010629 -- Carol, I need you to fill in for our receptionist today. - Remember, you will be the face of our company, the first impression for visitors. - If anyone offers you food, don't eat it. 010630 -- Hey, come to this meeting, I need some bodies. - I don't want to be outnumbered by marketing. - Hi. He's on our side. 010701 -- I need your approval to buy a computer. Eh! Eh! - There's afreeze on the capital budget. Only our CEO can approve it. - Could you ask him to... Eh! Eh! - I don't want to be known as the guy who always asks for things. - Maybe you could assemble 010701 -- a computer from components that are each within my approval limit. - What's your approval limit? Ten dollars. - If you need me, I'll be in my cubicle, banging my head against the wall. - This is why I keep them in soft-walled containers. THUD 010701 -- THUD THUD 010702 -- I spend all day writing code for another company while it looks like I'm doing my job here. - Crime pays and it also has an excellent benefits package. - Are you eating my sandwich? I'm saving mine for dinner. 010703 -- Here's my cost estimate. I'll start the job on monday. - When I say "monday," I am referring to the service industry's space-time continuum. - I'm not supposed to show you this, but check out our calendar. No Mondays. 010704 -- My invention will let me search the service industry's space-time continuum. - Plumber, roofer, carpenter, electrician. - Weren't you supposed to fix my furnace in 1991? You're my next house. 010705 -- I got the roof off. I'll be back next week to finish. - What if it rains? Then I'll work indoors. - My house will be ruined. I can't control the weather. 010706 -- I hope it doesn't rain until my roof gets shingled. - Why don't you use your personal chaos-driven climate control apparatus to control the rain? - I...uh...don't have one. - You can use mine. Just reset the randomizer when you're done. 010707 -- I'm thinking about growing a unibrow. - - Maybe we should rethink our ban on work-related conversation during lunch. please 010708 -- They must be talking about the layoffs. - I'd like to be a fly on that wall. - POOF! - Great...the one time I get my wish... - Let's focus on our priorities and make rational budget decisions. - HA HA HA HA HA - Back to reality. I'll fire Ted; 010708 -- he creeps me out. Who else do we hate? - Hey, my donut is getting eaten by the world's ugliest fly! bonanza! 010709 -- You're understaffed and overworked. - So I hired a stress counselor and another manager to glare at you. - Relax...deep breaths...there... 010710 -- From now on I'll be managing by exception. - If I don't talk to you for months, assume you're doing a good job. - ...or that your project isn't important...or I don't remember your name. 010711 -- It needs to be so easy that your mother could use it. - My mother isn't a moron. Maybe we could use your mother as the test. - What makes you think my mother is a moron. She fed you. 010712 -- Frankly, the job is a real no-brainer. - Your resume is a blank piece of paper; I like a man who can be brief. - You're ruining my donut experience. 010713 -- I heard a rumor that there might be layoffs on Friday? Is this true? - Absolutely not. No way. Nope. Negatory. No, no, no, no, no. - Great. Can I take off friday? Monday would be better. 010714 -- Layoff Planning Let's fire all the people who give us the creeps... - ...all the people with excessive nose hair and anyone who insists on being called "doctor." - You've got a five-minute meeting on friday, Doctor Wolfington. 010715 -- ...and that way we'll save money on each unit we build. - Let's try that ideay with our VP. - Wow. Great idea. Who thought of it. - Well, I have to admit... - It's one of my better ideas. - Must...control...fist of death. Sometimes I'll just be 010715 -- standing there... - Gaaa!! And pow! Something hits me. - Thank you. I tried to control it, but I couldn't. 010716 -- My life has no purpose. Scratch my back. - Are you saying the purpose of life is service to others? Okay. - It does make me feel useful. I think we both found something that works. 010717 -- Our lives are pathetic. We do nothing but eat, work and sleep. - Eat, work, sleep...eat, work, sleep...eat, work, sleep. - Great - I just finished lunch and you're making me hungry! 010718 -- If I use the speakerphone it will annoy my co-workers. - Luckily for me, I'm a sociopath. - Two things: You're a bit loud...and you're eating my lunch. It's delicious. 010719 -- PRESS ONE TO HEAR... Why are you using your speakerphone for voice-mail? - I mean, seriously, what is going through that socially defective brain of yours? - Would you like to have dinner? Yeah, why not. 010720 -- The Sociopath Tipping is optional so I never do it. - Um...have you eaten here before? - Here's some bread. 010721 -- You're a total sociopath, Ron. I like that in a man. - OH YES, RIFLE THROUGH MY PURSE! YES! YES! YES! - Call me? Sure. But you'd better wait by the phone; I only ring once. 010722 -- Yesterday I needed to ask Dilbert a question but I couldn't find him. - From now on, each of you must inform Carol of your whereabouts at all times. - I'll be wandering around with my coffee cup. - If I find a newspaper I'll take a break in 010722 -- marketing's luxurious rest facilities. - Then I'll stop by the cute intern's cubicle to do some flirting. - I stand in her doorway so she can't escape. I think I'm making progress. - I'm becoming immune to pepper spray. - I cancelled your 010722 -- stupid policy. 010723 -- Mony, you're not growing into your job as quickly as I hoped. - So I signed you up for an accelerated evolution program. They pack a million years into a two-day class. - Hurry up! We've already lost the opposable thumbs module; let's not loose 010723 -- fire too. 010724 -- Evolution Training Some of you will not make it through the class. - May I move to a different seat? - Sure...ops. Problem solved. Carl, don't leave that where someone will slip on it. 010725 -- Evolution Training Zoltar is a graduate of this class. He will demonstrate speed evolving. - Unh...errr...hoo...ahh... - I hope you're staring at my new sideburns. 010726 -- By the end of my two-day evolution class I had one surviving student. - He's probably the cockies squirrel I've ever seen. Toward the end he weighed three thousand pounds. - If you asked me who's the unluckiest person in the world, I'd have to 010726 -- say it was the janitor. 010727 -- The company did well so you get a bonus despite the fact that you did no work all year. - I'd fire you but I can't replace you because there's a hiring freeze and I don't want to shrink my empire. - This might be a hand-shaking situation but I 010727 -- don't know where your hand has been. Off you go. 010728 -- I've been trapped in my office for three days! Didn't you hear me scream? - I used my staple remover to claw through the side wall! - Your door is a pull, not a push. Get me bigger staple remover just to be safe. 010729 -- The power supply in our product overheats. - I think they might burst into flames. - I'm no engineer but obviously it could level a whole city. - The military application is obvious. POW!! - How much do they cost? - Does ten million dollars 010729 -- sound too much? - For that kind of money I expect a free hammer! And a consulting job when I retire. - If an uninhabitated atoll doesn't blow up tomorrow you're in big trouble. 010730 -- The Angry Dumb Guy If anyone wants my opinion... - ...I'll beat it out of me! - I want your opinion. Oh yeah? Let's see if I have one! 010731 -- The exit Interview What would you say is your main reason for leaving? - I can't stand working for an unethical weasel. - Yep, personal problems. I'm glad that we collect this helpful data. 010801 -- Carol, order a new chair for me. The old one lost its new chair smell. - Can I have your old chair? My chair doesn't roll anymore. - I'll try to say this tactfully: you're not important enought to sit in my smelly chair. 010802 -- Teamwork is nature's way of identifying the weak. - The strong, such as myself, put all of our energy into perpetuating our genes. - Now this is when you usually try to put a negative spin on everything. 010803 -- Okay...I think we're done here. Lots of work to do. Busy, busy, busy. - I'll talk to you later. Have a nice day. Bye-bye. Thanks. - Looks like someone took root in your cubicle. Bye-bye. 010804 -- We've had a rash of thefts. Be on the lookout for anyone who acts suspicious. - Can we cut this meeting short? The posters in the break room got me all motivated! - THEN WHY ARE THEY THERE?!! 010805 -- Carol, take this list of key employees to Catbert. - I don't see my name on here. Should I write it in? - Um...no. You're not a key employee. - WHAT?! ARE YOU INSANE?!! IF *I'M* NOT KEY, WHO IS? - Do you think this list can walk to the 010805 -- H.R. department on its own? - Well, I could put it in an interoffice envelope and mail it. - Basically, you have the same job as an envelope. - Why do I need to downsize these employees? Because they're fun*key*, just like it says. 010806 -- How can you write reviews of movies you haven't seen? Easily. - "Throw away your Picasso paintings. 'Night of the Living Squirrel' is the only art you'll ever need." - How much is the studio paying you? Dang...too obvious. 010807 -- Hello...yes, I'd like to buy a rave review for my new movie. - Can you afford "suspenseful thrill ride" or would you like something more in the "delightful" price range. - I'm releasing it on New Year's day; can you give me a price for 010807 -- "Best comedy so far this year"? 010808 -- The Clean Desk Award goes to Wally. - Maybe Wally can share some tips on keeping our desks clutter-free. - I usually throw away this sort of thing in the men's room on the way back to the cubicle. 010809 -- Introducing "Morale Money." Now you can earn play money for doing good work. - You can use it at the company store to buy products that have our logo. - The coffee mug costs ten million morale dollars. 010810 -- May I have an ergonomic evaluation of my chair and keyboard? - Asok, work is supposed to hurt. That's how you know you're doing it right. - I can't feel my hands! My whole body is numb! 010811 -- The cure for carpal tunnel is to eat six bananas a day. - That's what I do and I have the hands of a teenager. - Do you have any data to support your medical advice? Does a huge pimple count? 010812 -- You need to give me a decision. - You need to give me more information. - You need to give me funding to do a study to get the information. - You need to give me a business case to justify the funding. - You need to give me relief from my 010812 -- other deadlines so I can work on the funding request. - You need to give me everything to infinity. - I WIN! YES!! - We might be losing our laser-like focus on the customer. On the who? 010813 -- Bob was working for you when he died. The family wants you to say something at his funeral. - I barely knew him. Maybe I can read something from his last performance review. - Bob needs to work on his communication skills...and attendance. 010814 -- Customer Service Find the serial number by pulverizing the case with a hammer. - Are you sure this won't void my warranty? - It's not always about you. 010815 -- I can analyze your employees' handwriting to find out who might steal. - Has handwriting analysis been tested in double-blind scientific studies? - Yes, but the scientists dotted their I's with smiley faces so I know they're liars. Wow! 010816 -- Handwriting Analysis Your handwriting proves that you're a disturbed loner who steals. What? - TAKE THIS THIEF AWAY! - Is this part absolutely necessary? Liberal. 010817 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director The average performance evaluation for your group is too high. - Do you want me to lower their ratings or their actual performance? Whatever. - This is starting to to affect my performance. Why? I'm not touching 010817 -- you. 010818 -- My powers of communication will inspire them to be better employees. - Gaaa!! He's using his powers of of communication against us! - Must work harder for no good reason. We're too late. 010819 -- I can't sleep. Would you tell me a story. - Once upon a time there was a pointy-haired monster. - He promised riches to the villagers if they could achieve his random objectives. - The villagers worked long but they were happy and 010819 -- optimistic. - Suddenly the evial monster cut their funding and hired the village idiot to be project manager. - And that is how the villagers got trapped in meetings for all eternity. The End. - WAAA!! WAAA!! WAAA!! - Rats cry when they 010819 -- hear about my life. It never pays to listen. 010820 -- Each of us must do his part to save energy. - ZZZZZ - I could build a tiny hydrogenerator for his drool. 010821 -- I'm tired of dating attractive men who are dumb and self-centered. - Maybe I can find an intelligent homely guy and clean him up. No!!! - Do you mind if I work in a set with those five-pounders? DON'T DO IT, AMBER! 010822 -- I made a list of all the ways you need to improve in order to keep dating me. - Lose forty pounds, new wardrobe, new haircut, new car, new odor... - But your dog is perfect. How'd that happen? When can you move in? 010823 -- We're such a mismatch that I doubt you'll ever improve yourself all the way to my level. - Maybe I could meet you in the middle by gaining thirty pounds and getting a terrible haircut. - ...knock out a few teeth, wear stained clothes, chew 010823 -- tobacco... 010824 -- I'm dating a beautiful woman. Do you have advice? - A beautiful woman is like a heap of fresh garbage: exciting, myterious and delightful. - Do you have any advice that doesn't compare my girl-friend to garbage? How about compost? 010825 -- Do you mind if I turn off the lights to...um...save energy? I'm green with that. - Mmm...smooch smooch smooch smooch - I came down to meet your new girlfriend but now I think it'll be awkward. 010826 -- Ooh! Ooh! I know how to solve our problem! Not so fast, Asok. - This isn't the solution meeting. This is the process meeting. - Our goal is to develop a process for generating ideas how to solve the problem. - We don't know how to develop 010826 -- processes. Someone should have a meeting about that. - Someone like...a cross-disciplinary swat team in an offsite lockup meeting. - Hmm...good idea. I guess this meeting is over. - You see, Asok. You canonly thwart a meeting by inventing 010826 -- other meetings to act as a firewall.. - Asok, I'm putting you on a cross-disciplinary swat team. 010827 -- My performance exceeds expectations but my pay is based on market averages. - I figure some underachievers are getting the extra money that I earn. - Give me their names so I can go get my money. It's Wally. 010828 -- First, we'll lower costs by offering a retirement package that induces all the smart employees to leave. - Then we'll rewrite our mission statement to make it fit better. - Our new mission statement is, "if you can read this you should 010828 -- have retired by now." Ouch. 010829 -- I've agreed to be in the dunking tank for this year's united charity day. - BONK!! - I don't like lines. 010830 -- I was here all night. Is it okay if I take tomorrow as a comp day? - According to our security video you slept all night on a pile of debris in your cubicle. - Is it just me or is this conversation jumping all over the place? 010831 -- PARTS We don't give out parts anymore. - We're trying to end the vicious circle of reordering. - Would you mind filling out a brief survey of customer satisfaction? 010901 -- I'd like t make a gradual shift out of engineering and into something more administrative. - For example, I could write reports that tell other people how to do their jobs better. - Then I could gradually shift out of writing reports and into 010901 -- something more vegetative. 010902 -- Alice, meet our new sales manager. - He's a pigboy who makes inappropriate comments every five minutes. - Somehow he slipped through our rigorous employment screening process. - Whoa! His five minutes are up. So, Alice. - Inappropriate comment 010902 -- deleted - That was very clever. Now let me try one. - Inappropriate comment deleted - How did you learn to swear like that? I used to date a one-eyed carpenter. 010903 -- ...effective immediately. YES! - AH-OOGA! WOO-HOO! - We can male the severance packages less generous. 010904 -- Profits are down. Our senior management blames the weak economy. - So they're saying that projects went*up* because of great management and *down* because of a weak economy? - These meetings will go faster if you stop putting things in context. 010904 -- sorry. 010905 -- I'm pleased to report that I had no problems this week. - I only had issues, opportunities, challenges and valuable learning experiences. - Did you do any work? It didn't seem necessary. 010906 -- My keyboard is broken. It only types asterisks for passwords. - Dogbert's Tech Support - Try changing your password to five asterisks. - I hope I can remember it. 010907 -- Is there more to life than just working? - Yes, there's also the complaining about work. The nightly periods of unconsciousness and sweet, sweet death. - Maybe I should have kids. To share the joy? 010908 -- Alice, you have to learn how to to take risks. - You mean like quitting this putrid company and going to work someplace better? - Why doesn't anyone understand anything I say? Three o'clock. 010909 -- Do you want to join the lottery pool? No. - No rational person would put money on a billion-to-one longshot. - You will. No, I won't. - I'll bet a hundred dollar that you will. - You're on. - If you don't join the pool, and we win, I will come 010909 -- to your putrid cubicle and do this dance... - Ay-yi-yi, hoo-wah-hoo! I'm filthy rich and you're a loser! HOO-AH HOO-AH!! - Who won the $100 Dilbert pool? Whoever picked thirty seconds. 010910 -- All of our data is grossly inaccurate...but I need data in order to manage. - If I concentrate hard enough I can forget that the data is bad, then I can use it. - I have to give him credit; managing is harder than it looks. 010911 -- I'm being moved to the magic portal, cubicle 45750R! - Everyone who sits in the magic portal gets a better job within six months! - There isn't a cubicle 45750R, is there? The first of layoffs are always the cruelest. 010912 -- Ed, I want you to crosstrain Asok on the accounting system. - And don't worry that you'll lose respect and job security if Asok learns your whole job in one day. - I don't think "accounts receivable" is anexpense. No one has complained yet. 010913 -- Your accounting system is so dysfunctional that the results are meaningless. - How is it possible that no one has noticed? I've always wondered about that. - My payroll expenses are zero again. I'm a management genius. 010914 -- We've negotiated this contract for six weeks and today you double your delivery time? - I can't tell if you're an incredibly devious weasel or simply incompetent. Here's a clue. - poink 010915 -- Hey, we negotiated this deal in englishbut your contract is incomprehensible weaseleze! - My only choices are to sign something I don't understand or get my lawyer involved and miss my deadline! - Ha! Now you're going to heck! Are you hassling 010915 -- my frat brother? 010916 -- Do you want to hear what I'm doing at work? Not so much. - You're supposed to act interested because you're my mother. Well... - I'm not saying you're boring, it's just that everything you talk about is boring. - That's the same as saying I'm 010916 -- boring. Only when you talk. - But you care about me, right? When I hurt, you hurt? - Actually, the electrical impulses in your brain don't fly across the air gap to my brain. - You could be writhing in agony and I wouldn't feel a thing. - Ouch. 010916 -- Air gap. 010917 -- The job market is getting worse every day! Excellent! - Employees will be afraid. Our power to abuse them grows stronger by the minute! - HA HA! STOP DOING THE "EVIL DANCE"! YOU'RE KILLING ME! 010918 -- How's the ol' job market lately? It's pretty bad, isn't it? - So no matter how hard I make you work it's still better than being unemployed. - Who's your leader? Go on, say it. you are. 010919 -- Dogbert Consults It's easy to create a strategy. - Write down everything you do, preceded by the phrase, "increase our market share by..." - What if we change what we do? Call me and I'll sell you some more valuble advice. 010920 -- Could you turn off the music? I can't concentrate. - How about if I turn it down to a level where it still drives you nuts but you're too shy to complain a second time? - Thank you. It might creep up over time. 010921 -- Asok, you're coming with me to an important meeting across the bridge. Important! - My hard work as an intern is paying off. Already I am invited to an important meeting! - Hey, we get the carpool lane! 010922 -- What do you guys think about my new haircut? - It's a gargantuan mistake that will ruin your life. Frighten children and bruise fruit. - I'm all froze up! No one ever asked for my opinion before! 010923 -- I've created a schematic of office politics in my company. Nicely done. - Let's say I want to ruin Ted's carreer... - I could say bad things to Tina about Ted. Tina carpools with Ming and Ming takes yoga classes with Carol. - And Carol is a 010923 -- secretary for Ted's boss, so Ted would be history. - Of course it wouldn't be ethical to test the system. Unless... - ...you use the Phil-Alice-Larry circuit to get Ted rehired. Yup yup. - ...and that's why Ted is worthless. Hey, where's Phil? 010923 -- He quit. - Why do I listen to you? Because of a little thing I call charisma. 010924 -- Look, I have three computers in the house. All three simultaneously lost E-Mail but not Web function. - That means the problem is in your E-Mail service. Can you grasp that concept? - Okay, I'm re-entering my account information...hey, guess 010924 -- what? That didn't work either. 010925 -- I need a brilliant employee to be my assistant manager. - That's why I came to you. - That's the first nice thing... Your job is to clone me. 010926 -- Our pointy-haired boss aked me to clone him. - What if his clone has no soul? - If? If? 010927 -- Yes, the technology to clone you exists, but it's illegal to clone humans. - If the cops find out, we can frame my clone for the crime. - That is so wrong. - Why? He'd do the same thing to me! 010928 -- My boss asked me to clone him. Is that ethical? - You'll either create a soulless abomination or, if the clone is normal, you will have shown that souls are irrelevant. - What if the original is already a soulless abomination? You can borrow my 010928 -- cloner. It's in the truck. 010929 -- Cloning the Boss Will this hurt? - I hope so. - We heard it might hurt. May I push the button? 010930 -- Uh-oh...slow-walking women. - I can't squeeze around. - I'll make footstep noise so they'll notice and move. stomp stomp stomp - It didn't work. They're oblivious slow-walking women! - Time stands still as I wait to take my next step. - Oh 010930 -- no...it's a pair of oblivious slow-walking women. - I'll throw you over the top- Then you open the side door so I can go around. - Third one today. Weird. 011001 -- Cloning the Boss? There's a problem with your clone. - Wally spilled soda on the DNA module. Your clone is one-half horse posterior. - And one half that isn't like you. 011002 -- I'm a clone of your boss? - The procedure didn't exactly work. So you're not so much a human being as you are a... - God? Knickknack. 011003 -- You've got to implement a six sigma program or else you're doomed. - Aren't you the same consultant who sold us the worthless TQM program a few years ago? - I assure you that thos program has a totally, totally different name. When can we 011003 -- start? 011004 -- Six Sigma Consult Every company that used my six sigma program increased profits. - ...except for the ones that were in industry downturns... - ...or flat growth industries...or industries that only upturned a little bit. 011005 -- Six Sigma Consult All of you are selfish and diwitted but don't worry. - I'll teach you a process that will bog you down in meetings so you can't hurt anything. - I can't move my arms! zzz zzz zzz zzz 011006 -- Six Sigma Consult The first step is to identify your problems. - We don't have any problems. What's the second step? - Mus...control...fist. I hope someone gives me a belt. 011007 -- Happy service anniversary, Alice. - We're out of twenty-year pins so I got twenty of the one-year pins. - You can pin these babies all over you blouse...or fishing hat if you prefer. - The card says, "to Kathy" but it was never opened. For some 011007 -- reason she quit the day she got her twenty pins. - Incidentally, I have to charge you $262 for the pins. The company doesn't pay for them. - First of all, I've only worked here for about six years... - Wow, you look older. Anyway, just give me 011007 -- the $262 and throw away eight pins and we'll call it good. - Why are you rolling up your sleeve? Are you going to pin them to your arm? 011008 -- Our CEO has voluntarily slashed his pay from six million per year to four. - In a written statement he said he wants to, "share the pain." - Do you feel better now? I make my own underpants from sandwich bags. 011009 -- Maybe I should become a teacher so I can educate the leaders of tomorrow. - Maybe you should educate the morons of tomorrow so they'll stop believing the leaders of tomorrow. - Maybe I'll just eat this donut and go to work. Do you have any more 011009 --dreams I can crush? 011010 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director Contractors are not allowed to breathe company air, Carl. - This air is for employees only. You need to supply your own air. - Mmmb bmf rmn Hmr! Does anyone understand Carl? Hey! He's using our light! 011011 -- Carl, you're only a contractor. You have to stop using company resources. - Mmn nph hbm mrm! Yes, I know you bring your own air, but you still use our gravity. - Fbm gmp rkr! If it's not too much to ask, could you hover? 011012 -- Anne L. Retentive Anne, I'm going to task you with a deliverable. - GAAA!! TASK IS NOT A VERB!! MY WORLD IS FALLING APART! - Tomorrow I'll ask her to timeline her project. 011013 -- We have discovered the cause of our network outages. LAN - Some idiot is using our network room for meetings and unplugging the server because it is too noisy. - A server is like a waitress, right? Yeah, a noisy one. 011014 -- Carol, if anyone calls, say I'm in a meeting. - What meeting? It doesn't matter. - RRRING #*!*/ vague instructions. - He's at his weekly meeting of "morons anonymous." - It's a long meeting, they usually get into an argument about the 011014 -- definition of "anonymous." - Half of them think it means "angry." then someone throws a chair and its pandemonium. - The whole thing usually ends with a shoe-sniffing contest. - Your mom called. 011015 -- I'd be a good stock market expert. - I'd buy stocks and then go on TV and recommend them so they go up. - What about the fundamentals? It doesn't get more fundamental than that! 011016 -- Stock Market Expert Clip this microphone to your fur. We're live in two. - Make sure my tail is off camera. I'll be recommending stocks I own and that sort of thing makes me wag. - Someday I gotta get honest work. 011017 -- Stock Market Expert ...everyone should buy stock in that company. Sell your house if necessary. - Should we worry that the P/E is 900, your track record is terrible and you only recommend stocks you own? - Well, Ron, as you can see from the 011017 -- one-week chart, this stock only goes up. BUY! BUY! 011018 -- Stock Market Expert If your core holding is a falling knife, you can dollar cost average through the dead cat bounce. - My secret economic model says you should change your cash allocation from 12.4% to 12.3% - My new book is, "if you aren't 011018 -- churning, you aren't learning. Don't come back. 011019 -- We need to have an all-company meeting to talk about the layoffs. - You might get some hostile questions owing to the fact that they found out about the layoffs by reading the newspaper. - No, I've never noticed that I leave a trail of reeking 011019 -- slime wherever I slither. 011020 -- I'll take two more questions about the layoffs...yes, you in the back. - And I'd appreciate it if this question didn't involve my odor, my DNA, or any comparisons to rodents, snakes or weasels. - Never mind. 011021 -- Bad news. - The employees figured out that they won't get raises next year because profits are in the dumps. - And they're being rational about it. - We are free from the tyranny of having to work hard for raises. Ooh-yah! - But there's a 011021 -- delicate balance because we don't want to be downsized. - I figure we can either have attitudes or bad performance but not both. - I think I'll try having a bad attitude. I'm a bad performance man myself. - I just realized that my entire job 011021 -- can be done by guessing. Hey, dip-weed. 011022 -- Ask the trolls in accounting to explain this charge. GAA! - Please don't make me talk to the trolls during budget season! - Next 011023 -- Accounting Trolls I need an explanation for these numbers. - This is budget season so I will spit on your data and send you away. - That doesn't sound too bad. Our bodies are 95% mande of spit. 011024 -- Accounting Trolls Go ahead, Larry. Spit on his data. - PTOO!! - Can I give you a little tour of our department? 011025 -- Tour of accounting Over here we have our random number generator. - Nine nine nine nine nine nine - Are you sure that's random? That's the problem with randomness: you can never be sure. 011026 -- Were you always a troll? No, this happened when I came to accounting. - First my hair fell out. Then I stopped going to the gym. - You have horns and a tail. When I realized I had a look going I just went for for it. 011027 -- So, if all trolls were once people, that means some people are already changing and don't know it. Exactly. - This is the list of people we're waiting for. - I KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW. I think I'm getting pimples on my head. 011028 -- I'm a director of human resources. - So naturally I have to keep up the appearance of being evil. - But if you find it difficult to do evil things? - No, I like that part of the job. Stop jumping ahead, Hag. - My problem is that anytime I see a 011029 -- tiny object fall on the floor, I jump on it and eat it. - Sometine I'm not even hungry and I know it's just a piece of debris but I can't stop myself. - Oops...I misspelled psycho. NO! NOT ERASER DEBRIS! - Who's a hag? #*!! @$& quack 011030 -- Then I noticed that the circuit design looked like a bug. I was going to mention it but then I didn't. - I'M PSYCHIC! - Unless you're saying out loud every thought that crosses your mind. It's called conversation. 011031 -- Asok, I want you to work for the evil director of human resources until his assistant recovers. - From what is he recovering? Is it a cold or perhaps a flu? - He saw so much evil that his soul dissolved and he became a winged demon. 011101 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director We're almost out of kitty litter. - Gather all the resumes we got this week and run them through the shredder. - Shouldn't we be matching these with our openings? - That's what we're doing. 011102 -- Asok Works in H.R. Asok, I want you to handle all the harassment complaints. - And as I left the room I could feel Alice's eyes checking out my caboose. - So...you have psychic powers? My eyes are up here, pal. 011103 -- Asok Works in H.R. If we eliminate vacation days and increase sick days... - Would the employees fall for our trap and make themselves sick to get days off? What?!! - You're in h.r. now. It's okay to be evil. Evil, right. 011104 -- Alice, may I have a word with you? - You're not spending enough time in your cubicle. - It looks as if our department isn't productive. - But...I can't do my job from my cubicle. - You have to set priorities. Looking productive is very 011104 -- important to this department. - Will I get a big raise for looking busy while my projects flounder? - You won't get a big raise either way. - GAAA!!! Here's a blank piece to carry back to your cubicle. 011105 -- We should add this feature to our product to make it more useful. - Are you telling me that not ONE person on earth will use our product without that feature?!! - You changed what I said into a bizarre absolute. Oh, I change EVERYTHING you 011105 -- say?! 011106 -- I signed up for a yoga class. - They say it will help me achieve harmony and balance. - Failing at that, I plan to stare at stretchy women. 011107 -- I've lost two pounds since I signed up for yoga class. - And I never get sick anymore. You haven't had a class yet. - Maybe I'm some sort of yoga prodigy. 011108 -- Wally looks different. - He changed when he started yoga classes. - All I'm saying is that it might not be a "yoga" class. Suspicous you are. 011109 -- We're going to have a "town hall" meeting to improve communication. - But it's not in an actual town hall. And I'll have questions in advance, so it's not a meeting per se. - Who do we give our questions to? I think you'll find that it doesn't 011109 -- matter. 011110 -- Asok, you are the winner of a prestigious award for attendance. - My name is misspelled...as an obscenity. - Typo. Typo? You added four letters!! 011111 -- Ted, I have to downsize you. - Was I doing a bad job? - No, it's more complicated than that. - Is my essential function being eliminated. - No, the problem is that someone in marketing spent too much for a trade show booth. - So every manager 011111 -- had to submit a list of potential cost reductions. - I might have accidentally sent the department phone list as an E-Mail attachment. - There are lots of whiners in "A" through "M." *%!!*@ 011112 -- Our CEO's goal is to improve our revenue per employee. So I'm going to fire you and bring you back as a contractor. - Last week his goal was to reduce the number of contractors. So you cancelled my contract and hired me as an employee. - Well, 011112 -- it looks like someone doesn't like having his cheese moved. 011113 -- Your psychological profile test results are excellent. Can you start Monday? - Monday is fine. I'll read the employee handbook over the weekend. Thank you very much. - The "gentle biker" look is overdone. I'm going for "psycho hillbilly." 011114 -- GAAA!! Hi. It's a pleasur to meet you. - You look like a psycho hillbilly. Thank you very much. - We network design engineers like to dress with a theme. May I call you crazy old coot? 011115 -- I used to be preppy. Then I was a dangerous-looking biker with a heart of gold. - I call my current look the "psycho hillbilly." What's your theme. - This isn't a theme. Oh...sorry, man, I had no way of knowing. 011116 -- I plan to use my raise to move from my home in the handicapped stall to a storage facility. - If you are trying to think of a housewarming gift, I wouldn't say no to a flashlight. - If you need help moving, don't hesitate to call Alice. You are 011116 -- too kind. 011117 -- May I have a day off to move my home? One hour. - What? Why only one hour? I like to negotiate. - I guess I can try doing it in one hour. And you can't use a vehicle. 011118 -- Tina, you didn't use the approved corporate font. - Our corporate communications department says we have to use the Danville font. - No problem. I'll buy the Danville font software today. - There's a budget freeze on software purchases. - 011118 -- So...the Danville font is both mandatory and prohibited? - Remind me to ding you for negativity on your next evaluation. - I think I'll do some binge eating and non-stop sobbing at my cubicle now. - Unless that's prohibited too. No eating in 011118 -- cubicles. 011119 -- Dilbert, you're going to Elbonia to shut down our Elbonian mud delivery business. - Meanwhile, I'll tell our stockholders that we expect the mud delivery business to make huge profits. - Um...is this illegal? There's no law against optimism! I 011119 -- checked. 011120 -- I'm supposed to shut down our Elbonian mud delivery business. - But I'm a highly trained engineer so I will analyze their business model and fix it. - They deliver mud to people who live in mud. You have my attention. 011121 -- In Elbonia Can anyone tell me why your mud delivery business is failing? Anyone? - Is it because of the general economic slowdown? Dot-com meltdown? - And maybe because you sell mud to people who live in mud? What if we call it fudge? 011122 -- In Elbonia Our business plan was to sell mud to people who live in mud. - Later we shrewdly expanded our offerings to include pet grooming and lingerie. - Frankly, I blame our ad agency for what happened next. 011123 -- In Elbonia We manufacture our mud using bottled water and bags of fertile soil. - There's a huge demand in my country for bottled water and bags of soil. - Is anyone selling bottled air to you morons yet? 011124 -- In Elbonia I'm authorized to give each of you one dollar of severance pay. - WE'RE RICH!!! - How much were we paying you? Nothing. We were entirely motivated by slogans. 011125 -- I'm happy to announce that we're being acquired by a foreign company. - Don't worry that they'll dominate us. This will be a merger of equals. - Expect that they make money and we don't. - And their CEO will lead the combined company. - And 011125 -- every one of them is a giant. - And they've developed their latent psychic abilities so they can cause pain from a distance. - GAAA!! I'M SORRY I SAID TOO MUCH! YOU ARE MY MASTER!! - Are you worried? Nah. If they read my mind, they'll all go 011125 -- blind. 011126 -- I'm going to start an airline that has no planes. - I'll take people's money and make them sit in a crowded room whie ex-cons steal from their luggage. - What happens when your customers realize you have no airplanes? I call that "mechanical 011126 -- difficulties." 011127 -- Dogbert Airlines I've been waiting for 35 hours. Are you sure my flight exists? - According to my computer your flight is delayed by weather. - What kind of weather? Our planes can't handle direct sunlight. 011128 -- Dogbert Airlines Attention travellers! Our hub at the south pole is experiencing permafrost. - Please form a primitive society and live in the terminal forever. - The good news is that you'll earn six "Dogbert Miles" that can be used on the 011128 -- 35th of every month. 011129 -- Congressional Hearings Your airline is accused of providing inhumane service. How do you respond? - Sometimes I wag and sometimes I hold up my paw and say, "Bah!" BAH! - You're not allowed to say Bah. Take it back. hab 011130 -- Okay, let me think aloud for a minute. - The cost will be $3000...loosing focus...monkeys are funny...my tongue is disgesting in my mouth. - That didn't help as much as I had hoped. 011201 -- I'm fired?!! Now I can't pay my rent! - Would it be okay if I lived here in my cubicle? I don't see why not. - Can I have fires and become a cannibal? Well, I might regret this later... 011202 -- When should we do the layoffs? - Experts say that Friday is the cruelest day of the week to fire people. - So let's do it Friday. - Friday is our employee appreciation day. - AH-AH AH-WOOO!!! - What was that? You don't want to know. - 011202 -- Congratulations on being named employee of the month. - Now...you know how some months are shorter than others? AH-AH WOOO!! 011203 -- My accomplishments for the week include scheduling a meeting. - But some people were using the conference room so we milled around and gave up. - You could have used another room. What part of "gave up" is confusing you? 011204 -- Carol, reserve the conference room every day for the next year in case I need it. - You're too late. Some other sociopath had the idea and beat you to it. - I hate being the slowest sociopath. 011205 -- I can teach you to manage your time more efficiently. - Put all of your high priorities on one list and your low priorities on another. - Then do everything on both lists even if it kills you, otherwise you're a freakin' loser. 011206 -- Thank you, but I can only accept gifts under $25. How much is this? $26. - Well, thanks anyway. Rules are rules. - You're very nice for a salesperson. But how much is this worth? $26. Why? 011207 -- The great thing about free speech is that I can criticize the government. I'd fire you. - I mean outside of work. I'd fire you for that too. - May I express enjoyment of my pastry? Sure. It's a free country. 011208 -- You need to hire people who won't be a threat to you. - The Dogbert Recruitment Agency specializes in the placement of clueless people with bad hair. - I don't know...they still look threatening. Perhaps I can interest you in our cadaver 011208 -- program. 011209 -- I call it the teamwork football. - Each of you will carry the ball with you for one day to symbolize your commitment to teamwork. - Who wants to be first? - Not me. I have a meeting with customers today. - I'm on vacation. I only came in for 011209 -- coffee. - Not in a trillion years. - Maybe you could keep it in your desk drawer to symbolize our commitment to teamwork. - I should have used a golf ball. 011210 -- We've hired the world's most innovative design firm. - We'll observe their successful methods and steal them for our own. Heh heh heh. - Maybe their secret is hiring smart people. I'm hoping it involves easels. 011211 -- Creativity Exercise Team one made a device that converts air to electricity. - Team two used their hour to create a missile defense layer. clap clap - Team three, do you need more time? It's a scissors holder! 011212 -- Everyone grab an odd-shaped piece of foam and sit down. - We'll continue the design process by pointing to these brainstorm notes and making insightful observations. - The notes are all yellow. Sweet jeepers!!! You're all engineers! 011213 -- Creative Design Each team has one hour and build a mock-up using these common materials. - Question: doesn't this sort of exercise usually get dominated by the worst team member? - Don't worry. We can just ignore Alice's suggestions. 011214 -- Our copier is boken. May I use yours? Only if you use our own paper. - I just need one copy and my office is about a mile away. Don't make me unleash the hound. - That's a hound? Technically he's a web designer in a tight labor market. 011215 -- Who called this meeting? We thought you did. - I think we should discuss issues and assign tasks so it's not a complete waste of time. - Maybe meetings have become a lifeform capable of calling themselves and thus reproducing via human hosts. 011215 -- good issue. wow! 011216 -- Is it okay if I work from home one day a week? - How would I know you were working? - How do you know I'm working when I'm *here*? - When you're here I know you're unhappy and that's the same thing as work. - What if I invent a hideously 011216 -- uncomfortable hat to wear when I'm working at home? - Well...that might be okay. - But it has to be extremely uncomfortable or else it isn't work. - Hee hee! The joke's on him - it isn't that uncomfortable. 011217 -- I'm signing up volunteers to serve food on the homeless on christmas day. - How do you know in advance that they'll be extra hungry on that one day? - Our P.R. firm makes sure they don't get fed for two days before the news crews arrive. 011218 -- According to this survey the compensation here is "competitive." - Competitive means not the highest. So we could get paid more if we worked at another company? - Should we continue working as hard as we can or should we back off to a more 011218 -- competitive level? 011219 -- Wally, you have failed to achieve any of your written objectives. - But by pure chance you achieved all of my hidden objectives. - Here's another project I need smothered with defectiveness. I'm all over it. 011220 -- I want to move you another cubicle but my office moving budget is shot. - So I'm going to transfer you to Elbonia and then back so I can use the relocation budget. - He says the relocation budget is shot you can mail yourself home. 011221 -- I'm starting a petition to end war. Do you want in on this. - Who are you going to give it to? Say what? - I was hoping to sell it. I'll sign it for a dollar. 011222 -- Bob, I hold in my hands the most important document ever created. - It's a signed petition to end war. I expect to win the nobel peace prize for this. - May I have a sip of that? Trade ya. 011223 -- Alice, you need to use your vacation time before the end of the year. - I don't have time. I need to finish my project. - I'm sure that a highly trained engineer like you can find a solution. - Well...I could say I'm on vacation and come to 011223 -- work as usual. - No. I can't count it as vacation unless you're not in the building. - Okay...I could take home my computer and work there. - No...you're not allowed to access our network remotely. - *!f#% worst vacation ever... 011224 -- Sometimes I feel guilty that I'm not doing enough to enhance stockholder value. - Do you ever feel that way? GLUG GLUG GLUG - I'll take that as a no. 011225 -- Dude, why haven't you answered my E-Mail? - Your message was so poorly written that I didn't understand it and I didn't dare to start a dialogue. - Maybe I should have a talk with your boss. Maybe you should E-Mail him. 011226 -- I need your approval for this expense. The equipment is already here and installed. - I left out the description because you wouldn't understand it anyway. - There's a fine line between managing and being totally useless. Luckily it looks the 011226 -- same. 011227 -- If you give a man a fish he will eat for a day. - But if you teach a man to fish he will buy an ugly hat. - And if you talk about fish to a starving man then you're a consultant. 011228 -- Alice, I just sent you an e-mail. - Here's a copy of my message but I'll just tell you what it says. - It says I sent you a voice mail telling you to look for a fax that says I want to talk to you. 011229 -- Alice. All of your hard work-the nights and the weekends - are finally paying off. - We increased our five-year forecast of demand by ten percent! - You changed a wild guess by ten percent? Thanks to you! 011230 -- Dilbert, take care of this. It's urgent. - I can't read your handwriting. What does it say? - I don't have time to answer your questions. - Don't try to call me. I don't return calls. - If you come to my office, I'll be away - And then, like a bad odor on a windy day, the phantom manager vanished. - I think it says. "Floog smort olak munta hawthnort." - What does it mean? I think it involves monkeys and duct tape. 011231 -- Carol, I want you to help me put together a morale boosting event. - Great idea. And after that maybe I can do CPR on a mummy and see if I can save it's life. - Do you hear what I'm saying? Our first meeting will be Tuesdays. 020101 -- Dilbert, I want you to put together the winning bid for this contract. - No problem. I'll just read the minds of our competitors and bid lower. - I'm picking up something now...but it's partly blocked by a dense mass. 020102 -- I need your cose estimates for my bid proposal. A billion dollars. - That sounds high for administrative overhead. If you already know the cost, why ask me? - You'll make us lose the bid. I like to think of it as winning less work. 020103 -- I gathered all the padded cost estimates from the liars and scoundrels I'm ashamed to call co-workers. - Tht's okay. I usually ignore our cost estimates and make bid proposals that I think will win. - I gather inaccurate data for a living. 020103 -- Luckily no one uses it. Your glass is half full. 020104 -- The winner of our "Name the Restrooms" contest is Alice... - ...for her suggestion of "goddesses" and "morons." - You're right; I was the only one who would enter that ridiculous contest. 020105 -- Sorry I'm late. - I left my mission statement paperweight in the sun and it set my cubicle on fire. - I tried to douse it using my "We are Quality" mug but the handle broke and I got shards. 020106 -- The project got off to a slow start. - First we had the reorganization. - Then the merger. And the layoffs. - Budget freeze. Office relocation. - New CEO. New consultants. New strategy. - Eventually the whole industry changed and the 020106 -- opportunity evaporated. - So we classified our unused budget as "savings" and gave everyone a shirt. - You said you'd show us your "best practices." What are you implying? 020107 -- Your project is cancelled. You'll be downsized in niety days. - Until then, feel free to wander around like a zombie. - I walk among them but I am not one of them. 020108 -- Here are some projects to finish before your last day. - But...I'll have to interact with people who know I've been downsized. Hee hee! - I'll get this information to you right away. Is ninety days soon enough? 020109 -- I'm unemployed and I drive an electric car. - These are my abs. I talk too much about myself and I'm not romantic. - I realize it's a long shot but does any of that turn you on? 020110 -- Do you think I should grow a beard while I'm unemployed? - That's a great idea. A beard sends a message about who you are. - Um...okay. I assume you already have a shopping cart and filthy rags. 020111 -- Maybe I'll take a job as a waiter until I can get a job as an engineer. - You're not qualified to wait on tables. how hard could it be? - The manager is over there slapping a drunk. 020112 -- Hi. I came to apply for a server job. - Okay. Tell me how you would handle an abusive drunken customer like this guy. - Um...with kindness? You might want to shield yourself with a tablecloth. 020113 -- Alice, I'm naming you to our company's "Engineer of the Year." - You'll fly to New York and receive a trophy with the winners from other companies. - I'm too busy. Name someone else. - Tht's a critical time for my project. - I'm flattered but I 020113 -- already have no time for sleeping or bathing. - I have a sick day scheduled for that Friday. - Carol, I need you to go to New York and pretend to be an engineer. - Why yes, most of us *are* really from marketing. How can you tell? 020114 -- I'll be your server tonight...whoa, you're beautiful. - Would your grandfather mind if I asked you out? He's my husband. - Moving right along, would you like to hear about our specials? 020115 -- I got fired from my job at the restaurant. - Every time I carried hot soup my thumb would slip in and I'd scream and spray the whole dining room. - I blame the soup. Stupid soup. 020116 -- We can hire you back but not at your old job. - That's okay. I'll do anything but sales. I would be the worst salesperson on earth. It's sales. - Did I just say worst when I meant best? We'll have to train you to lie better. 020117 -- Sales Training A trained salesperson can sell anything to anyone. - I will prove it by selling this roadkill to one of you for a thousand dollars. - Um...how was your class? I got a hat! 020118 -- Sales Training Don't act like you're selling something. - A good sale is like a good wedgie: your victim shouldn't see it coming. - For this demonstration I need a volunteer who can't see what's coming. 020119 -- Sales Training Never sell to your customer. Make your customer sell to you. - Our products are only for those who dare to be great! Make the customer explain why he is worthy. - What did you just call me? You hear me, goober. Now beg for our 020119 -- product. 020120 -- I'm moving to a new house next week. - I have lots of heavy objects that need to be moved. - I wonder who will help me. - Maybe it will be someone who cares about his career. - Did you know that professional moving companies exist? - It's 020120 -- true. You give them money and they move your heavy things. - It's a wonderful system. You should look into it. - And maybe you can bring your trailer. IT'S A MOBILE HOME! 020121 -- Dilbert the Sales Guy I'll talk to you every day to see if you change your mind. - Don't talk to me every day. You might change your mind. - Did you know that if you cross "sales" with "talk" you get "stalk"? 020122 -- Dilbert the Sales Guy I wouldn't buy this @*#!%!!$ with *your* money. - It's overpriced, hard to use, full of bugs and it solves no problem. - I spit on your packaging! Um...Mom... 020123 -- Dilbert the Sales Guy Here's my card. None of the information is correct. - Why don't xyou get new ones? Tht costs money. - You must have a lot of clout in your company. Shut up and buy something. 020124 -- Please, I beg you, transfer me back to engineering. - I'll take a pay cut. No, I'll work for free. No, I'll pay *you*. - I should make all of my engineers work in sales for a while. You come back more appreciative. 020125 -- Hi. My name is Michael T. Suit. All my friends call me M.T. - I enhance core competencies by leveraging platforms. - Did we shake yet? Sometimes I can't tell. 020126 -- Hi, I'm M.T. Suit. I'm a man without substance. - I compensate by using buzzwords and attending meetings. - I like his style. We need to sell solutions, not products! 020127 -- The ad campaign was a huge, huge success! Wow! - Define "huge, huge success." How much did sales increase? - We don't track those numbers. But I know the ad created a huge buzz because of all the E-Mail I got the next day. - How many messages 020127 -- did you get? - Six. But that's a lot for one topic. Wow! Six! - How many of the six were from your own employees? - Who invited the engineer? I thought he was with you. 020128 -- Wally, I have to downsize you as soon as you finish your project. - I trust that your professionalism will prevent you from delaying unnecessary. - I promise that my timeliness will be surpassed only by my passion for quality. 020129 -- I hired a manhater to be your supervisor. Why? - Frankly, I'm kinda turned on by angry women in pantsuits. - She's decisive. I like that. 020130 -- Man-Hating Supervisor I'm putting Alice in charge of the project. - And Willy or Walther here can drink coffee until he grows into a fly. - I can't figure out why she's being so nice to me. 020131 -- Man-Hating Supervisor Have any of you men done anything to justify your pay? - I attended an all-day meeting but later found out I was in the wrong one. - Actually, you're not supposed to be in this meeting either. The door was open. 020201 -- Man-Hating Supervisor You're fired for being a man. - No one has ever called me a man before! This is the happiest day of my life! - STOP ENJOYING LIFE!! I'M A *MAN*! 020202 -- Man-Hating Supervisor The men here are oblivious to my abuse. What did you do to them? - I siphoned off their self-respect and keep it in vials in a storage room. - This is no fun. I quit. Do you want to yell at the vials with me? 020203 -- Due to budget constraints, the company will no longer provide free soda. - What free soda? We never had free soda. - Sure we did. It was in the refrigerator in the break room. - Every day I'd go in there and get a refreshing beverage. - The 020203 -- next morning, as if by magic, the soda would be replenished. - I brought a soda to work every day for five years only to have it stolen from the refrigerator every time. - - Why didn't you just drink the free ones? 020204 -- Dogbert Tech Support Your software is worn out. You must be typing too hard. - Switch to decaf, paint your walls pink and stop going to the gym. - I've never heard of holistic tech support. Maybe you should read more. 020205 -- Hello, this is Dogbert's all-natural and holistic tech support. - Try stuffing tree bark in the CD drive and meditating. - No, of course it won't damage anything; it's all natural! 020206 -- What can I do to avoid getting computer viruses? - Give your power cord a spinal adjustment once a week to prevent disease. - I was skeptical until he said there's anectdotal evidence that it works! 020207 -- I worked all weekend to get the bugs out of the database. - But now the data make us look bad. Put back the bugs. - Can you teach me to be apathetic like you? Only if you have astrong desire not to learn. 020208 -- I just had a good meeting. - Maybe it just didn't last long enough to reveal the incompetence of the attendees. - That's what I call a good meeting. I'm having a bad meeting. 020209 -- Evil H.R. Director The bad news is that I had to get rid of our marketing department. - The good news is that we have tons of nondiary creamer! - Do you think those two things are related? If they are, I'm cutting back to five cups a day. 020210 -- I don't think our network can handle the extra network traffic. - Opinions don't matter to me. I base my decisions on hard data. - How about logic? Our network is already too slow and we plan to quadruple usage. - Bah! Watch how science works 020210 -- and maybe you'll learn something. - Doug, come here for a minute. - The data proves that our network has infinite capacity, so your budget should be diverted to my project. - That's not science! That's a weasel misinterpreting data to get extra 020210 -- funding! - There are days when you really hate to hear the phrase "po-tay-to, po-tay-to." 020211 -- Carol, I need to reserve the glass-walled conference room by the main lobby. - The "fish bowl" is only available to attractive employees. We don't want to scare visitors. - I want a second opinion. Very well. I'll convene the tribunal of admin 020211 -- assistants. 020212 -- The tribunal of admin assistants will hear the case of... - The man who is too unattractive to use the glass-walled conference room versus humanity. - You put the verdict in the name of the case! We're efficient. 020213 -- The tribunal of admin assistants has reached a decision. - Dilbert is not attractive enough to use the glass-walled conference room near the lobby. - Can I appeal? Apparently not. 020214 -- I've reduced our development costs by outsourcing the project. - Does the proposal have a huge hourly rate for any work not specified in the contract? - Stay out of it. Why do you ask? 020215 -- Wow! you finished the project below your estimate and on time. Hold...hold... - All I need are a few changes at your hourly fee, which was never specified in our contract. hold...hold...hold. - WAG! 020216 -- Your trip is cancelled. - We used up the travel budget renaming our call centers to "Contact Centers." - But I need this training. Isn't that another way of saying you're ignorant? 020217 -- Wally, may I ask you for advice? Huh? - My name is Ted. I'm planning to takethe voluntary layoff package. - Then I plan to use my retirement money to start a business that makes kites out of waffles! - In five years I hope to be the world's 020217 -- largest maker of edible kites. - So, what do you think? I value your opinion. - Ted, who told you that I'd be a good person to ask for an opinion on your idea? - Alice said it reminded her of the quality of your...ideas. Oh. - ALICE SHOOTS FOR 020217 -- THE DOUBLE!!! SHE SCORES!!! 020218 -- Dilbert, you have been chosen to design the world's safest nuclear power plant. - This is the greatest assignment that any engineer could hope for. I'm flattered by the trust you have in me. - By "safe" I mean "not near my house." 020219 -- Our assignment is to design a totally safe nuclear power plant. - Let's put it in Elbonia. That seems safe to me. - Our offer of cheerful slave labor paid off! WOO-HOO!! 020220 -- none of us has designed a nuclear power plant before but we can figure it out by using our process. - In phase one we will gather customer requirements. - So...you want free electricity, without mutating, unless the mutation gives you x-ray 020220 -- vision. Yep. 020221 -- How do we get the electricity from our nuclear plant in Elbonia to the toasters over here? - Let's brainstorm, and remember not to judge any ideas at this stage. - I'm thinking huge barges and trained porpoises-lots of them. Must...not...judge. 020222 -- I built a working model to test my nuclear power plant design. - How big will the real one be? About half this size. And it will cost $23 to build. - I'd give you an attaboy certificate but my printer is out of paper. 020223 -- In Elbonia I'm here to oversee construction of the nuclear power plant. - The first order of business is security for the uranium. A pig ate it. - What?! I demand to see your director of security! You'll have to wait; the pig ate him too. 020224 -- Upgrade all of our network servers by Tuesday. - That's impossible. I need at least a month. - Oh, it's impossible, is it? Watch this. - I SUMMON KRONOS, THE GOD OF MANAGEMENT TIME!! - I, Kronos, will manipulate your perception of time. - I 020224 -- don't see how this helps... - When he wakes up he will believe there is plenty of time and that you are a weasel. - Any side effects? Just an insatiable appetite for status reports. 020225 -- I found a coffee stain on my carpet that looks like a man's face. - It might be a miracle...or maybe a sign of the end of time. - I hope not. I added coffee and gave him a squirrel body. 020226 -- Is this number accurate? It seems low. - Why are you attacking me? Stop attacking me! - I think the number is low. It's too late to apologize. Now I hate your guts. 020227 -- The first week after getting an assignment is called "The Wally Period." - Never do work during the Wally Period because most tasks become unnecessary within seven days. - I want a period named after me! Whoa, Asok. That takes many years of 020227 -- non-work. 020228 -- Asok, I'm putting you on our special self-monitoring program. - If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to talk to yourself. - I'm the master of non-monetary rewards. 020301 -- I'd like to demonstrate some things we can't do. - I don't care about things you can't do. - I know, but it makes a better demonstration this way. - I want my life to have a meaning! You came to the wrong place. Can't do that. 020302 -- I'm in a bad mood. Maybe I'll feel better if I criticize some employees. - I'm doing some recreational criticizing. What do you have for me? E-Mail. - YOU READ E-MAIL LIKE A CHIMP! Alice said she needs to talk to you. 020303 -- I need carreer advice. You came to the right place. - Should I keep my comfortable job that has no growth potential? - Or should I take a better job with longer hours and a hideous commute? - The first choice is a sure path to self-loathing and 020303 -- unhappiness. - The second choice will squeeze the life out of you like a vise on a peach. - You can't win. So I recommend the choice that keeps you away from home more. - Because frankly-and I'll try to say this delicately-a little bit of 020303 -- you goes a long way. - That's the problem with good advice: no one wants to hear it. 020304 -- Can anyone tell me why everyone is always late for my staff meetings? - Because the first ten minutes are always stupid stuff like "why are people late?" - Alice, that was some of your finest work. Thank you for noticing. 020305 -- What's our current severance package? - I transfer you to a bad job and you quit without giving notice. - I hate your package. I hear that a lot. 020306 -- Tina, we've gotten some complaints about your hostile behavior. - At a recent meeting you crossed your arms. That is unacceptable body language. - Maybe I was cold. EYEBROWS! EYEBROWS! 020307 -- Someone accused me of having a hostile body language. - I'm not allowed to cross my arms or move my eyebrows or frown. - Have a nice day. Too late. 020308 -- Carol, this is urgent. - I'll add it to the compost drawer. - I hope that means the same thing as "urgent." 020309 -- Every employee will wear a button that says "I'm empowered." - I don't want to. You have to. - That was everything you need to know about life in one package. 020310 -- You're an ignorant maggot. You disgust me. - You should get a face transplant from a baboon. What?! - I'm not talking to you. I'm using my hands-free phone. - Oh...for a minute I thought...well, never mind. - Ha ha! You might be the most 020310 -- gullible moron in the galaxy! - YOU POINTY-HAIRED, GRAY-SUITED PILE OF CRUD!!! - Mon, can you hold? My excellent boss wants to talk to me. - What? No personal phone calls on company time! 020311 -- In a perfect world the project would take eight months. Schedule 8 Months - But based on past projects in this company, I applied a 1.5 incompetence multiplier. 1.5 x 8 = 12 Months - And then I applied an L.W.F. of 6.3. L.W.F.? Lying weasel 020311 -- factor. 020312 -- I'd like permission to hold daily prayer services in a conference room. - I'll do it before work and of course I'll clean up any blood. - So far I'm the only member of my religion but I have ambitious plans for brainwashing. 020313 -- Meet your new cubicle neighbor. His name is Medical Mel. - Mel will be making loud personal phone calls all day. - Is it supposed to make a squishy sound? Listen to this... 020314 -- Medical Mel ...the needle was four feet long and thick as a pencil. - I tried to run but the doctor had been an olympic javelin champion. - My new nickname at the hospital is Bob-short for shishkabob. 020315 -- Have you completed your skills inventory? I'm submitting it now. click - They use that information to transfer you to jobs you don't want. - You'll be be okay as long as you didn't check any of the boxes in the hazmat section. stupid stupid 020315 -- stupid 020316 -- Our numbers are way down. What should we do? - Reorganize the department so there's no valid history for comparison. - Then we'll fire a few people and give ourselves awards for saving money. El Diablo 020317 -- My open door policy is ruining my happiness. - People stop by all day long and complain. - how can I maintain the moraleinspiring illusion of an open door policy without actually having one? - Use your body language to create a protective 020317 -- bubble of unwelcomeness. - Try this stressed-out scowl. - Can I poke in my head? Sure, he has an open door policy. - It's a pleasure to see you. We value your input. - Stop by any time. AY-YI-YI-YI-YI!! 020318 -- Carol, put together a survey to find out why morale is so low. - Survey?!! You could ask any monkey at the zoo what the problem is. - Do *not* fling that. I repeat... 020319 -- My theory is that consciousness is the ability to predict and then observe the results of actions. - So I think you could build a computer that would be fully conscious. zzzzz - Obviously you'd need an array of sensors to collect the data. 020320 -- I'm putting you on a strict "need to know" basis. - And stay out of the crawl space under the house. - And don't believe anything you see in the news for about six months. 020321 -- We saw your classified ad for a nuclear warhead. - It's genuie russian craftsmanship. Ideal for menacing other third-world countries. sweet - Our slingshot can fling this a hundred yards. Is that enough? That's plenty. 020322 -- The impoverished nation of Elbonia became a nuclear power today. - They plan to test their one and only warhead to frighten their enemies in Kneebonia. - *I'm* not going to ask him for a match. *You* ask him! 020323 -- Trie to be moor prophesional in your commundicashuns. - Let's forward it ti all our friends so they can see what an idiot we work for. hee hee! - But you're my only friend. Don't flatter yourself. 020324 -- Our company is dying...but not because of bad management. - It's because we're not... Customer Centric. - Well, I for one feel better knowing we have correctly identified the problem. - That was a little thing I call participation; you should 020324 -- try it. - Now let's break into four small working groups... - and develop skits based on our new focus of customer centricity. - Um...there are only four of us. Wait...never mind. - I'll call my skit "The Electricity of Customer Centricity." 020325 -- Ted, you have ten seconds to decide if you want to be restructured, repurposed or reassigned. - Repurposed! No, wait...restructured...no, reassigned! No, repurposed! - How many people volunteered to quit and didn't know? Two out of three! 020326 -- If the water company can pipe water to my house, why can't the toothpaste company do the same? - The toothpaste factory should have a pipe to every home so you can turn a faucet... - And don't even get me started about pudding. meteor meteor 020326 -- meteor meteor 020327 -- We're the least expensive vendor unless your requirements change mid-project. - So...I'll get fired if I don't select the lowest bid, or I'll be fired later when the bills for change orders pour in. - I prefer to be fired mid-project. We offer 020327 -- outplacement service with every sale. 020328 -- From now on, everything we do must be justified by R.O.I. - What's the R.O.I. for this new policy about calculating the R.O.I.? - I said, "from now on." What about your answer? No R.O.I. 020329 -- You can take 20% pay cuts or I'll have to downsize one of you. - I know you're like a family but... Yes, Wally? - Tell us more about the pay cut. That sounds promising. 020330 -- Dorie, send an E-Mail: Employees are leaving work too early. - I want to see more cars in the parking lot after 6 P.PM. Otherwise, heads will roll! - You type your own E-Mail. I can't do that *and* do this menacing pose at the same time. 020331 -- Alice, your performance this year was superior. I'm giving you a 20% raise. - But it's not effective right now. - It kicks in as soon as my budget increase gets approved. - When will that be? - As soon as the economy improves and profits go up! 020331 -- - But my raise will be retroactive to today, right? No. - You should be happy. Some people aren't getting any raises at all. must...control fist...of...death. - I got a 14% future raise just for showing up. GAAA!!! 020401 -- Business is way down. You know what you need to do. - Avoid finishing anything so we never appear to be surplus employees? - Maybe this would be a good time to admit that you were wrong about us knowing. 020402 -- Wally, your status report is just a bunch of buzzwords strung together. - I've been giving you that same status report every week for eleven years. - Five years ago you adopted it as our mission statement. 020403 -- Our next speaker was a famous athlete until drugs and booze ruined his life. - Shank hew vewy mush. - It's not inspirational until he stops doing those things. What? 020404 -- Today is the three-year anniversary of our first meeting to discuss the project requirements. - And we're still discussing requirements. Does anyone else see a problem here? - When you're done, can we talk about requirements? 020405 -- Dogbert's Tech Support It works fine on my machine. - Yes, but this call is about *my* PC. May we talk about *my* problem now? - Okay. Your PC is defective and you're selfish. That's an attractive package you've got going there. 020406 -- Safety tip of the day: - Always bend your knees when banging your head against a wall. - I can't remember if managing is an art or science. 020407 -- This is Dogbert's Tech Support. How may I abuse you? - My printer prints a blank page after every document. - Why would you complain about getting free paper? - Free? Isn't it just giving me my own paper? - Egad, man! Look at the quality of the 020407 -- free paper compared to your lousy regular paper! - Only a fool or a liar would say they look the same! - Now that you mention it, it does seem silkier. - What are you doing? I'm helping people accept the things they can't change. 020408 -- Good news, Dilbert. I'm promoting you to more work! - It's the same pay and title. But it must be good because I called it a promotion and I'm smiling! - Still...smiling...good...news... You're scaring me. 020409 -- I worked sixty hours last week. That's nothing. I worked seventy hours. - That's nothing... - Oh, wait...I just recognized the pattern. 020410 -- Send a copier repair guy. And make sure he's good-looking. - Because I live in a big tin can and I work in an egg carton. Flirting is the only joy I have. - Nothing's wrong with the copier yet, but I feel a fierce paper jam coming on. 020411 -- And I'd like the copier repair guy to be a tall guy to be a tall non-smoker with well-defined abs. - Oh, you're not a dating service, eh? Well if I give you money and you send me a guy then it's just semantics. - And could you shave his back 020411 -- and oil him uo before you send him? 020412 -- I can't complete the online self-assessment survey. It asks where I need improvement and I don't need any. - The program won't let me leave that question blank. Just check the box that says you steal. - And people will understand that I don't 020412 -- mean it? Sure. 020413 -- Are you a manager? - No, I'm an individual contributor. - So, basically, you have the same job description as an ant? - I'd like to see an ant try to wear huge glasses like these! 020414 -- All the important decision-makers in the company are in this room. - No little people are allowed because we'll be making important strategy decisions. - First, let's make decisions about project Opal. - Does anyone know what the project is or 020414 -- what we need to decide? - My executive intuition tells me we should cut the budget by 10%. - I think Opal is one of your projects. It's named after your daughter. - Wait...a new intuition is coming in now...it says to increase the budget. - Why 020414 -- are those meetings secret? You don't want to know. 020415 -- This weekend I cleaned out my tool shed. - What's that for? I keep a running tally of how much of my time you waste. - ...and I thought it was a frozen snake but it was actually a shovel! Five years, one day. 020416 -- The Sentence Finisher I think I should take... Money from orphans? - No, I mean I need... A large sack and an alibi? - You're finishing my sentences with... Uncanny accuracy? 020417 -- GAAA! Don't be afraid. - I made a camouflage suit out of cubicle wall fabric. Heh, heh. - You need a mask too. I ran out of material. It was a mistake to make a tie. 020418 -- Um...you gave me an assignment that isn't my job and doesn't need to be done. - I'm trying to take over another department by doing thaeir work. Later I'll say their manager should report to me. - Could we at least pretend my job is useful? 020418 -- Don't I always? 020419 -- Can you get this done in thirty days? Yes, absolutely. - We'll just travel faster than light to a black hole and discover a doorway in time. - That sounds iffy. Excuse me for being flexible. 020420 -- How about any tuesday this year? No, I'm booked. - You have the highest ratio of unavailability to usefulness I've ever seen. - Does that sound like an insult? If I could do math I wouldn't be working in human resources. 020421 -- ...and the most critical part of your objective is... - mumble mumble mumble - What? - mumble mumble mumble - I'll be right back. I need an interpreter who speaks mumble. - This is Allen. He speaks fifty management languages including jargon, 020421 -- weaselese and mumble. - mumble mumble mumble mumble. mumble mumble mumble mumble. - I'm a bit rusty with the pointy-haired dialect but I think he wants you to line dance in a gazebo. 020422 -- The training budget got slashed. You have to cancel your class. - We already paid for the class. We'll look bad if you go. - So, your plan is to appear smart while secretly being stupid? You can make anything sound bad. 020423 -- It's critical that you finish this engineering analysis by tuesday. - Aahh...it has the sweet smell of an unnecessary assignment. Yes, I can smell it from here. - Stop being you. Feasibility of using non-existant software. Hee hee! 020424 -- It's a new reality. If you don't like it, you can leave! - Question: How can we leave reality? Aren't we always in it by definition? - Never mind....apparently everyone else knew what you meant. zzzz zzzz zzzzz 020425 -- What a day I'm having. First my key card doesn't work, so I have to tailgate into the building. - Then my network password doesn't work. Now my voicemail doesn't work. - Is it possible for anything else to stop working today?! 020426 -- Do you have a second? Walk and talk. - So, the supplier won't... Hi, Pete. Hey, Tim. Hi, Barb. How are you? Not bad. Hi. - Um...those aren't their names. My way is easier. Hi, Ted. 020427 -- ...and that's why I need a management decision. Hi, Bill. - But you are to distracted to make an informed decision, so this will be random. Bob! - And here it comes. Would "no" be an answer to anything you said? 020428 -- Hey, it's a meeting with our favorite customers! - It's lucky I was passing by. - I don't know what this meeting is about but I'm sure it needs some management perspective. - Out top priority is quality. Our other top priority is price...and 020428 -- servide...and... - One Hour LAter And that's why circles are round. - We flew here for this meeting and you used up all of our time saying nothing. - YOU STOLE A DAY OF MY LIFE! I WILL HUNT YOU TO THE END OF TIME! REVENGE WILL BE MINE! - Is it 020428 -- just me or is that phrase starting to be overused? 020429 -- I found out that the committee across the hall is doing the same thing we are. - All we can do now is hum "West Side Story" and have a dance-fight. - Can you teach me how to hum? 020430 -- Alice, write a performance evaluation of yourself for me to sign. - What will our seven layers of management be doing while I manage myself? - Sorry. I'll ding myself for that on my evaluation. If you can't find me, have Carol sign my name. 020501 -- Don't E-Mail your answer to my boss until I've reviewed it. Um...okay. - May I walk to my cubicle now or would you like to review the route first? - Now that you mentioned it, I can't release. 020502 -- Asok is the winner of the $25 "Clean Desk Award." - Yesterday the facilities people took my desk because it appeared to be unused. - I hope this doesn't bump me into a higher tax bracket. 020503 -- Write on Alice's performance review, "needs too much supervision." - When she goes to your office to protest, say, "see what I mean?" - Ooh! That was so evil I need to purr with my lips! P-P-P-URRR P-P-P-URRR P-P-P-URR 020504 -- My review says I "need too much supervision." Are you insane?! - Most days I can't get your time-wastting, lard-filled suit out of my cubcle with a freakin' crane!! - GAAA!! It's a trap! You're supervising me too much right now! I win. 020505 -- You need to socialize your idea with the rest of the department. - Socialize? Is thet the same as getting buy-in? - It's one step below buy-in. It's more like dialoging for feedback. - Wait...I thought that building a consensus was one step 020505 -- below buy-in. - Just run it up a flagpole and see who salutes. - Wouldn't it be better to do a temperature check using a straw man? - Maybe...but is that going to inoculate the stakeholders? - Dear reader, if you or anyone you love understands 020505 -- the preceding conversation you have my deepest sympathy. S.A. 020506 -- Alice, would you read the minutes from our last meeting? - People said irrelevant things. Bad decisions were made. Men are idiots. - I don't remember that last part. It was implied. 020507 -- I'm giving everyone on my staff this inspirational book about a successful fish market! - I want you to be like the characters in this book. - The title character gets captured, tossed around and eaten. Depressing. 020508 -- I would like to improve my interpersonal skills. - Take this training CD back to your cube and go wild. - Humans are weak. Computers are strong. Come, join our side. 020509 -- My training CD has gone bad. It is brainwashing me to become a cyborg. - Don't worry. Smart people such as you can't be brainwashed to do stupid things. - Guess who doesn't know the first thing about brainwashing. 020510 -- My training CD went bad and brainwashed me to become a cyborg. - Your insurance doesn't cover cosmetic surgery but you can game the system by jumping off the roof. - I hear that the follow-up visits don't get any easier. 020511 -- We can fix our incomprehensible user interface for a million dollars. - Or we can close our eyes and wish real hard that our users won't care. - He's saving a million dollars. What did you do today? 020512 -- This is an outrage! What? - The so-called "Working Lunch" tomorrow! - They're stealing the only free time I have during the day! - They give us some lousy sandwiches and expect us to work during lunch! Bah! 020512 -- IS NOTHING SACRED?!!! - Why doesn't this bother you? - I plan to eat their sandwiches and go to lunch after the meeting. - I...I can actually feel the wind beneath my wings! Sorry. 020513 -- Our CEO is visiting next week. Discontinue all real work immediately. - We have five days to create the illusion of productivity. - Here's the diversity sign-up sheet. We still have a few open slots that only require a hat. 020514 -- Wally, our CEO is visiting next week. I want you to hide in the restroom. - - It's too soon. It's never too soon to start a dream assignment. 020515 -- Have you finished your "Powerpoint" slides for the CEO's visit? - Yes, I'm focusing on all the things we do wrong, because that's what he needs to fix. - Just kidding. There's no useful information. Don't joke! 020516 -- The CEO Visit Would you like a tour of our cubicles? - Why would I want to see a bunch of boxes filled with people pretending to work? - Unless that's the only thing you planned for the first thirty minutes of my visit. 020517 -- The CEO Visit And now Dilbert and Alice will give you a presentation. - I'm curious to hear why that requires two people. - Our department made impressive improvements in...efficiency! +.01% 020518 -- The CEO Visit Thanks for the presentation. Your department seems bloated. - I'll eleiminate half of your group in the next budget meeting. Thank you. - What are you going to do? Nothing. I told him we're the marketing department. 020519 -- If you buy our system it will pay for itself in three years. - Approximately how much does it cost? - It's hard to say. It depends on many factors. - Fine. Just tell me how much money it will save annually. - You'll save $10,000 per year. - 020519 -- Well then, if it pays off for itself in three years, it must cost about $30,000. - That was a little trick called "math." - Ooops. Now I'm not emotionally invested. Your vendor tauntage is quite excellent today. 020520 -- I'd like to you meet our new Senior Vice President, Cyrus the Virus. - Like an infection, he will soon attack the nanagers in this company and replace us with his old clonies. - Tell Pointy-Haired Pete to get over here right away. 020521 -- I'm demoting you to engineer so I can give your current job to one of my cronies. - I won't survive. I don't know how to do real work! - Wally , can you teach me how to pretend to be working? Whoa! There can only be one Wally. 020522 -- Demoted A cubicle isn't so bad. I can get used to it. - It's perfectly respectable. There's no reason to cry. - How do you like your new "Loser Cruiser"? 020523 -- Demoted Hey Buddy, can you teach me to be one of the little people? - Buddy? My name is Dilbert. I worked for you for years. - Okay, now I'll try. Am I doing the eyebrows right? 020524 -- Demoted I plan to spread rumors about our new boss until I get him fired. - I'll tell everyone that he's the most clueless human that ever lived Hee hee! - Believe me, that doesn't work. I have no idea what you're talking about. 020525 -- Maybe It's a good thing that I was demoted to work among you noble little people. - I have gained a valuable empathy that will serve me well if I ever become a manager again. - You've been promoted. YEE-HA!! I'M NOT A LOSER!! 020526 -- I quit. I got a better job with our competitor. - Okay, but remember the employment agreement you signed. - You agreed to not take away knowledge or skills you acquired at this job. - That's crazy. How can I stop knowing what I learned? Come 020526 -- with me. - Will this hurt? I hope so. - CLAMP suck suck suck suck suck suck suck suck - Ha ha!! I got your technical knowledge! And there go your verbal skills! - Great. Now what do I do? I'd stay away from the golf course. 020527 -- Let's ping the Director of Marketing and double-click on the budget. - Then we can interface in batch mode and put a scope on his bandwidth. - Please stop doing that! Have I mentioned that I was an engineer for a week? 020528 -- Ted, your performance is excellent but I have to downsize you. Why?! - Our billing system is so defective that we haven't made any revenue in three months. - Why don't you fire the billing department? I did...three months ago. 020529 -- Wally, what do you expect to find here with a metal detector? - My first choice is some sort of priceless treasure. But I wouldn't say noto a bottle cap. - I finally find my calling in life and I waste all day explaining it. 020530 -- How's the treasure hunt going? Have you found any loot? - It's not about the "loot," as you say. We detectors are motivated by the thrill of the hunt. - I could seed the carpet with nickels. I tried that but I can't find them. 020531 -- Alice, according to this book, people can choose their attitudes! - So you decided to go with a dopey and gullible theme? - And that's another interesting choice. Now I see how this works. 020601 -- I read this motivational book and yet the employees still have low morale. - Maybe you have a defective copy. You should compare it to another one and see what's different. - What if the second one is defective too? Sheesh...it's like I'm doing 020601 -- all of your thinking here. 020602 -- Would you like to join me on a daring commando raid? Sure. - Do you want to know why? Not really. - My Internet provider won't let me cancel by phone or by E-Mail. - The service agreement says I have to stage a daring commando raid on their 020602 -- headquarters. - Does this mask make me look fat? - That joke is overused, Bob. ZAP - The stun gun is in good working order. - Maybe I should carry the stun gun. Don't worry, I'll do you last. 020603 -- If you need me, just page me. - I'll call you right back unless solar flares stop your page from getting through. - And of course you'll have some blockage during high tide, low tide, humidity, and most of your equinoxes. 020604 -- We sure have a lot of vacant offices since the layoffs. - I wouldn't mind having a nice office with an actual door. Why don't you let me have one? - Okay, take one. STOP TOYING WITH ME! 020605 -- I'm moving into a vacant private office. I got the last one. - I hope this doesn't cause ill-will in the cubicle-bound co-workers I'm leaving behind. - All I ask is that when you enter Diltopia, you bow in reference and take off your shoes. 020606 -- Aah...even the desk feels better when you have your own office. - The flourescent lights are warmer and brighter. - Remind me to teach him when to close the door. 020607 -- The other engineers are complaining because you have a private office. - Maybe you should explainto each of them that life isn't fair. - Yeah, I guess it *is* easier to explain it to one person. 020608 -- I am Mordac the Preventor of Information Services. You have exceeded your server storage limit. - Here's 25 cents so you can afford to double my storage space. - I think my mystique just took a hit. 020609 -- The merger has been approved. - Our evil director of human resources will blend the acquired company's benefits program with our own. - WAAA! WAAA! WAAA! - Apparently, they know what blending means. - The Blending Let's see...my company offers 020609 -- six months of maternity leave for mothers. - We treat 'em like smokers. They have to squat in the parking lot for ten minutes then go back to work. - That's very evil Thanks. We'll adopt your program. - What is "draining"? Our company called it 020609 -- training. 020610 -- To: Employees From: Catbert All non-work conversations are banned. - From now on you're only allowed to talk about work. - I think it only applies during work hours. I can't take that chance. zzz zzz zzz 020611 -- Our new version is a step backward in quality and reliability. - We're counting on your irrational need to have the latest version of every software product. - I hate your weasel guts...but I'll take one for home and one for the office. 020612 -- I'm a new guy with no assignment. I'm looking for a project to horn into. - But don't be threatened by me. I'm exceptionally ineffectual. - I'm trying to build a career based on good attendance and head-nodding. 020613 -- I've learned to appear smarter than I am. - I agree with whatever people say then I reword it to sound more wise. - Please leave my cubicle. Because sometimes less is more! 020614 -- I needed to make an engineering decision about your project this morning. - You'll need to act like you agree with it so I don't look stupid. - Explain to us how fiber capacity can be increased by serial input at breakfast. 020615 -- This is Roboboss. He'll handle all of my trivial tasks. - I'm totally insulted that you think you can manage us with a machine. - Handle that. I'll delegate it to my assistant, Plywoodboss. 020616 -- Wally, I need advice from the master. zzz Huh? - How do you remain so carefree while everyone else seems overworked? - Asok, you are ready to learn my most powerful secret. - Always volunteer to do lots of tasks. That will make you appear very 020616 -- busy. - Later, when someone complains that you didn't do a task... - Say you remember discussing the topic but you don't recall agreeing to do anything. - Offer a glimmer of hope that you might yet do the task if no one yells at you. Then 020616 -- repeat. Wow. - He is like a Ghandi that eats. 020617 -- Stockholders are worried that our profits are nothing but accounting gimmicks. - I'm putting you in charge of destroying all of our accounting records. - That's illegal. Oh. Then just make them more confusing. 020618 -- My boss ordered me to make our accounting records more confusing. Is this ethical? - It's as ethical as the massive shortsell order I'm going to place in the next ten seconds. - Maybe you're the wrong one to ask. NOW! NOW! 020619 -- I need you to be a subject matter expert on my accounting system project. - Will it make the world a worse place to live? I think so. I'm in. - What's it like to be an accounting troll? To be honest, I'm only in it for the groupies. 020620 -- Our assignment is to make our accounting system less transparent. What? - We don't want investors to know what we're doing. Are we bad people? - We're good people who have been influenced by a corrupt corporate culture. Oh, okay. Carry on. 020621 -- As requested, my project team has added impenetrable complications to our accounting records. - And an outside firm is erasing all memories from senior management. How do they do that? - Okay, you're ready to talk to congress. Thank you. 020622 -- I had my cell phone at one ear and my regular phone at the other. - I'm reading E-Mail, sending instant messages, my pager is vibrating, and my boss comes in! - You know what makes your work stories fascinating? What? Nothing. 020623 -- Dilbert, I'd like you to interview Matt for our department. - There's a three-year gap in your work history. What were you doing? - One day I was balancing my checkbook and noticed a bank error. - So I embarked on a three-year mission to make 020623 -- the bank admit its mistake! - I worked the phones day and night, rarely eating and bathing. - Then came the sit-ins, the media frenzy and the landmark court case. - The bank claimed that seven minus four is three. And I'm like, "Since when?" - 020623 -- Would he fit in? Unfortunately, yes. 020624 -- I am Roboboss. You are a valuable asset. Keep up the good work. - That is the most shallow compliment I have ever heard. But it still made me feel good. - So...are you seeing anyone? High five! 020625 -- Roboboss, can this relationship work? After all, I'm a human... - And you're a soulless machine designed to give shallow compliments to employees. - You're giving 110%. Stop...don't make me love you. 020626 -- This survey will help us improve morale. - I misjudged you. I thought you were an evil director of H.R., but you care about morale. - When we fire this disgruntled guy, my morale will go way up. Hee hee! 020627 -- Hey, guy, cheer up. You can choose to have a good attitude! - I just found out I have six months to live. - Maybe I'm saying it wrong. Try reading the book yourself. 020628 -- I'm in a battle of wills with a guy who lets all of his calls roll over my voicemail. - I do that too. So all day long we trade messages saying "call me," and then we ignore the incoming calls. - Maybe he's out of the office. No, I can hear 020628 -- him. He's one cube over me. 020629 -- Alice, you should act as if you're your own boss. Okay. - My hair is pointy and I'm confused. Suddenly I have no respect for myself. - Must...golf...now. That is so-o-o not funny. 020630 -- Dilbert, can you come with me to a meeting? - Actually, no. I'm running this meeting and it took three weeks to get everyone together. - If I leave now, sixteen people will be wasting their time. - I'll cover for you. - You will? Sure. Just 020630 -- leave your notes and I'll take care of it. - What's the meeting about? It's not exactly a meeting. - I need someone to drink the crud on the bottom and then brew a fresh pot. - All in favor of leaving before he gets back. - It looks like I'll 020630 -- be exaggerating my accomplishments again this year. 020701 -- Procurement I need to order a special cable for my computer. - No, that's a piece of rope. Yes, I know it's cheaper. Ooh hoo hoo hoo! - Well, maybe it was a mistake to sign an exclusive contract with a rope distributor. Ooh hoo hoo jerk. 020702 -- My technology test was a huge failure because I had to use rope as my electronic cable. - Our procurement manager is a monkey who signed an exclusive contract with a rope vendor. - I'd rather not take sides until I hear the monkey's version. 020703 -- I call my idea "coffee with the boss." Each employee will get one hour of quality time with me. - I'd rather staple a skunk to my forehead and go to a trade show for banjo makers. - And yet, it's still better than working, so count me in. 020703 -- That's the spirit! 020704 -- You're the first employee for my "coffee with the boss" program. - Feel free to say whatever is on your mind. Don't hold back. Give it to me straight. - My chair has a squeak. YOU UNGRATEFUL WHINY WRETCH!!! 020705 -- I'm having these coffee meetings to find out how I can improve morale. - My only problem was that I wasn't drinking enough coffee with you. So now I'm good, thanks. - Promise me you'll never leave this table. I can't go back to the way things 020705 -- were. 020706 -- I can't tell you how much your budget is. Because if I did, you'd try to spend all of it. - Can you tell me when I'm over budget? No, because than you'd know what the budget is. - Can you tell me what our company strategy is? Sure. It's...Ha ha 020706 -- ha! Just kidding. 020707 -- Does anyone have any ideas for boosting morale? - OOOH! OOOH! OOOH! - This employee potluck lunch that we had last year was almost perfect. - But we only did it once and some people had schedule conflicts. - I call my idea the "permanent 020707 -- virtual individual employee potluck" or P.V.I.E.P. for short. - Every day, each employee brings a small meal in a bag and eats it whenever he gets hungry. - You already do that. And look how happy I am! - Okay. Who is going to organize the 020707 -- P.V.I.E.P.? Alice hasn't helped yet. 020708 -- I'll be taking my vacation in Africa so I can enjoy nature's wonders. - And shoot as much of it as possible from the window in an suv. - Have you ever seen monkey brains? Once, when you flared your nostrils. 020709 -- Wally, it's your turn to be in charge while I'm on vacation. - But whatever you do, do *not* sit in my chair. It wouldn't be right. - Ooh-baby! You want some of this. Yes, you do. 020710 -- Carol, I'm filling in for the pointy-haired boss, so that makes you my secretary. - I'M AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, YOU STINKIN' BABOON! - I will make you pay dearly for your arrogance! Could you put a head on this? 020711 -- How do you like sitting in for the boss? It's easy. - All I do is walk around and make people loathe me while I avoid making decisions. - That's all you ever did before. Apparently I was grossly underpaid. 020712 -- My first act as temporary boss is revamping our project status color codes. - Red, yellow and green will be replaced by white, off-white and eggshell. - I have to confess, it was embarrassing to realize I only have one idea. 020713 -- I'm refreshed from my vacation. - I am calm and relaxed. Wally sat in your chair. - Cooty Squad We'll have to burn your clothes too. 020714 -- I'll get to your application as soon as I have nothing more important to do. - Okay...thank you very much. - I just thanked someone for doing nothing. - My project is being thwarted by a woman who gets satisfaction from being unhelpful. - Have 020714 -- you tried using your charm? - I guess I can try. Ha ha ha! Just kidding. - But seriously, try hounding her until she recoils in pain at the sound of your voice. - Will that work? Sometimes the best you can do is make other people feel bad. 020715 -- Tina, our records show that you forward an average of nineteen E-Mail jokes per week. - Each joke goes to 30,000 employees, costing us ten million per year in lost productivity. - We plan to blame you when we file for bankruptcy next week. 020716 -- Ha ha! We're filing for chapter 11 because all of our so-called profits are fake. - I'm laughing because I sold all of my stock the same day I heard that our CFO did. - You said he was just diversifying his investments! It sounds funny now. 020717 -- You made a fortune selling your stock options last month, and now we're bankrupt. - My 401K is worthless. So, in effect, you've stolen my life savings. - This would be a bad time to make quote marks in the air while saying, "In effect." Ooh 020718 -- I'm broke. The company declared bankruptcy and my 401K savings are worthless. - No, I've been impersonating you and diversifying your investments into tobacco, sweat shops, and diamond mines. - Really?! How am I doing? It's mixed. You have a 020718 -- 37% return but your sould will burn for eternity. 020719 -- How could our accounting firm not notice that we were heading for bankruptcy? - Maybe there was a conflict of interest with their T-shirt design business. - This one says, "I'm with bankrupt" and it has an arrow. Hee hee! 020720 -- Our accountants are weasels. They let us go bankrupt so they could sell T-shirts that say, "I'm with bankrupt." - Didn't your company make all of its money selling products you knew were defective? - Just stir your cauldron, Mom. Ironically, 020720 -- we're having weasel soup. 020721 -- Now for the highlight of the staff meeting: the wally report. - Yesterday I was getting my hair styled as usual. - But this time I forgot to remove my glasses, and what I saw was disturbing. - My stylist was using a nose-hair trimmer to cut my 020721 -- hair! - I protested, but she said she's been doing my hair that way for years. - She said it just "seemed right." - Tempers flared. I threw some hair gel. A salon brawl broke out! - Don't we use the same stylist? That would explain why she has 020721 -- a plunger. 020722 -- Wally, what are we going to do now that we're bankrupt and our 401K money is gone? - No problem. I've been investing all my money in our competitor's stock. Now I'm rich. - Why do you still come to work? I don't know how to make coffee. 020723 -- This is a list of our executives who sold their stock before announcing bankruptcy. - My plan is to bring each executive to the roof, hold him by the ankles, and shake. - Ooh, a cat comb! 020724 -- The government is giving us a bailout loan because we have excellent lobbyists! - Ha ha! Taxpayers will give us money so we can build overpriced products to sell to taxpayers! - Remind me again why any of this is legal. Wuss. 020725 -- The Feng Shui in your office is terrible. It is? - That hum...it's the sound of your energy being drained into the Internet. - Who told him that his computer fan is killing him? 020726 -- Did you finish the vendor comparison that you promised you'd give me today? - I'm one of those people that needs to be threatened every day or I won't do anything. - You're very defective. Good start. I'm beginning to feel something. 020727 -- I need your help yelling at a guy to make him do his job. Yay! - YOU WORTHLESS, INCOMPETENT BUG!!! I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD!!! - How much work did that buy? Two phone calls and a meeting. 020728 -- Are you a member of our frequent grocery club? - No. What is it? - You get a membership card that entitles you to discounts. - Let's see if I have this straight... - I'll be inconvenienced by having to fill out a form and carry your stupid card 020728 -- around... - And in return, you'll put me on a junk mail list, and charge me the same as the grocery store across the street? - AND YOU'LL EXPECT ME TO BE HAPPY ABOUT IT?!! - But it's free! Cleanup on register two...it's engineer spittle. 020729 -- Do you think I should inject a deadly poison in my face to hide wrinkles? - It's only fair that you poison your face, because your face is killing me. Hee hee hee! - The correct answer is "you don't need to." Was your mother a shar-pei? 020730 -- Over the past year, most of my co-workers have managed extensive projects that failed. - I've done nothing but drink coffee. So on an economic basis, that makes me your top performer. - Watch and learn. 020731 -- How's your new baby? - Wonderful, but the lack of sleep is taking a toll on my body. - How's Becky doing? I *am* Becky. Bob looks worse. 020801 -- Starting today, our goals will be replaced by stretch goals. Stretch goals? - Stretch goals are like stretch pants. It's a way of signaling surrender. - Speaking of which, I wouldn't say no to a doughnut. 020802 -- Our budget cuts are affecting customer service. How much? - Our customer service center spends all day making prank calls to the elderly. - According to our records, your neighbor has treasure buried under his lawn. 020803 -- I can't stop dreaming about work. - And I usually sleep at work. So I'm dreaming about sleeping and it's freaking me out. - Have you considered doing work? I want pills, you quack. 020804 -- If there are no objections, I'd like to start the meeting with a prayer. I'm a... - Yea, though I walk through the valley of idiots, I shall fear no downsizing. But I'm... - For I have a fist of death, and highly marketable job skills. - But my 020804 -- investment portfolio isn't doing as well as I'd hoped. - So, if it's not too much to ask... - I need a higher return so I can escape these clowns... - And live in splendor while they stew in their own bile! - Maybe we won't do this again. 020804 -- Whatever you say, heathen. 020805 -- I'm tired of calling the employes "resources". It's too complimentary. - I'm thinking of something along the lines of livestock or human capital. - I don't want them demanding hay. Good point. We'll go with human capital. 020806 -- May I use your three-hole punch? Whoa whoa whoa! - You can't come waltzing into this department, using our stuff and leaving your holes. - I'll clean up the holes. I want you to whack the people on this list. 020807 -- Alice, employees are not allowed to eat in cubicles. - GULP CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP - I'm going to see that every time I close my eyes! - You started it. 020808 -- We have too many empty cubicles. It frightens our customers. - Each of you will adopt an empty cubicle and decorate it to appear occupied. - My imaginary employee will be a frenchman named Phil De Cube. Nice. 020809 -- Who are you? I'm Allen. I've been telecommuting for four years. - Allen? I fired you four years ago. Didn't you get my E-Mail? - This is exactly why I stopped coming to the office. 020810 -- I telecommuted for four years without knowing until today that I'd been fired. - Apparently unemployment feels exactly like empowerment. - This is just like that movie, "The Sixth Sense." Did you like that movie, Wally?...Wally? 020811 -- Both plans are technically impossible. - Which one costs less? - Um...I don't see how that matters, but plan one is much cheaper. - Plan one is the best. I'll take it to our VP. - I like plan two. Great minds think alike! - Excellent. Ask one 020811 -- of our engineers to present plan two to the board. - Guess what. - Every day I make the world a little bit worse. What's it like to make a difference? 020812 -- I will study the culture in your company and make detailed recommendations. - "The one I call Wally is a docile outcast who eats bananas and drinks brown water." - Do you mind if I staple this tracking device to your ear? Not really. 020813 -- "The females of the group do all the hunting. The one I call Alice stalks her prey." - "She pounces. Her razor-sharp words tear the prey to shreds." grrrr - "The results are gruesome. Only the hyenas are laughting." 020814 -- I've analyzed your corporate culture and put my findings in this report. - "The employees are a bunch of unmotivated weasels. I look good in this hat." - I would have mentioned my knapsack but it's only a summary. 020815 -- I hired the "Amorphous Ad Company" to do our campaign. - I see gaseous cloud and some music...no, just a noise. Excellent. - and then we say the name of our company? Sure, if you want to ruin the ad. 020816 -- Your print ads would look like this. It's a shape with no text. - I did some checking and found out that all the good ideas have been used. This is all that's left. - Can it be green? Whoa! Who's the creative person here? 020817 -- Mom, here's our new commercial. - It gives no information about your products. Are you ashamed or just massively incompetent? - Why can't it be both? I was just making conversation. 020818 -- My pet peeve is when people use cell phones in restaurants. - Why? Do they talk louder than the other people in the restaurant? - No. It's just rude. - Who decides what is rude? Is there a committee? - It's common sense. You're not supposed to 020818 -- talk into electronic gadgets at a restaurant. - What about a drive-through place? Is it okay to order your food using the microphone? Yello. - Hi, Ratbert...yeh, he made the mistake of talking...the goodnight kiss is a definite no-go. - No, 020818 -- it's not awkward, but thanks for asking. 020819 -- Sweet mother of potatoes! I just thought of a billion-dollar idea!! - The company owns all of your ideas. Cough ot up or I'll fire you and then sue you. - WAAA! Your first billion-dollar idea is always the hardest. 020820 -- Carol, I'm sending you to an executive bodyguard class. - You'll learn how to pounce on a kidnapper and sacrifice yourself to keep me safe. - I'm talking a class called "Inside Help." I can't reimburse for that. 020821 -- I have mail! I've never had mail in twelve years here. - It's not addressed to me but it was in my box so I'm keeping it. - No mail for twelve years? If I hold it just right it glistens. 020822 -- I've never seen anyone get this excited over a piece of junk mail. - I've never been on a mailing list before. This letter is validation of my existence. - It's not addressed to you. I'll grant you that it's not a clear win. 020823 -- My morale skyrocketed when I received my first-ever item of bulk mail. - I have designated it "WM1" for "Wally's Mail One" and it shall remain forever unopened. - Bulk mail is the same as junk mail. Don't listen to his lies, WM1. 020824 -- And I need the software in a week. Cheryl is the only one who knows the ordering system. - She's on her honeymoon for two weeks. You need CFO approval to buy software outside the system. - Fine. I'll talk to the CFO. When will he be available? 020824 -- Depends on the parole board. 020825 -- Make the blue box bluer. - A little more...a little more...a little more...THAT'S IT!! - When you get tired of micromanaging me... - Put this sample of my blood under a microscope so you can manage me on a cellular level. - Snd here's a book by 020825 -- Erwin Schrdinger in case you'd like to manage me on a quantum level! - DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? - Free gifts. - Now I want all of you white blood cells to spell "Hi." 020826 -- What's this? It's our old five-year plan! - I wonder how we did compared to the plan. - Have we relegated Microsoft to the dust heap of history? Shhh! They might hear! 020827 -- I found our five-year plan from five years ago. - The last page says, "at the end of the fifth year, the entire management team will be..." - "...investigated for accounting irregularities." Spooky. 020828 -- Ha ha! I quit, you stinkin' pile of rubbish! - I'm going to work for myself. I won't need to deal with morons like you again! - On an unrelated note, if you need a freelance web designer, pleas call me. 020829 -- H, Bob. I haven't seen you lately. I was doing some evolving. - I noticed I have a zit that's sensitive to sunlight. I'm hoping it becomes an eye. - I like your attitude. Try to sneak up on me. 020830 -- I plan to use punctuated equilibrium to turn this zit into a third eye. - Tht's not a natural advantage. You'd you'd better stay away from the fitter dinosaurs. - Ha ha! My only enemies are bullysaurs and they... Hey, zit eye! 020831 -- Hello, Bob. I hear you're evolving a zit into a third eye, trying to get an advantage. - Gaaa!! No, it's only for cosmetic reasons, I swear!! Hmm... - Wanna watch a dinosaur be forced to use topical antibiotics? No, I have "TiVo." Gaaa!! 020901 -- Welcome to my quarterly employee feedback meeting. - Who wants to get the ball rolling? - It would be helpful if you told us our company's long term strategy. - OH, would it? - Why? So you can leak it to our competitors? - HERE'S YOUR STUPID 020901 -- SUGGESTION IN MY HAND! I'M CRUSHING IT! CRUSH, CRUSH, CRUSH!!! - NOW I'LL CHEW IT UP SO I CAN SPIT IT IN YOUR CUBICLE-DWELLING FACE!!! - You fell in that trap last quarter too. An optimist's life is never easy. 020902 -- And I need a code for charging my project expenses. No. I hate your project. - It doesn't matter if you hate it. You're the guy who assigns codes. Get out of here. - Why is everything in this company so freakin' hard. Because of people like 020902 -- you. 020903 -- Today I realized I hate everyone in the entire world. - I used to thin I might like some people I hadn't met. But now I think they're weasels too. - How about a wide-eyed and innocent child who loves you unconditionally? Tiny weasels. 020904 -- I'm signing up peoplefor the mandatory mouse training class. - I see you're using a western grip. That's just begging for carpal tunnel. - Weak muscles...I'll put you in the two-handed mouse class. Ouch 020905 -- Mouse Training Who wants to share an opinion on why mouse training is important? - OOH-OOH! PICK ME! - Yes, Wally. No one? 020906 -- Mouse Training Today ou will learn how to avoid premature clickage. - Contortyour face and visualize what you look like with a contorted face. - Now pair off and we'll do some finger exercises that I call "The Three Stooges." 020907 -- Our survey of customer satisfaction shows improvement. - The focus group spontaneously attacked our researchers using number two pencils as shivs. - That's an improvement? Last year the attack was premeditated. 020908 -- Carol, cancel all of my meetings forever. - From now on, I plan to stay in my office and manage by E-Mail. - You stilll need to communicate some things in person. - No, I don't. I can do it all by E-Mail. - Carol, e-mail me the budget. SEND - 020908 -- And now, like magic... DING you have a message - Auto-Reply: Carol is out of the office. - We have a situation here. 020909 -- This is our new CEO, Rufus T. Skwerrel. His first job was trailer park burglar. - But thanks to a series of mergers and acquisitions, not to mention suspicous accounting, here we are. - Would you like to saw a few words? Wallet and watch. 020910 -- I like our new CEO. He has charisma. - The man sure knows how to rob. He's a miracle worker with duct tape. - He even gave me back my emptied wallet. Classy move. 020911 -- Then our new CEO backed up a moving van to the building and robbed us. - At first we thought he was breaking the law, but he had a written opinion from his tax lawyer saying it was probably okay. - What did the board of directors do? After 020911 -- loading the van? 020912 -- To remind us all of our need to reduce expenses, the new dress code is barrels. - Expect for friday, which will be casual barrel day. - Has anyone else noticed that the barrel rides up on when you sit? 020913 -- Set up a meeting with the customer so we can demonstrate our technology. - It's humilitating because we're so poor now. What will I feed him? - If you think the food is great, wait until you see our technology? 020914 -- I'm sending you to Elbonia for a meeting, but we're on a tight budget. - So there will be no limo service to the airport. Go there in the cheapest possible way. - And then I started Brownie's Barrel Service. He's a talker. 020915 -- I completed the feasibility analysis. - It would take us two years to build a product that will be obsolete one year from now. - Oky, let's get started. - Um...no, the point is that the project can't succeed. - We want people to think we're 020915 -- developing this sort of product, so we'll be credible in the market. - So our plan is to do stupid things until we appear credible? Exactly. - GAAA!! MY LIFE IS A COMPLETE WASTE!! - Tomorrow I'll ask him why he's behind schedule. Very evil. 020915 -- Nicely done. 020916 -- Elbonia Air I don't see your reservation. - Maybe it's because all of our computers are cardboard props that we stole from a furniture store. - For security purposes, would you care to frisk me? Yes. 020917 -- In Elbonia Excuse me. My boss is cheap; can you direct me to a bad hotel? - I recommend the Bubonic Inn. It is so bad they will pay you to stay there. - What kind of fleas do you want in your mattress? Lazy ones. 020918 -- In Elbonia Yes, my company is so broke that our dress code is barrels... - But what we lack in fashion we make up for in...umm... - Did I already say lack of fashion? 020919 -- Our dress code policy will go back to business attire. - And I will keep changing the dress code until I find the clothing style that makes our profit go up! - Later, At the Sartorial Alchemy Lab Watch out. This might spark. 020920 -- Dilbert, meet a woman who acts peeved at any sort of question. - How are you? poink - HOW AM I??? Wow. I gotta show this to Wally. 020921 -- Grab your dental floss and follow me. I'll explain on the way. Okay. - The newly hired mutant is named "Peeved Eve." Wait until you see her peeved expression hee hee! - GAAA! PUBLIC FLOSSING! 020922 -- Full Service Broker - I'm Bob Weaselton, your full-service stockbroker. - There are two ways we can go here. - Option one: I act as if brokers know which stocks are better than others. - Then I'll earn your trust by comparing your portfolio to 020922 -- misleading benchmarks. - But I prefer a more direct approach. - Option two: I sell you whatever garbage earns me the biggest commission. - Would you do me a favor and lie to me? Nice haircut. 020923 -- I designed the user interface myself. How do you like the colors? - PUKE - Flu? Interface design. 020924 -- You have chronic Mahjobbis Crappus but that's not why you puked. - Have you been exposed to any user interfaces designed by engineers? Yes. - You have interface poisoning. You'll be dead in a week. 020925 -- I have one week to live. I've been poisoned by looking at a bad user interface design. - I see a lot of this. The only cure is to crowd out the ugly memory with images of staggering beauty. - Where would I... Drink it in, baby. And don't forget 020925 -- it. 020926 -- Norma's son finished three projects last year. You only did one. - His cubicle is a double-wide. And his CEO once said Hi to him in the elevator. - Thanks to you, my "Scrabble" night is a living hell. Do you still use counterfeit vowels? 020927 -- Why have you only finished one project at work this year? Norma's son did three. - You can't measure someone's worth by counting the number of projects he does. - Maybe we should track Roi instead. Why, because you're losing? 020928 -- In school, I was always the last kid picked to be on a team. - I need two people right now. I'll take Asok and...I'll keep looking. - So it's like a super power? Pretty much. 020929 -- Tell everyone I'll be there in a minute. sniff - What's all that sniffing about? Do xou have a cold? Little one. - mmph - COUCH - GAAA!!! I TOOK A DIRECT HIT! - The cooties are burrowing into my skin. - I'M UNCLEAN!! - I hope that's what 020929 -- motivation looks like. Close enough. 020930 -- Dilbert, I want you to integrate our sales database with our inventory and finance systems. - The managers of those systems are a nitwit, an ogre, and a $#!|%, respectively. - And they know that two of them will be fired when this is complete. 020930 -- I can get that done in thirty years. 021001 -- Our project team is composed of a nitwit, an ogre, and a #$|%! - Which one of them is the nitwit? - You didn't bring donuts. May I eat the nitwit? Yes. Poor guy. 021002 -- My project is stalled because my nitwit hates my ogre, and my #$|%! won't do any work. - My ogre ate my nitwit and my #$|%! is trying to blame me for it. - Do you want to borrow my nitwit? No, I have a requisition in. 021003 -- We provide win-win scenarios and customer-focused solutions. - Uh...okay...but what is the actual product or service you sell? - We don't sell; we partner. I don't buy; I shovel. 021004 -- The Vendor that Couldn't Describe his Company's Product It integrates the resources... - to optimize the performance of technology. Yeah, but what is it. - Hey, if you don't want your resources to be integrated, just say so. 021005 -- Dilbert, put together a team to decide who'll be on the strategy council. - You want me to form a committee to create a committee that will produce a document that will be ignored? - No, it's a team to create a council. Can I be on the team 021005 -- that ignores the document? 021006 -- Wally, it's time for your annual performance review. - None of my usual words fit your situation. - So I had to hit the thesaurus pretty hard. - Your overall rating is "feral." - Your leadership skills are rated "squirrely." - And your teamwork 021006 -- is a solid "coot." - Your long-term potential is to die in the landscaping and become compost. - How'd it go? I wasn't really listening. 021007 -- A survey of your TV ad effectiveness shows that no one has heard of your company. - Your ad only says your name once, at the end of a boring commercial when viewers have drifted off. - I recommend throwing your ad money into a special kind of 021007 -- hole. When can we start? 021008 -- Ratbert, I need you to dig a huge rat hole, so companies can throw money in it. YES!!! - I might share some of the money with you. You had me at "hole." - When should I stop digging? When you smell feet. 021009 -- RAT HOLE May I throw money down the rat hole? Show me your business plan. - You plan pay huge investment banking fees to buy a low-margin, money-losing business... - For an extra fee, I'll push you in the hole and take your money. Oooh, sounds 021009 -- good. 021010 -- RAT HOLE I can't decide if I should throw 25 million dollars down a rat hole or... - ...buy a ride into space on a russian rocket ship. - What about the poor? Do they have a rocket? 021011 -- Does anyone have a suggestion for reducing our inventory? - Let's sell it to our customers. - Would that work? Feel free to tell the board that it's your idea. 021012 -- My vacation starts in ten minutes. - I tied up all of my loose ends. I only need to walk out the door. - I told a reporter that we designed a computer made entirely of recycled paper. 021013 -- The three pillars of our pyramid are communication, integrity, and teamwork. - Question: Since when do pyramids have pillars? - Answer: Shut up. - Problem: All of my team members are idiots. - If I communicate my honest opinion of their ideas, 021013 -- I won't be a team player. - But if I pretend to agree with their bad ideas, I won't have integrity. - So instead of being a pyramid, can I be a two-leeged stool like you? - Wow! That was much better than my pillar question. Aren't I on your 021013 -- team? 021014 -- If we can put a man on the moon, we can build a computer made entirely of recycled paper. - Your flawed analogy shows that other people can do other things. - Maybe you should call other people and ask how they do it. - Maybe they use good 021014 -- analogies. 021015 -- I asked Dilbert to lead the team in making a computer entirely from recycled paper. - HA HA HA!! YOU ARE TOTALLY DOOMED TO FAIL!! - Wally is teaching me to find joy in the misery of others. You're on my project team. 021016 -- zzzzz click click * send - Marketing Someone named Wally is telling us to launch the new product. - Or it might say to eat lunch with a penguin. It has a few typos. I already ate, so let's do the other thing. 021017 -- Can you come to the product-launch party next week? - No, I'll be working day and night for five years to build the product you think you're launching. - Something tells me you don't add mucht to a party. You haven't seen my mime impression. 021018 -- Does my latest assignment look impossible? - Let's see...you'd need to slow the speed of light, and perfect the art of human clothing... - So there's hope? Eliminate gravity, stop the sun, reanimate the dead... 021019 -- Can you help me weasel out of an impossible assignment? You came to the right place. - Gradually reword the objectives of the project until one day they match what you've already done. - Six Months Later I successfully analyzed the feasibility 021019 -- of discontinuing the project. Success! 021020 -- I did what? - You talked to my boss without my permission. - I don't remember reading a rule against that. - That's because it's an unwritten rule. - Unwritten you say? Hmm...isn't that interesting? I wonder why it's unwritten. - I would think 021020 -- you'd be proud to write down an excellent rule such as that. - But if you prefer to keep transmitting rules by ESP, your skull seems to be blocking the outgoing signals. If you're sending a new rule now, turn your head so it can come out your 021020 -- ear hole. 021021 -- Dogbert the Investment Banker Here's a deal sheet for a company you should buy. - They're defending against a trillion-dollar asbestos lawsuit, and they have no earnings. - But that's okay, because stock analysts don't dig that far into the 021021 -- minutiae. 021022 -- Dogbert the Investment Banker We have all of the elements to make the merger a success. - ...corrupt auditors, corrupt CFO, corrupt stock analysts, greedy bankers and clueless board members. - And you? What are you implying? 021023 -- Dogbert the Investment Banker I hired a weasel to teach you how to answer media questions. - No matter what the reporters ask, always give the same answer: "It will be good for stockholders." - Is it true that you ran over a stockholder in the 021023 -- parking lot? It'll be good for him. 021024 -- I worry that our upcoming merger is nothing but a huge scam on our stockholders. - BUWAHAHA-HAHAHA!! - I mean...it's accretive to earnings. 021025 -- This stockholder is suing us to stop the merger. Go rough her up. - This assignment distrubs me on may levels. Name one. - It will make the holidays tense. blah, blah blah. 021026 -- Mom, you have to drop your lawsuit against my company. They fight dirty. - Bring 'em on! I've been watching my "Tae Bo" videos! I'll dispatch their goons to hell! - They sent me. I'm their goon. After dinner, I'm going Billy Blanks on your 021026 -- butt! 021027 -- Thanks to an epic year of unethical behavior... - We need to do some rebranding so that no one knows who we are. - I hired the Dogbert Consulting Company to help. - You can't fix your image all at once. I recommend starting with small 021027 -- improvements. - First, rename the company to Stinkingweasels Inc. - The new slogan will be "We Steal in Ways You've Never Even Heard Of." - For your spokesman, I recommend hiring a priate with a diseased parrot. - No? We have standards. cough * 021028 -- Mom, I'll get fired unless you drop your lawsuit agaings my company, - Why do you work for a company that's managed by despicable weasels? - They tell me it's because I enjoy the challenge. I demand a DNA test. 021029 -- Dogbert the Attorney Your best defense is to say you were ignorant of your company's stock manipulation. - We need to convince a judge that you're dumber than chocolate pants at an outdoor Las Vegas Photography Convention. - I don't get that. 021029 -- E-e-excellent. 021030 -- I will prove that my client is too dumb to embezzle. - Or, failing that, I'll prove that you're too dumb to know he did it. - Mister Dogbert... Don't get me started about you. 021031 -- We find the defendant guilty and we sentence him to death. - Umm...we haven't deliberated. We haven't even heard any evidence yet. - Okay, so, what I'm hearing is that Leno's monologue is *not* evidence? 021101 -- Dogbert the Attorney Your honor, is it too late to change sides? - After hearing the evidence, I want to punish my client. No? - I expect some awkward silences during the next break. 021102 -- The court finds you guilty of defrauding stockholders. - You will serve your time in a place so horrible that it has no name. - Here's your roomie. burp 021103 -- We need to show more corporate social responsibility. - Okay, I'll cut your salary and give the extra money to poor people. - I was hoping we could hose the stockholders, not me. - That would hurt my stock options. What if we pollute less? - 021103 -- Yes, yes! That's what I'm talking about. We could pollute less! - Okay, take a bucket to the river and see how much of our sludge you can get out. - Where would I put it? - Is it just me or has the coffee improved? Zesty! 021104 -- Pointy-Haired Convict I've got to find a way to bust out out of this joint. - Try walking backward. -Well, that didn't work...oh, I get it: This is a little joke you play on all the fresh meat. 021105 -- What happened while I was in jail? - Morale skyrocketed, profits soared, and for the first time, life had meaning. - It's just my lick that I'd miss thos two days. 021106 -- Here's the temp you requested. - GAAA!!! NO HANDSHAKE! I'M AFRAID OF COMMITTMENT!! - I won't need a chair. I like to stand in this position. 021107 -- I'm a temp with a fear of commitment. I keep one foot out the door. - Whatever. Just take care of this for me. It'll take ten minutes. - zip 021108 -- I've developed a new theory of intelligence that I call "Drop-By I.Q." - It's a measure of how long a drop-by visitor will stay in your cubicle when you're trying to work. - One hour and counting. ...and that's why I'm afraid of bananas. 021109 -- Don't give performance reviews on time. - Wait until an employee screws up something big, then pounce! - ...I forgot to unplug the demo unit and it burned down our customer's headquarters. Do you have a minute? 021110 -- And then I would end the presentation with this. - Whoa! I don't like the look of that background color. - Red says danger. We don't want to scare our customers. - Um...okay. How about yellow? - Yellow? Are we saying we're cowards? - What we 021110 -- need is a committee to set some standards for background colors. - What we need is a metero to pulverize you three pointy-haired, micromanaging nitwits. - If you didn't move your mouth, how did you get out? It came out of my ear hole. 021111 -- ...and I need it this afternoon. - Forget it! I'm a shorttimer. - I plan to sit in this chair and not move my arms or legs for a week. After that, I'll never work another day! - I hesitate to ask this, but I have an itch in an awkward place. 021112 -- Asok, go get the short-timer and push his chair to my office. Is he injured? - No, he refuses to move his arms or legs until retirement. - Are you a good example of what is called a "piece of work"? Except for the "work" part. 021113 -- The Short-Timer You're retiring soon, so you can give me honest feedback. - Wouldn't that be harder than doing absolutely nothing? - How about if I create the illusion of listening while I fantasize about fishing? Good enough. 021114 -- The Short-Timer How will you leave if you refuse to any major muscle groups until retirement? - I'm hoping someone will buy me a motorized wheelchair and lift me into it. - I would be willing to drag you to the curb. Face up? 021115 -- There's an emergency strategy meeting in five minutes. - I was all warm and cozy in my cubicle paradise. Why must you ruin it? - Can you hear the sound of me not caring? 021116 -- We need a clear strategy. Does anyone have a suggestion? - Let's figure out what makes us the most profit, and then do more of it. - It need to be less clear than that. Can it be illegal? 021117 -- The original schedule looked like this... - One month for a management decision and one year to do the project. decide->do - The revised schedule is this... - One year of indecision followed by intense pressure to do the impossible before the 021117 -- deadline indecision->no way - Now if you'll each take a pair of 3-D glasses... - You can see the layers of management incompetence practically jump out at you. - Now scratch one of these scented cards to sniff the unmistakable odor of doom. - I 021117 -- don't smell anything. Is mine broken? 021118 -- The marketing department wants you to build a device that turns customers into sheep. - Why? So they'll buy whatever we tell them to buy? - To be hones, we haven't given it much thought beyond free wool. 021119 -- My invention will turn people into mindless sheep. - I'm curious how you'll know it works I assume it's mostly a cosmetic change. - Dogbert, did you unplug it as I asked? Couldn't be bothered. 021120 -- A lab accident turned me into a sheep. - It's not all bad. In addition to being soft and warm, I never need to form opinions. - If you want some wool, just grab me and start shaving. I'll barly struggle. Cool! 021121 -- Before we start the meeting, I should explain how I turned into a sheep. - Why do people think their problems are interesting to other people? - I stepped in a puddle. I'M A FRICKEN SHEEP!!! 021122 -- ...and the next thing I knew, I'd be turned into a sheep. - On the bright side, I won't need to remind you to wear a sweater. - I was hoping for advice, not ridicule. No one likes a pushy sheep. 021123 -- You can reverse the sheep effect by signing up for a kickboxing class. - The change will happen quickly, so be prepared. Umm...okay. - Suddenly I realize he meant "wear pants." 021124 -- I hate today...I hate today. - Wally's annual performance review. - Let's compare your objectives with...what the...? - Apparently your objectives are "play Pomputer Solitaire and drink coffee." - I hope you're learning a valuable lesson about 021124 -- reading documents before signing them. - Okay, we'll use what we have. How many games of Solitaire did you win? - Win? I didn't know you could win. Is that something new? - He made you the employee of the month? He thinks he signed a warning 021124 -- for my file. 021125 -- From now on, I plan to wear headphones in the office. - I'll be drumming my fingers and humming all day. I might even whistle. - I can't hear you. but I assume you're wishing me luck. Inconsiderate #%*!$ 021126 -- OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN... - With headphones I sound exactly like Britney Spears. oops - I'd slap him but I don't want to touch him. 021127 -- The lower left part of my computer screen is defective. May I order a replacement? - That part of the screen is overrated. Try ignoring it. - May I vigorously bang my head on your desk? Sure. knock yourself out. 021128 -- Each of you will get a shirt as part of my war on waste program! - I wouldn't wear that shirt at home or in the office, so what good is... - HONK! Oh. Never mind. 021129 -- I sprained my arm using the TV remote control. - I tried to change the channel and the volume at the same time. - Tht's why you should always stretch first. Wally, who's your doctor? 021130 -- This is a guess, but I think your doctor is a vet. - I don't know about his military service. I just know he has great cookies. - And I like it when he rubs my belly. I know something you don't know. 021201 -- Dilbert, research this expense and find out what it's for. - It's only $2.37 . - It could take all day to track it down! - I'm a highly trained engineer, not a clerk. - How can you justify wasting a valuable employee like me on a trivial task 021201 -- like this?!! - That reminds me: your project got cancelled. This is your only assignment. - WOO-HOO! IN YOUR FACE!!! - I wonder if he'll find out I spent $2.37 on his "kudos" award. 021202 -- Human Resources is sending a designated firer to do layoffs. - If a stranger approaches your cubicle, it means you're toast! GAAA!!! - Hell-o-o-o, Carol. Can you show me where Ted sits? GAAA!! 021203 -- Hell-o-o-o, Ted. I'm the weasel of layoffs. - If there's any way I can make this experience more humilitating, don't hesitate to ask. - WHY, WHY ME??!! I'll tape a list of your defects to your old chair. 021204 -- Asok, take these project summaries and summarize them into one summary. - And when you're done, take that summary and summarize it. - What is a shorter word for doomed? 021205 -- So I told him to stop making motor noises with his lips. - Get the Scorpion King action figure away from your sister's Barbie!!! - Now she's also typing a personal message with her nose! It's a trifecta! 021206 -- I need you to do Ted's job and your own job until we hire someone. - If I do well, you'll make me do two jobs forever. If I do poorly, I'll get no raise. - I can't promise anything, but there might be some verbal praise down the road. 021207 -- Carol, tell those kids they can't skateboard in our parking lot. - Should I give them a reason, or is this part of your master plan to remove all joy from the universe? - They know about the plan. Fool! I told you to blame your insurance 021207 -- carrier! 021208 -- My vacation was great! - The sunsets were beautiful. The food was amazing. - Descriptions of your vacation serve no purpose. - I can neither see the sunsets nor taste the food. - It appears to be a selfish attempt to trigger happy memories for 021208 -- yourself at my expense. - Okay, Buster! When my seven rolls of film get developed... - YOU'RE OUT OF THE LOOP!!! - That worked out better than I hoped. 021209 -- My magnetic-cancellation wheel will create unlimited free enery. - BUWAHAHA!!! I will use this technology to rulte the world!!! - Um...it's not yours. What time are you going to bed? 021210 -- My dream was to someday decompose and become fossil fuel. - But Dilbert's cruel invention will make fuel unnecessary. Now my life has no purpose! - You can be my disposable evil lackey. I-I-I can? 021211 -- We'll artificially boost revenues by selling to our own offshore subsidiary. - Then we'll book our expenses as capital, lie to the media about our prospects, bribe an industry analyst, and cash out! - I know I'm doing something right when my 021211 -- business practices gag a rat. aak aak aak 021212 -- The reporter from moneybags magazine is here. Send him in. - Are you planning to ask my employees if my claims are true? Nah, too lazy. - I credit my success to the foot massages I personally give to each employee. Cover story! 021213 -- I sold my stock and made billions before driving my company into bankruptcy. - Now I do the weasel dance. Hoo-ah! Yee-ha! Woo-woo-woo! - Would it kill you to clap and sing along? 021214 -- Then they rip out your ego and put you in a box until you rot!! GAAA!! - You'll never know if you're dead or if you've simply envying the dead!! - How was "Career Day"? Kids these days are afraid of work. 021215 -- Dilbert, I want you to write a letter to our new customer. - I'll tell you what to say, then you'll go write it and I'll sign it. - This way I won't waste my valuable executive time. It's efficient. - Yes, that's one possible outcome. Here's 021215 -- another. - You'll keep forgetting to mention important things that should be in the letter. - I'll be trapped in an endless loop of writing, tracking you down, getting criticized and starting over. - Or you could simply write the letter 021215 -- yourself and save us both a huge hassle. - I paragraph one, say something like "Hi." 021216 -- I calculated the impact of work on my health and life expectancy. - At my current workload, do ing two people's jobs, I have...six months to live. - Remind me in five and a half months so I can shop for a card. 021217 -- Estate Planning I expect to work myself to death in six months, so I need a will. - Are you mentally incompetent? - I don't think so. Okay then, I'll remove my name from the list of beneficiaries. 021218 -- Estate Planning You can avoid probate costs by creating a living trust. - So...I can use an inconvenient system created by lawyers to avoid a worse system created by lawyers? - According to my watch, that witty observation cost you four 021218 -- dollars. 021219 -- I'm well on my way to an early death from overworking. - I expect a visit from the grim reaper any day now. - You don't look grim. Unlike you, I love my job. 021220 -- I was a grim reaper until I started taking antidepressants. - I still reap, because I like the work, but I'm not grim. Deat - Am I dead? No, I'm over my limit today, so I'm doing catch-and-release. 021221 -- Technically, I was dead for eight minutes. - I don't know why I wasn't afraid. - Oh. 021222 -- THE ADVENTURES OF PAUL OOSHEN* (*say it fast) - Aaah...the scent of a hog farm in a rainstorm. - Oil for fingers. - Onion sandwich. - Annoying nasal sounds. sniff snort - Leaky coffee mug. I'm ready for my meeting. - YES! YES! I AGREE TO 021222 -- EVERYTHING! PLEASE LEAVE!! - I didn't even need to lean over her keyboard with my sugar doughnut. 021223 -- Come work out with me. We don't have a company gym. - Try having a conversation with Jim the security guard; it's totally exhausting! - ...but a cow is not entirely full of milk; some of it is Hamburgers! 021224 -- I plan to sell an anti-itch lotion that's really just honey. - I'll put a tiny disclaimer on the bottle that says, "might cause itching." - That's not nice. And then I'll sell my customer list to bears. 021225 -- I got a award! - "The 'Family-Haters Association' is proud to give you this award for your anti-family practices." - I hope no one reads it. 021226 -- Quit staring. I overslept and now I have a bad case of bed hair. - I'm confused. Surely it would have gone back to normal after your shower. - Please do not unleash the unhygienic fist of death! 021227 -- Performance Review You did two jobs for a year and did them well. - I have no budget for raises, so all I can offer is an attaboy. - The problem is: I don't want to cheapen the whole attaboy system. 021228 -- I can monitor all employee E-Mail from here. - I'm looking for recently estranged lovers so I can promote one of them over the other. - Why is my new job title a long string of curse words? I win. 021229 -- Carol, call the police. My car has been stolen. - Is it like the last three times that you thought it had been stolen? - And later you realized that you just forgot where you parked it? - No, this time is different. My car is totally gone. - 021229 -- Watch me use my magic powers to make your car reappear in the parking lot. - PRESTO AUTO REAPPEARO!!! - After all the other cars leave the parking lot, your car will reappear. - Freaky. 021230 -- Make your "Power-Point" presentation so boring that our CEO will slip into a trance. - Then I'll whisper to him subliminal suggestions to increase our budget. - More budget. Kill the pointy-haired monster. 021231 -- Bob will demonstrate our new biometric security system. - The system checks for pulse, heat and fingerprints to identify each employee. - It says I don't have any of those things. Are you the one they call Wally? 030101 -- For thousands of generations the males in my family practiced selective breeding. - The goal was to produce offspring that leave no biometric impression: no pulse, no fingerprints, no DNA. - Why? We like to ask "Why not?" 030102 -- My plan is to sell low-cost videophones to dimwitted identical twins. - I'll even throw in free long-distance calling because that's the kind of gux I am. - Gaaa!!! What are you doing at my girlfriend's house??? 030103 -- A reporter wants to see you. - He claims we've been delivering all of our garbage to the local park for twenty years. - How is that even possible? The secret is in the spreading. 030104 -- Investigative Reporter Explain why your company dumps garbage in the park. - And why do you drive such a huge, wasteful vehicle? - I need you to scrape something off my tires and take it to the park. 030105 -- Dilbert, I got a new member for your project team. - My name is Ron but everyone calls me Mo. I don't know why. - Mo, why is your shirt on backward? - WHAT??! AGAIN??! - Stand back. I'll try to fix it by quickly turning around. - AAAGH! HU-AAH! 030105 -- - Oh, great. Now Dilbert is gone. I must have entered another dimension. - Please tell me that his pay is lower than mine. I love this part. 030106 -- I need your self-evaluation so I can write your performance review. - Remember to rate yourself on our core values of honesty and integrity. - Wally claims he did no work this year. But he's dishonest, so you can't be sure. 030107 -- All shredders are being centralized at our corporate headquarters. - If you need something shredded, give it to Asok. - Dude, I think he meant you would take it to the shredders. mouth...so...dry 030108 -- How do I make this software schedule one person to two tasks at the same time? - I can write a patch that inserts new months in the timeline. - And the second task is due on the fifteenth of Floopuary. 030109 -- We're going to try something called extreme programming. - First, pick a partner. The two of you will work at one computer for forty hours a week. - The new system is a minute old and I already hate everyone. 030110 -- Extreme Programming I can't give you all of these features in the first version. - And each feature needs to have what we call a "user story." - Okay, here's a strory: you give me all of my features or I'll ruin your life. 030111 -- Extreme Programming The two of you will be a code-writing team. - Studies prove that two programmers on one computer is the most productive arrangement. - Sometimes I can whistle through both nostrils. I've saved a fortune in harmonicas. 030112 -- I thought of a great idea. - You could let the project managers manage their own budgets...what? - You're giving me a look. I must try to guess what it means. - We don't do things that way? If it were a good idea you'd already be doing it? - My 030113 -- ideas are poorly conceived? I can't see the big picture?! - GAAA!!! I AM IGNORANT AND WORTHLESS!! - I MUST PUMMEL MYSELF WITH MY OWN TINY FISTS!! ow! ow! - They're kinda self-managed now. - Very evil; I purr in your general direction. 030114 -- The Consultick He'll do more than give us bad advice... - He'll also make sure we can't implement it without him. - Ha ha! Now he's burrowing into my torso, and I've convinced myself it's okay. 030115 -- It looks like you need "Dogbert's Consultant Removal Service." - He's in there good. You must be losing a lot of cash. - It already spread to your wallet. I'll have to operate immediately. 030116 -- I can either save your life or the consultant's life, but one of you will die. - Give us a moment to discuss it. - He recommends that you kill me. 030117 -- The consultectomy was successful, but you lost a lot of cash. - We're giving your wallet a transfusion, bur we had to sedate an unwilling donor. - Whoever thought of happy hour at a hospital ish a geniush. 030118 -- Wally, would you... - Oh...never mind. I see that you're radiating an aura of extreme incompetence. - You forgot to turn off your aura. It takes a minute to cool down. 030119 -- Can your department do this for us? No problem. - Really? It's outside of your normal scope of work and I know you're overloaded. - We're a flexible, client-driven organization! - Wally, how can I avoid projects that are outside of my scope and 030119 -- responsibility? - Cheerfully accept the assignments and then never work on them. - It bolsters your claims of being overloaded while leaving you free for work that matters. - Work matters? Well, not to us. - I'm not even sure what they want. 030119 -- I'll start ignoring it immediately. 030120 -- I work for an unethical company. Does that make me a bad person? - You're a loathsome and despicable. If crud wore shoes, you would be the crud in the crud's shoes. - Why did that seem rehearsed? That's all I think about when we go for walks. 030121 -- I'm putting you in charge of building our new technology lab. - Pick the contractor with the lowest bid. I don't foresee any problems with that strategy. - So, your bid says you'll do the job for "...a chance to gnaw on wood." Too high? 030122 -- Your construction bid is the lowest, so I have to award you the job. - When can your team of highly skilled craftsmen begin? I'll call you. - Day one: My ex-wife set my truck on fire. 030123 -- The project is behind schedule because our contractor is a lazy beaver. - For a while he was making up excuses. Now, he doesn't return calls. What's your plan? - I hope to get him back to making up excuses by promising him more jobs in the 030123 -- future. 030124 -- We need to upgrade our PC operating systems, so we have a stable environment for applications. - Think of it as a form of taxation by an evil shadow government. - Shadow government? That's ridiculous. Shut up and pay me. 030125 -- For only a million dollars, you can upgrade to our newest software version. - Of you can slowly decompose in the miasma of our planned obsolescence. - We can't afford to upgrade now. Say goodbye to the digits three and nine. 030126 -- Dilbert, come here for a minute. - I need to talk to you about...ring ring - He's giving me the "wait" signal. - I have nothing to look at, nothing to fiddle with, nothing to do. - I'll try thinking about how my mind controls my muscles. - 030126 -- Uh-oh...I'm getting too conscious of my muscles and it's freaking me out. - GAAA!!! I'VE LOST MY MIND-BODY CONNECTION!! - The problem with engineers is that they don't idle well. 030127 -- I'm bailing out of your project; it has the scent of failure. - I will attach myself to a more successful host to ensure my survival. - Do you have a pill for someone who gets rejected by Wally? Q loser pill? 030128 -- In response to your continuous harping about not having enough funding... - I hired an expensive consultant to analyze your budget. - I'll have to run some chaos and complexity simulations, but it looks as if you need more money. 030129 -- I call my invention the "Visibuddy." - It's a mindless replica that can attend meetings and increase my visibility. - Am I working hard or hardly working? Do you golf? Nice guy. 030130 -- Your visibility has been excellent lately. What's your secret? - I created a mindless replica to attend meeting. He has no personlaity whatsoever. - Wow! You look totally real. Hee hee! Burn, dude. 030131 -- Would it be okay if I asked your mindless replica for a date? - I'm full of uninteresing stories and I need a guy who's a good listener. - Now I'll describe the clothing of each person at the cat show. THUNK! 030201 -- We saved money by hiring a guy who's had many personal problems. - But we're sure he was just unlucky; no one would invite that many problems into his life. - Yes, of course your ex-boyfriend can stay with us until the choppers leave and he 030201 -- sobers up. 030202 -- Your budget is wrong. You forgot maintenance. - Why do you engineers always think you're right? - I anticipated your reaction and I came prepared. - Here's a list of every disagreement we've had. - And here are the audio clips of the outcomes, 030202 -- in your own voice. - you're right, Dilbert...you're right...I guess you're right...I'm wrong...you're right...you're right. - Let me see that for a second. - To an engineer, everyone looks like a chimp. oo!! oo!! oo!! 030203 -- It's a mild rash. I'll scribble an indecipherable prescription for you. - What if your bad handwriting causes the pharmacy to give me a harmful medication? - That's a little thing I call marketing. 030204 -- I can't read your doctor's handwritng. - I'll give you this mood-altering drug to make you happy. - I have a skin rash! And it's making you unhappy, right? 030205 -- I'm taking a mood-altering prescription drug to treat a skin rash. - I still itch, but I don't care. In fact, I don't even think you're a huge, stinkin' weasel. - I love you! You da man! Remind me to cancel your health benefits. 030206 -- My project is a flaming death spiral, thanks to you lazy, selfish weasels. - But I'm feeling terrific because I'm taking mood-altering presctiption drugs! - I can see by your expressions that my doctor is much better than yours! Hoo-wah! 030207 -- My prescription drugs make me happy, but I worry that it's not genuie happiness. - Ask your doctor for a drug that cures worrying. Then you'll have it all. - It might make you grow an exoskeleton, but you won't care. Cool. 030208 -- My medication makes me carefree and happy, but the side effect is an exoskeleton. - Remember the old saying - "beauty is only bone deep." Hee Hee - But enough about me. I don't want to look shellfish. You had a chance until the pun. 030209 -- My new design will meet al of our customers' current and future needs. - That's no good; they'll never need to upgrade. - Please don't ask me to put flaws in my design. - Flaws would work. We need flaws. Flaws, flaws, flaws. - Please...no... - 030209 -- Make it freeze every hour. The interface needs to be more confounding. And.. - Later Please...no more. ...and crippling electric shocks. - Mich, much later The help screen could recommend marrying an unemployed, shirtless guy with a mullet. *That's* 030209 -- marketing! 030210 -- My medication makes me happy despite my Exoskeleton, bad job, and social life. - If chemicals can change the way I think and what I enjoy, then free will must be an illusion. - What about your soul? I'm an engineer. 030211 -- I heard you had a cold. It wasn't a cold. - I was addicted to prescription drugs and I grew an Exoskeleton. I've been in Rehab and surgery for six months. - Just to be clear: Can I catch any of that by touching the coffeemaker after you? 030212 -- Evil H.R. Director I need to check a few things before we hire you. - Give me blood, hair, and urine samples, fingerprints, social-security number, past employers, and past lovers. - Before we started doing all of this checking, did you know 030212 -- that everyone in the world was despicable? 030213 -- Evil H.R. Director Evil ring - I'm sorry, I can't give references for ex-employees. - But if I did, it would rhyme with "mazy loron." 030214 -- From now on, I want you to stagger your lunch hours so someone is always here. - Gaaa! As the lowest person in the pecking order, I will never know in advance when I can eat!! - Sheesh, take a pill. It is the end of errands as I know them!! 030215 -- The good news is that half of you will get huge raises. - The bad news is that half of you will be downsized tomorrow. - Is it the same people? Yeah, we ran the numbers. 030216 -- Do you want to watch a numbing? You know I do! - Where is it? Cubicle 1S950. - Are you going to the numbing? You know we are! - What is a numbing? - It's the moment that an employee's brain numbs to the pain of working here. - It's actually 030216 -- quite beautiful. No two are alike. - I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!! GAA!! GAA!! OOH What the...? - It's okay - he's in a happy place now. 030217 -- ring Excuse mw while I take this call. Okay. - Excuse me while I hate your inconsiderate guts. - No, nothing important. Excuse me while I imagine crushing your head. 030218 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director From now on, the company will allow flex time. - You can work any hours you like, as long as you're here from eight to five. - That's called unpaid overtime. And you need to be flexible to do that to yourself, right? 030219 -- If you hire me, I'll work a hundred hours a week and never ask for a raise! - I wnet to school at a top-secret facility for super geniuses; that's why it's not on my resume. - And I'm sure it's all true because he says he's honest! Apparently 030219 -- it doesn't take one to know one. 030220 -- My fantasy is to own a luxury motor coach. - I'd drive it to work and sleep all day in the parking lot. It would be like paradise. - That's your best fantasy? It would also have a TV, in case I woke up. 030221 -- Do you have any customer references i could call? Right here. - beep beep boop beep R-R-RING - No answer. r-r-ring Try again when I'm in the parking lot. 030222 -- We'll save money by outsourcing our I.T. function. - Then we'll save more money by replacing our outsourcing with full-time employees! - When it's time for us to panic, will there be a warning sound, or was that it? 030223 -- Carol, come to my strategy meeting. - You're only a secretary, but I value your input. - I'M AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT!!! - Chip. Bad secretary. - Does anyone have any strategic ideas for global domination? - The engineers keep using our 030223 -- coffee filters as popcorn bags. That has to stop. - If you ordered enough filters, I wouldn't need to use the foot of my pantyhose to make coffee every day! - I'm adding that to the list of thing I don't want to talk about. 030224 -- I have an assignment for you that has no value whatsoever to the company. - For reasons of company politics, I need to pretend I'm doing something in this area. - So, you're doing *actual* work. What's that all about? 030225 -- I have an appointment to see a demo of your new product. - And the unit will be in a case like this, but completely different, and it will have software, once we write it. - You let me travel four hours to see an empty case? Are you forgetting 030225 -- the blank CD? 030226 -- How often would would you charge us this "annual fee"? - Is that a joke? Sadly, no. - Once a month. Sounds fair. 030227 -- Dilbert, meet your new co-worker, Toxic Tom. - He complained about his last job all through his interview. But he'll be happy here. - He says he thinks you're stupid because you ask too many questions. 030228 -- The Toxic Co-Worker You wouldn't believe what people are saying about you. - I tried to defend you. I said you look slow only because you're bloated. - But what ticks me off id that everyone in the department earns more than you do. 030301 -- We demand that you fire our toxic co-worker. - You aren't talking about me, are you? - No, you're intellectual with an overlay of selfish. And I hate the toxic guy? 030302 -- This is Dogbert's Tech Support. How may I abuse you? - Finally!! It took me an hour to penetrate your inscrutable audio menu system! - Then I waited in queue for forty minutes! - My problem is that my computer keeps freezing...not so fast. - I 030302 -- need to know your name, address, phone number, operating system, E-Mail address, serial numbers, software versions and video drivers. - Then I'll put you in queue for the low-level technician who can only tell you to reboot. - He'll ask you the 030302 -- same questions for reasons that will baffle you. - But eventually you'll solve my problem, right? Sure, if your problem is too much optimism. 030303 -- You don't respond to my E-Mail anymore. - When I reply to E-Mail, it attracts more E-Mail. I'm trying to break the vicious cycle. - Well...I'll leave you voice-mails. Let me know how that works out for you. 030304 -- Our facilities management says the new statue by the front entrance isn't a statue. - It's an unlucky guy named Karl who had been warned many times not to feed the birds. - Then it talks about statistical clustering...blah, blah, blah...and 030304 -- serving as an example. 030305 -- I've decided to add chronic lateness to my repertoire. - I'll start with the calssic excuses: car problems, traffic, and misplaced items. Then I'll branch out. - Aou're the mayor of Loserville. Don't jinx it. 030306 -- A man from "Loser Magazine" wants to see you. - He said something about featuring you on the cover. Send him over. - I tried, but he keeps going into the break room and napping. I hate show-offs. 030307 -- Wally, I'd like to interview you for "Loser Magazine." Okay. - Do you have a pen? Wow. These are easy questions. - I mean, may I borrow your pen? No, you look like a chewer. 030308 -- Your story is perfect for "Loser Magazine." - It makes me wish I'd written it down because I'm already forgetting...oops, it's gone. - I'll just make up something that sounds good. And I'll use photos of a model. Thanks, Willy. I'm famous! 030309 -- I call my invention the "Eargarette." - It's a cigarette for your ear! - It allows non-smokers to take smoking breaks. - Is there any downside? What? - Never mind. - We've been working for fifteen minutes straight. I need an eargarette break. - 030309 -- What? What? What? - Ear mint? Two, please. 030310 -- Would you like to buy some life insurance? - Exclusions: self-inflicted wounds, pre-existing illness, criminal acts, war, dangerous sports, smoking... - Much Later That Day ...and pistol duels resulting from quilting bees. No one reads it, 030310 -- freak! 030311 -- Carol, where's my ten o'clock? - He said he'd be late because you're a moron and he doesn't respect you. - Did you tell him I was stuck in traffic? It's not always about you. 030312 -- Why isn't my cell phone working? - That's a short-range cell phone. You need to be in the same room with the person you call. - Answer the stinkin' phone, Alice. Why are you listening to a TV remote control? 030313 -- Wally has been researching greek words to name our new product. - All I have is Zeus, and Parthenon, and the word "Greek" itself. - I understand they have a word for a sports event, too. I'm trying to track that down. 030314 -- My company is moving to a "Just In Time" inventory strategy. You'll deliver when we need it. - So...your success depends on my company doing what it promises? You have my deepest sympathy. - I feel a sharp, stabbing pain in my chest. And so it 030314 -- begins. 030315 -- A customer keeps asking when we'll deliver the stuff they bought. When will we? - Never. You lied to them to get their business. - You took their money and gave them nothing. Do you know what that makes you? The winner! 030316 -- I see some new faces. Let's go around the table and introduce ourselves. - I am Asok, the intern. - I report to you. - But I also report to Alice on a dotted line. - And I report to Carol on a fuzzy, thin line. - I have a blinking, irregular 030316 -- line to Wally, and a wavy, brown line to Dilbert. - Pleas...make this stop. - And a disturbing, imaginary line to a food-service cashier who touched my hand while giving change. 030317 -- Let's brainstorm ideas for "Employee Morale-Enhancement Day." - We could play "Pin The Tail On The Pointy-Haired Weasel Whose Breath Smells Like Feet." - We might need more morale-enhancement days. How about this weekend when I'm not here? 030318 -- Marketing Genius We designed a rebate program that won't cost a penny. - The rebate process is an impenetrable fortress of unclear instructions and physical impossibilities. - Next we have to find the hidden 300-digit serial number and write it 030318 -- in a box that's half an inch long. Stinkin' weasels. 030319 -- The department that cuts costs the most will get our CEO as its secretary for a day. - I'm deeply offended by the implication that my job is so trivial that it can be used as a prize. - Maybe you can train him to phone your kids and yell at 030319 -- them. NOT FUNNY!! 030320 -- Our department won the cost-cutting contest, so our CEO will yo your job for a day. - I feel like a failure...darkness fills my days...I dream of the grave. - This is less motivating than I'd hoped. I'll never be loved again!! 030321 -- I'll design the system as soon as you give me the user requirements. - Better yet, you could build the system, then I'll tell your boss that it doesn't meet my needs. - I don't mean to frighten you, but you'll have to do some actual work. 030321 -- That's crazy talk. 030322 -- I can't start the project because the user won't give me his requirements. - Start making something anyway. Otherwise we'll look unhelpful. - So, our plan is to cleverly hide our competence. You think too much. 030323 -- Jimmy will explain our new marketing strategy. - A study of past customers shows that 96% of them have flu symptoms. - Apparently, sick people are the most likely to buy from us. We don't know why. - So we redesigned our ad campaign to appeal 030323 -- to sick people. - You're confusing cause and effect. Your study shows that our products *mak* people sick. - Alice, let's not reinvent a dead horse. - Suddenly nothing makes sense...I must have slipped into the meeting duh-mension! - This 030323 -- usually lasts about ten minutes. Floating...scared...darkness... 030324 -- There's no budget for your project; you need to tin-cup it. What? - Be like a beggar and aske ach department to give you a bit of their budget. - Well, now that you've laughed your guts out, do you feel better? ERK! 030325 -- They believe in Feng Shui. They believe in the pet psychic. - This suggests an excellent new carreer for me. - The furniture psychic is here. He says my wastebasket is in love with my desk. 030326 -- Furniture Psychic Your old chair has passed to the other side. - He says you'll know what this means: "squeak, squeak." YES - Your desk says, "thanks gor the gum." I need closure! 030327 -- You have to stop telling people that you can talk to furniture. It's not right. - You work for a company that actively misleads customers. How's that different? - We call it marketing, and we don't wear hats. The table says you're a hypocrite. 030328 -- I took the initiative and made a list of people you could downsize. - This is just the department phone list with your name covered up. - Tht's the sort of efficiency that kept me off the list. 030329 -- You fool! How could you be so stupid? - You fool! How could you be so stupid? - You stupid coffee mug!! 030330 -- Our CEO will be joining us in a minute. - As usual, he'll be making an awkward attempt to seem like "just plain folk." - Excuse me - is this ordinary chair available for an average guy like me? - I'll roll up my sleeves and get to work. I'm not 030330 -- too good for real work. - I have asecretary, but it's almost as if *I* work for *her*. Ha ha! It's ironic. - Last weekend I wore blue jeans and drove a tractor! - Sir, your helicopter is here to take you to your island fortress for the fox 030330 -- hunt. - Itty bitty fortress. The interns are already in full fox costumes. 030331 -- Dogbert the Headhunter Let me tell you how good my CEO placements have been. - An astonishing fifty percent of them have performed better than the other half! - If you're on a budget, I recommend one of our stuffed CEO units with a "Magic 8 030331 -- Ball Head". 030401 -- Dilbert, meet your new team member, Peri Noid. - Why haven't you invited me to a meeting? Who's filing your head with lies? - Your hand is soft and clammy! Are you the undead?!! Engineer. 030402 -- Peri Noid We'll have the data by tuesday. How do you know that? - You must be getting invited to meetings and then saying, "don't invite Peri." - Would it be wrong to enjoy this opportunity? PLOTTING!! RIGHT THERE!!! 030403 -- Repair defective co-workers. - She's paranoid about not being invited to meetings. Can you fix her? Nope. - Can I trade her in? Would you like a liar, a moron, or a whistler? 030404 -- You can't repair a defective co-worker. - The best you can do is trade for a co-worker whose defects you haven't yet discovered. - What's wrong with this one? He parts his hair in the middle; that's just wrong. 030405 -- Carol, this is our new guy, Harry Middlepart. - I don't approve of your hairstyle. I forbid you to be near my workspace. - She's not good people. THE SEVENTIES CALLED. THEY WANT THEIR HAIR BACK!! 030406 -- Who left their pen at my desk? - I'd better send a companywide E-Mail to find out. - It's blue, with black ink. It's approximately a year old. send* - I can't believe you're wasting everyone's time with this! - Stop using the "reply to all" 030406 -- feature, you morons! - Wait...I think this might be my pen. I'd better send a correction. - We missed a bid deadline because our E-Mail system was overloaded. Layoffs. - Send this list to human resources. Do I look like I'm made of time?!! 030407 -- This is Dogbert the Headhunter. I noticed that your company's stock is up today. - As CEO, you can take credit for random upturns and make millions by changing jobs. - Ha, ha! Yes, it's legal. In fact, if you write a book, your victims will buy 030407 -- it! 030408 -- Dogbert the Headhunter We'll need to reword the CEO section of your resume. - For example, there's never a right time to use the word "plundered." - And instead of "suckers ignored our P/E ratio," say you "enhanced stockholder value." Wow. 030408 -- You're good. 030409 -- You need a body double. They're popular with the most successful despots. - If someone tries to ambush you into making a decision, the double will take the hit. - I want you to think of this as your own personal dress code. 030410 -- Asok, as my new body double, your job is to walk into ambushes. - If omeone tries to trap you into being helpful, do what I would do. - What would you do? I'd get a body double. 030411 -- I'm leaving early, in case I have a dental appointment or whatnot. - Walk amongst the cubicles until 7 P.M. ans scowl at anyone who isn't working. - Nice scowl. I feel slightly menaced. 030412 -- We named the product "Geneous Mistro" because it conducts an orchestra of data. - Can you believe the domain name "Geneousmistro" wasn't already been taken? - Is the spelling menat to be ironic? Why do you ask? 030413 -- I'm taking my business case to some venture capitalists. - I'm hoping that their wisdom and resources will make it a billion-dollar company. - Would you like some free stock? BAH! - What would I do without the support of my loved ones? - What 030413 -- would the cash flow look like if... - ...rvenue was zero, Microsoft and IBM entered the market, your factory burned down and a piano fell on your head? - And what about civil unrest, lawsuits, natural disasters and locusts? - ...then the little 030413 -- one slapped me. Now re-e-el them in. 030414 -- Our VP is mad because people are leaving work too early. - If you need to leave early, don't walk past his office. Go to the roof and leap into the "dumpster" in the alley. - Leadership triumphs again. 030415 -- A co-worker who shall remain nameless has accused you of unspecified shortcomings. - Your accuser has been placed in the witness protection program. - You have a program for that? Actually, I just forget who says that. 030416 -- Asok, your work has been excellent all year. - I'm rating you "poor" so I'll have a paper trail in case I ever need to fire you. - You'll probably feel a a little surge of motivation because you got feedback. 030417 -- Dilbert, this is Irene. I don't yet know what her defect is. - STOP BEING RUDE TO ME, YOU PIECE OF DIRT!!! - I'm thinking: mood swings. - We're like family now. 030418 -- You're an engineer; maybe you can tell me what kind of digital camera I should buy. - Would you ask a doctor for free advice? - I got a complete physical by the appetizer. Yeah, I'm never off duty. 030419 -- So Ted has been training you for the past six months. - Based on your work, I'd say he's playing the world's longest practical joke on you. - Sometimes there's a fine line between criminally abusive behavior and fun. 030420 -- Here's your script for the meeting. Script? - My boss sees me only twice a year. I want everything to go smoothly. - In act one, scene two, when I proclaim my admiration for your leadership... - What's my motivation? - Employment. Good, good. - 030420 -- And it would help if your eyes were moist when you deliver the line. - I'll put a sliced onion in my shirt pocket. - Hello, underling, how is your morale? 030421 -- You're creating a hostile work environment. - It's like there's continuous pressure on me to work. - But I'm only one person; I can't work and drink coffee! I'm cutting you back to forty cups a day. 030422 -- Wally, I'm sending you to a coffee rehab program. GAAA!!! - They'll get you down to forty cups a day. Not double digits!!! - YOU MONSTER!!! I WON'T SURVIVE!!! If you're lucky. 030423 -- Coffee Rehab No soda, no tea, no chocolate. - You're allowed one piece of luggage and you have to carry it yourself. - I might want to take a look inside that bag. 030424 -- Coffee Rehab State your name and how long you've been without coffee. - I am going to rip off your little beard and beat you to death with it. - Don't panic...wait...wait... And then I'll...um...zzzzzzz zzzzz zzz. 030425 -- Wally, congratulations on finishing the coffee rehab program. - Our recidivism rate isn't too hot. Our critics blame our location. - Starbucks World Headquarters Who's swimming in our vat? 030426 -- Our breakthrough came when we distributed the processor load. - It's about time that you took my advice! Hallelujah! Good for you! - If laser pointers were light sabers, you'd be looking for your torso. Ha ha! Your're using my joke! Good one! 030427 -- We've expanded our customer disservice program. - ...doubled our unhelpful technical support advice. - ...strechted our telephone hold times to lethal dimensions... - ...and cleansed our online support database of all useful articles. - Our 030427 -- goal is to force customers to form support groups. - Over time, with luck, we'll train customers to do our manufacturing and shipping, too. - May I train a customer to do my job? Sure. - So...what do I do? You're doing it. 030428 -- How many business cards should I order? It depends. - I use a complex formula based on your burn rate and your likelihood of getting downsized. - I use about three per week. You'll need three cards. 030429 -- I'm seeing signs that I might get laid off. - It's probably your imagination. Just ignore them. I have to admit that I like it when they're jumpy. --->You might be next. 030430 -- You can survive the next round of layoffs by sacrificing a co-worker. - You must make your boss believe that someone is a worse employee than you. - Ted, let me explain revenue: it's like your embezzlement, but it's directed at customers. 030501 -- I have an unimportant project, so I thought of you. - Find a bunch of inspirational quotes that we can put on the lobby walls. - "If being an eagle is such a good idea, why are there so few of them?" 030502 -- I've been asked to collect inspirational quotes for the lobby wall. - Get out of my cubicle, you freakish waste of carbon. - That'll look good over the elevators. 030503 -- As requested, I pulled together some inspirational quotes for our lobby wall. - Hannibal Lecter...The Donner Party...uh...Wally, most of these people are cannibals. - It was probably a mistake to do this assignment on an empty stomach. 030504 -- Wally, can you teach me to woek smarter, not harder? - Grab an important-looking document and follow me. - Walk briskly and pretend to be angry about what you're reading. grrrr... - Hey, Asok, would you help me...? grrr grrr Never mind. - As a 030504 -- rule, people try to avoid anyone who has more problems than they do. - Lesson two: make sure your shirt and your toothpaste are the same color. - This baby is covered with toothpaste stains, but you'd never know it. Wow! - And how often do you 030504 -- need to launder a shirt that smells minty? NEVER! 030505 -- I think my head is getting heavier from all the new thoughts. - I plan to compensate by propping it up with my arm during meetings. - Some people think you have no goals. - Long term, I hope to be a stamp. 030506 -- Elbonia has gotten a bad reputation. We need your help to rebuild our image. - The problem began when we discovered a civilization of leprechauns living under the mud. - Now they're our primary export. But we underestimated the vegetarian 030506 -- backlash. 030507 -- P.R. for Elbonia The media give you a bad rap for exporting leprechaun meat. - Our ad campaign will feature a leprechaun explaining that they enjoy being eaten. - Elbonians are our best friends. Now excuse me while I tenderize myself. 030508 -- P.R. for Elbonia You need to buy some influence in Washington. - It sounds expensive, but it's a lot more affordable than you'd think. - Gum? You got *my* vote! 030509 -- Double the revenue estimates and make sure the research supports it. - But...but...it's too late! The research is done, and it won't support higher revenue! - Your stress is from a combination of drive-by management and a flashlight in your 030509 -- eyes. 030510 -- I'm a victim of drive-by management. - He sprayed my cubicle with irrational orders and waddled away. - Heh-heh, waddle is a funny word. I feel your empathy slipping away. 030511 -- Uh-oh...don't make eye contact with that guy. Why not? - Ernie is an unpackageable. - Last year, the company offered a generous severance package to people who volunteered to leave. - Ernie volunteered. He imagined a life of retired bliss 030511 -- outside this company. - But too many people volunteered. In a cruel twist of fate, Ernie was forced to keep his job. - Now he's nothing but an organic vessel for transporting self-pity. - I COULD HAVE BEEN FISHING!!! WAAA!!! - You looked? I 030511 -- tried to warn him. 030512 -- Write a rebuttal to this technical recommendation so I can reject it. - I can't write a rebuttal to my own recommendation! - ...the I had to write myself up for insubordination. Mock yourself and go to bed. 030513 -- I've hired Phil, the ruler of heck, to act as devil's advocate. - I'm not certified to do devil's work. The best I can do is roll my eyes and be sarcastic. - Okay...moving on... Oh yeah, this is a good time to move on. 030514 -- The corner cubicle opened up. I plan to make it mine. - That's right: I'll be sitting in the most prestigious cubicle in the entire row! Fear me! - Buwaha!! From there I will control the window shades and harness the sun! Please...no screen 030514 -- glare. 030515 -- Alice moved into the corner cubicle and claimed control over the window shades! GAAA!! - Our life support systems will be in the hand of a mad-woman! Maybe she'll be kind. - 030516 -- Alice, I understand you've been using a giant magnifying glass as a death ray in the office. - It's not a death ray. I use it only to burn off toupees. Oh...that's okay. - Is your head too warm? My head is too warm. 030517 -- Question: How do you know which management techniques work best? - Logically, doesn't the existence of thousands of management books show that no one knows what works best? - The trick is knowing which one to read. Now you're just making me 030517 -- mad. 030518 -- CATBERT The Evil Director of Human Resources Hello, headcount. - Am I fired? No, no, no... - I'd never fire you for making unflattering comments to the press about the company. - Really? Everyone said you're evil. - Heh, heh, thank you. But all 030518 -- I'm doing is transferring you to a new job. - Gee, that doesn't sound so bad. What is it? - Our new assembly line is seven inches too low. You job is to fix it. - I'm living for the weekend. 030519 -- I just realized that my carreer primarily consists of asking you for stuff... - ...and wondering how long I should wait before I remind you. - Do you know how that makes me feel? How what makes you feel? 030520 -- We can't afford to hire qualified employees. - My plan is to hire dumb people and be angry at them. - I forget - what's the word for pretending that people can change their basic nature? Motivation? 030521 -- Long term, I hope to convince our boss that I have the power to become invisible. - Then I can just sit home and get paid. Oh, it will be sweet. - Wally? Is that you? Right in front of you. 030522 -- My job is not stimulating my mind. - If you want to have tigers, you must feed them tiger meat. - But that is only an analogy. Please do not make me eat a zebra. 030523 -- I fired our plant-watering service and hired a less expensive one. - That's the sort of leadership that will turn this company around. - Were we doing well? Our plants are plastic. 030524 -- You've got to focus on execution! ? - I think he wants me to execure people. Make it look like an accident. - From now on, my staff meetings will be two hours long. 030525 -- I have some good news for you! - The paperwork for your promotion just came through. - There were fifty good candidates for this job. - It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. - Most people in our speciality are destined to be lowlevel lackeys 030525 -- forever. But not you! - Um...my name is Tim. This promotion is for Tom. - Oh...welll...being a low-level lackey forever is good, too. - Could you tell Tm I have some good news? 030526 -- Can you summarize this on one age for our CEO? - Yes, but it will obliterate the persuasiveness of the document and cost us billions in lost opportunity. - I see you point, but being wordy is bad, too. 030527 -- Let's offer employees unpaid vacation time, as long as their managers approve it. - Then we'll downsize any work group that uses it, because it proves they're overstaffed. - Excuse me while I hug myself and purr. Take your time. 030528 -- Our products got reviewed in the new issue of "Extortion Magazine." - "If they had bought more ad space in this magazine, we would not compare their products to week-old spit." - It's better thanlast month. I'll bet we can get to "day-old" with 030528 -- another half-page ad. 030529 -- Ring Ring Ring - Emergency, you say? Crisis? - I'm losing my faith in coincidences. 030530 -- The new product brochures have already won design awards! - That's great, but our product won't do any of the things you claim here. - Well, who should we believe - The award-winning designer or the guy who can't stop complaining? 030531 -- We might want to scale back some of the claims in our new product brochure. Which ones? - For example, where it says, "provides diplomatic immunity against all current and future felonies." - That's just poetic license. - "Turn used motor oil 030531 -- into root beer." 030601 -- Bob, can I have your revenue projections? - No, I'm reading my E-Mail. I can't do two things at once. - But I offer you this song instead. - Ohh-waa-waa! I'm single-task Bob I'm single-task Bob - I CAN'T MULTITASK I ONLY DO ONE JOB - JUST GIVE 030601 -- ME THE STUPID BINDER THAT'S ON YOUR DESK!! - Sue, and I guess my E-Mail can just read itself, right? - Reading goes quickly when you don't slow down to comprehend. 030602 -- The trap door will work with your "Open Door Policy" to eliminate the whiners. - Disgruntled employees will be safely dropped into rush hour traffic. - I need to remember that's there. 030603 -- I plan to open a gambling casino for people who have extraordinarily bad luck. - How can you tell who has extraordinarily bad luck? - They would be the ones that go to my casino. 030604 -- Gaming Commission - My concept is a casino exclusively for morons. - Imagine a room full of oblivious dolts, and I'm taking advantage of them for personal gain. - When would that concept begin? About a minute ago. 030605 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director I'm reminding everyone that layoffs can improve morale. - Layoffs prove that management is capable of making tough decisions to turn thinga around! - You're right! I do feel more optimistic now! Secondly, you're 030605 -- fired. 030606 -- Senior management knows they need to retain key employees during hard times. - Taht's why they're giving themselves huge retention bonuses. - So, they're blackmailing themselves? You can make anything sound bad. 030607 -- The future of the company depends on new product revenue. - Question: is that why you slashed the research and development budget? - If you're so smart, let's see *you* describe our future without using the word "doomed." 030608 -- Carreer Counseling I love to hear myself talk. - But I don't like it when people roll their eyes and go "phhht." - I'd like a job where people are forced to nod and smile while I babble. - And I'd like to punish people for my own mistakes. - I 030608 -- recommend a carreer in management. - Just to be sure, I'm going to give you a management aptitude test. - Hey, I have an idea. Maybe I should pursue a carreer in management! - Congratulations! You just have passed the management aptitude test. 030608 -- Yes! 030609 -- We have the highes profit margin in our entire industry! - - Apparently I'm not supposed to say that in front of our customers. 030610 -- I want a husband who cooks and cleans and raises the kids while I pursue my carreer. - To me, that sort of man would be a total turn-on. - Yoo-hoo! Who likes lemon wedges? 030611 -- Bobby, I'm looking for a stay-at-home husband to support my career. - I'm sorry - I was thinking about chocolate, and I didn't haer a word you just said. - This will take some work. Br-r-r-r. I'm cold. Now I'm hot. Now I'm cold! 030612 -- If we married, would you mind being a stay-at-home father? - I love children. That would be a very rewarding lifestyle. - Okay, now imagine that there aren't any kidsm and you're basically my unpaid servant. Could I iron? 030613 -- Would it be wrong to marry a man for his homemaking skills? - Do a present-value cash-flow comparison of marriage versus the equivalent service from trained monkeys. - It's not you...it's me...and a world-wide oversupply of monkeys. 030614 -- Let's see...your defects are discussed in chapter 23. - I'll give you a photocopy so you can see how to fix yourself. - Books are full of information. 030615 -- It's not just my desk; it's the chair, too! - Dilbert, come here! - Everything in my office feels clammy. - I first noticed when I touched my phone...then my mouse. - All clammy. What could that mean? - It could mean that your hands are clammy. 030615 -- - You must never speak of this. - Have you ever noticed that everything you sit on feels like underpants? 030616 -- I need you to go on an international sales call. How should I dress? - Salespeople should dress one level above the customer. - What's better - the cherub or the lightning bolt? Take both. You can't overdress at the Vatican. 030617 -- It's because I'm making a sales call to the Vatican. - I'm told that salespeople should dress one level above their customers. - Aren't you worried? About what? 030618 -- Folks, please stay in your seats, we've been grabbed by a huge hand. - I hope this has nothing to do with how I dressed for my sales meeting at the Vatican. - But it turned out to be a guy with a huge hand who said he "thought it would be 030618 -- funny." Hee hee! Huge hand. 030619 -- Switch to decaf for a while. That should help. - I'll replace all of the office coffee with decaf for my convenience. - must...find...antidote 030620 -- How can we eliminate $200,000 of worthless fat? - Wow! Every hand went up. I like it when everyone participates! - So it turns out that it's better when no one participates. 030621 -- The "Employee of the Year" award goes to ...no one. - Thanks for coming. Better luck next year. - It's not as bad as the time that you won it. Jealousy is unattractive. 030622 -- Seven Stages of a Performance Review It's time. - Denial What the...? These aren't even my objectives! - Anger Who said these things about me?! - Bargaining What if I make someone write a glowing E-Mail about me? - Depression Morale slipping 030622 -- away...hair...so...limp. - Acceptance Whatever. There's no budget for raises anyway. - Trash-Talking ...wool-covered pile of ignorant monkey spit. - Lunch A falafel would hit the spot. 030623 -- The company will be taking a one-time charge to write down the value of the merger. - The number is so large that it has no name. Our marketing department is on it. - Let's see a show of hands for "frooglepoopillion." 030624 -- We need to announce our record losses in a way that doesn't make management look like... - inebriated simian miscreants? Right. - Graphics Department They want to go in a whole other direction. 030625 -- A good manager needs to smell like a manager. - Your breath should be a fiery concoction that says, "agree with me or die." - Try "Dogbert's Management Breath Enhancer," made from ground-up cigarettes, farm shovels and coffee. 030626 -- Accounting Trolls What would happen to our profits if we wrote off these bone-headed mistakes? - POW - And how about the worst-case scenario? 030627 -- Here's the press release about our record loss. - "The CEO stepped down after earning $100 million more than the company itself during his tenure." - "In a message to shareholders, he said, 'Ha ha! Maybe you should have bought stock in *me*!! 030627 -- Who's your Daddy?!!'" 030628 -- My company lost a frooglepoopillion dollars. I'm embarrassed to tell people where I work. - Never be afraid to tell the truth about yourself. - Because honesty is the best policy? Because no one pays any attention to what you say. 030629 -- You're coming to work at nine-thirty? - By the time you get your coffee and get your bagel, it'll be ten o'clock! - I started at six! I've already worked fof four hours, and I'll probably stay late! - Over the course of a lifetime, I'll work 030629 -- twice as much as you! - But...we'll be paid the same...and we'll both die anyway. - So...I guess what you're saying is that you're smarter than I am. - I CURSE THE CASUAL BRILLIANCE OF YOUR LIFE STRATEGY!!! - My bagel will be extra tasty today. 030630 -- I called this meeting to do a sanity check on my project. - FLAMING SQUIRRELS ARE EATING MY TONGUE!!! - What? 030701 -- If you want to be a great leader, read the books that have inspired leaders for centuries. - For example, the first pyramids were built after a twelve-year-old pharaoh. Read this book. - "Things that look naughty from miles away." 030702 -- Don't touch the prototype or you'll get a shock. Must touch. - ZAP!! - Don't touch it a second time. Must...touch...second...time. 030703 -- Our strategy is to grow revenue from new products. - How obvious does an idea need to be before we'll stop calling it a strategy? - And we plan to estimate waste. We'll miss you. 030704 -- Beep-beep-a-beep beep-a-beep Every two minutes - - Have you seen my cell phone? Was it metallic, noisy and flushable? 030705 -- Meanwhile in Heck... You're on a winning streak, Snowball. - But let's see what happens to your chances when I turn up the heat! - That's right - the furnace is broken *again*! Four queens. 030706 -- Thanks for testing my new invention. - If this thing works, it will change forever the way that mothers use the telephone. - We've been on the phone for half a minute. The noise should start at any moment. - Here it comes. HEY! WHAT ARE YOU 030706 -- DOING AT THE PHONE?! - CAN I EAT TEN COOKIES? I THINK MY ARM IS BROKEN! WHERE'S MY TOY?!! - WAAA AAAAA AAAA!! - Now press the toddler noise cancellation button. - It stopped the noise, but you need to do something about the visual. 030707 -- Carol, print out our company web site and put it in a binder for easier reference. - Okay, and I'll also translate it into Klingon to make it even easier. - And I'll alert the dictionary makers that "easier" means stupider. Keep them out of 030707 -- this. 030708 -- A Bad Day Maybe it's time to look for a new job online. - A Worse Day Hey, that's *my* job they're trying to fill. - A Much Worse Day And I'm unqualified. 030709 -- If you see anyone violating the new corporate code of ethics, report it immediately. - I'd like to report our senior management for telling us to ship products that we know are defective. - Yes, I will take care of that. OOOH! OOOH! LYING!!! I 030709 -- REPORT YOU!!! 030710 -- Ringy thingy. ring - While you were working, your children grew up and moved away. - I've never had a plan that worked so well. 030711 -- A Few Years Ago The company will no longer provide free soft drinks. - This Year No more free coffee, and no more free bottled water. - In The Future Don't swallow your saliva. 030712 -- Our E-Mail spam blocker is stopping all incoming and outgoing messages. - Apparently the software decided that everything we do is a bunch of worthless #$!|*. - I fear that it's becoming a sentient being. Our only hope is for you to demoralize 030712 -- it to death. Tell it to get on my calendar. 030713 -- Dilbert, write up our technology strategy. - Okay. What's our strategy? - How should I know? It's not written yet. Duh! - How can I write about something that doesn't exist? Duh! - It *will* exist, as soon as you write it. DUH! - Duh! Duh! Duh! 030713 -- Duh! Duh! Duh! - Just do it. Double duh. - Whatever. Duh to infinity. - If my company had any stock value, I'd be selling it now. 030714 -- The Cluttermeleon Lines His Nest With Printed Debris. - A Predator Comes Out Of His Lair. - The quick-Thinking Cluttermeleon Uses His Power To Disguise. 030715 -- Tina, would you...? Hold on while I finish writing this E-Mail. - It's a twelve-page description of my carpal tunnel issue, and the fact that there's never enough time to do my work. - Are all of your problems self-inflicted? That's it! I'm 030715 -- adding a chapter about you. Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! 030716 -- Hi, this is Dilbert. Hi, I'm a business reporter for the Wall Times Post Gazette. - I'm doing a story about how dumb...I mean dynamic...your new product line is. - Then he promised not to print the amusing nickname I have for our CEO. You are 030716 -- so dynamic. 030717 -- Look what one of our engineers said to a reporter! - "Our technology is putrid, but we compensate by ignoring complaints." - You know what would be more fun than fixing these problems? WITCH-HUNT!!! 030718 -- Corporate Witch-Hunt Alice, did you tell a reporter that our products stink? - I promise on the honor of my family, and on all that is holy, that I did *not*. - So I guess you're calling my divining rod a liar. 030719 -- Corporate Witch-Hunt I've narrowed the list to seventeen suspects who might have talked to that reporter. - Now we'll check their E-Mail archives, phone records and linguistic patterns until we identify the offender. - And then we can punish 030719 -- all of them just for being on the list. I like the way you stink. 030720 -- As requested, I put together a list of functions we should outsource. - I limited my list to things we don't do well. - Management, sales, marketing, quality control, engineering, finance, human resources, and customer support. - That leaves us 030720 -- with our core competence... - ...sitting around a brown table. - And, of course, our ability to speak honestly without fear of retribution. - You will never get another raise as long as I'm alive. - Well, that puts a lot of pressure on the 030720 -- brown table strategy. 030721 -- I've noticed that dead people know a lot. They're always yapping to psychics on television. - We could kill the entire software-testing staff and replace them with one medium. - Do you see any problem with that? If the dead people lie, how 030721 -- would we punish them? 030722 -- You're the only one who hasn't finished the mandatory online six sigma training. - I finished it, but the system crashed before it stored the data. - This is when you say, "there's no need to retake the training, I'll just check off your name." 030722 -- Are you new on this planet? 030723 -- I need to find a way to bend this steel rod into a "U." I'll take care of it. - I won the prestigious "Steel Spike Award" for engineering excellence. What??!! - I guess it's validation for being the highest paid in the department...and for 030723 -- being male. 030724 -- I went to a movie with an unemployed guy. I call that an unfunded man date. - - The unemployed guy didn't laugh either. Maybe it's my delivery. 030725 -- I made a few suggestions. - I'll be happy to make these unnecessary changes to this irrelevant document. - Stop acting happy. Can I whistle and dance while I work? 030726 -- For five dollars, I'll name a subatomic particle after you. - Some of my satisfied customers include Arthur C. Quark, and George Meson. - It comes with an unsigned certificate! I like 'em clean. 030727 -- I surplussed Ted. You'll need to absorb his function. - Absorb his function? - Are you telling me to do two jobs for one salary? - No, I'm telling you to absorb his function...in an absorptive fashion. - ...using osmosis, symbiosis, and 030727 -- synergy. - Can you change reality by inventing new names for ordinary things? - I sure hope so. Otherwise my entire carreer has been a...a... - Tragic series of monkey-brained mistakes? Key learning. 030728 -- Our new ad campaign will use familiar music from artists who are willing to sell out. - Due to budget cuts, we'll limit our search to musicians who are dead but not yet totally decomposed. - MAKEUP!!! 030729 -- As you requested, this price quote includes absolutely every expense you'll incur! - If that's true, you won't mind signing the "Alice Side Agreement." - "In the event of hidden costs, customer will repeatedly punch vendor wile yelling "You 030729 -- freaking weasel!"" Pen? 030730 -- You laugh at everything, whether it's funny or not. Ha ha ha! It's true. - You're hired. You'll have a big impact on morale! Ha ha ha!! Yes, I will! - Must stay alive. - Ha ha ha!! Computers are funny! Ha ha!! 030731 -- I've decided to spend more time criticizing things I don't understand. - I say we should flat-tax the Kyoto Treaty all the way back to the security council! - Wouldn't that be unfair to stem cells? Bah! 030801 -- This is my nemesis, Pointy-Haired Carl. He manages our software division. - Write up some reasons why he should report to me. I'll secretly give it to our vice president. - Start by saying there's no real difference between hardware and 030801 -- software. I'm unclean! 030802 -- Our goal is nothing less than a complete takeover of Pointy-Haired Carl's software division. - We'll start secretly doing their jobs in addition to our own, Then I'll argue that they should report to me. - Hypothetically, if the secret got out, 030802 -- would we stop working twice as hard for no extra money? 030803 -- I have some disturbing news. - We outsourced our customer-service function to India a fw years ago. So? - Apparently, they subcontracted the job to Mexico. - Then Mexico subcontracted to Vietnam, who subcontracted to the Philippines... - who 030803 -- subcontracted to us. - It turns out that we're the lowest-cost provider, because we lie about our hold times. - I summary, we pay ourselves to hose ourselves. - Are you thinking what I'm thinking? We should raise our prices? 030804 -- Tina, we need some customer success stories for the Web site. - The closest thins we have are these complaint letters. Just change a few words. - Change "kick" to "kiss" and this one is done, albeit disturbingly. 030805 -- I'm trying to make him lose his language skills. - I've been using words in the wrong context and waiting for him to adopt them. - Carol, could you truculent this doctrinable to the obelisk? Cervically. 030806 -- I need a description of your project and it's projected cost. That's impossible. - The project uncertainty principle says that if you understand the project, you won't know its cost, and vice versa. - You just made that up. That doesn't make it 030806 -- wrong. 030807 -- Tell me why you need a new server. - And don't give me the condescending simple version for managers. I want a full technical explanation. - Early civilizations had no concept of zero. Go on. 030808 -- The weather is getting worse. Maybe we should close the office. No. - The forecast is for blizzards, freezing rain, tsunamis, deadly lava flows, and precision-guided ball lightning. - And radiation-enlarged swarms of killer bees. Get some snow 030808 -- tires, you big baby. 030809 -- That comcludes my two-hour presentation. Any questions? - Did you intend the presentation to be incomprehensible, or do you have some sort of rare "Powerpoint" disability? - Are there any questions about the content? There was content? 030810 -- Wally, why have you been charging all of your hours to my project? - I invited you to one meeting. It lasted one hour. - Do you think I would go to a meeting without extensive preparation? - Okay...that's another hour. How many more do you need 030810 -- explained? - Fifty-eight. - After the meeting, I sat quietly and evaluated what what everyone said. That took fifty-seven hours. - Ha! You're still an hour short. Explain *that*! - Do you mind if I ait quietly and think about that question for 030810 -- a while? 030811 -- Now I'd like to recognize Walter for his five years of work for this company. - Thanks, but I've been here for thirty years...oh, I get it now. - I feel a sick day coming on. 030812 -- What is the priority of your budget request? Highest of the high. - Everyone rated their own budget needs "highest priority." It is a mockery of the priority system! - Name *one* thing that everyone would agree is a *low* priority. Whatever 030812 -- you're doing. 030813 -- Our legal department advises us to restroy any documents that show we know our products are hugely defective. - CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP CHEW CHEW GULP - Do you have room in there for the user specifications? 030814 -- Alice, this year you single-handedly designed and launched a billion dollar line of new products. - For that accomplishment, I give you the highly coveted "meets expectations" designation! - Alice, if having high expectations of you is wrong, 030814 -- then I don't want to be right. 030815 -- We can either wait three months for the software committee to approve our plan... - Or we can soar like eagles, and act without approval, saving millions of dollars! - Please don't be sidetracked by the analogy. Since when do eagles use 030815 -- software? 030816 -- The Man Who Couldn't Give Direct Answers Did you ask your boss for approval? - Now i will explain the process for getting approval. - Do you want to do this the hard way? First, you ask for a meeting. 030817 -- Dogber Consults Your network-security product is buggy and complicated. - Your user guide is an inspired work of pure evil. - And your techsupport department is an inebriated chimpanzee with a typewriter. - One strategy would be to fix all of 030817 -- those problems. What's the other strategy? - Sell consulting services to your victims...I mean customers! - I'm so happy, it's making my hair quiver! - But what do we do when our consultants can't make our productswork either? - They're paid by 030817 -- the hour. QUIVER!! 030818 -- I'm trying to fire a guy who has multiple personalities. - I'm exhausted. I fired the cowboy, the little girl, and the astronaut this morning. I'll do the twins later this afternoon. - I'm tired, but it's a good tired. Can I do the mime? 030819 -- After months of work, I finished our bid for the huge Galaktikus project. I'll deliver to them. - If it's one minute late, we'll be disqualified. The future of our company depends on us winning the bid. - He must think I'm a...whoa, what's 030819 -- this? Irish Line Dancing Sessions 10% off 030820 -- And you failed at your primary objective of winning a bid for the Galaktikus job. - That's because you sais you'd deliver the bid on time, but you got seduced by irish line-dancing lessons and forgot to mail it! - I can't believe you're trying 030820 -- to pin the blame on the irish. 030821 -- Someone named Tiffany sent me E-Mail. - YAGGA WAGGA!! - Someone turned off the spam filter. 030822 -- Lately, every person I deal with seems to disappoint me. - Every meeting starts late, every answer is misleading, every deadline is ignored, and all work is shoddily done. - I guess what I'm saying is that today I need some empathy. You are 030822 -- totally blocking my view of the wall. 030823 -- Alice, I notice that you always click something when I approach. - Obviously you've been using company time to look at idescribably filthy images. - And why does that seem obvious to you? Let's leave me out of this. 030824 -- When I'm not helping team members, I like to feed the poor or read to blind people. - I don't care about money. All I want is a chance to help humanity reach its fullest potential. - You're so wonderful, it's making me cry! You're hired. - 030824 -- Excellent. Come meet the team. - I have a special skill for identifying good people. - It's part instinct, part experience. - And yes, maybe just a little ESP. Watch this. - Alice, your favorite color is...mitten? 030825 -- I'll get everyone's opinion, and then I'll make a decision. - Translation: You'll take the advice of whoever does the bes job of trash-talking everyone else. - Where do you get these crazy things? She's mental. 030826 -- Our new product has half a million lines of code! - Translation: there's nothing good about this product, so you hope I'm impressed by irrelevant data. - Now available in ecru! You leave me no choice but to key your car on the way out. 030827 -- Wow! You have three masters degrees and a PhD! - Yes ,it's all very impressive, but interestingly, I have no common sense whatsoever. - That's not the sort of thing you should say during a job interview. I don't see why not. 030828 -- I have a PhD, so obviously you should do what I say. - Instead of negotiating with vendors, let's just tell them how much money we have and ask them to do the right thing. - You're probably feeling embarrassed for not thinking of the idea 030828 -- yourself. Must...not...shave...PhD. 030829 -- tinkle tinkle tinkle Boss approaching. click* - Thanks for the magic management necklace! I have to admit that I doubted its powers. - But since I've been wearing it, I haven't seen a single employee who wasn't hard at work. 030830 -- My keyboard looks exactly like everyone else's. - I need more of a management keyboard, with special keys that sort of thing. - And the "[" becomes the newly discovered letter "%&%&." 030831 -- Hi, I'm Matt. It's my first day here. - I'm Dilbert. - And this is... I'd rather not say. - I prefer to remain anonymous, so you won't feel comfortable asking me for anything later. - Here's my card. It's blank. - The phrase that you're least 030831 -- likely to hear today is, "we're just like family." - Are you worried that he'll turn over the card and see your name? No. - Was that *my* card? I've been handing them out for years. 030901 -- Alice, I know that times are tough. But you nees to show more optimism. - Try to find the one good thing about any bad bad situation. - Our entire sales force has been eaten by wild pigs. Pigs are cute! 030902 -- The technical solution is simple and inexpensive. - But it would cost a fortune to get internel approvals because vast herds of management dolts would get involved. - So I should just do it, right? - Did you call me a vast herd? 030903 -- Where do you want to eat? Anyplace. - Suddenly, Mike the Vegan pounced. Do you mind if I join you? - Soon, hunger started to set in. No, I can't eat at any of those fifty choices. What else do you have? 030904 -- Mike the Vegan I use no animal products whatsoever! - Your clothes werde created on sewing machines that used electricity fron coal and oil, and those come from dead dinosaurs. - I need to start making exceptions. 030905 -- Wally, how do I handle the psychological pressure of a stalled career? - Remember that when you reach for the stars, they're too far away, so it's hopeless. - But sometimes you can reach a star...can't you? That would burn your hand clean off 030906 -- Dilbert, take care of this. It's our top priority. - Sure. I'll just let my other top priorities slip until my carreer is a smoldering mound of rubble. - So what is it? I don't know...I just didn't like it on my desk. 030907 -- You never responded to my urgent request for engineering resources. What? - I told Alice to to ask you! She must have forgotten. - I sent you three E-Mail messages. - You know I don't have time to read my E-Mail. And I sent you a voice-mail - 030907 -- You know I don't have time for voice mails. That's why I also... - TATTOOED IT ON YOUR STINKIN' CHEST!!! - - As if i have time to rea dmy torso. 030908 -- Our competitors found a way to send broadband Internet traffic over the power grid. - I want you to find a way to send data over the sewer system. - I thought I was already doing it. 030909 -- Asok, would you like to join a doomed project for sending Internet traffic over the sewer system? - Absolutely! I might be young and unexperienced, but I know a good thing when I see it! - I need you to work under the sewage and breathe through 030909 -- a straw. I get a straw!! 030910 -- I've never been a project manager before. - I understand I'm supposed to direct your natural talents and energies toward a common goal. - Carol, did you make copies of the agenda? No, it sounded hard. 030911 -- In only one week my project team has created a time line and identified the resources we need. - Next week, we plan to revise the time line and re-examine our resource needs. Good work. - There must be a thousand ways to say I haven't dome 030911 -- anything. Wait... 030912 -- You need to slither away from your doomed project before you get blamed. - My assistant will teach you how to shed your project manager skin. Yello! - Ow! Ow! Ow! How's this so far? Impressive, but we were speaking metaphorically. 030913 -- I've put my heart and soul into the high-speed-data-by-sewer project. - But I believe in developing our talent pool. So I recommend putting Asok in charge of the project. I will be his mentor. - Wow! What should I do first? I wouldn't rule out 030913 -- panicking. 030914 -- Asok, I designate you the keeper of the giant binder. - It contains our secret technology plans. - It can never leave this office. - It won't fit in any drawer. - And the "Clean Desk Policy" forbids me from leaving it on my desktop. - Gaaa!! I 030914 -- can't take it home, and I can't leave it here! - I must use it as a tiny bed and spend the rest of my days guarding it. - What did xou do with the giant binder prop that you got at the trade show? 030915 -- Since I became project manager, no one has returned my calls or responded to my E-Mails. - Luckily, I'm an I.I.T. graduate, mentally superior to most people on earth, so I finished the project myself. - Are you tired? I am trainded to only 030915 -- sleep during national holidays. 030916 -- At the India Institute of Technology, I learned to use my huge brain. - but I try not to frighten ordinary people with any gratuitous displays of mental superiority. - For example, I no longer reheat my tea by holding it to my forehead and 030916 -- imagining fire. 030917 -- Would you like to make a hundred million dollars for just showing up at work? Yes! - My audio lessons teach you how to become an underperforming CEO. - Step one: Become a CEO. Step two: Be the sort of person who would by these audio lessons. 030918 -- Did you order the plastic casings I need? They take two weeks for delivery. - I see that you've cleverly avoided my actual question in favor of an imaginary one involving delivery times. - Now I'm fantasizing about ripping off your mustache 030918 -- and using it to shine your head. I hear that a lot. 030919 -- I recommend that we look at the big picture and view it from 20,000 feet. - Drifting...floating above the earth...wait...a plane is coming right at me! No-o-o-o!!! - Maybe you should imagine you're in the plane. Gaaaa!! I'm in coach! 030920 -- Bob, remember that money can't buy happiness. - But it can buy expensive possessions that make other people envious, and that feels just as good. - And you can pay to have people whacked. Can I trade my happiness for some money? 030921 -- I don't have time to work on the Nanobit project. - No problem. Tell DilbertI said he should take over. - Two Minutes Later I'm way, way too busy. Fine. Tell Wally to do it. - Two Minutes Later I'm up to your face in alligators! Okay, 030921 -- okay...hand it off to Asok. - Two Minutes Later But already I only have time to eat one cracker a day. Tell Ted I said... - Sure, I'll do it. No problem. - Mmm...cracker time. I'm quitting tomorrow. - I solved four problems today! 030922 -- Remember, if you're not the lead dog, the view never changes. - I'm not the lead dog, and I have to look at your face all day. - What are you implying? I was admiring your insightful analogy. 030923 -- Every morning I rank my tasks as A, B, or C priorities. - And then you work on the "A" priorities first? - TO be honest, after I update the list, there isn't much left in the tank. 030924 -- I got your three-page E-Mail, and I brought you a gift. - It's a clump of blank space. You can use it to separate long rambling, unrelated sentences. - Next week I'll introduce you to a little curvy thing that I call a comma. 030925 -- We're outsourcing half of our programming work to Elbonia to take advantage of the time difference. - We'll hand off our requirements at the end of our work day and get back the finished code the next morning. - Once again, I have no idea what 030925 -- they want. Let's pretend we died. 030926 -- I was an engineer before I moved to marketing. - Now I don't even remember how to turn on my Lisa. - You have an old Lisa computer from Apple? Old wife. 030927 -- I was an engineer before I got into marketing, so I have a few suggestions for your network design. - Get rid of this "Cisco" doohickey, whatever it is, and put it into a catapult made from local trees. - Has it been a while? At least I have 030927 -- good social skills now, you dipweed. 030928 -- I hve the results of the employee morale survey. - The number one issue is "not enough open and honest communication from management." - Well, okay, I'm willing to give that a try. - Management is looting the company while hiding the fact that 030928 -- we're in a death spiral. - Whenever you talk, I think about my fishing lures until the noise stops. - When I see an employee suffer, it excites me in ways I don't understand. - On nine separate occasions I've fires bald guys because I thought 030928 -- they were you. - If this doesn't work for you, let me know on the next employee morale survey. 030929 -- I can't give you the salary that you deserve because then there'd be no room for a raise next year. - I wouldn't want you to be all disincentivized, you know, just moping around. - Neck...muscles...so...weak. I think motivation causes that. 030930 -- Evil H.R. Director - New policy: you must inform your boss before applying for an internal job opening. - PURRR RRRRR - Well, good luck, you disloyal, back-stabbing ingrate. 031001 -- Hey, big guy, how's your golf game lately? - I've only known you for three seconds and anready I have a deep desire to punch you. - But no one ever does. Have you met Alice? 031002 -- I love golf. Golfing is fun. It's a good day to golf. Do you want to go golfing in the rain tomorrow at 6 A.M.? - No, thanks. I have plans to sandpaper my entire body and roll around in salt. - I hope no one ever creates a scoring system for 031002 -- that. 031003 -- Would it be okay if I worked three hours a week? - Any more than three and my quality of life takes a steep dive. - Secondly, is this a good time to talk about a gigantic raise? 031004 -- I've notice that every decision you make is different from what I would have done. - My IQ is 240. Your IQ aspires to the three-digit range. I assume that you intuition and experience are guiding you. - Please be that. Chinese astrology! 031005 -- Catbert, the Evil Director of Human Resources Your 401K retirement plan will be replaced with a 401A plan. - The "A" stands for afterlife. - You'll get no money in this life, but the company will reward you in the afterlife. - The odds of that 031005 -- happening seem low. - Yes, but on an expected-value basis, a high potential reward compensates for low odds. - For example, how many free software upgrades would I need to promise you in the afterlife to make you work yourself to death this 031005 -- year? - Seventy versions. - I resisted his charisma, but he got me with his math. 031006 -- My consulting firm specializes in fixing business strategies. - Have you ever figured out why your own industry is in the toilet? - I'll give you a thousand dollars never to mention that again. OK. 031007 -- I absolutely need your input by tuesday. OK. - Considering that you're massively unreliable, I'd like to save time by yelling at you now. - YOU SAID YOU'D DO IT BY TUESDAY!!! Ummm...I was too busy. 031008 -- As requested, I wrote the business plan to show profitability by year three. - The key revenue assumption is that an armored car crashes through that wall and spills its contents. - And don't stand where the comet is assumed to strike oil. 031009 -- The management retreat in Hawaii was productive. - We calculated how many employees we needed to downsize to pay for the trip. - Don't blame me, Ted. I voted against the third helicopter ride. 031010 -- At long last, I finalized the budget. - This is the busget for last year. - Stop making it sound annual. 031011 -- I averaged the top-down budget with the bottom-up budget. - As you can see, the ignorance and cruelty canceled out the lying and optimism. - Do you have anything to cancel out feelings of a wasted hour? Have you tried despair? 031012 -- Hey, it's a customer! - You're in luck; our next version has every feature you'll ever want! It does? - I was ready to buy your current version...but I guess I'll wait. - When will our new version be ready? In a year. - The new version will 031012 -- leapfrog our competition. - Leapfrog? That implies that they have better products right now. - BUY OUR PRODUCT, YOU STINKIN' PILE OF CRUD!! SLAP! - I have to run. Try not to blow the sale. 031013 -- The verndor is sending their best negotiator. - You must use all of your engineering power training to resist her tricks and and look only at the facts. - And if you agree to infinite liability, you get a 0.00001% chance of dating me, plus a 031013 -- minute to play with an unidentified gizmo. 031014 -- I plan to make bumper stickers for pedestrians that say, "How am I walking? Call 1-800 Blah, Blah, Blah." - If you call the number and report people, they'll never again be allowed to purchase shoes! - The best part about hating people is that 031014 -- I never run out of great ideas. 031015 -- Hey! You left a used coffee stirrer on the counter!!! - The wastebasket was only onde foot away! I am an associate, not your maid!!! - Behold the power of laziness. So, I'll throw it away for you *this time*. 031016 -- I can't imagine wht you told everyone at the management retreat... - But our marketing department issued a press release saying we're designing a tunnel linking Europe to Denver. - Flashback I'm installing a new sprinkler system in my lawn. 031016 -- Must top. 031017 -- I call it the "tunnel shark." It converts dirt and rock into energy and can dig forever. - So whatever you do, don't ignore what I'm saying and push the red button. Button! - Now what's gotten into you? 031018 -- My tunnel-digging prorotyped escaped the lab and burrowed into a picknicker in Perth, Australia. - The combined entity is a cyborg that has proven to be surprisingly popular at parties. - Ha ha! Do the trick with the dirt! 031019 -- Ted, what's the budget for research and dvelopment? - It's confidential. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Hee hee! - - I've never heard that one. It's very witty. - Allow me to show my appreciation with the following fake laugh. 031019 -- - HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !!! - HA HA HA HA HA !!! -Those are my real teeth. I need them back. 031020 -- Who's Today's Guest Cartoonist? At great expense, I've just hired Nildo Orbfutz as a consultant. He will increase our productivity hereby calculating how much times is actually wasted! - Well, Nildo, how did you acquire your credentials? Degree 031020 -- in business management? H.R.? P.R.? Psychology? On-the-job training. - Let me guess: You've been fired from every job you ever had...for wasting time? Welcome to the wonderful world of consulting. 031021 -- Who's Today's Guest Cartoonist? Hi! Rob the Dinosaur here! Today I want to- CUT!!! Your name is *BOB*! - Sir, it's like a million degrees in here. Can't we take a two minute break? No! You'll do it until you get it right, you idiot! You have 031021 -- displeased me. No pay for you! - I *hate* Dilbert. Ssh! He'll hear you! 031022 -- Who's Today's Guest Cartoonist? I'm so happy in my new spacious office with an ocean view. - Finally I have the workplace I've always dreamed of. - The personalized environment headset works, Sir. Brad Pitt! Shouldn't you put a shirt on? 031023 -- Who's Today's Guest Cartoonist? This isn't my cubicle. Your horoscope says you'll have a "mind-altering" day. - I feel oddly drawn to watch "Days of our Lives." You *look* oddly drawn. - I'm going to go to the mall and try on black shoes! Wow! 031023 -- Your life finally has a purpose. 031024 -- Who's Today's Guest Cartoonist? ...when I first heard Dilbert had died while running with scissors, I, too, was stunned. I, too, asked, "what's it all mean?" - ...That 2,247 newspaper slots are now wiiiiiide open, baby! ...Ka-ching! Ka-ching! - 031024 -- ...sorry about the ka-chings. 031025 -- All week I felt like I was drifting through alternative universes. I was me, but I was different. - Have you been near any dense objects that would make the fabric of space-time fold onto itself? - One Week Ago Will ther be any unforeseem 031025 -- problems? Waht's happening to me?!! 031026 -- I have an idea for boosting my performance. - You wisely coached us to use all of our vacation days every year. - Because we come back recharged! - Our renewed motivation is more than enough to compensate for the missed days. - My plan is to 031026 -- leverage that competitive advantage. - I'l take a fifteen year vacation and return ten minutes before retirement. - THEN I'LL BE SO RECHARGED THAT I'LL POUNCE AND AND DO TWENTY YEARS OF WORK IN MINUTES!! - Unless it's near a holiday, in which 031026 -- case, do you mind if I leave? 031027 -- Are you going to lunch? Lunch already? - Sheesh! I barely had time to come late to work, eat breakfast, use the plumbing and read the paper. - You take your non.work seriously. I'm trying to develop a sense of non-urgency. 031028 -- Asok, you've been named "Employee of the Week"! - The title gives you access to the executive helicopter landing pad on the roof. - And by "access" I mean you hose off the bird droppings every morning. I get to use the company hose!!! 031029 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director The company will provide free cholesterol screening on tuesday. - At the same time, we're providing free bacon and cheese hoagies across the hall. It's your choice. - I hate him, but I also love him. 031030 -- I e-mailed you the expense breakdown. I need you to fix the format and send it out. - I will now read your mind to get the unspoken, ever-shifting preferences for the format. - I see nothing emptiness...the abyss.. Add a chart. 031031 -- Hey, Rick. Allow me to explain why your specifications are mutually exclusive. must transform. - If we make the package ultra light, there won't be enough material to absorb impact when... - I don't think I'm getting through. 031101 -- Alice, your problem is that you take on too much work. - The problem is that you *give* me too much work! - Your second problem is that you blame others, and your third problem is that you're always angry. GAAA!!! IT'S ALL YOU!! 031102 -- Wally, what's the status of your project? - Deep breath...clear my mind... - I've been focusing my bandwidth on organic growth. - I'm getting lots of push-back, so I'm taking the discussions offline. - But sometimes I table an issue or handle 031102 -- it in a sidebar. - Now i have my ducks in a row, the deal-breakers are on the back burner, and I'm managing expectations. - Oky...keep up the good work. - Wally, you don't have a project. What? Then why am I so tired? 031103 -- Wally, there have been complaints that you take conference calls from the Men's room. - OK, perhaps I have a few idiosyncrasies, but it's only because I care so much about the work. - No one invited you to those conference calls. What if I've 031103 -- already finished the newspaper? 031104 -- We're not '"level-conscious" here. - You could walk up to any vice president's office and talk to his secretary as if you were an equal. - Which, by the way, you're not. So don't ry to make direct eye-contact. 031105 -- I can't do any more work on my project until you give your input, but you're too busy. - There's no polite way to say this: Bill, you're a bottleneck. - Your document is now saying hi to the bottom of the pile. 031106 -- Bottleneck Bill All purchase orders must be approved by me. - I'll be too busy to approve anything, but at least we have a system. - GRRRR It's titanium. Nice try. 031107 -- Don't sell your new product for $29. Offer it at $1,000,029 with a rebate of $1,000,000. - People will think it's a great bargain when in fact it's just a huge inconvenience. - And all we need is one person to forget to mail in the rebate 031107 -- forms. We'll target the lazy rich. 031108 -- I'm having problems at home, so I'll be taking it out on you today. - I'll begin by hallucinating that you said something bad. Then I'll yell at you for saying it. - I AM NOT A SADISTIC NUT!!! If I got to my cubicle, can you hallucinate that 031108 -- I'm here? 031109 -- Everyone gets a company shirt! It's good for morale. - Oops! Not for temps. - None for contractors. - Not for vendors. - Nothing in your size. - Not fot people who might get downsized on Friday. - I'll use the leftovers as garage rags. - Did 031109 -- the shirts improve morale? Sure did! I feel great! 031110 -- Ted is being rude and unhelpful. Can you ask his boss to remove him from the project? send* - I'll forward this to Ted. That should help. - I wonder how people solved problems before E-Mail. 031111 -- We'll be seeing a lot of each other. I'm a boss stalker. - I wait by his office, unscheduled, ready to suck up to him whenever his phone call ends. - Please don't go...it's still out there. 031112 -- Later we'll be joined by the director of the only division that's making a profit. - Behold my greatness!! Bathe ye all in the pleasure of my general proximity!! - I can only stay if you give me an award. 031113 -- Where can I put my most important files so I won't lose them? - I'll balance them on top of the trash can so the janitor knows it's not part od the actual trash. - These items must be what's most urgently in need of discardation. 031114 -- Wally, can you show me how to make changes to the skills database? - I can't risk being known as the guy who knows how to edit the database. - Because? I barely have time to avoid the work I already have. 031115 -- My project has no progress and no hope for progress. - I scheduled a meeting so I can fantasize that it will produce a breakthrough. - I recommend that we have a meeting next week so you can fantasize that you'll coach me to higher levels of 031115 -- performance. Sounds good. 031116 -- Wally, I'm glad we work in the same department. - Because your performance is so bad that you'll be downsized first. - You're like a buffer. As long as you're still here, my job is safe. - And there's nothing you can do to change this 031116 -- situation. - Wally, do you mind giving my family a ride to church again this week. No problem. - It's nice that you joined my church even though you live an hour away. - And I wouldn't say no to those tasty bagels you always bring for the ride. 031116 -- GAAA!! - Oh...I didn't see you sneak up on me, Heathen...I mean Alice. zzzz 031117 -- My vacation was so relaxing that I'm still floating. - Hey, Alice, you know how I promised to cover all of your meetings for two weeks? I forgot until right now. - From floating to furious in 27 seconds. It's a personal best. 031118 -- This might be the greatest innovation in annoying cubicle noises. - Chewing crushed ice. crunch crunch crunch - Must...destroy all refrigeration facilities...on earth. 031119 -- Welcome to the competitive strategies seminar. - First, some house-keeping. In the event of an emergency, stay seated so I'll have a clear path to the exit. - And...there is no men's room in the building as far as you know. 031120 -- I desperately need to take this training. - We can't spare you. Send Wally and have him tell you what he learned. - I'm awed by the sheer artistry of your management skills. Thank you. 031121 -- Lately I am Lately I am overcome with doubt that you read my status reports. - Asok, the biggest value of a status report is that it makes you consider all the costs of your project. - Actually, that is the biggest value of a business plan or a 031121 -- budget.. Whatever. Throw it on the pile. 031122 -- Our goal is to do more with less. - Less motivation? - I can't be any more specific. Less communication? 031123 -- The new batch of job applicants is more desperate than usual. Excellent. - Five hundred qualified people applied for this position. - But who wants this job the most? - I plan to pummel each applicant with a variety of objects, beginning with 031123 -- very soft items. - Then I'l gradually move toward harder materials until only one person is left. - I'll begin with this soft sugar doughnut. - ZING PIFF! Thank you. - How are their attitudes? Refreshingly upbeat! 031124 -- Catbert: Evil H.R. Director In order to cut costs, some of you will be relocated to the bottom of the ocean. - Wouldn't we be crushed by the pressure? Every job has some pressure. - And then there's the breathing problem. I label xyou a 031124 -- whiner. 031125 -- I'm planning to replace myself with cheap Elbonian labor. - Watch this: turn around and describe my appearance. - I see glasses...a coffee mug...and that's all. This will work. 031126 -- Hello. This is your lawyer. - Do you mind if I think about you for a few minutes? Um...no. - Mmm...$400 an hour. Wait...dear lord...noooo!!! 031127 -- I ask all prospective employees this question to test their reasoning. - You have one fox and two chickens that you need to get across ariver. You can only take one at a time in the rowboat. The fox will eat the chickens if left alone. - I'd 031127 -- buy livestock insurance, then barbecue the chickens and blame the fox. Can you start today? 031128 -- I edited you document for clarity and sent it out. - Wow. It's amazing how clearit is when you take out all of the accuracy and relevance. - I stopped listening after "wow." I'll get busy spanding the rest of my carreer fixing this. 031129 -- Our company is going to make antivirus software. What's that tell you? - It tells me we'll secretly create viruses that cn only be detected by our software. - Am I close? You're spooky. 031130 -- I'd like you to meet Bradley, our new manager of executive compensation. - Bradley's job ist to recommend to our board how much to pay company executives as me. - Bradley is totally objective. Totally. - That was a world-class observation, so 031130 -- I'll recommend that the company buy you a pony. - ...a *strong* pony to carry the huge bags of cash I recommend for you. - Good work, Bradley. I'll recommend to the board that you get a huge raise! - Gaaa!!! Stop pretending to have reasons!! 031130 -- Just steal the stupid money!!! - See what I have to deal with every day? Would an extra month of vacation reduce the sting? 031201 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources We need to tell our employees about the merger. - They'll read it in the news. Why should we do extra work? - Other companies do it. There must be a reason. Maybe it's a tax thing. 031202 -- What?!! According to the paper, we're merging with an evil company that plans to downsize us. - - Did they run my quote about how valuable you are? 031203 -- I recommend that we break into subgroups to create a process for choosing our next meeting time. - Or we could just meet next week at our usual time. You're a loose cannon. - Stop labeling me with hackneyed phrases! You're a "cut now, measure 031203 -- later" type. 031204 -- This apple will remind us of our *core' values: respect, customer service, and teamwork. - The apple's cor is the part you throw away. - Not always. Sometimes I accidentally eat it. Maybe the stem can represent our loyalty to the company. 031205 -- You've got a bad case of carpal punchel syndrome. - Don't use your "fist of death" for a few weeks. GAAA!!! - The "foot of death" is not the same. It is only slightly menacing. 031206 -- I've never done this before, but may I have your phone number? - home phone...cell phone...work phone...home E-Mail - work E-Mail...other home E-Mail...personal web site. - ...and if that fax machine is out of paper, try the one down the hall, 031206 -- but leave me a voice mail if you do. 031207 -- May I move to one of the empty cubicles? - Those are full-size cubicles; interns get half-size cubicles. - Yes...ordinarily, but there are hundreds of vacant cubicles because of downsizing. - I'm not following you. - They're *empty*! They will 031207 -- never be occupied. I want to use one. - We don't have the budget to turn a full-size cubicle into a half-size cubicle just for you. - GAAA!!! THAT'S NOT WHAT I...NEVER MIND! FORGET IT! - Furthermore, I do not believe this is a half-sized 031207 -- cubicle. 031208 -- Wake up and trudge to work! - Earn money so I can leave on the lights in every room. - Your shower is ready. I turned it on last night. 031209 -- It's nice to be retired. I'll do a-a-anything I want to do all day long. - I guess you'll be banging your head against a wall today, trying to earn money for the social infrastructure. - Do you ever feel guilty? It is a warm, tingly sensation 031209 -- that makes you wag? 031210 -- It's workers like me that make the global economy so vibrant. - The pointy-haired fly-bait wants this reformatted to disguise his true objective. - When you're done, don't show it to anyone. No one cares. Zesty! 031211 -- I'm developing an insincere optimism to complement my artificial sense of urgency. - I hope to top it off with a delusion that I work for the challenge and not the money. - How can you make good ideas sound so bad? I'm an engineer. 031212 -- Product Training You work for a company that takes pride in its product line. - Only half of our users experience painful boils. yes no - We call that group the "relatively satisfied" customers. What the?! 031213 -- Take your feet off the desk. - Is this an example of random management or do you think it will make our stock rise? - It's up .02%. Heh-heh-heh, not so random after all. 031214 -- It's totally brilliant. - I must show this to our creative department. - I desidgned a new logo for the company. See what you can do with it. - Well, well, well, an engineering manager becomes an artist. - Apparently I wasted my time getting a 031214 -- master's degree in graphic arts and design. - All I needed was a dull pencil an a scrap of paper. - ART IS NOT THAT EASY, YOU ARROGANT PILE OF PERFECTLY SYMMETRICAL CRUD!!! - What if the logo is inside a rectangle? 031215 -- Researchers have proven that working with evil or stupid people causes heart disease. - Ha ha! I wonder if the amount of stupidousness makes a difference. - Your witty banter stinks today. 031216 -- The woods are full of people who want your job. - These days you can't shake a tree without three or four engineers falling out. - I'd love to stay and chat but I need to go motivate the other headcounts. 031217 -- The merger will obliterate the connection between my performance and my rewards. - My arms hang like wet ropes. There is no reason to move again. - From 9 to 9:30 I rotated 3-dimensional objects in my mind. My ears hang like wet ropes. 031218 -- My strategy is to work like a paranoid beaver during the merger. - Surely my productivity will be noticed and rewarded when the downsizing begins. - And who is Alice? I'm pretty sure that's the bald guy with the glasses. 031219 -- Alice, I don't know the best way to say this but I'll try. - Oog-nah wahgoo yagga bliphnow elga nooey fip wah! - That's a language I'm inventing in my spare time. It has no words for "you're downsized." 031220 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources What kind of severance package do I get? I can't decide if I should laugh or purr, but there's definitely spittle in your future. - This is a bad package. PURRR-HA-HA HA-PURRR-HA HA-PURRR!!! 031221 -- I'm collecting for miscellaneous gag gifts. - We've got upcoming birthdays, baby showers, retirements, promotions, blah, blah, blah. - I'm collecting all of the gag gift money in advance. - Then I'll take the bag of money and flush it down the 031221 -- toilet. - That will be the gag. It's funny because a toilet is involved. - So you can either give me $100 now or I'll be back twenty times at $5 a pop. - You can't resist the siren call of a more efficient process. Give it up, engineer-boy! - 031221 -- Hello, sectional sofa! 031222 -- Career Counseling - Apparently you're still mad about being downsized. - According to your resume, you're seeking a job that involves "punching a short, stocky guy with pointy hair." - Is that the only job you'd consider? I also like kicking. 031223 -- Alice Gets Downsized Maybe your next career could be marrying a rich guy. - There must be a guy out there who wouldn't care aboout your personality. - If she offers you a goodbye hug, don't take it. 031224 -- I scheduled your goodbye lunch for tuesday. I can't make it on tuesday. - It's too late to change it. Everyone already bought gag gifts. - Gag gifts?? I'm not retiring; I got downsized! Congratulations, Alice! Hee-hee!! wrinkle cream 031225 -- The good thing about being downsized is that I don't need to shave my legs. - It grows fast, but who's going to notice? - Police surrounded a convenience store where Sasquatch attempted to buy "Hagen Dazs(r)". 031226 -- Business is picking up. We need to rehire some of the people that we downsized. - I hope the time off from work hasn't dulled their engineering instincts. - The first day back is always the hardest. 031227 -- I signed you up for a product awareness class. GAAA!!! - They'll give you hands-on training for every product we sell ple-e-ease... - We're hoping to fix this problem in the next version. 031228 -- I hired my wife to be our new receptionist. - I foresee no problems whatsoever. - Hey, dipweed! - Go buy me a bagel and a cappuccino. - Then wash my car and fill the gas tank. - NOW DANCE FOR ME, LITTLE MAN+ HA HA+ DANCE OR I'LL HAVE YOU 031228 -- FIRED!!! ring - How may I help you? Have a nice day! - Stop dancing in the lobby. My wife is trying to work. 031229 -- Our company is relocating headquarters to be nearer our CEO's home. - When asked about the justification for the huge expense, our CEO quipped, "Ha ha ha! Eat mud and die!" - Then he gave himself some stock options and went to buy a hummer. 031230 -- I am in charge of the office relocation project, also known as O.R.P. - I have never managed anything, but I have studied our boss to learn his methods. - Let's see...step one, I corner you. Step two, I talk until you scream about seeing a 031230 -- bright light. 031231 -- The office relocation project is proceeding without any problems whatsoever. - GAAA!!! IT'S A LIE!!! OUR POSSESSIONS WILL BE LOST AND WE WILL HAVE NO PHONE SERVICE!!! - I don't mean to worry anyone, but you should look for new jobs right away. 040101 -- Office Relocation You are not allowed to move your own computer. - It must be left in an easily stealable condition for three days until the movers take it to the wrong cubicle. - Then untrained I.T. professionals will shove an Ethernet cable 040101 -- into your stapler and call it good. Get out of my way. 040102 -- Office Relocation Some cubicles are slightly less desirable than others. - For example, your new cubicle is below an air duct so it is sometimes cooler than the area around it. - I asked the facilities people to chip out the pengiun as soon as 040102 -- possible. 040103 -- Office Relocation Your new cubicle is less roomy than the old one. You will need this butter. - Apply it liberally to your torso area and you can slide right in. - But don't stay in there for more than 10 minutes at a time because it attracts 040103 -- rats. 040104 -- As VP of marketing, I am proud to introduce the new version of our product. - BEHOLD!!! - This is a testament to what can happen when you listen to customers. - We asked customers what they wanted the new version to do. - Six months ago I gave 040104 -- that raw data to you engineers. Today we see the result. - It's the first time I've seen it myself. What's it do? - BAM!! - Our customers said they hate us. spit 040105 -- It looks like an ordinary piece of paper, but I added this finger holder. - Now when I wander the hallways looking busy I can totally rest my hand. - Working hard? Not any more! 040106 -- The expense cutters award goes to Wally for drastically lowering his cell phone bill. - Wally, would you like to say a few words to the group? - I lost my phone last month. Hey, thanks for the hundred dollars! 040107 -- It's time to go power shopping. - Nice computer. Did you just get it. GAAA!!! - Shopping always puts me in a good mood. 040108 -- Ted, you're going to experience an involuntary separation from payroll. I'm fired. - No-o-o-o. It's just that you won't be part of the payroll system. - And you're not allowed to touch anything. 040109 -- The smokers in this building take hundreds of trips outside to smoke every day. - We can harness that kinetic energy to create electricity to power their unused computers. - pant * pant Too much slope. 040110 -- Our CEO is giving a speech at the conference you're attending. - Ask his secretary if you can save money by riding together on the corporate jet. - He doesn't want to inhale anything you've exhaled. 040111 -- I discovered a hole in our Internet security. What?!! - Good grief, man! How could you put a hole in our Internet? - I didn't *put* it there I *found* it...and it's not... - It's your job to fix that hole. I want you to work 24-7! - Actually, 040111 -- that's *not* my job. But I'll inform our network management group. - PASSING THE BUCK!!! YOU'RE A BUCK PASSER!!! - Forget it! There's no hole! It got better! That's more like it. - I fixed the Internet. 040112 -- I need your approval to... - ...be exhausted, bored, stiff, headachey, annoyed and constipated for the next three days. - Also known as "business travel." I must be traveling right now! 040113 -- You should smuggle a weapon on the plane. - And never, ever return your seat to its upright position! Stand up for your rights! - I've noticed that all of your advice would put me in jail. Why must you be so complainy? 040114 -- Airport Security Please remove your jackets and shoes. - Please remove your epidermal layer and put it in a plastic bag. - It is a federal crime to mention the movies "Ishtar," "Glitter" or "Gigli". 040115 -- Gaaa!!! I'm having overhead storage anxiety!! - It doesn't fit! Everyone will hate me for delaying the flight! - We were scheduled to fly to New York, but thanks to the bag that didn't fit, we have to leave you in Iowa. 040116 -- Six-huor flight; I can get lots of work done. - Six-hour flight; I can get lots of sleep. - I can't feel my hands!!! 040117 -- Welcome to the Metrogarden Hotel! How may I make your stay incredible? - I would be delighted to iron your socks, examine your suspicious moles or take a second job and give you my pay. - I think they overtrained you. I'm shaved and prepared to 040117 -- donate a kidney. 040118 -- Ask the vendor to take 20% off the price. Now??? - You already signed the contract. The price is set in stone. - It doesn't hurt to ask. - It doesn't? - So...although we just signed the contract, would you please lower the price 20%? - HA HA 040118 -- HA!!! GET A TIME MACHINE, YOU BUMPKIN!!! - Gaaa""" I feel stupid and filled with self-loathing...futility tugs at my soul...my guts are clenched! Good. - Ask if they'll go for 19% IT HURTS TO ASK!!! 040119 -- Everyone, this is Dilbert. He flew half-way around the world to give us this presentation. - What? I thought I flew here so *you* could give *me* a presentation. Oh - Maybe I could show you some proprietary documents. I'd like that. 040120 -- What were your key learnings from the trip? - I learned that there are people you shouldn't call from a plane. - Earlier That Day Hi, Jack! 040121 -- I told Matthew that there was no way we could make those changes. ring - Hi, Matthew! ...yes, of course we can make these changes; we're no idiots! Ha ha!! - He says you have no credibility. 040122 -- And that's why we can't put any more resources on your project. Sure we can. - Gaaa!!! Why do you keep runing my credibility?!!! Good cop, bad cop. - IF THERE IS A GOD, PLEASE KILL ME NOW!!! Gum? 040123 -- Profits are down, so we fired the sales department to reduce costs. - This strategy heavily depends on people driving to our warehouse and begging for our products. - Do you think I should write a book? I'd try reading one first. 040124 -- Have you ever noticed the contrast between my greatness and...you? - My philosophy is that everyone has anintrinsic value that is the same. - Let's call your philosophy "I didn't notice." 040125 -- Our CEO will be happy to answer any questions. - Why does the company pay you 40 million dollars a year? - I ask because it's 400 times more than I make. And I work 70 hours a week. - Do you work 28,000 hours per week? - Or do you have some 040125 -- sort of special ability that isn't obvious? - GRRRR RRRRR AAAH-OOGAH!!! - - Golden egg. One every ten minutes. Good answer. 040126 -- You need to change the company's name to create the illusion of progress. - The name should be high-tech sounding with a hint of onomatopoeia that signals your total lack of awareness. - Maybe something like "Duhflushtech, Inc." I like it! 040127 -- Wally, I discovered a deadly safety flaw in our product. Who should I inform? - No one. The stock would plunge and we'd have massive layoffs. Your career would be ruined. - But my negligence could cause the death of a dozen customers. The first 040127 -- dozen is always the hardest. 040128 -- Alice, I fail, if I fail to blow the whistle on our product's safety problem, I will be like a murderer! - No, technically you'd be more like a killer, yoou wuss. - My guts feel like I swallowed a squirrel. You have totally sucked the flavor 040128 -- out of this scone. 040129 -- If you refuse to do something about your product's safety flaw, I will be forced to contact our CEO! Try it. - This E-Mail will make him drop everything and call me. - Hundreds will die...blah, blah, blah...whatever. Forward the message to that 040129 -- pointy-haired guy. 040130 -- Dogbert Goes P.R. You knew your product was deadly but you did nothing until you were sued. - The goal of public relations is to taint the jury pool. We'll show that the victims had it coming. - Maybe we should discuss the moral implications 040130 -- of that strategy. Bah! 040131 -- Dogbert Goes P.R. There's some risk that the P.R. plan will cause you bad kharma. Ooh - For an extra fee, I can do some P.R. work aimed at the infinite fabric of the universe to imnoculate you. - And I think I can get Britney Spears to wear 040131 -- your hairstyle. Can you get her to grow hair on her back, too? 040201 -- Dilbert, come in here. - I keep clicking on this link and nothing happens. - click click click click click click See? - Try something else. Why would I do that? click click click click - click click click click click click click - The 040201 -- definition of insanity is: doing the same thing and expecting a different result. click click click click click click - Hey, it worked this time! - What we have here is a bad precedent. They called ma "crazy." 040202 -- Your project is my top priority. Tell me everything that I need to know. - I'm so bored...can't...stay...awake. I haven't started talking yet. - IT GETS WORSE??! o-o-okay 040203 -- It's been a few hours since I've done anything managerish. - I could criticize someone...nah. I could have a meeting...nah. - I'm reorganizing the department! Excuse me while I beat myself with the keyboard. 040204 -- Our new chip is slower than our competitor's products. - We'll clain we're the fastest. If anyone does benchmark tests, we'll say they used old drivers. - Whenever I talk to you, I feel like I should be wearing a wire. Since when is marketing a 040204 -- crime? 040205 -- Dogbert Consults Never listen to your customers. - They were dumb enough to buy your product, so they have no credibility. - That reminds me: Thanks for buying my services. Don't talk. Shhhh. ooh. 040206 -- Dogbert Consults Your company has become synonymous with incompetence and crime. - Stop trying to be all things to all people. Focus on either the incompetence *or* the crime. - For your new logo, I used computer graphics to create a composite 040206 -- face that looks totally incompetent. 040207 -- Alice, I want you to train Ned to do everything you do. - Don't worry that it will make you redundant and more easily downsizeable. - I like to start each dy by sending threatening E-Mail to the board of directors. 040208 -- Dilbert, meet you new coworker, Buff Bufferman. - Tell Dilbert what you do for fun. - I like to go rock climbing during blizzards. Escape. - At the top, I wait for a pair of eagles to fly by. Then I leap off and grab them by the legs. - The 040208 -- eagles slow my descent to the raging river below. - I try to land on a floating log and surf the white water all the way home. - I use a keyboard. Isn't that dangerous? - Sometimes I type all hunched over. Ow! Ow! It hurts to hear it! 040209 -- I discovered a typo in the market forecast that is driving our company strategy. - Where it says, "Everyone would want one," it should have said, "Avery Wong would want one." - Worse yet, I called Mr. Wong and he said he was joking. What if we 040209 -- gave him free delivery? 040210 -- I finished the prototype for the wireless hassock-buddy. - It uses GPS navigation to stalk its owner and demand that he rest his feet. STOP! AAAGH!!! - Today I learned to avoid the words "stalk" and "aaagh" in my Powerpoint presentations. 040211 -- We haven't sold a single unit of our new wireless hassock product. - Our plan is to make the sales people work in teams and take turns wearing electroshock pants. - Now close the deal, Cliffy, or it's payback time. BUY IT!!! BUY IT!!! 040212 -- I'm a writer for "Morons on Parade" magazine. Do you mind if I ask you some questions? - Okay...but only if you promise to not make me look bad. - COVER STORY!!! WOO-HOO!!! Really? 040213 -- You made the cover of "Morons on Parade." - I hope they didn't misquote me so I'd look like a moron. Writers do that sometimes. - Phew!! All the quotes are accurate. 040214 -- Did you ever think about selling our confidential database of customer information? - It would be massively profitable while virtually undetectable. But highly unethical. - I don't know you anymore. - I'm yanking your chain. When do we start? 040215 -- Now Dilbert will explain what went wrong with our projects this year. - All of our problems were caused by a woman named Lisa. - Lisa never learned how to act aloof and unapproachable. Sometimes she smiles at men she doesn't even know. gasp 040215 -- gasp - As you know, 90% of engineers are lonely men. - A permanent line formed outside her cubicle. - The engineers brought her food, gifts and poems that weren't as funny as they'd hoped. Food Gifts Poems (bad) - I recommend replacing Lisa 040215 -- with someone more like this. - What's *that* supposed to mean? My poems aren't funny? 040216 -- Dogbert Consults To survive, you must create disruptive innovations that redefine the market. - Does that mean the same thing as "Sell things that people want"? There's one big difference. - You only get paid if you say it in a funky way? I 040216 -- like to think I'm disruptively innovative. 040217 -- Dogbert Consults I recommend forming a separate group to pursue disruptive innovations. - It will be a glorious place: fully funded, amazing anbiance, brilliant people, free from bureaucracy! - Bet of all, once in a year they'll let you losers 040217 -- tour their work space and sit in their bean bag chairs. 040218 -- My new home theater is amazing. - It's got a DVD, HD, DVR, FM, satellite dish, MP3, widescreen TV, seven speakers and a universal remote. - It's fun to invite people over so they can show me how to turn it on. 040219 -- Welcome to Dogbert's school for wothless sycophants. - Our first lesson is "Head Nodding for Beginners." - Good, good...now get ready to snap it forward. 040220 -- Sycophant School You must learn to agree with your superiors no matter what they say. - For practice, I'll make statements and you agree. Remember to use your fake smiles. - Statement one: I should be paid 400 times more than you because I have 040220 -- to look at your faces. 040221 -- I hate Ted. How can I make him quit? That's easy. - Hire an aggressive replacement for Ted who will share his resources and make his job unbearable. - THESE ARE *MY* PANTS!!! Are you still here? 040222 -- I heard that you got approval to hire a new senior engineer. - As an intern, I have performed all the functions of a senior engineer for the past five years. I am now ready for promotion. - I plan to hire someone from outside the company. - 040222 -- Must...control...tiny...fists..of intern fury. - I have approval to fill the senior engineer position but there's a ban on hiring new interns. - So if I promote you, my empire...oops...I mean my department won't grow. - GAAA!!! MY DESPAIR HAS 040222 -- TURNED INTO A SEARING PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN!!! OW OW! OW! - That reminds me; I need you to train the new guy. 040223 -- I can make your competitors tired and unfocused. - I'll pester them with an endless series of charity requests, employee birthday parties and blood drives. - I know it works because they paid me to do it for you. So...tired. Can't...focus. 040224 -- According to this report, our employees are afraid to take risks. - We can train them to take risks by giving them stretch goals and punishing them for failing! - We did that to raise morale. It stopped all the complaining, didn't it? 040225 -- Every time our pointy-haired boss leaves his office, I sneak in and seal an air hole. - I'm trying to see if he'll suffocate when he closes his door. - I've never had a hobby before. I can see why people like them. 040226 -- Well, look who came back to dance with death. - Once again you will try to work me to an early grave and I will book you on dangerous business trips. - Who will be the first to drop? Who? What ever happened to "Good Morning"? 040227 -- I think my employees are trying to kill me. Am I paranoid? - Put your answer in an E-Mail. I don't want to be paying for the pauses between your words. - I've ruled out paranoia. Phew! That's a relief. 040228 -- Dogbert Consults You should offer your customers easy financing. - That disguises the true cost of your products so you can price-gouge and people will thank you. - How much are we paying you? I'm leasing my advice to you. Thank you! 040229 -- Gaaa!!! Our boss's boss is coming! Where? - zoop! Uh-oh. Hello, head-count. - I need to run tons of work. Why? Are you poorly managed? - No! We have everything we need! Everything is perfect! - So...was your boss confused, lying or misinformed 040229 -- when he asked me for more funding for your budget? . NOOO!!! IGNORE ME! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!!! Hmm. - Dilbert says you don't communicate with the staff, and you don't need money. - Phew! I'm glad that's over. 040301 -- We have too many managers so I'm making you an aspect manager. - You'll be in charge of one aspect of a corporate objective. - Please just fire me. Your aspect will be morale. 040302 -- I've been named the aspect manager of morale. Effective today, you no longer report to me. - YIPPEEE!!! WOO-HOO!! YES!! - How did you improve the morale so quickly? I'm a genius? 040303 -- Carol, two things: First, I got transferred to a new job, and that means your job here is eliminated. - Why must I suffer from your massive incompetence? Your worthless pile of stinkin' crud!!! - And the second thing? I'll need a secretary at 040303 -- the new job. 040304 -- I'm Zenox, the new manager of this coven...I mean department. - When I am displeased I make this face and growl like the undead. GRROW-EEAHH! - The new dress code is "winged monkey." If a man acted like you, he'd be called tough. 040305 -- The New Boss Maybe you'll be more motivated with a goat head. - The spell won't go away until you finish your project. - She's a big improvement over our last boss. She's sadistic but she's fair. 040306 -- When I found out that the manager who replaced me was a witch, I set a fire in the break room. - The automatic sprinkler system came on and melted her. Witches don't like water. - Are you glad to have me back? I've been doing CPR on this blob 040306 -- for two days!!! 040307 -- I worked nights and weekends to finish my project ahead of schedule. - God. Here's more work. - I don't understand. Am I being punished for working hard? - No, you're being rewarded with exciting new challenges. spronig! - Why does the plant 040307 -- grow fastern when you say things like that? No reason. - STOP THAT! - Anyway, your annual performance review will reward your hard work. - That is one well-fertilized plant. 040308 -- This week I achieved unprecedented levels of unverifiable productivity. - I made phone calls, built consensus, displayed leadership, attended meetings and set priorities. - And then we have this meeting. 040309 -- How can I make my job more enjoyable? - Get a spouse who complains a lot and then have a few kids. - That sounds awful. You won't believe how much you enjoy being at work. 040310 -- I can't put this banana peel in my trash; it will stink all day. - toss - Apparently my teamwork speech wore off. 040311 -- We only have a 10% repeat customer rate whereas prisons have a 70% rate of recidivism. - We need to focus our marketing on criminals because they don't learn from experience. - Order now and get a free knuckle tattoo plus our free book "1,001 040311 -- Nicknames for Women." 040312 -- It's called a 360-degree review. You get to evaluate me at no risk of retribution. - No matter what you say about me, you will only be judged on the quality of your work. - Sometimes you are lazy, evil and manipulative. The quality of your work 040312 -- just went way down. 040313 -- You can manipulate people by lying about what other people said. - If your victim goes to the source and discovers your treachery, say, "of course he tells *you* that." - Your advice doesn't sound healthy. That's not what the Mayo clinic said. 040314 -- I need a day off to attend my twin sister's funeral. - A whole day?? How well did you know her? - She...was...my...*twin*. But not identical! - How does that matter? Well...she didn't even look like you. - And yet you want a whole day for a 040314 -- service that takes fifteen minutes. - GAAA!!! IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO BE MORE INSENSITIVE!!!! - I'll compromise. My per gerbil is on his last legs. I'll give you the day off if you toss him in the casket so I don't have to bury him myself. - 040314 -- When do you think it will die? Depends. How much does your sister weigh? 040315 -- Out target market is people who don't shop carefully. - Our product is designed to attack the user and force him to reorder. - We only have on customer but we've sold 10,000 units. 040316 -- There is an error on my tiny paycheck. it is four dollars too much. gasp - Now you must travel to the bowels of the bureaucracy to correct this injustice. - Or I could just keep it as a reward for my honesty. BOWELS I SAY! 040317 -- I don't like the looks of this. Bureaucracy - I only want to correct a small payroll error. - Can you help me? Does it help if I glare at you for disturbing my lunch? 040318 -- Are you the troll that handles the payroll system? I have a problem. - Problems are handled by our automated sadistic phone system. - For tech support, press the exact value of 22 divided by 7. 040319 -- I move the meeting to tuesday. I can't make it on tuesday. - Somehow I think the marketing team can survive one meeting without engineering support. - We'll include a pet gerbil in every box. We just need to make sure it's in a sealed plastic 040319 -- bag so it won't chew on the cables. 040320 -- Hey, do you have the reliability specs for the X4Hb? - 20 Seconds later Uh-oh, he's a slow responder. The stare is creeping me out. - Gaaa!!! Say something! Please acknowledge my existence!!! reset 040321 -- Our director of marketing will give us an update. - We spent our entire marketing budget buying a racehorse. - We named the horse after our flagship product because they're both fast. Get it? - Unfortunately we didn't have enough budget for a 040321 -- thoroughbred. - Our horse broke its leg walking to the starting gate, so we shot it. - Next year we plan to sponsor a sailboat. - Anyway...your lunch today is brought to you by the maketing department. Enjoy! - Hey, my roast beef sandwich has a 040321 -- piece of lead in it. 040322 -- To defend against lawsuits, our records retention policy has been updated to include this... - BAM! - What was I talking about? The records retention policy. 040323 -- Would you consider speaking at my son's school on "Carreer Day"? - I'd do it myself but I can't disgiuse the bitterness and despair that gnaw at my soul. - Plus my son has been bad and I told him I'd punish him. I'd be honored to speak. 040324 -- Carreer Day When you grow you'll be put in a container called a cubicle. - The bleak oppressiveness will warp your spine and destroy your capacity to feel joy. - Luckily, you'll have a boss like me to motivate you with something called fear. 040324 -- May I see a brochure? 040325 -- Carreer Day ...and that's why you should have a pre-meeting before every meeting. Any questions? - How long will my generation need to work? A month? Sixty years. - I see that you've connected all the dots. 040326 -- Wally is in the men's room. I'v accepted a position as his seat filler. - This is the proudest day of my life. I never imagined that my carreer would work out so well. - I want to scream at the world, "look at me now!" False alarm. You're 040326 -- fired. 040327 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Your position has been excessed, or as I prefer to say... - I WILL TEAR THE FLESH FROM YOUR BONES!!! - Phew! I love that yoga move! There is like, no hope for a hug, right? 040328 -- Remember, quality is aour top priority. Quality - Question: is it more important than safety? - Ooh...I forgot about that one. - Question: is quality more important than obeying the law? - Well, probably not. - If we could maximize shareholder 040328 -- value by selling lower quality items... - ...wouldn't we have a fiduciary responsibility to do it? Hmm - Quality I'm sure it's in the top four. What if we had to die to achieve quality? 040329 -- I plan to start my own television talk show. - I'll change my name to "Doctor Dogbert" so people think I'm qualified to call them lazy, immoral, fat morons. - You already call people those names. Yeah, but I want them to thank me for it. 040330 -- Doctor Dogbert Show Your problem is that you're a lazy, selfish, immoral moron. - Shouldn't you listen to my story before passing judgement? - I'm adding "time-waster" to the list. You're like a miracle worker! 040331 -- Doctor Dogbert Show My next guest is addicted to plastic surgery. - I've always liked the whole dinosaur look, so I just went for it. - Do you have some plainspoken advice for me? Shut up, you freak. 040401 -- Doctor Dogbert Show Today we'll meet a couple who have a common problem. - I make him sleep in a gigantic hot dog bun. Can I see it? no...please. - And the problem is that he snores. 040402 -- What's that thing? It's my son. He couldn't go to school today. - Traylor, go shake hands with the pointy-haired man. - What does he have? I don't think it has a name yet. chomp 040403 -- Do you mind if I put your picture on my stapler? - Well, I don't allow personal items on desktops, but I'll make an exception. - Eat paper, you ignorate parasite! Ha ha ha!!! 040404 -- This was a productive four-hour leadership meeting. - I'd like one of you to type up your notes and send an E-Mail to the entire company. - - No one took notes? I didn't have a pen. - Okay, no problem. Does anyone remember what we decided? - We 040404 -- agreed to increase...something. No, decrease something. - Never mind. Let's try it again on thursday at 8 A.M. - When is the next leadership meeting? I should have written that down. 040405 -- Job Applicant How do you reward your top performenrs? - I keep increasing their workloads until their performances become average. - So...why would anyone try to excel? I use only the finest motivation posters. 040406 -- I plan to start my own no-frills airline. - For only $23, I'll let people hold out their arms and run to their destinations. - And they won't be allowed to eat or swallow their own saliva. 040407 -- I've added mumbling and peevishness to my work-avoidance arsenal. - I get the benefits of appearing knowledgeable without the burden of sharing. - Um...I dodn't hear what you said. SHEEEESH!!! 040408 -- May I borrow your chair for a meeting? - Okay, but leave your wallet, keys, company I.D. and one shoe with me. - I'm your chief financial officer. Then I also need your PDA and one sock. 040409 -- Our accounting system is so inaccurate that we don't know how profitable anything is. - It's so bad that you could manage randomly and claim success no matter what happens. - I was looking for funding, not a hug. 040410 -- Wally, do you have the approved vendor list? It's on the net. The password is "Wally." - Hm...you always say information is on the net when I know it's not. Yet, by mentioning a password, it sounds plausible. - So...first I'll find out that the 040410 -- password has changed. Then I'll find out that the list is out of date. What am I forgetting? user name 040411 -- You pay will be calculated a new way. Then I said, "Teal isn't a color." - Shhh! No side conversations. - ...multiplied by the base salary... I think it's a spice. - NO SIDE CONVERSATIONS!!! It's like cilantro. - I can't help it. I'm the kind 040411 -- of guy who needs to talk or elese it feels like my head will explode. - Let's test that theory. mmph! - Wow! That worked out better than I'd hoped. 040412 -- I'm starting a company that specializes in doing tainted research. - The association of doughnut makers asked me to prove that skinny people can't go to heaven. - Did you see a bright light before the doctors revived you? No, why? 040413 -- This is the Dogbert Research Company. Have you ever been killed by a poorly designed product? ...no? - My tainted research shows that your products haven't killed anyone. - For an extra $50,000, I can call a second person. I don't want to jinx 040413 -- it. 040414 -- We need to get you on TV to publicize the tainted research I did. - The media like celebrities, blood, environmental issues and humor. - Someone pushed a pointy-haired man in front of Larry David's hybrid card today. 040415 -- Have you made your mother proud by becoming a manager? No. - Have you made your son proud by hosting a cooking show on television? - You could call the show "Cooking with too much salt." How did you get this way? 040416 -- The status of my project is that xou ignored five of my e-mails and seven of my voicemails. - I tried to corner you in the hallway, but you filled all the air space with stories about your sinuses and scampered away. - Speaking of which, 040416 -- hoo-boy! I'd like to hear those stories. 040417 -- Sales are dropping like a rock. sales - Our plan is to invent some sort of doohickey that everyone wants to buy. future - The visionary leadership work is done. How long will your part take? 040418 -- I'm going into the extreme makeover business. - I'm planning to take it to the next level. - You'd look good with antlers. - And the nose has to go. Go? - Your tiniy ears are out of proportion. THESE are ears. - I'll also rearrange your fat so 040418 -- you can't see it. - I'll toss in a few extras after you're unconscious. - Guess how old I am! 040419 -- Maybe I should sell this house and get a newer one. I'll be the real estate agent. - I said maybe. A good real estate agent doesn't know the meaning of that word. - Things are moving too fast! I've lost control of the proces! Pack your stuff, 040419 -- waffler. Escrow closes in ten days. 040420 -- Dogbert The Real Estate Agent When it rains, the sewer backs up and covers the driveway. Lake view. - Every spring, rabid squirrels rip off huge chunks of the roof to look for food. Seasonal skylight. - The dry brush behind the house is a fire 040420 -- hazard. Potential...fire...place. 040421 -- The Real Estate Agent Initial every page of this steaming mound of documents. - This says that if I insist on overpricing my house then my agent can run over me with an SUV and... - ...sell my clothes to a scarecrow manufacturer. It's rarely 040421 -- enforced. 040422 -- The Real Estate Agent The first property costs $10 million. - It's covered with endangered frogs, and it's next to a banshee farm. - The access road is a narrow path across a boiling cesspool of tormented souls. 040423 -- The Real Estate Agent If you don't buy the house I showed you, someone else will. - And every time it appreciates another million dollars you will cry out, "Why was I so stupid?! Why?! Why?!" - And I'll be all, "Lo-o-o-ser!" Are you really not 040423 -- allowed to show me more than one house? 040424 -- It feels unmanly to hire movers. I should be able to do this with a few friends and a pickup truck. - The movers just pulled up. I don't like feeling weak. - I can walk by myself! On those little legs? 040425 -- Your last job was...international pop star? Right. - Hey, I recogniye you! I bought your last CD! No, you didn't. - When I said "bought," I mean downloaded. - Exactly, I didn't sell one CD. Everyone downloaded it. - Weren't you already rich? My 040425 -- business manager stole everything. - You could perform live. Too many musicians, not enough venues. - Now do you make music for the love of it? I burned my guitar for heat. - I bought your new CD! NO YOU DIDN'T 040426 -- Why does the new engineer get paid more than I do? How do you justify that??! - Unlike you, he doesn't have a bad attitude. - I have a good attitude! Look at this smile! Look! MY EYES!!! 040427 -- Here are all the suggestions from the suggestions box. - Give us more money. Give us more money. Give us more money. Give us more money. Hey, there's one with a little diagram. - The wavy lines mean it's hot there. Is that why the pointy-haired 040427 -- guy is sad? 040428 -- Catbert the Evil Director of H.R. Married employees cost us more because spouses get benefits. - If we can get our employees to marry each other, we'll save money. - Have you ever noticed how the fluorescent light glistens off of Wally's head? 040429 -- I'm addicted to spam. I can't resist it. - Last week I bought every pill that was offered and took them at the same time. - Let me tell you, there are a few pills you don't want to mix with the Ginkgo Biloba. 040430 -- I recommend that we eliminate the least popular features because they cost us more than they generate in revenue. - I have an idea. Let's eliminate the least popular features to save money. - I suggest that we eliminate the least popular 040430 -- features. I steal that idea to infinity. 040501 -- You can rob your small suppliers by making unauthorized deductions from their invoices. - When they complain, say it's a standard industry practice and threaten to take your business elsewhere! - Then make them dance like chickens! Ha ha! 040501 -- Chickens are funny! 040502 -- Dogbert Explains Stock Investing Pay attention. - First, employees provide valuable data. Is your project on schedule? I didn't know I had a project. - A manager refines the data. We're on schedule. - The CEO gives "visibility" to analysis. No 040502 -- problems whatsoever. - Accountants publish bad news in footnotes using a combination of nanotechnology and gibberish. Still too obvious. - Discount brokerage firms tell you that you're smart. Use your own ideas! - Investors do their own 040502 -- research. Buy it because I did. Thank you, unbiased stranger! - A secret society of Donald Trump lookalikes end up with all your money. You're fired. You are! 040503 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I'm working 80 hours a week. I barely have time to bathe. - Try using your tongue during meetings. It's like a bath and a loofah all in one. - Or I could do less work. - That's crazy talk. 040504 -- We still have too many software faults. We'll miss our ship date. - Move the list of faults to the "future development" column and ship it. - 90% of this job is figuring out what to call stuff. 040505 -- I'm going to a meeting with my boss. Did you stretch first? - You need to limber up your lying muscles or you'll strain something. - Really? Things are going that well??! Didn't strech. 040506 -- We've moved our call centers to Elbonia but we don't think anyone will notice. - Hello, how may I help you? My name is Kruphnehdahpheweundikaniswalyniaphorganopop. - I mean...Carl. 040507 -- Elbonian Call Center We don't have that software in stock. - But may I interest you in a set of porcelain unicorn figurines that wear pants? - Really? Wow. your country has way too much money. 040508 -- Elbonian Call Center Remember to use your American accents! - Yee-haa!! Let's put the dawg in the Chevy! Look at the size of my missiles!! - We only do it that way in the cafeteria. Oops. Sorry. 040509 -- Can I talk to you after the mandatory meeting? - Whoa! Whoa! I didn'r give you approval to attend that meeting. - The meeting is mandatory. Approval is mandatory, too. - OKay, whatever. May I go to the *mandatory* meeting? - All requests must 040509 -- be in writing. - IT'S MANDATORY!!! MAN-DUH-TORY!!! - If people start bending the rules, before long, murder will be legal. - That was the finest mandatory meeting I've ever attended! They handed out cash! Shut up. 040510 -- So I was dancing with Madonna and went "Vogue" like this. She liked the idea and made a video. - You've either had a fascinating life or you're a huge liar. I'm still undecided. - Ghandi said the same thing. So I said, "I'm not eating until you 040510 -- take it back." 040511 -- The Non-Credible Guy And that's how I invented "Reality TV." - Why don't you keep telling me preposterous stories while I stare at you with a mixture of hostility and curiosity? - And then Einstein asked me to entertai his relatives while he 040511 -- thought of a name for his new theory. Good, good. 040512 -- The Non-Credible Guy Did you get approval for these expenses? What? Oh, yes, I did. - Why does everything you say sound so suspicious? Because I just had a heart transplant. - I'd like to see a note from your surgeon. He's illiterate. 040513 -- Wally, I want you to update the safety manual and distribute it. - I don't have much of a budget for binders, so use the chepest ones you can find. - Hello, this is "Deadly Binders, Inc." How may I injure you? 040514 -- I need your approval on the new safety manual. - GAAA!!! SHARP EDGES!!! GAAA!!! IT GRABBED MY HAND!!! - Chapter one: wear protective gloves and safety goggles at all times. AAAIIEEE!!! 040515 -- Workplace injuries are up ten thousand percent since I distributed the new safety manuals. - The binders have sharp edges and, apparently, a curse. I asked Asok to help put it on our web site. - Hands...so numb. Eyes...strained. Blood 040515 -- pressure rising... 040516 -- Would you review my celebrity business plan? Sure. - First, I'll commit a sensational crime that the media can't ignore. - Then I'll hire celebrity lawyer Johnny "Red" Galipigos to help me beat the rap. - I'll use my fame to land a part on a 040516 -- reality TV show where I will win by cheating. - Then I'll gain a massive amount of weight so the tabloids will fixate on me. burp - Then I'll become a spokesperson for a weight loss product. It works! - Lastly, I'll write children's books. What 040516 -- about rehab? - Good catch. I totally forgot the part where I get addicted to painkillers. Otherwise, it looks good. 040517 -- Today is the day that the Secret Society of Executive Secretaries takes over the world. - Carol, what's on my schedule this morning? - Subjugation, humilitation and misery! Ha ha ha! How's the afternoon. 040518 -- Welcome to the Secret Society of Executive Secretaries. - Today we will wrest power from our evil overlords! Tomorrow we'll rule the world! - Then Connie pointed out that we'd need our own secretaries, and the whole thing went apart. 040519 -- Our CEO says he wants to change the DNA of this company. What's that mean? - I don't know. It sounds medical. I'm frightened. - Hold me. Keep your stale DNA away from me. 040520 -- There seems to be more stupidity than usual at work. - Borrow my anti-stupidious gun. It annihilates the stupid part of a person and leaves the rest intacts. cool - I should have read the directions more carefully. 040521 -- You've exceeded your E-Mail storage allocation on the server again. - That's because I do real work as opposed to walking around with a piece of paper. - It's not a piece of paper; it's a *document*! I can't hear you over the sound of my real 040521 -- work. 040522 -- Hey, Dilby, Dil-Boy, Dilly-Dally, Dilbo Baggins, Dill Pickle! - I need a favor. Does it involve spitting on your grave? - I'm not dead. Well then, I guess we both need a favor. 040523 -- Performance Review People say you're too negative in meetings. - Negative? When? - According to the marketing department, you poopooed a number of their ideas... - ...the cold fusion scooter, perpetual motion clothes dryer, antigravity pants, 040523 -- MRI vending machine, and the list goes on. - Those are terrible ideas! - NEGATIVE ATTITUDE!!! GOTCHA!!! - OKay, you're right. From now on, I will support all terrible ideas. Good. - It's a tongue scraper *and* a frozen flagpole! Can it be 040523 -- electrified? 040524 -- Visiting a Customer Our office was designed with the science of Feng Shui. - Should I describe the technical merits of our product or will you be consulting with a witch doctor? - Ooops, sorry. That one snuck up on me. He's an strologer, not a 040524 -- witch doctor. 040525 -- Customer Visit I can see from your zombie stare that you don't understand technical talk. - Let me try it in a language I call "Liberal Arts Major." - It's blue. It has a color??! 040526 -- His name is Kudos, the bear-er of good morale! - He's our new mascot. He'll attend all of our meetings until morale improves. - Today is Asok's turn in the suit. 040527 -- I'll escape the horror of this meeting by taking my mind to a happy place. - Aaah...a pool of warm coffee; what could be better? - 040528 -- If I cut your product development budget by 25%, what could you develop? - Ulcers, heart disease and maybe mysterious pustules. - How about the product itself? It will envy me. 040529 -- Project Meeting I'll have to cut a few corners because of the budget process. - If we skip design, prototype, testing and manufacturing, we can afford the product recall. - We'll save on shipping, too. Is bungle the same as juggle? 040530 -- Yesterday, someone in this room gave me a document with a yellow paper clip. - I know that multi-colored paper clips look "pretty." - But I remind you that we are on a tight budget! - We can't be throwing away all our money on colorful paper 040530 -- clips. - DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!! - I salvaged that paper clip from incoming mail. - Now excuse me while I stare at my watch and wonder how much you're paid per hour. - I'm sure you've done inefficient things that I don't know about. Two 040530 -- minutes is...$5. 040531 -- Gaaa!!! How could you do this without first checking with me??!! - My philosophy is that it's better to seek forgiveness than to ask for permission. - Did he say you could rip out his heart and sell it on the Internet? Kinda. 040601 -- Evil Director of H.R. It's illegal for me to ask about age, sex, martial status, weight, ethnicity or disabilities. - But I can see that you're a fifty-year-old, 145-pound, mongrel spinster with some coordination issues. - Do you have any 040601 -- problem working on christmas? 040602 -- I got a bad case of ergophobia. It's an abnormal and persistent fear of work. - Isn't everything about you a little abnormal and persistent? - Yeah, but I'm still delighted when I discover new words for me. 040603 -- Asok, let's go to lunch. I'll buy. Really? - We'll have some wine, maybe talk about people that we both know. Fun! - And what does Dilbert call me? The Fertiliar! Ha ha! 040604 -- Uh-oh, someone wants me to make a decision. - I summon the dark demon of ineffective management to smite the person who wants this decision!!! - Maybe I could help you make the decision. I requested smiting. 040605 -- My pointy-haired overlord sent me to smite you for requesting that he make a decision. - HEY! WHAT THE...? EAT DRYWALL, DEMON!!! - Hey, it's a fresh one! 040606 -- Did you see all of the typos in Dilbert's E-Mail? - Were you confused about its meaning? - No, that's not the point. - Thaen I don't know what your point is. - I think he should be more professional, that's all. - So, instead of sending clear, 040606 -- efficient messages, he should follow your example and... - ...be a gossipy, critical, time-waster who values appearance over function? - Are you done hurting me now? I'm saving a scoffing soundfor you when you turn to leave. 040607 -- I hired a new prima donna. I already hate his guts, but he's indispensable. - He'll be dividing his time beween being obnoxious and and undermining my authority. - And the rules don't apply to him. I declare this a pants-optional zone. 040608 -- The Prima Donna Behold my indispensable greatness! No techical problem can thwart me! - I wear no pants, as proof that I am above the rules. I am the Alpha and the Omega! - Would you like to see a scoff, jeer, gibe, mock, sneer, fleer or flout? 040608 -- Fleer, I guess. 040609 -- Pantless Prima Donna May I ask you a question? Silence, fool! - Alert the patent office that I am about to begin. They might want to increase staff. - Maybe you should turn on your computer. I don't do hardware. 040610 -- Pantless Prima Donna I demand an assistant to document my miracles. - That which I touch will be tagged for the Smithonian. That which I create will be framed for the Louvre. - Really? An exciting assignment? What is it? 040611 -- Asok, I want you to work for the prima donna. Do whatever he tells you. - May I point out that he has never produced anything except arrogance and noise? - You will stand behind me, and when I end a sentence, you will either say, "Ta-da" or 040611 -- "Case closed." Ta-da 040612 -- Tina, why did you call me a flaming #$%!!? I'm so sorry. - That was my E-Mail personality. My real-time personality is kind an gentle. - Oh okay. Never speak to me again, you miserable clump of decaying compost! 040613 -- ? - Excuse me. May I ask a question? - You're blasting your music while your window is open, so I'm wondering... - Are you thinking that the people around you are enjoying your musical choices? - Or are you a psychopath, prone to egocentric, 040613 -- antisocial behavior? - Or is it a desparate, misgiuded attempt to improve your odds od finding a mate? - It's actually a simple case of peer imitation and cognitive dissonance that causes me to selectively filte rmy perceptions. - I like that 040613 -- song. - Great! Now I suddenly hate it! You ruined everything! 040614 -- I own a small business. - It's imperative that you pay us on time or else we'll go out of business. - And then you wouldn't ever need to pay...oh, dear, lord, what have I said?!! 040615 -- I may be a small businessman but i can provide a quality product to your company. - I'll ask Alice to show you how to get into our preferred vendor system. - He can already invoice! He has your scowl. 040616 -- Hey Dilbert, what are you doing for the Editda today? The what? - Ebitda means the earnings before interest, taxes, deprecation, and um...ammonia. - Are you sure about ammonia? Why must you be so accretive? 040617 -- When you ask me questions, I usually wave my hand and say, "Bah!" - But from now on, I'll say "why do you want to know?" and then I'll say, "bah!" over your answer. - How often do you hear the phrase "it's been nice talking to you?" Not so 040617 -- much. 040618 -- Now that our profits are improving, can I have a raise? - If I start giving people raises, then profits will plummet and we'll be nowhere. - Does your bonus depend on how effectively you oppres me? If you don't like it, try communism. 040619 -- The leadership team can't decide where to make the deepest busget cuts. - But don't worry. I offered to bring a systematic, data-driven focus to the process. - A death spiral goes clockwise north of the equator. Budget Cuts research design 040619 -- sales mapcom 040620 -- Dilbert, you'll absorb Bill's project when he transfers. - Don't worry; he'll tell you everything you need to know. - The watchamacallit has to be whatever or else the whosits will go hey-hey. - Now this is either the budget total or a fax 040620 -- number. - It's absolutely critical that you...um...I lost my train of thought. - Do you have a list of key contacts? That would have been a good idea. - Can I call you if I have questions? You can try. - I love my co-workers, until they talk. 040621 -- You know what I admire about you, Alice? - You obviously value performance over appearance. Thank you. - Wait...if that was a compliment, why is my fist of death tingling? 040622 -- I'm about halfway finished with the online study class on sexual harassment. - Wally, we don't have an online study course on sexual harassment. - That would explain why all the actors seemed so happy. 040623 -- Why did you leave your last job? - They told me that I have incredibly poor judgement. - So I sued them. 040624 -- According to your resume, you left your last job because you "allegedly stole lots of great stuff." - Technically, if they catch you in the parking lot, and you give it back, that's not stealin'. - And you buried a German tourist in your 040624 -- cellar. *ONE* TIME! 040625 -- You're an hour late for an interview. - You're working me to death! I'm only one person! I need a vacation! - You're supposed to say that stuff *after* I hire you. - O-o-oh...suddenly I can't do anything right? 040626 -- I can't find any highly trained job applicants who want an unpleasant work environment and low pay. - I miss the old days where a man would build a skyscraper with his bare hands just to make you stop hitting him with a shovel - Did they have a 040626 -- dental plan? Yes. They called it "Duck!!!" 040627 -- Why It's Great To Be An Engineer - Hi, Dilbert! Hi...there. - He doesn't remember my name. - Say it! Say my name! Hey, Dilbert. - Now he'll be forced to introduce me. Hee-hee! Am I interrupting anything? - It's awkward for you now. Ha ha! 040627 -- Squirm, you name forgetter. - The pressure to introduce me must be killing you. Ha ha! - Do you have the new hardware specs? Follow me. - Who was that guy? What guy? 040628 -- My life is a rolling disaster. - I'm a magnet for all problems legal, financial, medical and romantic. - Uh-oh...I sense another disaster brewing. She's cute. I think I'll stalk her every day. 040629 -- I'm bored, it's time to stalk the new hire. - How long is the wait? About forty-five minutes. - When romance is sinvolved, it's good to have a plan "B." 040630 -- Your life is a rolling disaster, so I figure I should ask you for a date. - I'm hoping that the source of your problems is that you consistently make poor choices. - Maybe you could buy some groceries and make me a nice dinner. Would you like 040630 -- to move in with me? 040701 -- How's your stalking of the new hire going? We have a date for tomorrow. - She's in an employee orientation meeting. Uh-oh. - Module four is about identifying workplace hazards. 040702 -- I'll arrange my papers to signel that I want this meeting to end. tap tap tap - C'MON, TAKE A HINT! TAP TAP TAP So, as I was saying... - The man would *not* take a hint. I *said* it's *all gone*! 040703 -- We only have two people on the third floor. Let's move them to our empty cubes and sublet the space. - Write a business case with all the risks and business drivers and I'll consider it. - I changed my mind. We shouldn't do anything. I need a 040703 -- business case for that, too. 040704 -- Carol, I need ten minutes on the pointy-haired boss' schedule. - I don't let him have meetings anymore. - What? - Every time he had a meeting it just created more work for me. - It was always "Carol, get me a file," and "Carol, schedule another 040704 -- meeting." - Obviously I had to put an end to the madness. - I guess I could E-Mail him. You could try. - 040705 -- Shut the door. We need to talk about what you've done. What?! RING - Gaaa!!! Please don't leave me hanging! What have I done??! Hello. - My watch stopped. No, wait, I think time itself stopped!!! Note: time-frozen people look exactly like this. 040706 -- Time has stopped until my boss gives me the bad news that he hinted was coming. - Maybe I'll use the time to invent a new language and grow a beard. - An Eternity Later Ee-yo nebab wanponi grep. I forgot why I wanted to talk to you. 040707 -- I grew the beard while waiting for my boss to get off the phone. - Then I realized I don't need to exercise because no one expects bearded guys to have any discipline. - I'll have everything on the even-numbered pages, a cigar and...do you sell 040707 -- suspenders? 040708 -- I save so much time by not shaving that I'm considering giving up all forms of hygiene. - I'd phase into it by having a few unwashed telecommuting days per week. - And if you wear clown shoes, you never need to clip your toenails. I should be 040708 -- writing this down. 040709 -- I decided to shave off the beard I grew when I was waiting for my boss to get off the phone. Beard? I hadn't noticed. - This will take awhile, so I'll wait until time slows down to a crawl and do it then. - Did I ever tell you about my first 040709 -- job as an envelope licker? click 040710 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources - We're planning a goodbye party for downsizers. - I'm making T-Shirts so it's easy to tell who the special guests are. - I'm special I got the last of the cake. 040711 -- Dilbert, this is Proxis. I recruited him from the Gullible Nebula. - I convinced him to relocate his family. Hello. - My spaceship was destroyed during the landing, but that's no problem. - I excpect to work here for the rest of my 300-year 040711 -- lifespan. - That reminds me: we need to talk. - Your job function has been outsourced. I have to let you go. Your severance package is: I grab you by the snout and fling you onto the sidewalk. - May I use you as a reference? 040712 -- I'm crushing into my fifth month with no written objectives. - Some philosophers would say that having no objectives means I'm free to help any team that asks. - My personal philosophy is more along the lines of hiding. 040713 -- I want you to negotiate the sale of our voice activated hassock business. - You're not allowed to lie, but I expcet plenty of omissions, misdirections, exaggerations... - ...unjustified optimism, lost documents, unclear explanations, gay areas 040713 -- and tactical ignoranc. Oh, and say we have other offers. 040714 -- Negotiating I've been authorized to tell you that we have other offers. - I can tell you from your phraseology that you've been ordered to lie and you're not good at it. - What makes you think something like that? There it is again! 040715 -- Negotiating My opening offer is... - Thank you, thank you, thank you. We accept your offer!!! I haven't said the offer. - I mean, we have lots of other offers that are better. You're ruining everything. 040716 -- Negotiating So far we've agreed that my company will take all the expenses and legal liabilities. - Your company will take all of the revenue, patents and public credit. - But where it says I'll dig you a swimming pool with my bare hands, I 040716 -- will *not* do that. You win! You can use a spoon. 040717 -- Your stock just plunged on the news that you're going to acquire another company. - Have you noticed that your stock goes down whenever you do anything? - I'll buy a few shares if you'll agree to sit motionlessly in your cubicle. 040718 -- I need help motivating the staff. - What have you already tried? - Threats, belittling, humilitation, empty promises, berating, slogans, posters and bullying. - Hmm...we can't praise them or else they'd ask for raises. 040718 -- Maybe they can be motivated by the importance of their work. - Their work is making second-rate products to sell to idiots so our executives can affort trophy wives. - Have you tried yelling until your face turns purple? - MAKE THREE COPIES, 040718 -- PLEASE!!! This is new. 040719 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Stock options will be replaced with a bonus system. - So...now my happiness depends on the kindness of management instead of the gullibility of our customers? - Allow me to respond by hacking a hairball 040719 -- in your direction. 040720 -- We can't afford to hire any trained employees. Hire feral employees. - Where do I find feral employees? I saw some in the alley. - Who wants a creamer? 040721 -- I hired a feral employee. - He's inexpensive because he's totally untrained. CHOMP Ouch! - So far he knows how to eat food and run away. 040722 -- The Feral Employee I'm taking a chance by hiring you. Don't make me regret it. - Today, some of my seasoned professionals will teach you to use indoor plumbing. - Look! Look at me! The newspaper tucks under the arm! 040723 -- The Feral Employee Hi, little fella. What's your name? Will - You look totally untamed. I like a challenge. - Give me one month and I'll have you wearing bicycle pants while you mow my lawn. hissss 040724 -- The Feral Employee Marketing wouldn't give me the product specs. - So I made this face and rifled through their dumpster. - And you found the product specs? French fry. 040725 -- Our VP of Marketing is here to describe our new bet-the-company strategy. - We'll saturate the airwaves with an ad campaign featuring a talking squirrel. - He'll have a fake norwegian accent like, "Geeve me zee nuts." Ha ha! - Any questions? 040725 -- Yes, you with the strange head. - How will a talking squirrel make people buy our products? - - I just realized I'm a complete fraud. I'll pack up my desk and leave immediately. - Can we get through *one* meeting without you ruining everything? 040726 -- I forgot how many quarters are in a year. Two. - Unless it's a leap year; then you have two quarters plus a penny. - Maybe I'll say that at the board meeting to sound smart. I'M FREE!! 040727 -- Hey, Dilbert! How would you like to go to lunch? Alone. - Alone! Ha ha! But then you'd miss out on this great opportunity! - It's multi-level marketing plus a diet plan suggested by the bible! Shoot me. 040728 -- We dug up the founder of our company and wrapped him in copper wire. - Then we replaced his tombstone with a huge magnet. - With any luck, our business practices will make him spin in his grave and generate electricity. 040729 -- I got a hefty bonus for being way under budget. - Effort is no longer rewarded. It's all about results, which means mostly luck. - It's kinda funny; the only reason I was under budget is that my project was delayed. GAAAA!!! 040730 -- I'm late because my car wouldn't start in the cold. It's warm outside. - There's a little thing called the wind-chill factor. Hello-o-o-o!!! - That was wrong on so many levels. Someday I gotta get me a car. 040731 -- This is Dogbert's Tech Support. Your problem is caused by another company's product or services. - Shouldn't I tell you my problem before you determine the cause? - Okay, let's pretend that will change my answer. 040801 -- I lost my I.D. badge. - Report to the security office and get a new one. - Hold it! Where do you think you're going? To the scurity office? - No one is allowed past this desk without an I.D. badge. - Okay...how do I go to the security office if 040801 -- I can't go to the security office? - Good question. I guess you'll have to sneak past me. - Look over there! It's an angel, and she's giving away free bacon! - Well, well; it seems I've found a worthy adversary. 040802 -- We've had a bad year but management is committed to staying the course. - Question: Did you just say our leaders are receiving huge compensation packages to keep doing what doesn't work? - No. The way I said it, they're visionaries. So...they 040802 -- keep doing what doesn't work...and they see visions? 040803 -- I've decided to become an optometrist for near-sighted visionaries. - They're ideal customers because they never expect the worst. - Which price am I most likely to charge you? The low one! 040804 -- Optometrist For Visionary Executives Look through this solid block of wood. - Is this better or worse? Better. - I foresee forty quarters of growth. Hey, new glasses? 040805 -- My voice mailbox is full, and my spam filter rejects all incoming E-Mail. - As soon as I build up a good load of ear wax, I'll be off the grid. - Wally, we need to talk. EH? 040806 -- Hey, mullet-head, this is for you. What did you call me? - Oops. I used the nickname that everyone in the office has for you. - My work is done. It's just a little long in the back! 040807 -- Our corporate goal is to become one of Fortune Magazine's top 100 companies to work for. - We hope to do it without giving you any additional money, benefits or freedom. - Then how could you possibly motivate us to say we're happy to 040807 -- work...uh-oh. 040808 -- I'm starting a credit reporting company. - I'll be the low-cost provider because all of my data will be wrong. - What will you do when people call and complain that you ruined their lives? - I'll put them on hold until their frustrations turn 040808 -- into debilitating health problems. - Their last words will be "Aaagh!!! I only wanted to buy a minivan!" - Death will accomplish what customer service could not. - I'm just curious: do you have any qualms about your business plan? Any at all? - 040808 -- I'm not sure. Do qualms make you wag? 040809 -- We have a bad connection, so listen carefully. - Throw...my...desk...off...building... OKay. - I hopen that sounded like "go through my desk and office and find the building codes." 040810 -- Are you sure that our pointy-haired boss said to throw his desk off the building? - Well, his cell phone had a really bad connection. - Do you care? Not so much. 040811 -- Send the salary spreadsheet to human resources. - Don't let anyone else see it. That sort of information could sow the seeds of discontent. - We'd have massive disloyalty, fights, vandalism, maybe even riots. 040812 -- Look...Carol accidentally sent the salary spreadsheet to everyone in the department! - What??! Your pay is higher than mine??! But you*'re like a...a... - Wizard? Swollen appendix. 040813 -- I just saw a list of everyone's salary. - I thought the glass ceiling was holding me down, but you have the highest pay here. - There's no one left to blame for my low pay except...ooh, wait...how about illegal aliens? 040814 -- I demand a raise or else I will quit today. Goodbye. - Noooo!!! Please let me stay! I'll work every weekend for free!!! Okay. - Were you correct that your superior intelligence makes you a superb negotiator? Please shut up. 040815 -- We're outsourcing our satellite launch program to Elbonia. - We built the billion-dollar satellite here; the Elbonians will put it into orbit. - Dilbert, I want you to be our liaison. AAAAGH!!! - Tht's our insurance company. They've been jumpy 040815 -- lately. - In Elbonia Our plan is to tease a pig until he kicks the satellite into orbit. - The risk is that our pig might prefer fisticuffs. - SLEDGEHAMMER! ABORT! ABORT! - It was hollow. Don't mention that to our insurance company. 040816 -- I called this meeting so I could tell you the division's goals for next year. - That's a good idea because we're all so dumb that we couldn't possibly read this in E-Mail. - Goal one: improve communication. I can't; I'm too dumb. 040817 -- Product Designer Function means nothing. Design is everything. - Quality is yesterday's news. Today we focus on emotional impact of the product. - But it still needs quality, right? You are so-o-o-o hard to look at. 040818 -- Product Designer Good design is essential to your success. - That's why I only employ the best artists and design professionals. - Who ate all the crayons again?! Intruders? 040819 -- Product Designer I bring you the future of product design for consumer electronics. - Behold nature's perfect shape! YOur customers will form an emotional bond. - Do you think your ego influenced the design process? BAH! It's wagging. 040820 -- Product Designer The new product is selling like crazy, thanks to its great design. Sales - It's so attractive that people overlook its minor flaws in functionality. - For example, it accuses the user of sex crimes whenever company comes over. 040820 -- And it's cute! 040821 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources How do I tell people that there won't be any annual raises? - If someone tries to raise the topic, guide the conversation away. - ...and that's why my outfit is made of cafeteria napkins. Do you think 040821 -- we'll ever colonize Mars? 040822 -- Why can't I find a girlfriend? - You have two problems: your looks and your personality. - Hmm..two isn't bad. - I can fix my looks by getting an extreme makeover. - You'll still need to improve your M.T.T.S.F. What? - Mean time to story 040822 -- failure: It's a measure of how long you can be fascinating to a new person. - I've been counting, and you only have nine good stories. After you use them up, you're a social liability. - I saw a horse kick a woodchuck over a fence. Still only 040822 -- nine. 040823 -- Alice, I've been told that you ignore your team's assignments and work on things that aren't your job. - That's true. I do important things instead of useless things assigned by clueless nimrods. - You totally ruined this meeting. 040824 -- Return of Topper I found a rock that's shaped like an egg. That's nothing! - I have a rock that's shaped like Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. - My rock just hatched! It's a fully clothed alien from a distant galaxy! That's nothing! 040825 -- Greetings, earthling. I bring you either wisdom of planetary annihilation. The choice is yours. - Stay in the break room. I'll go get my leader. Very well. - The new coffee stirrers are great, but I got the last one. 040826 -- I removed all the chairs to encourage more efficient meetings. - The first item on the agenda is...ow, ow! legs so tired...MEETING ADJOURNED!!! - I always wondered what efficiency looked like. 040827 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I can't decide what's cheaper... - ...an employee wellness program to reduce sick days or incentivizing the older, highly paid workers to die. - Maybe you could use math to figure it out. When I said 040827 -- cheaper, I meant more fun. 040828 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Have you heard about the employee wellness program? - If you call in sick on a monday or friday, your boss says, "Well, well, well - that's very suspicious." - Now if you excuse me, I feel a nap coming 040828 -- on. 040829 -- Our bonuses will depend on the results of the employee attitude survey. - If we boost our morale rank, we'll get bigger bonuses. - Get it? All you have to *say* you're happy and you get money. wink wink wink - You want us to lie? - No-o-o-o! 040829 -- Heaven forbid. Absolutely no lying. - But if you did lie, imagine the things you could buy with that money. - I'll hand out the surveys and you can let your conscience guide you. - Is "paradise" too over to the top? I'm going to lie me up a new 040829 -- couch! 040830 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Cubicles are too expensive. We're moving to an open plan. - You'll attend a special class to ease your transition. - It's like he's in a cubicle with invisible walls! 040831 -- I'm going into the fals hope business. - All I need is a semi-plausible message about how to lose weight while getting rich. - Don't eat your money. 040901 -- My wealth-building system has been verified by actual scientists. - Where can I find an unethical scientist? - And if I'm too busy, my human clone can do your infomercial. Good prices. 040902 -- I need a name for my company. Then I can film the infomercial. - I assume you want a name that will help disguise your treachery. Not so much. - And now a word from the CEO of Krap2idiots. Catchy. shhh... 040903 -- Hello? This is Alice. beeep beeep - YOU ARE FAXING TO MY VOICE LINE AGAIN, YOU #!!%* - How often do you fax to her voice line? It depends if she's been bad. 040904 -- To what project would I charge my time in the following situation? - Let's say that a pair of corrective lenses falls in a urinal, anthe owner freaks out and calls 911... - It hasn't happened yet but I can feel it building up. 040905 -- Our budget won't cover all of the product development. - We can only do two-thirds of the features for that amount. - Reduce the scope of the project by one-third. Okay. - But...theoretically... - No...dear lord, no. - If I later give you a 040905 -- change request to add one feature, could you do it for the same budget. One? Sure. - Data Goes In; Management Comes Out. One? Sure. Changes are free. - Where do I put the change requests? 040906 -- If you recommend my company's product to your board, there might be a little something for you later. - Before you decide, look at this DVD titled, "Is Bribery Right for You?" - The narrator might refer to youby name when she dances. 040907 -- I decided to buy all of our server upgrades through Bribertek, Inc. - Question: Are we buying overpriced hardware because they offered you a job? - Because if we're paying extra to get rid of you, it's money well spent. IT'S A COINCIDENCE! 040908 -- Okay, I convinced my company to make you our single-source vendor. - I assume you'll be making me a job offer now. Any VP title will be fine. - I'll just take an empty office. There...is...a...WAITING PERIOD!! 040909 -- I've been forced to update the dress code. - Effective today, tank tops and belly shirts are not allowed in the office. - Once again, you ruined it for everyone. 040910 -- Uh-oh, it's a gray area social situation. - DO I know this guy well enough to say hi, or do I look away? - So I went with an ambiguous tight-lipped smile that could be confused with a stomach ache. Your stories suck. 040911 -- Whoa! Whoa! Where do you think you're going? - You look bloated today, as if you have company-owned assets under your clothes. - I need to stop relying on my instincts. 040912 -- Tina, would you like to go to lunch with me? - As a coworker or as a date? - As a respected colleague. Sounds fishy. - I know you're up to something; I just don't know what. - You're getting the better deal. I'll be looking at *your* face but 040912 -- you get to look at *me*. - Maybe you could hike up your jacket to cover your face. Fair enough. - This is not a date. I insist on paying fifty percent. Okay. - I'll have the miser salad and water. I'll have three half-priced New York Steaks. 040913 -- My daughter sneezed so the school is sending her home. - I'll work from home for the rest of the day. How will you answer my phone? - I probably shouldn't tell you this, but none of your phone messages are real. 040914 -- My secretary is off, and I need to make copies of this... - Oh, I get it! You immediately ask the only woman in the department to do it. #!%**$!! . LAZY #!%*$*!!# I was going to ask where the copy machine is, but this works, too. 040915 -- Is it okay if I take on five new projects and ten deliverables? Um...okay. - My motivational E-Mail messages are working. - Can you help... Whoa! Don't you know how many projects I have? 040916 -- If you hire me, I will use my enormous brain to develop world-changing products. - I require no pay and no cubicle. I will eat used paper, and cling to the ceiling. - In my defense, he interviews very well. zzzz 040917 -- Something's been bugging me. - I've been an executive assistant for five years. When do I get promoted to executive? - I've got leadership coming out of my ears! That's wax. 040918 -- Have you ever noticed that people continuously bother you when you're trying to work? - That's why I come here - to get away from those morons. - I'm having an unpleasant realization. They're all like that. 040919 -- Do you have the market demand numbers? - I'm in the middle of something. Can I get back to you later? - How much later? When do you need it? - As soon as possible. I'll do it as soon as I am done. - When will that be? As soon as possible. - 040919 -- When will it be possible? Cut me some slack. - - How much slack do you need? 040920 -- I have a question for the ethics hotline. - Is it okay to retype the directions on my boss's prescription medication? - I know I can't do this next thing because I've tried. 040921 -- The company will hold a series of brown bag seminars on corporate ethics. - Is it ethical to steal our lunch hour and pretend that the ethics problems don't come from our executives? - I wouldn't know because I haven't taken the seminar. 040922 -- The company has hired an ethics manager. - If you have any ethics questions, call the hotline. - That's fine, as long as you get rid of the denial evidence. 040923 -- Ethics Hotline This is Dogbert. Please state your conundrum. - Sometimes I have naughty thoughts during work hours. Should I reimburse the company for lost productivity? - Dang! This is costing me a fortune! 040924 -- I have a plan to avoid paying division performance bonuses. - I'll merge our group with the worst division so our average performance is lower. Hee-hee! - It should be easy because every division manager is already begging to merge with me. 040925 -- I'm reading the leadership secrets of the famous roman General Dogbertious. - Here's a good one: "Put your friends in private offices and your wretched slaves in cubicles." - Here's another: "Don't read this book to your wretched slaves." 040926 -- Heck We're out of space, boss. - We've had a big upswing in people who use cell phones in bathrooms. - Dang. I've got a new guy coming in today. Where will I put him? - Maybe you could ask your brother. Hmm... - Well, I suppose you could put 040926 -- him in a cubicle. - His crime wasn't that heinous. - Well, if you blindfold him, he won't know he's in a cubicle. - So then I find out that it's not okay to eat carbs. 040927 -- I'm thinking about getting liposuction to remove my fat. - Your head would collapse. - It would? If I'm lucky. 040928 -- How did the liposuction go? Good. - People say I look younger. And thanks to my self-discipline, I'll keep off the weight. - One more. 040929 -- Do you have a price sheet for removing unnecessary body parts? - I wouldn't mind a few days away from work, being waited on, watching TV and napping. - You have an inflamed coccyx? Yeah, it's gotta go. 040930 -- Where were you last week? I had my coccyx removed. - I'm having all of my unnecessary body parts removed so I can get time off from work. - How about the part of your brain that makes you care about others? It's on my list after tonsils. 041001 -- Tomorrow I'll tell the stockholders that we earned $100 million! - Will you tell them that you gave all of their profits to senior management in the form of unexpensed stock options? - We had to be incentivized. - So you wouldn't take their 041001 -- furniture, too? 041002 -- The shareholder meeting turned ugly when I said we used all the profits to give ourselves stock options. - They don't understand that I wouldn't work as hard if all I got was my million-dollar base salary. - I'd barely have the energy to spank 041002 -- my secretary. Too much info. 041003 -- Do you want to watch when the new employee looks at her first paycheck? Ooh-ya! - What doe we know about her? - Whe's straight out of college. All of her prior jobs paid her in cash. Perfect. - Ear guards on. My first paycheck! - Deductions??? 041003 -- Hmmmm...how bad could it be? - WHAT THE - - Next time, no coffee. Eh? 041004 -- I need clarification on my assignment. - Should I use my own judgment and be forever damned if things go badly? - O should I use your advice and invite certain calamity? Both plans have good parts. 041005 -- I hired a buck-passer. - He's cheaper than a regular employee because he gets other people to do his work. - Could you shale his hand for me, sport? I don't have that kind of time. 041006 -- The Buck-Passer Alice, this task is right up your alley. - Why should I do your work, you filthy buck-passer? - Because it's right up your alley. It's gonna be right up *your* alley. 041007 -- The Buck-Passer I have a Do-It for you... - Here. GAAA!!! - The one day that I don't wear my tear-away shirt, and *this* happens! 041008 -- I see a problem with your plan. Oh, do you, Mr. Negativity? - Why is it that you're the o-o-o-only person in this meeting to see a problem? Huh? Huh? - My theory is that the rest of you are either morons or drunk. I am totally sober! 041009 -- It's time for some drive-y management. - Don't forget to do the thing for what's-is-name or else we're dead. - Must...outrun cries for...clarification. 041010 -- Our enterprise software comes in two flavors. - The premium package boasts a friendly user-interface. - The economy option does the same stuff but the interface is designed to ruin your life. - We'll take the cheap one. - I can tell by the way 041010 -- you hold the mouse that you've never had a girl-friend. HEY! - I'll send romantic invitations to all the people on your E-Mail address list. NO!!! - Don't worry - I'll use the text that I found on a great adult web site. GAAA! - When I said 041010 -- that you need to give a hundred percent, I should have been more specific. 041011 -- What's that I'm hearing? Is someone on this conference call using the restroom? - Had to Oops Me too Sorry I am - Now tap the speakerphone button to "off" and burn the ruler. 041012 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Good news about employee turnover... - I'm postponing my plan to bury poor performers in scented kitty litter. - Is it just me or has the quality of good news gone downhill? 041013 -- Your P/U ratio is sky-rocketing again. My what? - Productivity-to-usefulness. It means you produce a lot, but everything you produce is a mistake or a distraction. - I told you last time to do *less* work! Oooh...I did that backwards. 041014 -- The Highly Productive But Useless Guy Her's a copy of my white paper. - It's a statistical analysis of the correlation between disk storage and employee absenteeism. - I don't know how to do statistics but it doesn't matter because I didn't 041014 -- have data. 041015 -- Out new vice president of ethics will help you decide what's right and wrong. - When we talk to him, what customer's project should we charge for our time? - Whichever one we hate the most. 041016 -- Kudos to Ted for his suggestion to put motion sensors on the lights in the break room. - Hold it! I calculate that the energy savings are offset by the lost productivity of this meeting. - We have to burn the plaque for heat just to break even. 041017 -- What? You have no accomplishments this month??? - What did you *do* for the past three months? - Well, I spent much of that time correcting misconceptions that you gave to our customers. - And I attended meetings with you to keep you from 041017 -- creating additional misconceptions. - I spent a month working on an objective that you forgot to tell me didn't matter. - I flew to the wrong city for a meeting because you confuse Houson with Austin. - And I upgraded your home computer so you 041017 -- wouldn't have to pay someone to do it. - Allow me to paraphrase: blah, blah, blah, you didn't accomplish anything. 041018 -- Why does a runny nose stop running when you fall asleep? - The nose fairy sneaks in at night and oinches your nostrils shut. - This is exactly why I don't like knowledge. 041019 -- I've noticed that all of my problems are caused by other people. - Yet it seems so unlikely that other people would cause me so much discomfortwhile I never bother anyone. - Is it possible that I'm oblivious to my effect on others? zzzzz 041020 -- Welcome to Dogbert's school for the socially oblivious. - Today I'll pair you with someone whose social defect will cancel out your own. - Gaaa!!! I keep trying to talk about my kids and you keep changing the topic to ypurself!! Because I'm 041020 -- fascinating. 041021 -- Dogbert's School for the Socially Oblivious Today I'll teach you to recognize when you're boring. - This is called a yawn. When you see one, stop talking about yourself. - Breakout Session And then I chipped it right into the green! Look, look! 041022 -- It's been a great three-hour meeting but I have one question. - Can a business-led project management process optimize our strategic core issues? - Was that gibberish? I thought that's what we were doing. 041023 -- You're still alive?? How can this be? What? - Nothing! Never mind! I don't know anything about a deadly plot! - It's his own fault for not paying me enough to afford entertainment. Good one. 041024 -- Wally, how can you be so stress-free? - It's quite simple. - Stress is caused by an unrealistic belief that people care about you. - I, on the other hand, expect people to be like me. - Let's visit Ted and I'll show you how this works. - Ted, 041024 -- do you have the budget numbers you promised me? That's next on my to-do list. - While he was lying to me, I stole his stapler, so I came out ahead. - He forgot his mug. I'm going to slip that puppy into my briefcase. 041025 -- Accounting Can you explain these espense figures? - It's a base ten counting system with a full range of odd and even digits. - This isn't helping. Tastes like HP paper ink...high gloss paper, four hours old. 041026 -- Do you mind if I leave early to spend some time with my kids? - I never spent time with my kids and they just turned out fine! - How many do you have? Threeish. 041027 -- Tell me again what the issue is. - Do you want the simple and misleading explanation or the one you won't understand? - Either one is good; I wasn't planning on listening. 041028 -- I know I keep asking you but could you explain the issue again? - Well, something that you could never comprehend conflicts with something that you'd never understand. - Oh. 041029 -- There will be no vacations until the project is finished. - It feels as if I am being punished for your inability to properly plan and staff. - I will contact my 800 wedding guests and tell them that my marriage is cancelled. Thanks. 041030 -- You cancelled all vacations but I have non-refundable plane tickets to Tahiti. - So I should be an exception to...the...um...you look skeptical. - I don't think Tahiti would let you in. Why does everyone say that? 041031 -- The new seior vice president will be at my meeting. - I hope to impress him with my leadership skills. - Uh-oh. Underling alert. - I can't be seen getting chummy with an intern. - Please don't try to make conversation. Don't, don't, don't, 041031 -- don't, don't. - Did you do anything fun this weekend? Here he comes! - GET BACK TO WORK, YOU SLACKING SLACKER!!! - WAAA!!! Good motivating! If he blows his nose with his necktie, you're my new vice president. 041101 -- I need to be managing a sexier project to boost my career. - It only has to sound good and not fail until I get a better job. - How about a nano-technology stem cell fo fighting terrorists? O-o-okay. 041102 -- My boss wants me to invent nanotechnology stem cells because it sounds good. - Try pointing to your empty hand and saying, "You can't see them but they're almost done!" - Then trick him into giving you a high-five and yell, "You crushed them! 041102 -- Aaag!!!" 041103 -- Bottleneck Bill Perhaps you're wondering why I haven't answered your E-Mails. - My philosophy is that anything worth doing is worth delaying. - Plus you look like that. Like what? 041104 -- I need your help forcing Bottleneck Bill to do his job so I can do my job. - I'll be all over that...as soon as I finished two things. - What other things? Well, for example, miscellaneous. 041105 -- I have uncontrollable urges to show people better ways to do things. - Do you think the real issue might be my insecurity? - Well, I wouldn't date you, but that's mostly because of your looks. Not helping. 041106 -- The number one complaint from employees is "unclear objectives." - *My* number one complaint is that it takes too much effort for me to be clear. - Let's call it a tie. Why are they so selfish? 041107 -- Go with our sales rep and answer the customer's technical questions. - Whoa! You can't go looking like that. - This is a nice suit! Exactly. - A well-dressed engineer has no credibility! - I'll call my reverse makeover consultant. - I'm Bob, 041107 -- the straight eye for the queer-looking guy. - Let's see...I'll give you my clothes...add ear hair...eyebrow extensions. - You seem highly credible and I don't know why. Genius. 041108 -- Dogbert Consults Once you embrace the idea that your customers deserve to die... - ...it frees your mind to invent splendidly profitable products. - It's called the Ultra-Donut: forty-thousand calories and filled with sharp objects. 041109 -- The government says we have to put warning labels on our forty-thousand calorie, sharp-filled doughnuts product. - How about: "Warning! This product will kill you but that's okay because it tastes great!" - It look like he choked on some sort 041109 -- of warning label. 041110 -- Our revenue is now double the number of people that our product has killed...recently. - Our product costs $80. Are you saying that each one kills 40 people? - Our customers know the health risks, so technically they're killing themselves. So 041110 -- technically we aren't scum? 041111 -- My company is selling gigantic, shard-filled doughnuts with forty thousand calories apiece. - It's based on Dogbert's theory that people are pleasure-seeking morons. - How does it taste? Delicious! I have one for you strapped to my car 041112 -- You can't resist the shard-filled ultra-doughnuts even though you know the hazards. mmph - Free will is an illusion. People always choose the perceived path of greatest pleasure. - Now rationalize your decision, you mindless pink robot! I'm 041112 -- only having one. 041113 -- Is it immoral for my company to sell forty-thousand calorie, shard-filled doughnuts? - You're not forcing anyone to eat them; you're just making them irresitibly delicious. - How's that different? BAH! 041114 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Excellent idea. Evil H.R. Digest - Cell phones with cameras are banned from the workplace. Why? - We don't want you taking pictures of proprietary information. - Most of our information is in digital 041114 -- form and can be E-Mailed anywhere. - The rest is on paper that can be copied, scanned or tucked down one's trousers - My new cell phone will be rendered useless for no good reason! - AND YOU AREN'T EVEN BANNING REGULAR CAMERAS!! - This one goes 041114 -- in the scapbook. 041115 -- Product Development First we'll cover the walls with brainstorm ideas. - How about something that turns boredom into chocolate cake? - I should have done this after lunch. Roast beef mittens? 041116 -- Our new product is either wildly successful or underwater... - Depending on how you want to allocate management overhead expenses. - Apparently you don't want to think about it and get back to me. 041117 -- The Vendor Who Couldn't Say No I need fifteen units by tuesday. You got it. - I want them customized for our needs, assembled, and installed by wednesday. You got it! - I'm loathing you in advance for making promises you won't keep. 041117 -- Preloathing: I get that a lot. 041118 -- Blah, blah, blah, blah blah. - I wasn't listening. I'll try some optimism. That works in every situation. - I hope we'll see record growth! In my prostate? 041119 -- There must be more to managing than giving vague directions and punishing people for not reading my mind. - But I like to play within my game. - It's a form of genius. Wake me up when some of this is about me. 041120 -- Your biggest defect continues to be your inability to handle criticism. - I can't argue with his stupid misperception without proving it true. - And you argure with people who are much smarter than yourself. GAAA!!! 041121 -- Here's the technical analysis you asked for. - I don't understand any of it. - I can't tell if it's right or if it would embarrass me. - I can't ask for a second opinion without looking stupid. - And I can't distribute it because it might be 041121 -- wrong. - I'll put it on this pile and hope something changes. - I wonder if it's called whistling when only air comes out. - Should I shred your pile of indecision? Make it look like an accident. 041122 -- When I was your age, Asok, I too sought the thrill of victory and the pleasures of the flesh. - But after twenty years of not getting either one, I made convenience with my new mistress. - You know why I like talking to you? Because I am a good 041122 -- listener? No, because you're here. 041123 -- My progress has been thwarted by a huge obstacle. - I.e. everything I need to do is inconvenient. - You can take my soul but not my lack of enthusiasm. 041124 -- Alice, you've been accused of forwarding off-color jokes by E-Mail. - Do you object to the increase in morale or the nickel it cost the company so far? - I object to my face being photoshopped to a cow's butt. You object to art? 041125 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I understand that you forwarded an off-color E-Mail to many people. - Seventy-five people thought it was funny but one person complained, so you must be punished. - Wouldn't it make more sense to punish 041125 -- the freak who complained? Do I look sensible? 041126 -- Can you tell me who complained about my off-color E-Mail joke? No, no, no. - All conversation with human resources are strictly confidential. - Catnip Super Strength Wally, Wally, Wally, Wally, Wally, Wally, Wally. 041127 -- Wally, did you complain to human resources about my off-color E-Mail joke? - Yes. I was psychologically damaged by your mirth. Now I'm an empty shell of a man. - You've ALWAYS been an empty shell of a man!!! This is making me hungry. 041128 -- When your pointy-haired boss asks about your project, what should you say? - I would inform him about any problems. - Big mistake. If he hears that you have a problem, he might try to help. - How can help be bad? Asok, how's your project? - 041128 -- Good, but I need to upgrade my disk drive to store all of the image data. - Forget that. Just E-Mail pieces of the database to employees who have extra disk space. - - Please pull on this until I lose consciousness. 041129 -- Our main product is coming off patent. - Profits will plunge and so will my bonus. It's not fair. - Call me shallow, but I enjoy getting paid for other people's inventions. SHALLOW! 041130 -- Meet with our huge retail distributor, Walgetco, and find out what they want now. - Say yes, no matter how unreasonable they are, because we need them more than they need us. - ...special packaging, RFID tags, and grind your bones to make store 041130 -- brand foot powder. Yes! 041201 -- Sixty-percent of our distribution goes through Walgetco. - For all practical purposes, they now own us, except for the legal liabilities. - They'd like us to wear orange vests and bow toward their headquarters. But no touching? 041202 -- Every time we cut costs, our distributor, Walgetco, takes the gain by demanding lower prices. - THANK YOUR FOR SHOPPING AT WALGETCO! HAVE A NICE DAY! - Myabe it's too late. TROLL ACCESSORIES ARE ON AISLE SIX! 041203 -- I need to become irreplacable so I can't be fired for my behavior. - I'll gain the trust of our biggest customer so they'll only deal with me. - I probably shouldn't say this, but everyone in my company except me is an escaped felon. 041204 -- Wally, did you tell our biggest customer that everyone here except you is an escaped felon? Maybe. - Now I can't fire you because they don't trust anyone else. - The key learning here is that alleged crime doesn't pay. I'VE NEVER BEEN CAUGHT! 041205 -- Now what? - Create a password that's at least six characters long with a mix of letters and numbers. - How about 123? Uh, no. - It has to include letters and be at least six characters long. - How about ABC? - LETTERS AND NUMBERS AND AT LEAST 041205 -- SIX CHARACTERS LONG!!! - - Foursome? GAAA!!! 041206 -- Try working around the problem. - Thank you for that valuable advice. I had planned to stare at my screen until I starved to death. - Gather data before making a decision. GAAA!!! I'VE BEEN BLINDED BY THE OBVIOUS! 041207 -- It's temporary blindness caused by your boss's flashes of the obvious. - Let Dogbert guide you for a few days. And here's a prescription to make you dopey. - Now? Whatever. 041208 -- Your blinding flashes of the obvious made me sightless for three days. - I hope you didn't drive your car. You're not supposed to do that when you're blind. - GAAA!!! I'm upsetting you. 041209 -- Let me explain what video compression is... - Would you stop if I pointed out that everyone in this room except you is an electrical engineer? - Zeros are round and fat compared to ones... I'm begging you... 041210 -- I've decided to become indispensible to the company. - Indispensible employees can get away with outrageously annoying behavior. - You're already pretty annoying. I've been reading up on crushed ice chomping. 041211 -- Remember: Knowledge is power. - So never tell people anything because they might use it to crush you. - Do you understand? I'm not saying. 041212 -- Job Interview What's your biggest weakness? - I'm a cublicle vampire. - I wander the cubicles in search of happy coworkers. - THEN I POUNCE!!! - Then you suck their blood? That was the old way. - I talk about work-related issues until the life 041212 -- is drained from their bodies. - I'm going to trust my gut instinct on this. You're hired. - Have you met the new hire yet? 041213 -- I don't know who you are, but I don't like all of the questions you're asking. - I'm going to ram my fist down your throat, grab your pants and turn your inside out. - EAT DEATH, STRANGER! I see you've met our stock analyst. 041214 -- I didn't like the way he was looking at me. This isn't good. - He was the only stock analyst who had a "buy" recommendation on our company. - I think we're a "hold" now. Where will we find another one with so much conflict of interest??! 041215 -- I'll recommend your stock to the public, but first I need some conflicts of interest to make it worthwhile. - For example, I'll need your investment banking business. Okay. - And you need to merge with my other client that makes poison waffles. 041215 -- Okay. 041216 -- TV Stock Analyst Do you own stock in the company you recommended? - No. I used my Blackberry to dump my shares as soon as they spiked from my recommendation. - This is very wrong. Now I'm using the profit to buy a helicopter. 041217 -- Your cousin Lauren just got her degree in English. Can you give her some career advice? - Would you enjoy scratching out a meager living in a frustrating work environment? - I've never thought about it. Obviously. 041218 -- Click "Submit" to post your resume on the jobs web site. - Now sit back and enjoy the the misguided optimism that someday a human being will see it. - Be sure to tell your parents that you looked for a job today. I'll E-Mail them. 041219 -- I have a job interview. Wish me luck. No. - If you get extra luck then there might be less available for me. - I don't think it works that way. I can't take that chance. - Tell me, Dilbert, who would you consider a hero? - Albert Einstein. That 041219 -- should be safe. - Oh, really? He was an outspoken critic of war. We design missile guidance systems. - How about Jeffrey Dahmer? No? - I won the lottery! 041220 -- I wasn't getting any responses to my online resume until I inserted some key words. - I said I'm strangely attracted to older, chubby, married men with coffee-stained teeth. - That is wron on so many levels. Explain that to my six thousand job 041220 -- offers. 041221 -- Try to get throughthis meeting without telling our customers how stupid you think they're being. I'll try. - But sometimes the pressure builds up in my head and it's unbearable. Tough it out. - Is he okay? He's fine. Ignore him. mmm mmm 041222 -- I am concerned because my objectives are vague and unmeasurable. - As a result, I am not inspired to achieve my full potential...and...um... - Did I just say I'm doing a bad job and ask you to punish me? That's what I heard. 041223 -- I compined an online dating service with an online job site and an auction site. date job auction - You tell the system everything about yourself and see if anyone wants anything of it. - "I wouldn't date you or hire you, but I'll bid a dollar 041223 -- for your refrigerator." 041224 -- Marketing needs volunteers for a study about how our ads stimulate people's brains. - Who among us would like to get a cat scan? - Okay, seriously, who didn't see this coming? 041225 -- Dilbert, do you have the benchmark results? - Do you want the ten-minute of why the data are useless, or a simple "here you go"? - I'm in sales. Here you go. 041226 -- Can you check my spreadsheet for accuracy? - It's an impenetrable jumble of poorly organized data with cryptic labels. - I only need you to check it for accuracy. - I don't think accurracy matters if no one can tell what it's for. - Sheesh! Let 041226 -- me explain this simple document! - This column is the ratio of product returns to gross revenue excluding sales taxes, annualized. - I't clearly labeled "ROPRTGRESTA." What about the other 80 columns? - What the #*%!? And Dilbert found no 041226 -- inaccuracies. 041227 -- Wally, did you review the spreadsheet that I E-Mailed? I didn't want to be inconvenienced. - My philosophy is that anything worth doing is too hard. - A character flaw isn't a philosophy. I like to combine things. 041228 -- You'll want our new server software after your reorganization. Reorganization? - Next week you're having massive layoffs and eliminating three divisions. - Your "I haven't heard anything" face needs work. 041229 -- How could you tell a vendor about our reorganization before you tell your own staff?!! Scoot. - Come into my office and we discuss it. - Gaaaa!!! It's a trick! C'mon phone, ring!!! 041230 -- Why would my boss tell a vendor our strategy and not tell me? - It's probably a combination of your lack of importance and your total insignificance. - Do you have any more questions like that one? 041231 -- This department has nothing to fear about the reorganization but fear itself. - Don't think about it...don't think about it. - Okay, I'm pretty sure that that doesn't mean anything. Maybe less. dang 050101 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Don't worry about being downsized after the reorganization. - Downsized employees will get my free DVD that teaches you how to live off the land. - The key to successful shoplifting is running very 050101 -- fast. 050102 -- The Weekly Wally Report is bristling with tales of success. - I gave worthless input to marketing because they weren't specific about what they wanted. - i missed Alice's project meeting because she never confirmed the location. - I gave 050102 -- harmful advice to the sales team because they rushed me. - I ignored my E-Mail for a week because you said to focus on priorities. - And I didn't submit my budget estimates because Asok never told me what format to use. - HOW CAN YOU CALL ANY 050102 -- OF THAT SUCCESS??!! - Well, I'd compare it to my written objectives, but you never gave me any. 050103 -- Carol, I'm making you our new Director of First Impressions Pro Tem! - My years of hard work have finally paid off! I'm a director! - Why is my office in the lobby? Can you direct me to the nearest growler? 050104 -- I might appear to be a receptionist, but I'm actually the Director of First Impressions. - I might appear to be a salesman of printer cartridges, but I'm really the CEO of HP. - Carly? You look like a 57. 050105 -- I might appear to be a receptionist, but I'm not. - Believe me, I know that. Companies generally put attractive people in those positions. - I don't like where this is heading. I'll wait until she gets back. Yum-yum. 050106 -- I'm starting to think that the Director of First Impressions is... - GAAA!!! I'M A RECEPTIONIST!! - BEAT IT, YOU WALRUS! Maybe I'll just send an E-Mail. 050107 -- Our new strategy is to sell fewer units at higher margins. - Question: How's that different from saying our sales stink, so we're cutting costs? - I call it a strategy so you won't lose hope. It's working great. 050108 -- Our differentiating value-added strategy is transformational change. - How was that? Does anyone feel different? - My urge to hurl has increased a little bit. That's what change feels like. 050109 -- I asked the I.T. department to upgrade my computer. - THEY'RE COMING HERE??! WE MUST HIDE OUR NON-STANDARD EQUIPMENT! - ZIP!! Uh-oh. - So-o-o...this den of non-standardization must be your cubicle. - This non-standard printer is coming with me. 050109 -- And I don't remember that monitor on our list. - I must cleanse your cubicle of non-conformance so the healing can begin. - Surely my upgraded computer will arrive soon. - Months Later Abacus? Please shut up. 050110 -- I'm creating software that will help small investors pick stocks. - It combines past trends that are not indicative of the future with the user's hubris and ignorance. - Now all I need are testimonials from people whose results are not typical! 050110 -- So it works? 050111 -- My stock-picking software needs more features. - I think I'll add a module that claims to make hair grow on bald guys. I'll first test it on a rat. - I feel a new one on my buttocks! That's all the proof I need. 050112 -- Do you ever feel guilty for scamming innocent people out of their money? No. - I only scam the people who would do the same thing to me if they were smarter. - So you use arrogance to cancel guilt? It's a good system. 051113 -- I must mark my territory by insisting on a change to the prorotype. - Give it a wireless Internet option. It already has one. - What doesn't it have? An idiot designing it. 050114 -- I did a statistical analysis and found no correlation between my efforts and my rewards. - I felt adrift in a sea of randomness, desperate and absurd, devoid of purpose, lost. - And then I got paid and I purchased some unnecessary merchandise 050114 -- and now I feel fine. Lactation can't be far behind. 050115 -- My computer is too slow. I need to upgrade it. - I need a cost-benefit analysis including the cost of all alternatives, and vice president approval. - It was easier to get a second job and pay for the upgrade myself. 050116 -- Certified Massage Therapist Fill out this lengthy medical questionnaire. - That'll save me a few minutes of touching him. - I wonder if he'd know if I only used one hand. - Actually, how would he even know if it's a hand? - Maybe I have an 050116 -- object in here that feels like a hand. - This ballpoint pen will work. - I'm finding some tension here. Okay, it's gone now. click click click - She says I should come back every week until my muscles stop clicking. Sounds like you found a pen 050116 -- pal. 050117 -- Hey, Dilbert, can you update the yield numbers for our discontinued chips? - Well, if I have to choose between being rude and doing something useless... - Consider my crazy glare. I guess I'll start being useless. 050118 -- I'd like to promote you, but the lowest salary band for the next level is 20% higher than your current pay. - Raises are capped at 5%, so there's no way to give you a promotion. - So I plan to hire someone from the outside that you can train to 050118 -- be your supervisor. 050119 -- Tina, this is your new supervisor, Nelson. You'll be training him to be your boss. - There won't be any bonuses this year because I gave it all to Nelson. He's a man, so he needs to support a family. I'm gay. - Um...civil union and adoption, 050119 -- right? I'm dating a rugby team. 050120 -- Tima Trains Her Boss You'll find me in this chair, doing real work. - Your job, as i understand it, is to make uninformed decisions and act like a sociopathic egomaniac. - you'll usually stand like this. I also like to fidget and harrumph. 050121 -- I plan to open an art gallery with a full bar. - I'll specialize in putrid art that's unreasonably priced. - Synergy THASH SHO BEE-OO-TIFUL!!! 050122 -- Dogbert's Art Bar That painting is dreadful. It looks as if a rat created it. - Lucky guess. I'll ask you again at midnight. - Later That Night Ah wan shix of ose an shum bar nuts!!! 050123 -- You must learn that change is good. Change Is - Any Questions? - Who wants this one? I got it. - Quaestion: why don't you triple our pay? That would be a change. - That would not be in the best interest of shareholders. - Okay, why don't you 050123 -- work for free? That's a change that is good for shareholders. - Or would it be better to admit that change can be very bad? - My favorite part was when he yelled, "stop ruining my slogans with your logic!" SNORT HEE-HEE!!! 050124 -- Alice, I hear that your project is stressful. - Sometimes it helps if you ask yourself: What's the worst thing that could happen? - How'd the pep talk go? 050125 -- Alice, what's the status of your project? - The astonishing incompetence of others caused me to jump through a window and land in a dumpster. - So then, no issues? 050126 -- Gaaa!!! This writer misused the technical term "dongle." That idiot! - I'm E-mailing this loser to tell him I plan to boycott the newspaper! - DIE, LOSER, DIE!!! I'll come back later. 050127 -- I just fired off a scathing letter to a columnist for misusing the word "dongle." - I'm intoxicated with the feeling of verbal superiority. My sad life has a meaning. I feel alive! - The Columnist Dear Nutbag, thanks for the input. Here's a 050127 -- link to a dictionary. I await your apology. 050128 -- Hey, I got a response from the newspaper columnist I reamed for misusing the word "dongle." - "Dear Nutbag...link to a dictionary...oops...it appears that I was wrong. - How do you apologize? Plan B: I accuse him of hating minorities. 050129 -- We'll build your software with all the features you want plus a few extras. - Or maybe you'll start late and claim there's no way to do everything by the deadline. - Then you'll say that the unfinished features aren't important and you're 050129 -- losing money on the deal. I can't hear you. 050130 -- Here's my vacation schedule. Good. - Whoa! You're planning to take more vacation days than you've accrued. - It's okay because I'll accrue the days before the actual vacation. - No can do. What if you quit before then? - I'm literally afraid to 050130 -- hear the answer to that question. - Think, man! If you quit and have a vacation at the same time... - I'LL BE DOWN *TWO* PEOPLE!!! - It's hard to remain upbeat. Do you still live here? 050131 -- Eating at your desk is like stealing from the company, Alice. - I'm working through my lunch hour, you furry log. - Furry log? It's a term of endearment. 050201 -- Alice, did you call the director of human resources a "furry log"? Yes. - I can't tell if you're promoting teamwork with a cute nickname or creating a hostile environment. - Which is it? It's teamwork, you squirrel-infested stump. 050202 -- This award goes to Asok for his hard work on...whatever. - My medication has been rewarded! This is the happiest moment of my life! - Wow! It's lucky that I got a new chair on the same day that mine was stolen. 050203 -- I keep getting bad service at stores. Do what I do. - I say I'm the CEO of their company and then I fire them all. - You don't look like a CEO. Too sexy? 050204 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I might change my department's name. - To "Workplace Services." BU-WHA-HA-HA-HA!!! - When things don't sound evil enough on their own, I like to toss in a bu-wha-ha-ha-ha. 050205 -- Our new VP of Marketing has twenty years of experience in an unrelated industry. - But he assured me that technology is the same as shampoo. - I predict smooth sailing. Technology? I thought you said astrology. 050206 -- Carol, I want to be certain that everything is perfect for the CEO's visit. - Check the doughnuts to make sure that they're fresh and delicious. - Later Mmm...this this one is okay. - How can I be sure this isn't the one good doughnut in the 050206 -- batch - I'll have to taste every one of them. - CAROL!!! - Don't panic. I can fix this. - This is odd: most of my doghnut is delicious, but one part tastes like gum. 050207 -- Can you work well without supervision? - No. I need continuous supervision to keep me from stealin' and harassin'. - I think we're done here. Do you mind if I show myself out? 050208 -- Can you work well without supervision? - Yes! I thrive on vague objectives and a complete lack of recognition for my contribution! - Can you handle criticism? I'm not too proud to say it excites me! 050209 -- People think I'm wothless, but in fact I'm a subject-matter expert in a very narrow field. - It's so narrow that it requires no knowledge whatsoever. - What field is it? There's no way to know for sure. 050210 -- I need a Blackberry so I can be in E-Mail contact at all times. - I'll be able to do work all day and all night. My productivity will soar! - Trust me; it doesn't look good. 050211 -- I'm addicted to E-Mail. My endorphins spike when I get a message. - When there are no messages, loneliness ans despair overcome me. - Have you tried sending E-Mail to yourself? We don't talk about that. 050212 -- Bob, I bought you a Blackberry so I can send you E-Mail day or night. WOW! - Thnak you! I always wanted one of these! - De-e-elicious. 050213 -- La-la-la-la-la...oops. - I inadvertently erased our entrie customer database and all of the backups. - How can I explain this to our pointy-haired boss? - Grab your laptop and follow me. - It's only a prorotype, so whatever you do, don't touch 050213 -- anything. - touch touch touch GAAA!!! YOU ERASED THE CUSTOMER DATABASE!!! - ALL OF THE BACKUPS, TOO, YOU STUPID, STUPID #**!*! - I should have stopped before #**!*! 050214 -- FBI. We need to talk to you. - We've traced the source of all Internet spam to your house. - *All* of it? - ...the revolutionary new pill that turns your body fat into Rolex watches! 050215 -- FBI. We have reason to believe that you're the source of all Internet spam. - I'm the director of the FBI. And you're both fired. - I'd heard that he likes to dress up as other mammals. Creepy. 050216 -- I'm collecting money for Ted's baby shower. - My taxes already subsidize his other brats. I'm taking a refund. - I just put that five in there! I can't be responsible for your poor fiscal planning. 050217 -- The last election was inceredibly close. That's why it is so important to vote. - Smart, well-informed people were evenly divided. Therefore, logically, that proves that intelligence is not a factor, so voting is absurd. - Then you have no 050217 -- right to complain about the result. I'm pretty sure I do. 050218 -- I'm going to work for the cable company. Why? - I enjoy giving people absurd service windows. Oh. - Well, if you can't be home from march to october, then say goodbye to Regis and Kelly! 050219 -- Dogbert Works For The Cable Company If your picture is fuzzy then get new glasses. - If my glasses is the problem, why does the couch look perfectly clear? - Good question. PLease hold while I transfer you to couch tech support. 050220 -- Let's have a premeeting before your meeting with out vice president. - Don't mention any problems because he might try to fix them. - Don't say anything about budgets or deadlines because he might try to reduce them. - Leave out the techical 050220 -- stuff because it will only confuse him. - That leaves me nothing to talk about. Perfect! - Hello...and in summary, are there any questions? - Wow! That is the first presentation that hasn't made me feel nauseated or dizzy! Great job! - Why does 050220 -- success make me hate humanity? They deserve it. 050221 -- Did I leave my chapstick in here? Ooh, there it is. - Tastes different. - I lost a good glue stick, but I gained a few hours of quiet. 050222 -- I have to do a credit check on your company before we do any work. It's our policy. - I resent that! Just because I'm a small businessman, that doesn't mean I'm a deadbeat! - I didn't mean to imply... Do you know if the parking garage accepts 050222 -- acorns? 050223 -- The only way to meet our sales target is by selling to customers who have bad credit. - That's okay. We'll get our bonuses before anyone realizes that the accounts receivables are worthless. - The key to getting bonuses is acting surprised 050223 -- later. I feel unclean. 050224 -- Today I got a bonus for selling stuff to a customer who probably can't play. - Does your soda taste any less delicious? No. - Congratulations, you're a sociopath. It feels kinda good. 050225 -- He doesn't respect my work. I can tell by the way he's sitting. - Two can play this game. I will hate you with the fury of a thousand suns! - Die! Die! Die! Rats. I sat down wrong and gave myself a wedgie. 050226 -- I think we should talk and try to work out our problem. What problem? - I'm referring to your utter disrespect for me. I don't disrespect you. - Not even slightly? Wait. I feel a little bit coming on right now. 050227 -- Your project deadline is next month, and I can't imagine you finishing on time. - So I dinged you on your annual performance review. - But...I *will* finish on time. I *always* finish on time. - Well, let's agree to disagree. What?!! - You're 050227 -- basing my raise on what you *imagine* I won't do in the future! - Relax. If you do finish the project on time, I'll factorit into your next annual review. - Well...okay. I guess it all averages out. - One Year Later Remember the project hat I 050227 -- finished last year? No. But the new one looks like it will be late. 050228 -- Wally, I want you to attend a meeting for me...it's in Elbonia. - First, you'll need to take a class on their culture so you won't accidentally offend them. - This gesture either means "hello" or "I'd like to see your mittens on my bedroom 050228 -- floor, baby." 050301 -- Elbonian Culture Class When an Elbonian businessman gives you his card... - Crumple it up and put it in your mouth. Chew it slowly then spit it towards his forehead. - This leads me to my next topic: dueling with yak bones. 050302 -- Elbonia has no landing strips, so you'll have to jump out of the plane. - Try to flap your arms and aim for a plump Elbonian to cushion your fall. - Airplane. Dang 050303 -- I hate landing in Elbonia. WHUMP!!! - Hi. I'm from America and I'm here to help. 050304 -- In Elbonia I'm here from American and I'm here to fix all of your problems. - Yuur arrogance is offensive. We will form an armed resistence and fight you to the end of time! - Um...why? It's just something we do. 050305 -- My business trip to Elbonia was a big success. - If anyone tells you that I caused a civil war that plunged their society into darkness, it's a lie. - Did you loot me anything? I didn't know your size. 050306 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I need to hire an assistant manager. - I want someone similar to me, but slightly worse in every way. - Worse than *you*??? - Yes, but only slightly. mmm... - The ideal candidate wouldn't be a threat to 050306 -- replace me. - I'll check my database of applicants who are both hideous and criminally insane. - I said *slightly* worse. Exactly. I found one. - I can pretend to read in five languages. I hate cats. 050307 -- Wally, I want you to go help Alice on her project. - Have you tried working harder? Sometimes that works. - I hope she doesn't become dependent on my help. 050308 -- Wally, I asked you to help Alice on her project but all you did was tell her to work harder. - You can't just tell someone to work harder and expect it to happen! - Aren't you doing that right now? Shut up and go work harder. 050309 -- We're having a problem with rats in the office. - You might want to upgrade your level of hygiene from "rat bait" to "unwashed." - I think I first felt my first tingle of job satisfaction! 050310 -- Have you ever noticed that the things that don't kill you make you *weaker*? - And grat minds 'don't* think alike. If they did, the patent office would only have about fifty inventions. - I started getting suspicious when I cried over split 050310 -- milk and the cashier took if off my bill. 050311 -- Our company will be relocating to a high-crime area for tax reasons. - Our CEO says, "Don't worry about your safety because your limo can pull right into the underground garage." - Then he added, "Or chain your bicycle to a wino. Whatever." 050312 -- Don't worry that the company is moving to a high-crime area. - My experts assure me that you'll have a 90% chance of survival every time you walk outside. - That esimate depends on the assumption that the gang members becaome exhausted from 050312 -- beating you up. 050313 -- We need more staff for project Caribou. Caribou? Is that the new chip? - No, you're thinking of project Caribbean. - Caribou is like project Muskrat but with a lower P.R.O.R.C. P.R.O.R.C.? - Projected Return on Research Capital. - I s Muskrat 050313 -- the enterprise software project? - Um...no...that would be project Meerkat. - Cancel project Musk Ox, move the staff over to project Zebra, delay Panda and Squirrel and give me a status report on Proboscis Monkey. - We don't have any projects 050313 -- with these names. How's that my fault? 050314 -- I hat walking to work in this high-crime area. - TAKE THIS, YOU FIDUCIARY MISCONDUCTING *#@!% - That was out C.F.O. I know. 050315 -- Senior management has decided to move our office out of thid high-crime area. - Because every one of them was beaten up in front of the building by a guy with pyramid-shaped hair. - Police released this sketch. The guy like to yell something 050315 -- about a "fist of death." 050316 -- Asok, your pointy-haired boss wants you to set up a conference call with all the division managers. - Um...wouldn't that be the secretary's job? And aren't *you* his secretary? - Hey, I know. Why don't you try to get an appointment with him so 050316 -- you can ask that question? 050317 -- Hello, this is Asok the intern. I am trying to set up a conference call with your boss and 15 people. - Could you tell me all of the times he is available in the next six months? Only august sixth between 8:35 and 8:40. - So far, so good. 050318 -- The conference call was a huge success. - Three out of 15 people were available and only one of them forgot to call in. - So it was a phone call between two people? It would have been if they wouldn't have used the mute buttons. 050319 -- Alice, I need your forecast and I need it right now. - I predict that someday you'll wear your pants so high that you'll choke yourself to death with your belt. - And the towns-people will erect a statue to honor the belt. Stupid towns-people. 050320 -- I missed the introductions. - I'll use my manager instinct to figure out who's important. - Only a senior executive could get away with looking so disengaged. - I'll mirror his mannerisms so he'll like me. - Now for a witty side comment. Ha ha! 050320 -- That will happen when monkeys fly out of my nose. - No reaction! He must be so important that he has no seonse of humor! - I PLEDGE MY LOYALTY TO YOU AND ONLY YOU!!! - I heard that you pledged your loyalty to a dead guy. At leas he won't ask 050320 -- for much. 050321 -- Ted, I don't know how to say this. - We need to lean up the process improvement process so I have to smartsize one resource. - Wow. Usually it's just a figure of speech when people say, "I don't know how to say this." 050322 -- From now on, all of my arguments will be based on definitions that are not in any dictionary. - For example, I could argue that you're a fascist because you're wearing pajamas. - I'm only wearing the top. Man, I wish I didn't know that. 050323 -- And so that's why... Excuse me, you're not entitled to your opinion. - I copyrighted all of the stupidest opinions in the universe so they can never be again uttered. - Hey! I just realized that I no longer need to drink! 050324 -- How can you think that the software integration project is a waste of time??! I don't. - But if history is my guide, you will abuse the next hour of my life by insisting that I defend your misunderstanding of what I think. - So *why* do you 050324 -- think it's a waste of time? Do you mind if I work while you hallucinate? 050325 -- I'm the victim of an ugly pumor at work. - Are you saying that the *rumor* is ugly or that the rumor is that *you're* ugly? - I'm saying the rumor itself is ugly. Well, then I have more bad news for you. 050326 -- What's this I hear about you hating the software integration project? - I don't hate it. I simply mentioned both the pros and cons. People are so conditioned to take sides that a balanced analysis looks to them like hatred. - How can you hate 050326 -- it so much??!! - This is one of those days when it's hard to be me. 050327 -- Carol, the new manager hasn't hired an admin, so I said he could share you. WHAT?!! - I'm drowning in work, and you want to double my load? - It's no big deal. Just prioritize your work. - And I need you to fax this. No can do. - My top 050327 -- priority is getting the new guy all set up. - Hmm...I guess that's fair. I'll send him over. - I can't order your business cards; I need to do a huge faxing project! - Hee hee! Marmaduke is sitting on something again! 050328 -- All of your problems are caused by emotionally unstable coworkers. - Try prescribing meds from the Internet to fix their defects. - Okay. That one was the wrong choice. Let's try something else. GRRRR! 050329 -- Wally, I've noticed that you seem bloated and lethargic. - I prescribe these pills. They come highly recommended. - I know they're safe because I bought them on the Internet. 050330 -- Karl, you're a habitual liar but these pills that I ordered over the Internet will cure you. - I've never lied in my life, but I can't resist free stuff. - Um...are you alive? Never felt better! 050331 -- The Habitual Liar I thought you died. No, I feel great! - I'm sure you're dead. Your head is a skull. I cut back on carbs. - Your head isn't even attached to your body. I take yoga. 050401 -- Habitual Liar Are you sticking with your story that you're still alive? I feel terrific! - I'm running a marathon later today. Lo Priced Cremations While You Wait! - I'm a genie im a bottle! Make a wish! GAAA!!! 050402 -- The Cremated Habitual Liar I'm learning to salsa dance in here. - YOU ARE *NOT* SALSA DANCING! YOU HAVE NO BODY - Tell that to my dance instructor. Focus! 050403 -- This is a prototype of the product I've been developing for the past year. - I modified a pair of standard noise-cancellation headphones to recognize stupidity and block it before it reaches your ears. Duh! - Put these on and you'll enjoy the 050403 -- total bliss that comes from avoiding the chatter of idiots. - Do they work? - What? - I SAID, DO THEY WORK?!! - Does anyone have any questions? - Those are ordinary headphones, aren't they? If you act like you can't hear, they're a prototype. 050404 -- I need a nickname to create the illusion of competence. - I was thinking along the lines of "The Wizard" or "Info-Guru." - I've never wanted to punch you more than at this very moment. 050405 -- From now on, my nickname will be "The Wizard." It speaks to my guru status. - I think I'll call you "The Lizard." It speaks of your small brain and lack of ambition. - Please don't. - Let's see which one catches on quicker. 050406 -- We need a new marketing campaign but we have no budget for it whatsoever. - Who among us is brave enough to lead such a bold and risky project? - Okay, you're doing the worst job of hiding under the table. 050407 -- Dogbert's Tech Support Please fill out the online customer satisfaction survey. - Um...but you even haven't tried to help me yet. - I like to base my help on how happy you expect to be. 050408 -- I hand-picked you two for my team because we have no budget. - Wally, your laziness helps to accomplish the most work with the least effort. Yvonne, your hotness gives you the power to make men do what you want for nothing. - So, then Yvonne 050408 -- convinced me to do her work and Wally went on disability leave. But, otherwise a good meeting? 050409 -- I might have no budget and no staff to help me on my project, but that doesn't matter. - Because all I need are my wits and my computer. My computer is too slow. I'm taking yours. - My wits and...this pencil. Hey, isn't that my pencil? 050410 -- Here are your regular goals and your stretch goals. - What's the difference? - The regular goals can be achieved by sacrificing your health and your personal life. - The stretch goals require all of that plus some sort of ciminal conduct. - I'm 050410 -- guessing that your boss gave you the regular goals, and you came up with the stretch goals on your own. - That way, when I achieve the regular goals, you'll get a raise but I'll get none because I missed the stretch goals. - Then you'll get a 050410 -- bonus for keeping salaries below budget. - Maybe we should talk about the ultra-stretchy goals later. 050411 -- How can I create a marketing campaign if my boss doesn't want to give me any resources? - Try giving free samples to people who like celebrities. - And you would be? Donald Trump. Give me some free stuff. 050412 -- My marketing plan involved giving free samples of our cruddy product to celebrity lookalikes. sales - The fact that it worked caused a steep decline in my respect for the intelligence of people. - In conclusion, there's a fine line between 050412 -- marketing and hating. 050413 -- Alice, you are looking at the newest member of "The World's Greatest Interns." - That's a scam to convice gullible interns to buy overpriced wall plaques. - I'll be displaying you less prominently than we had discussed. 050414 -- Our marketing plan was to find a sports stadium to brand with our company's name. - The hard part was finding a team so juiced up that our reputation seemed good in comparison. - How do you feel about the new stadium name? Rage. Same as always. 050415 -- Carol, I decided to take the entire staff out to a five-star restaurant lunch. - The food is so good that it's almost intoxicating. When paired with the right wine, the experience is a once-in-a-life-time sensation. - While we're gone, you'll 050415 -- need to answer everyone's phone. 050416 -- The police say I'm the victim of identity theft. - Now I am doomed to wander the earth without knowing who I am. - That would mean you're wearing a stranger's underpants. GAAA!! 050417 -- Introducing LOOPY The wOman Who Couldn't End a Story - Did I tell you about my vacation? uh-oh. - We learned about coconuts. I'm trapped. - Coconuts are round and hairy, and they grow on trees. Must escape. - Cocnut trees are found in many 050417 -- countries. Must use my ejector seat. - FOOMP! Ha ha! - They're brown. Gaaa!!! Sha has a pursuit chair!!! - I took lots of pictures. Must...aim for traffic. 050418 -- Our vendor's rep says they can't deliver the parts for three months. - That just means he promised the parts to some other customer who did a better job of threatening him. - How about if I say we'll never buy from you again? I'd say you're not 050418 -- exactly buying from us now. 050419 -- All you did this quarter is design *one* microchip. - In comparison, I found the time to attend *dozens* of meetings. - Now do you see what it takes to be a manager? Sadly, yes. 050420 -- You're healthy but I have to give you a prescription for Toxikill. - The drug company's rep is totally hot and she said she'd take me to lunch if I sell enough of this stuff. - Will there be any side effects? Depends on what I eat. 050421 -- Don't feel bad if you only got a 3% raise; I only got 2% myself. - Can we feel bad that 2% of *your* pay is bigger than 3% of *our* pay? - Don't get all mathy on me. 050422 -- Hello. My Crashinbox(tm) computer keeps freezing up. - There are 25 possible fixes but they must be tried in every possible combination. - That's 625 things I'd have to try with no guarantee that any of it will work. - So you're saying you're 050422 -- lazy? 050423 -- While you're here, be a dear and run some Cat-5 to my walk-in closet so I can watch my shows when I'm in there. - I've noticed that you only invite me over when you need a cable pulled. - I don't want to put a bug in your salad, but I will. I'm 050423 -- glad we had this talk. 050424 -- My accompilshment this month was opening a file that someone E-mailed. - That took an entire month? - It wasn't that easy. I didn't have the right software to open the file. - I tried to download the viewer from the Internet but the web site 050424 -- didn't support my browser. - And I couldn't upgrade my browser until I upgraded my operating system! - That required me to upgrade all of my applications software, too. - My hard disk got maxed out, so I had to upgrade my computer and transfer 050424 -- all of the files. - So, then you got to view the file? Yeah...it was a funny one about a cat. 050425 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Don't rate any employees "excellent" because then they'd expect raises. - Don't give any bad ratings either because it would reflect poorly on your ability to hire and motivate people. - How will I make 050425 -- the useless people feel bad if I'm rating them "good"? Try using this scrowl. 050426 -- Wally, I'm rating you "good" but not because you are. - Company policy says I have to fire anyone rated lower than good, and the hiring freeze means it would shrink my empire. - So you can get paid for doing nothing as long as you don't kill 050426 -- anyone. I can't promise that. 050427 -- Asok, I decided to give you a slight promotion! Gasp! A slight promotion! - The pay will be the same but you can make your cubicle slightly larger by shaving the ragged fabric on the inside walls. - You new title is spelled just like the old 050427 -- one but it's pronounced completely differently. 050428 -- Oh no. It's a technical glitch that I don't know how to fix. - Gaa!! Now I must humble myself to some condescending engineer and ask for help! - And how did I teach you to ask? I'm sorry that I spent my college years drinking beer and studying 050428 -- English literature. 050429 -- Just disable the local cache mode to fix the MAPI settings, and delete the duplicate messaging subsystem registry key. - What if I don't understand anything you said right then? good grief! I can't make it any simpler! - GAAA!!! It's funny 050429 -- because it's cruel. 050430 -- Once again you have failed to motivate me. - I don't want to become like my coworkers, always plotting ways to sabotage your carreer. - Now would be a good time for you to say something inspirational. 050501 -- I've received some complaints that you've been badgering managers. - Hm...badgering, you say. - Let me see if I understand this "badgering" concept. - Let's say that I need a manager's decision on a critical issue... - And the manager in 050501 -- question ignores my E-mails ans phone calls... - Shouldn't I insist that this manager do the job for which he is overpaid?!!! - HUH? SHOULDN'T I? WHAT DO YOU SAY? HUH? HUH? HOW ABOUT IT? HUH? - I'll say I talked to her. 050502 -- Dilbert, we're low of space. You'll have to share your cubicle. - This is outrageous! I will fight this all the way to the board of directors! - Hola. My name is Lola. But then I remembered the importance of teamwork. 050503 -- I hope you don't mind that I'll be sharing your cubicle. Umm...I don't mind. - There's only one chair. Do you mind if I sit on your lap? Umm...I don't mind. - I can't imagine how this could be better. Which one of the Star Trek series did you 050503 -- like best? 050504 -- Should I date a coworker? - You should date anything that has a pulse, bad judgement and no restraining orders against you. - But she has to be hot. Settle for "still warm." 050505 -- It's too bad that we share a cubicle. Otherwise I'd date you. - If I didn't work out, we'd have to see each other every day. - ...always reminded of your incredible time together. WHERE's THE BAD?!! WHERE'S THE BAD?! 050506 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources As part of my ongoing campaign against employee happiness... - Employees are not allowed to date each other. - Now you're forbidden fuit...yummy. Stay back, rule-breaker. 050507 -- A cubicle vacancy opened up, so I'll be moving out of here. - My attorney will contact you about dividing up our workspace property. - Next, can you prove that you had both eyebrows before you met my client? 050508 -- I completed the audit of your new $150 million software system. - I recomment that you scrap the entire thing. - WHAT?!! How could the entire thing be worthless? - Well, your normal software system would be a clever combination of ones and 050508 -- zeros. - Yours is all ones. - There must be some way to tweak it until it works. - My company can sell you all the zeros you need, but you'll have to arrange them yourself. - When you have a few minutes, I have a little assignemnt for you. 050509 -- First Day On The Job Employee orientation was great! Now where do you want me to start? - I'm kind of busy. Maybe you caould look at our web site and guess what you should be doing. - GAAA!!! What happened to my back??? Stress; you get used to 050509 -- it. 050510 -- The New Employee No assignment...no computer...no friends to talk to... - It's just me and this huge stress hump. - Must...resist...urge...to name the hump...and talk to it. wazzup? 050511 -- The New Employee Maybe if I make a friend at work it will reduce my stress hump. - I must choose carefully because I will be judged by the people I choose to associate with. - Hi. I'm the new guy. The lazy people have found each other. 050512 -- The New Guy We have a strong culture of Teamwork here. - While you're doing those easy tasks, I'll be off doing assignments of unimaginable difficulty. - Did anyone warn you that we have a strong culture of getting suckers to do your work? 050513 -- The New Guy Hey, new guy, that's quite a stress hump you have there. Maybe I can fix it. - YAAA!! PUNCH - Wow!! It's gone! Does that always work? I dunno. To be honest, I just wanted to punch it. 050514 -- Could I have a few days off to see if my stress hump goes away? - Stress is all in your mind. I should fire you and your hump right now for even asking! - Just because he said no? It was the way he said it. 050515 -- Mister Dogbert has agreed to consult for $400 per hour. - I know it's expensive but you get what you pay for. - Let's get the ball rolling. - My first question is: what process will you be using to arrive at your recommendations? - - A... - 050515 -- very... - slow one. 050516 -- Sale I'm looking for a practical vehicle that's also good for the environment. - I recommend the Envirocrusher-4. It weighs 40 tons and it uses owls for fuel. - Where would I get that many owls? The engine noise stuns them. You just pick them 050516 -- up off the ground. 050517 -- My new SUV uses owls for fuel. It seemed like a good idea but now I can't find enough owls. - You'll have to start breeding your own owls. That's what I figured. - You said there would be rodents. 050518 -- The Accounting Department I can't process your travel expenses because you sent me copies of receipts. I need the originals. - I'm busy. Just fax them. - 050519 -- Don't blame me, but there's no budget to give you a raise this year. Why not? - My business trip to LAs Vegas cost four million dollars because I passed out in the bathtub with the water running and flooded five floors. - The bartenders there 050519 -- are totally irresponsible. 050520 -- Asok, this is important, but you have a month to finish it. I'll start right away. - It's smarter to wait until the last minute and then make a big show of how hard you're working to meet the unreasonable deadline. - You said that right in 050520 -- front of him. It'll still work. That's the freaky part. 050521 -- You have to have a leadership succession plan. - There's a freeze on hiring, so you'll need to pick someone from your staff. - So, if something horrible happened to you, i'd get a promotion? This was a bad idea. 050522 -- Alice, company policy says that personal items can not be higher than the cubicle wall. - Just out of curiosity, what is the logic behind that bizarre policy? - We want to maintain a smooth line-of-sight for aesthetic reasons. - Let me see if I 050522 -- understand your point of view. - My Einstein doll makes the cubicle so hideous that our stock price will plunge. - Now if I take it down... - Gasp! It's so beautiful now! My soul is filled with music! My life has meaning! - Hey! I just notice 050522 -- that when I look at this doll and you at the same time, you look hideous. 050523 -- There's a medical procedure that will make you more attractive to the opposite sex. - The doctors would remove every part of your body and replace them with the parts from an attractive guy. - It sounds painful. Not if you do it all at once. 050524 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I need help balancing my career with my personal life. - I recommend a book called "No One Will Ever Love You." It'll crush your hope for a personal life and free up more time for work. - That sounds 050524 -- unhealthy. Take a pill, crybaby. 050525 -- I'm having trouble balancing my work life and my personal life. How do you do it? - I use job anger to destabilize my hormonal balance and crush any competing urges. - That reminds me: I need to punch something today or I'll want to have kids. 050526 -- No one has any good advice on how I can balance my work with my personal life. You didn't ask me. - I take the Zen approach of having no friends and doing no work. Hence, perfect balance. - Where did you get that definition of Zen? I used to 050526 -- read, but it's faster to make up stuff. 050527 -- Milt, you have a wife and kids. How do you find time to do everything you need to do? - I had to give up a few things, such as exercising and eating healthy food. - That sounds dangerous. Nah. The kids are trained to use the defibrilator. 050528 -- Dogbert's Tech Support - You have a bad case of computer rot. - Your computer is designed to become slower and more unreliable over time so you have to upgrade. - But if you'd like some false hope, I can tell you how to defragment your disk 050528 -- drive. 050529 -- Can I show you something I'm proud of? - I automated a task that used to take me three hours. - Well, well, well. Isn't that just like you? - Resourceful? Lazy. - - Did you just turn my brilliant accomplishment into a character flaw? - 050529 -- Complainer. - Let's just forget the whole thing. Quitter. 050530 -- We've just been informed that out product's name means something bad in the Elbonian language. - It means "the intense pleasure derived from giving yourself a wedgie." - Thus was hatched the greatest prank ever perpetrated by Elbonia. I gotta 050530 -- try that. 050531 -- I thought I hired a genius. - But he turned out to bean ordinary guy faking a British accent. - 'ello, bird. 'ow 'bout a spot o' tea? Whot do you say, Gov'nor? Who's making those sexy sounds? 050601 -- I think I'm in love with the new guy because of his fake British accent. He's mine! - You're married. I am? Wow! His British accent made me forget. - I say, old beans, did anyone see by brolly on the lift? swooh I'm single. 050602 -- Congratulations, Alice. You're one of my two candidates for a promotion to management. - The other candidate has no qualifications except for his manager-sounding voice. - And he doesn't make that face. 050603 -- I couldn't bux the software I need to do my job because of your freeze on expenses. - And your I.S. policy says I can't use the freeware version that is readily available. - So I used the week to develop some new coffee-sipping noises. 050604 -- What are you doing? Holding up the wall? - Zing! That was a good one. - Have you met the new structural engineer? 050605 -- Wally, the status report that you E-mailed is blank. - That's because eagles can't type. What? - The motivational poster in the break says I should belike an eagle. - The point of that poster is that your spirit should soar like an eagle while 050605 -- you continue to do mundane work. - Wouldn't I die if my spirit left my body to go soar? - You're confusing your spirit with your soul. - While your spirit is soaring, your soul should remain trapped in your body, slowly decaying while you 050605 -- create your status report. - Would it change anything if I got a poster that says, "You want it when?!!" 050606 -- The beta version looks great. Now ask if they'll toss in an archive option for no extra money. - That's a great idea. Or...maybe I could save time by realizing that they aren't raging morons who enjoy working for free. - It's all in the way 050606 -- they'll ask. I'll try yelling. 050607 -- I'm Dogbert, your life coach. I'm here because you're an unmotivated, drifting, unorganized dolt. - Life coach? I didn't ask for a life coach. - Which part of "unmotivated, drifting, unorganized dolt" is confusing you? 050608 -- Keep a journal of everything you do. That way you'll know where you need help. - Now I am writing in my journal. I am still writing in my journal. Now I am writing about writing in my journal. - Ooh, I think I felt a little personal growth 050608 -- there. 050609 -- Have you ever noticed that all of the good people quit? - There's no one left here but wretched, incompetent, lazy miscreants. - A-a-nyhoo. 050610 -- I don't have enough resources to do my job. - Isn't that like saying, "how now, brown cow"? - You think things can't get worse. But they can. 050611 -- I have to cut your project's budget by ten percent. Ten percent? - That's the sort of round number you would pick if you did no thinking whatsoever. - Anything can be cut by ten percent without affecting the result. Cool! I'm cutting back to 36 050611 -- hours per week! 050612 -- I need tuesday off because my son is having his tonsils removed. - Since when do you know how to remove tonsils? - Um...I won't be performing the surgery myself. - Do you have a rare blood type to donate? - No. Actually, I was l'planning on 050612 -- sitting in the waiting room to give him moral support. - So your kid is immoral and sick? He sounds like a real winner. - What I mean is that I plan to have a cold o tuesday. - Well, I can see where your kid gets it from. 050613 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources In order to improve office efficiency, all birthdays will be celebrated on the same day. - Do you mean one celebration per year, or just once and then we're done forever? Just once. - Well, at least 050613 -- I'll feel special once. What day is the celebration? Yesterday. 050614 -- Here's my bill for the consulting work I've done for you over the past year. - What consulting? I haven't seen any reports. I did it all in my head. I don't like to waste paper. - What's your recommendation? Status quo. You're doing everything 050614 -- right. 050615 -- I keep paying you for consulting, but you never make any recommendations. I'm what you call a "Feel Good." - My job is to make you feel secure in the knowledge that someone brilliant is shaping your strategies. - This is weird; I hate you, but 050615 -- at the same time I feel good. You're welcome. 050616 -- Dogbert Consults Incentivize the resources to grow their bandwidth to your end-state vision. - Don't open the kimono until you ping the change agent for a brain dump and drill down to your core competencies. - Confused look...huge 050616 -- invoice...this man is a victim of consult and blabbery. 050617 -- I'm ready for a new batch of tiger meat. Grrr! - I want a project that will challenge my abilities, bring glory to the company and delight our stockholders! - How about this one? Nope. Not challenging enough. I'll give it to one of the less 050617 -- motivated employees. 050618 -- Our core values are service, integrity, respect, teamwork, responsibility, trust, diversity, value honesty, fun, passion, fairness and excellence. - How should we deal with the inherent conflicts? I mean, what if I want to be irresponsible in a 050618 -- fun and passionate way? - You have to do all of them. I notice that hygiene didn't make the list. 050619 -- This needs to be done right away. - According to the day, you've had this on your desk for three weeks. - Now I'll have to work all weekend to finish it by the deadline! - Sometimes you have to soar by the eagles. - Gaaa!!! You're reading that 050619 -- from the motivational poster behind me! - If I have any questions about this, can I call you over the weekend? - My cell phone doesn't work when I'm on my sixty-foot, luxury sailboat. - AY-YI-YI-YI-YI!!! Hey, if you can't take the heat, get out 050619 -- of the...uh...kitchen. 050620 -- Dogbert Consults Your CEO is the worst performer in the entire Fortune 500. - Your best bet is convince him to become a reckless adventurer. - Tell me again why I'd want to bungee jump into an active volcano? Because you can! 050621 -- It's good P.R. for the company when the CEO is a fearless adventurer. Sounds dangerous. - Don't worry. I've asked your chief financial officer to be in charge of safety. - Okay, who estimated the length of the bungee cord? 050622 -- Your CEO was underperforming, so I convinced him to bungee jump into a live volcano. Problem solved. - Well, he underperformed and he got punished. - Pumiced, actually. Evil, yet amusing. 050623 -- Dogbert's Executive Search Firm You need to hire a big name CEO to get some buzz. - You want someone with a reputation for toughness, who knows how to ge tthe most out of people. - Come back later, I'm still getting the most out of this one. 050624 -- Dogbert's Executive Search Firm How would you like to be the CEO of a major corporation? - You'd be paid $100 million per year just for showing up. I'd have to see the dental plan. - He's not very effective during the day. 050625 -- Dogbert's Executive Search Firm Ratbert, would you like to be the CEO of a major corporation? - That had always been my dream...until I found this extension cord to gnaw on. Now I'm committed to seeing it through. - He's a risk-taker who won't 050625 -- stop until he achieves his goal. 050626 -- And that's my design plan. Are there any questions? - It reminds me of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Are you sure they didn't patent it? - Um...I don't think that's likely. - But there's still some risk? - First of all, I didn't use hieroglyphics. 050626 -- Secondly, the ancient Egyptians didn't have microchips. Thirdly, they didn't have patent laws. - Oh yeah? Then how did they build the pyramids? Good point. - Do some research on that question and get back to us next week. - Next on the agenda: 050626 -- why do our projects take so long? What? 050627 -- Ratbert The CEO Miss Pennington, have my diner. Fetch the limo. - My name isn't Miss Pennington. It's Harold. And? - Um...and...I'll have it legally changed to Miss Pennington so you won't be wrong. Plus the surgery. 050628 -- The best part about being CEO is that it made me smarter. Watch this. - The capital of Japan is Mitsubishi. That's right! You're a genius! - Yesterday I would have said nine. 050629 -- Ratbert The CEO I've only been CEO for two days and already losing my empathy. - For example, I'm pretty sure that decorating my office is more important than your healthcare. -Which reminds me: I plan to have you varnished and used as my 050629 -- desk. 050630 -- Ratbert The CEO The board has learned that you've been dipping employees in varnish and using them as office furniture. - We voted to fire you. Your severance package includes $100 million, the corporate jet, perpetual benefits and a salary of 050630 -- $1 million per year. - BU-YA! He's taking it well. 050701 -- You're a successful engineer and I'm a failed CEO. It's kind of funny that I'm worth $100 million and you're not. - It's funny because it's all reverse of how it should be. - It's funny because your head wouldn't normally fit inside a glass. 050702 -- In order to avoid shoddy mistakes, everything we do from now on will be part of a documented process. - What documented process did you use to decide what documented process to use? - Or is this one of those shoddy mistakes I keep hearing 050702 -- about? 050703 -- Dilbert, come to my office for a minute. - What's in your office? - You and I will be there. - If you just want to talk, we can do it right here and save us both some time. - Maybe we need privacy. Did you ever think of that? Do we need it? - 050703 -- No. That was just an example. There are many, many reasons why we should talk in my office. - I'll be fascinated to find out what kind of information is geographically dependent. - Now, do you have the results from the benchmark tests? Yup. In 050703 -- my cubicle. 050704 -- All of my ex-boyfriends were sexy and handsome. - I finally realized that dating sexy, handsome men isn't for me. - I feel a mixed blessing coming my way. What are you doing for lunch. 050705 -- I'm tired of dating pretty boys where I need to look and act my best all the time. - I want a guy who knows he can't do better than me, no matter what I look like. - MORE BREAD!!! 050706 -- Company Lawyer This contract would be subject to a "reasonable man" interpretation. - Where is this guy? I'll squash him like a bug! - Okay, moving on... It's you! I knew it! 050707 -- When you do somethin I don't like, I'll let you know by cursing and then spitting on your forehead. - Maybe you could just tell me what I did wrong. - #*%*! 050708 -- Do you think it's fair that you keep spitting on me just because you disagree with what I say? - Why am I the one who always has to change to make other people happy? - Because you're the crazy one. Now you're all quiet. Why can't men learn to 050708 -- communicate? 050709 -- You've got a bad case of manager's elbow. - It's caused by patting yourself on the back and covering your butt at the same time. - I recommend that you join the Cirque de Soleil. I'm giving you a prescription for a leotard. 050710 -- Asok, the move that I am about to teach you is called the "Wally Reflector." - Throughout the day, bad people will try to make you do work for them. - At first, offer no resistance, as if you actually plan to do the work. - Then ask the 050710 -- offender to do a little bit of work himself. Allow me to demonstrate. - Wally, I need you to design a database for all of our product features and services. Glad to do it! - All I need from you is a comprehensive list of the data fields you 050710 -- need included. - Oh...wow. I'm really busy. I'll have to get back to you on that. - And I'll never see that idiot again. You inspire me, in a creepy kind of way. 050711 -- Asok, I'm flying to Los Angeles for a meeting and I want you to join me. GASP - I am honored. This feels like an important milestone in my burgeoning career! - We'll begin by preboarding anyone who...coming through! 050712 -- Your seat is next to mine, but I don't like to sit by people. - It's a full flight, so I don't see how I could...oh dear... - No, I will not "scooch over." 050713 -- Five-Star Hotel I'd like a wake-up call at 6 A.M. and a second one at 6:15 - Then I'd like a team of bellmen to lift the head of the bed while blind maids hold my pants so I can slide into them. - Why yes, as a matter of fact, I *am* a manager. 050714 -- Five-Star Hotel I'd like to order breakfast and schedule a massage. - Mmm...a nice massage and then breakfast. - Well, I *would* "get rubbin," but I'm only the breakfast guy. 050715 -- I hope you enjoyed your stay. I'll just check to see what movies you rented. - GAA!!! GAAA!!! GAAA!!! GAAA!!! GAAA!!! - An I recommend that we burn the furniture. 050716 -- I invented a cure for the common cold. - The possible side-effects are coughing, sore throat, runny nose, congestion and nausea. - So...It's a pill that makes you nauseous? Only if you have a cold. 050717 -- This budget would only work if the project encountered no problems whatsoever. So? - All projects have unexpected problems. Therefore, this budget is almost certainly wrong. - Leaders do not plan for failure. - Do leaders make deceptive 050717 -- forecasts and later act shocked when things don't work out? No. - A leader first makes himself believe the lie, thus turning deception into an inspiring form of optimism. Observe. - GAAA!!! BELIEVE! BELIEVE! - The swelling will go down in a few 050717 -- hours. Then we'll have a perfect budget. - What? 050718 -- Your bid to build our cell phone network is the lowest by far. - But I'd feel more comfortable if it had an illegal component. - Like a bribe? Or helping you build a nuclear weapon? Yes, just something to add flavor. 050719 -- The Elbonians are demanding bribes, or else they won't do business with us. - Hire them as overpaid consultants and don't ask them for anything. That way, it's all legal. - And by legal you mean won't get caught? Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. 050720 -- The Elbonians won't do business with my company unless we bribe them. - Offer to give them plans for building a nuclear weapon. Then give them plans to build microwave ovens instead. - Would that work? Why do you think our garage is full of 050720 -- Persian rugs? 050721 -- We won the Elbonia bid, but I had to promise we'd give them plans to build a nuclear warhead. - Don't worry. I got the plans off the Internet and I modified some things. - Now all we need is some highly enriched bread. 050722 -- The project has a 70% chance of minor success and a 30% chance of corporate ruination. - I like tohe odds. When can we start? - Start? I wish we had ten more projects like this one. 050723 -- The best way to make this decision is by calculating the expected value of each possible outcome. - You multiply the... Must pretend to be dead. - I sense that we're done here. I hope the dead sometimes cover their ears. 050724 -- I have a great idea. - I was chatting with the director of marketing and we... WHAT?!! - Never discuss ideas with the director of marketing! Never! erk! - You work for me! When you talk to other managers it undercuts my authority! - If I accept 050724 -- ideas from another manager, it's jus like he's my boss! - Amazing! Did you know that you behavior is described on page 27 of the "putrid boss" book? It's the chapter on killing initiative and bullying! - That's fascinating. Now let me show you 050725 -- something that isn't in the book. - It looks like someone has been showing initiative. Please shut up. 050725 -- The company requires me to give failing performance reviews to 20% of my staff. - There are four of you, so that works out to...80% of a person. - Wally, your calf muscles and ankles are performing well, but the rest of you is monkey hurlage. 050726 -- Alice, where are the quality estimates that I asked you for an hour ago? - It's between your left arm and your stout torso, about elbow-high. - Stupid elbow. 050727 -- I keep forgetting where I put things. The problem is that you're stupid. - I recommend replacing your brain with a monkey brain. - Will that help? No, I just hate monkeys. 050728 -- I'm referring you to a specialist who can treat your absent-mindedness. - His method is untested, but I think it's worth a chance. - You'll replace my brain with a cauliflower? They're just like brains, but much cheaper. 050729 -- First I'll saw open your head. Then I'll replace your faulty brain with a fresh cauliflower. - How do I know you won't put me to sleep, eat the cauliflower and claim the operation worked? - That reminds me: your insurance doesn't cover 050729 -- anesthesia. 050730 -- How'd your brain transplant work out? Great. Ask me anything. - What roman general was famous for crossing the Rubicon river? Caesar. - Wow. That's right. Phew! I'm glad I didn't go with dijon vinaigrette. 050731 -- RRRING!! Now what? - This is Alice. Hi, it's your boss. - Oh, no. I hear traffic. Where are you? In my car. - Gaaa! It's a car call. He's using me to entertain himself while he's sitting in traffic. How's everything? - I'll lose an hour of my 050731 -- life if I don't get him off the phone. Nice weather today. - Do me a favor and look in your briefcase to see if my latest report is there. Okay. - And turn down your radio so I can hear you...and check your calendar on your PDA. - GAAA!!! 050731 -- CRASH! I'm going to hell. 050801 -- I am Mordac, the Preventer of Information Technology, and I have assigned you a new password. What is it? click click - It's the full text of "The Da Vinci Code," excluding the parts I don't believe. - I'm not touching you. Stupid scenery 050801 -- descriptions. 050802 -- I am Mordac, the Preventer of Information Technology. I have modified your screensaver security to lock upafter two seconds of inactivity. - Ha ha! Unless you toch the keyboard every tweo seconds you will be forced to log-in again! - Dang! Your 050802 -- perpetually moving head-bobbing bird! Gaaa!!! 050803 -- I understand that you have an opening for a negotiator who deals with potential jumpers. - I can't see you because my hat is in the way, but you sound perfect for the job. - Your reverse psychology didn't work. What reverse psychology? 050804 -- Police Negotiator SURRENDER NOW, AND YOU WON'T GET HURT!!! - Here he comes BAM BAM BAM - I'll leave an evaluation form. PLease let us know how we're doing! Done deal. 050805 -- My accomplishments this month include complying with our ISO 9000, Sarbanes-Oxley and SEI-5 policies. - And if you make a new policy, I will comply with it so fast it will make your head spin! - It it my imagination or is pretending to work 050805 -- getting easier? 050806 -- Sometimes I feel guilty because my company sells defective products. - I believe in karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it. - By the way, where are we? I think we wandered into a bad doodle. 050807 -- Please don't discuss your raise with co-workers. Whatever. - Let's see how the losers and morons did. - You only got 6%? I got 8%. - 9%. Why do you ask? - 7.5%. Anything less would be humiliating. - Well, let me see...I think it was... Brace 050807 -- for impact. - 8.5%. GAAA!! - Has she yet learned why it is a bad idea to discuss her raise with co-workers? Sounds like it. 050808 -- I have good news about the promotion you wanted: You didn't get it! - HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY CALL THAT GOOD NEWS? - They don't like positivity. 050809 -- I have some good news and some bad news. - The good news is that the company is going to sponsor a corporate marathon team. - The bad news is that one of you is going to run 26 miles tomorrow. 050810 -- Wally, I want you to represent our company in the corporate marathon. - Um...I can't run 26 miles. - Yes, you can. I've designed a special hat to help you. - What the...? 050811 -- The project post-mortem will only be helpful if each of you is honest about what went wrong. - Your colossal ineptitude as a leader suppressed our natural talents, leaving us listless and unfocused. - And by "honest," I mean blaming people who 050811 -- aren't here. Look! You're doing it again! 050812 -- I have a new hobby. It's called phishing. - I send fake banking E-Mails to gullible executives. Then I find out their financial information and use it to steal the money they don't deserve. - Dear Customer, This is your bank. We forgot your 050812 -- social security number and password. Why don't you send them to us so we can protect your money. Sincerely, I.B. Banker. Looks legit. 050813 -- No one ever wants to take more than half of what's left of the last doughnut. - That's why I call it the Xeno's Doughnut. Hee hee! - I heard some of that. Do you want to switch to hard liquor? Hurry. 050814 -- I fell an evil wind blowing my way. - My soul is filling with darknes...suddenly I am cold. - Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Hello-o-o, Asok. - Gaaa!!! What are you doing here?!! It's time for the annual employee satisfaction survey. 050814 -- - Perhaps I overreacted. I don't see how this could possibly be bad. - It is evident from these questions that you care about my wellbeing! - I love the part where they think I'm here to help. purr purr - Two Weeks Later They're delighted with 050814 -- their benefits. It looks like we can save some money there. 050815 -- I was the world's fastest worker. - My big mistake was becoming a lawyer. - Flashback Do you think I need an estate plan? Here's your will and here's my bill for 9 cents. 050816 -- Topper Versus the Feature Creep We need to add a keyword search function. That's nothing! - It should also search in different languages including Friulian, Kataang, Horpa and Wagi. - I like your style. That's nothing! I want to marry you in a 050816 -- civil union. 050817 -- Topper Vs. Customer I competed in the Iditarod, and 1,150-mile dogsled race lasting 15 days, over the world's toughest terrain. - That's nothing. I completed the race while pretending to be one of your dogs. - Now I don't want to buy from your 050817 -- company. That's nothing. Now I plan to burn my company to the ground! 050818 -- Topper Vs. Alice I didn't get much sleep last night. That's nothing. - I'm part of a scret government test on sleep deprivation. I haven't slept since february. - I so want to punch you right now. That's nothing. I'll rip off my own head and 050818 -- make me eat it. 050819 -- Topper Vs. The Boos It was the biggest fish ever caught in that lake! That's nothing. - I once caught a dinosaur by using nothing but dental floss and a pull tab from a beer can. - I'd like to see this alleged dinosaur. To late. I also make the 050819 -- world's best barbecue sauce. 050820 -- A prestigious window-facing cubicle has just become available. - It'll be a perfect place to store all the printer paper I bought so I could win a free trip from the paper vendor. - And maybe the sunlight will bleach out the visible wood chips. 050821 -- Good evening. This is the Dogbert Easy News Channel. - We bring you all the news that's easy to gather. - Today's top story is about something that was first reported in a newspaper and later read by me. - People in other countries want to kill 050821 -- us. The rest of the article is mostly names I can't pronounce. - We thought about asking them why they want to kill us, but they don't have phones. - So here's the next best thing: a debate between two middle-aged guys who also don't know why 050821 -- people want to kill us. - They hate us because we are so wonderful. Buy my book or you will all die! - Next on easy news, our panelists will discuss dumb crooks who keep getting stuck in chimneys. Excellent. 050822 -- Aha! Just the person I need. - Meet with the LDC and make sure the MRT gets urped when the RFIT gets nerked to the orcat. - If you have any questions, I don't have time for that sort of thing. 050823 -- I've decided to standardize the department on a new programming language. - With all due respect, that sort of decision should be made by someone who knows his mass from a black hole. - The vendor warned me that you coluldn't be objective. 050824 -- How's the coding coming along? No problems, unless... - ...some moron tries to standardize on a new programming methodology in the middle of the project. - Wht if it's me instead of some moron guy? 050825 -- The project was moving along well until management changed our coding language and methodology. - Now our timeline is represented by this M.C. Escher print of an endless stairway. - This deepsea submarine is looking for our morale. Would this 050825 -- be a bad time to add a few features? 050826 -- Subject: URGENT Dilbert, give me your budget numbers as soon as possible. - Technology is amazing. I type one message and within minutes I'll have my data. - First order of business: delete all spam E-Mail that has a subject of "urgent". 050827 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I call it a stealth layoff. - We move all of the worthless employees to the same project. When it's done, we tell them that their jobs no longer exist. - I don't like the look of this. 050828 -- My job could not be more meaningless. - I'm looking at my new Director of Post-Decision Support! - After I make a decision, your job is to figure out why it was the right one. - Save those tears of joy for later. We've got work to do! SOB - I 050828 -- decided to outsource our nuclear contracts to North Elbonia. - An in return, they'll give us food, if they ever figure out how to grow any. - I expect some fallout from this decision. Me too. - On the plus side, it won't be long before there's 050828 -- a government reward for killing him. 050829 -- I decided to start a discount religion. - The tithing would only be 5% and I'd let people sin as much as they wanted. - The only problem ist thatI don't want to spend time with anyone who would join that sort of religion. 050830 -- Per company policy, I got you the last expensive flight available. - Your trip will have 17 connecting flights and you're required to spend at least on night "in an Elbonian prison, dressed as a ballerina." - How much would I have to desecrate 050830 -- a national monument to get one night in jail? 050831 -- are there meals on this flight? Yes, if you're a cannibal. - That is not funny. After this flight, I'm going to complain to your supervisor. - Can you put me next to the plump guy? Sure. He's in B8. 050901 -- Why do I always get the seat next to the cannibal? - These guys are all the same. I know what's going to happen next. - My hairy skull isn't touching you. Right on schedule. 050902 -- I have completed all of my projects and I am ready for a new challenge. - You can help Tina write the department newsletter. - But the newsletter job is only given to the most worthless employee. And her assistant. 050903 -- I'm the editor of the department newsletter. That makes you my cub reporter. - Cub reporter??? I have an engineering degree from the India Insitute of Technology - the most challenging university on the planet. - That'll come handy during the 050903 -- copying phase. We get some fierce paper jams. 050904 -- The trouble started when you insisted on giving inspirational names to the conference rooms. - I scheduled a project meeting for the "quality" room and noone knew where to go. - Some people ended up in the "teamwork" room while others went to 050904 -- the "excellence" room. - By the time we sorted it all out, someone else was scheduled to use our conference room. - Then it took three weeks to schedule another meeting when everyone could make it. - But half of the team went to the "action" 050904 -- room and sat there while we waited in the "good planning" room. - - I thought this was the budget meeting. 050905 -- I made afortune by being an incompetent CEO. Everyone called me crazy when I put my entire personal wealth into pigs and garbage dumps. - You invested all of your money in pigs and dumps? - Ibvested? Now that would have been a good idea too. 050906 -- I heard that porpoises are smart, so I hired one. - Porpoises have been known to save humans by attacking sharks with their snouts. - He looks like our company lawyer, but more surprised. 050907 -- There's no law that says a porpoise can't kill a company lawyer, but it's still somewhat bad. - Ofiicially, I have to give you a reprimand. - Unofficially, do you like mackerel? squeak! 050908 -- Carol, shred this. - The shredder is right behind you, next to the fax. - What if I do it wrong? Only a complete moron could do this wrong. - Um...I think I might have just faxed our strategy someplace. And that's why you never see a water 050908 -- fountain in a men's restroom. 050909 -- Having two computers is a violation of the company's 5S rules of standardized workspace. - I need two computers to test my software. There's no way to do my job with one. - I have a compromise solution. Put this little red tag on one of them 050909 -- and tell me later if anything bad happens. 050910 -- You will no longer have access to code on any server but your own. - Is it my imagination, or are all of our rules designed for the sole purpose of being huge inconveniencies? - And starting today, all passwords must conain letters, numbers, 050910 -- doodles, sign language and squirrel noises. 050911 -- Welcome to Dogbert's Anger Management Seminar. - My goal is to transform you from angry nuts into... - angry nuts who have paid me. - I need a volunteer for our first demonstration. You, come here. - Put your head about here. - Now try to 050911 -- control your anger while I do this... - WHAP WHAP WHAP WHAP WHAP - Maybe you didn't get enough sleep last night. 050912 -- Elbonian hackers are trying to steal our source code. Send our goons to beat them up. - I was thinking more along the lines of improving our data security. Improve it or else I'll have our goons beat you up. - This is surprisingly motivational. 050912 -- Youse call dat a firewall? 050913 -- Do you have the list of invitees for the debriefing meeting? - Here. I like to blame people who won't be in the room. - Bad news for you: you're not on the list. 050914 -- The failure of my project can only be blamed on... beep beep beep - I'll be right there. - That guy. 050915 -- Wally, after I left the meeting yesterday, did you blame me for the failure of the project? - I'm getting a bad vibe from people today. That sort of rumor could stain my reputation and ruin my entire future. - How dare you accuse me... Well, 050915 -- well. Look who's impeding Wally again. 050916 -- I need you to pick up Ted's function. - No problem. I have infinite capacity to do more work as long asyou don't mind that my quality reaches zero. - Or are you asking me to do something that's logically impossible? I think I hate you. 050917 -- I didn't think it was possible, but for the past month I've done my own job plus Ted's, and done them well. - I know that you're marveling at my accomplishment and wondering how you can reward me. - Maybe I can fire Carl and make this idiot do 050917 -- his job too. I'll bet we're thinking of the same bonus amount! 050918 -- I want to get a good base tan before I take my vacation. - That'll prevent me from getting a sunburn when I go to the beach. - I think it's a myth that a base tan can protect you from sunburns. - You are so wrong! Let's make a bet. The loser 050918 -- has to jump into that freezing pond. - Fine. I'll do a search on my wireless computer. Here you go: a base tan frovides only a ngeligible SPF 4 protection. - I'm not jumping into that freezing pond. - push - You were already ignorant and 050918 -- contentious. I diddn't want you to be a welcher too. 050919 -- We've narrowed our target market to this guy. - He's the only one rich enough and stupid enough to buy our high-end product. - Our diamond-encrusted time machine will take you one hour into the future in only sixty minutes! 050920 -- Question. if our new product takes you sixty minutes into the future in ine hour... - Isn't that the same as doing nothing at all? - It also makes you lose weight if you stay in long enough...while not eating. 050921 -- Dogbert Consults Your time machine is a fraud, but noone needs to know. - With a few minor modifications, the user will vanish, and everyone will assume it worked. - This is in case you don't completely vanish. 050922 -- I'm an attorney. If my client is injured by this untested time machine, I will sue! - I think you should consult with your client before being so belligerent. - 050923 -- Wally, I've been watching you for half an hour and you've done no work. - I'm waiting for my program to compile while I design the next module in my head. - Could you grimace so I know you're working? Here you go. 050924 -- What's up with the face? I'm practicing my work grimace. - This face says, "I'm so overworked that I can't possibly do any more." - I'm also getting a message of intestinal discomfort. It's a subplot. 050925 -- HELLO! HELLO! - Let me see that. I'm an engineer. - Hmm...it might be a bad signal or maybe a bad phone. There's only one way to isolate the problem. - Go up on the roof and see if you have reception there. - Dang. Nothing. - Uh-oh. The door is 050925 -- locked. No other way to get down...no one can hear me yell and my phone doesn't work. - My only hope is to jump into that open garbage bin in the alley. - That'll teach him to keep his battery charged. 050926 -- Here's a list of gifts I received on National Boss Day. - Sort them by dollar value and assign annual raises based on who gave the most. - Now i get the Sculpture-o-gum. 050927 -- I've decided to test my market value by doing some interviews. - Would you like some interview tips?. Nah. I'll use my instincts. - You're an hour late! Your men's room is like a palace. 050928 -- Wally Interviews Do you mind if I eat a sandwich while we do this? - Yes, actually I... CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP MMM-MMM MPH-UH - What would you say is your biggest weakness? Cheese. 050929 -- Wally Interviews The job doesn't have a base salary. - You'll pay us $1,000 per month and work from home. If you make any money for us, we'll give you 10%. - You're not allowed to have business cards. And you can't use your name. Can I have a 050929 -- private office in my house? 050930 -- I have a job offer from another company, but I'll give you a chance to buy my loyalty. - Now I just sit back and let the loving begin. - And his opening offer is... That's right: whack him in the parking lot. 051001 -- The employee satisfaction survey says they don't trust management. - Don't worry. I'll find out who feels that way and fire them during the next retrenchment. - Purr? Who said purr? 051002 -- Ted, you've been saying negative things about the company in your personal blog. We have to fire you. - I have freedom of speech. It's my constitutional right to say whatever I want. - If you fire me for my opinions, you'll be spitting on the 051002 -- graves of your founding fathers. - I'll get the best lawyer that money can buy, and fight you all the way to the Supreme Court! - The only way you can legally fire me is if my work isn't good. - Ooh. I probably said too much here. - Your work 051002 -- isn't good. Here's your final paycheck. . Stupid founding fathers. 051003 -- I need five minutes on the pointy-haired boss's calendar. No can do. - If I give you an appointment, I'll just have to cancel it later when something more important comes up. - What's he doing now? Combing his knuckles. 051004 -- Carol, why don't I have any meetings today? - Your meetings create work for me, so I canceled them. - Maybe I could drop inon some people. Harpoon. 051005 -- It's a harpoon. I see a lot of this. - It's caused by a combination of doughnut-eating and agitating a secretary. - Can you remove it? Yes, but it will just come back at annual review time. 051006 -- I hired Mr. Dogbert to write the F.A.Q. for our web site. - The key is to anticipate our customers' most likely questions. - Question 1: Where does your CEO live? I need to know so I can throw your cruddy product through his biggest window. 051007 -- Dogbert Writes A F.A.Q. For The Company Web Site Question 8: Why won't my file open when I'm eating toast? - Answer 8: That is the stupidest question ever! Do not have children! - I sure hope someone asks this question. 051008 -- Hi. I'm calling to check the references of your ex-employee named Ted. - We have a company policy against giving references, but I'd be happy to discuss the weather with you. OKay. - The clouds are moving lazily across the sky, and everyone 051008 -- thinks they're stupid. 051009 -- And these are our company values. Bias for Action Passiob for Results - PLease don't ask any questions. Question! - Do the results have to be good ones? - Um...yes. - I'm not sure. I think it would say that. - Since action and results are both 051009 -- important, is it okay to have bad results so long as it takes twice as much action? - JUST DO EVERYTHING SOON AN PERFECTLY!!! - Is it my imagination or is hel all over the map on this? IO forget what we were talking about. 051010 -- Tina, I want you to write our annual report. - How should I explain our poor results? Just give it a positive spin. - If you have to ask why our stock keeps plummeting, you can't afford us. 051011 -- Tina Writes The Annual Report All trends are positive. - Foonote 5: unless you consider our crushing debt, moronic management, and aging product line. - What font is this? It's so tiny. Enron Beelzebub. 051012 -- Carol, you're the worst secretary ever. I have to let you go. - You can't fire me until you fill out the involuntary termination form 904-B. - Can you get me one of those? Yeah, I'll get right on that. 051013 -- I took the liberty of calculating how rich you'd have to be... - before I'd be willing to date you. The number is four trillion dollars. - You're happily married. That's all factored in. 051014 -- Our total sales to Elbonia are one package of software. - That can only mean they're engaged in massive software piracy. - When I toss the tiny Frisbee (tm), you leap in the air and catch it in your mouth. You first. 051015 -- I'd like to retirn this Frisbee(tm). It doesn't fly right. - This is a software CD. Only a total idiot would think it was a Frisbee (tm). - In my defense, the user's manual was poorly written. Plus you're a total idiot. 051016 -- Sale I'll take that chair. Excellent choice. - Now sit there quietly and try not to ask the one question that will kill this sale. - Is the chair in stock? GAAA!!! - The truth is that we don't sell chairs at all. We sell the hope that a chair 051016 -- will someday be made for you. - How long will that take? - If I could answer that question, it would be the same as selling you an actual chair. - How about if I tell you it will ship in two months, and you call and yell at me every three 051016 -- months for eternity? - Did you buy a chair? There's no way to know. 051017 -- Our shareholders are suing us for misleading them about our financial problems. - Since when is it illegal to shaft innocent people for personal gain? - Don't put that in the minutes. I'll see what I can do. 051018 -- Company Lawyer The court ordered us to turn over all of our E-Mail records. - Gosh. I sure hope they don't get deleted during regularly scheduled system maintenance. - Oh no. That would be bad! Wink! Wink! Good grief, man! How can you be 051018 -- flirting at a time like this? 051019 -- I need you to delete all of our incriminating E-Mails before the court sees them. - That plan is no good because I'd be a witness to the crime...unless you had me killed. - Phase two is none of your concern. It has a phase??? 051020 -- I'm afraid that my boss will try to kill me because I know about his malfeasance. - I recommend that you ask to meet him alone at an abandoned warehouse. - It was a mistake to name you the beneficiary on my life insurance policy. Remember to 051020 -- insult his goons. 051021 -- Bob, my boss might be planning to kill me. Would you be my bodyguard? - I can't because I'm all busy eating a carrot stick. - How about after you finish it? You mean nap time? Be serious! 051022 -- The trouble with hiring a hit man is that you have to have him killed to cover your tracks. - Then you need a hit man to hit the guy who killed the hit man. It's an endless cycle! - But ultimately, it's all free, right? 051023 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I have new guidelines on who can fly on the same plane. - We can't risk losing too many key employees. - The CEO and the president are not allowed to be on the same flight. - Not more than three vice 051023 -- presidents may be on the same flight. - What are the guidelines for interns? - Infinite interns are allowed on the same flight. You are also allowed to run with scissors and put plastoc bags over your heads. - - How many interns are allowed per 051023 -- plastic bag? 051024 -- You know what two things are very similar? - Unpaid overtime and death. They both deny me the pleasures of being alive. - How about a good night kiss? Hey, you found a third thing! 051025 -- I am the specter of unpaid overtime. - I will guide you to the shadowy region that is neither life nor death. It is existence without meaning. - Where is this awful place? Right here. And if any sticky notes fall on the floor, I'll rake them 051025 -- up. 051026 -- Someday I hope to get into the grim reaping field. - I don't mind working these unpaid overtime cases, but just once I'd like to see one of you guys die. - Hey, I just relaized that my rake is very blunt. 051027 -- Management is pleased to announce that is has a plan to make your pension fund solvent. - In unrelated news, the guidelines for workplace safety have been relaxed. - Our CEO reminds you that smoking is cool. 051028 -- Then I was visited by the specter of unpaid overtime. He hit me with his rakebecause he's trying to become a grim reaper. hee hee!! - I just realized that I only enjoy your stories when they involve you getting hit by a rake. - That only 051028 -- happened once. I plan to tell the gardener that you insulted his wife. 051029 -- Research has shown that happiness is not related to one's absolute level of wealth. - What matters is one's relative wealth compared to other people. - So, if I do a good job, could you cut this guy's pay? 051030 -- Tex, I'd like you to meet Asok, our intern. - Asok? What kind of name is that? Are you a taxi driver? Um...no. - I've produced bigger things than you by eating fiber! - Do they have schools where you came? - Actually, Asok graduated from the 051030 -- Indian Institute of Techonolgy. So if I were you, I wouldn't make him angry. - Why? What's he gonna do? Gnaw on my ankle? Explode! Explode! - BOOM! - They taught you some good stuff. Nah. You can't even get in unless you can do that. 051031 -- How does my project fit into our company's overall strategy? - Beats me. I didn't even know we had a strategy. - Never ask a question if you don't want to hear the answer. That's why I never say "how are you?" 051101 -- Everyone meet our new team member, Flashy. - GAAA!!! SUDDENLY SO HOT!!! BURNING!!! - Flashy will be in the cubicle by the thermostat. c-c-c-cold! 051102 -- Flashy, do you mind if I turn up the thermostat a few dgrees? Yes. It's boiling in here. - Would you mind if we built a device that would redirect the radiant heat from your body? Okay, fine. - I should have asked more questions. 051103 -- I see that you have lots of experience as a boss's pet. - Show me the face you'll use when you bully my staff behind my back. OKay. - grrr... Nice use of forehead wrinkles. You're hired. 051104 -- Don't worry that I might give all of the good projects to my pet employee. - Petricia, I'd like you to evaluate cutting-edge technologies in Hawaii. - Now, who's left to wax my back? 051105 -- For a boss's pet, you're nice. I see no reason to be unkind. - Buwhahaha! We're alone now, nerdling! Do my bidding or I will eat you alive!!! - They always forget to factor in your head size. 051106 -- GAAA!!! I'M CHANGING!!! - Suddenly I see you not as a quirky coworker, but as a colossal waste of resources! - Do you think you matter? No, you do not. *I* matter. - I invented this table! - I'd better call someone. - It's an emergency. sEnd 051106 -- the executive recruiter. What's your status?!! - Is it leadership or just regular crazy? Too soon to tell. - Hey! Leave my wallet alone! He's one of ours. 051107 -- I opened a dance club that's so exclusive I don't allow anyone in. - I personally screen every potential customer until I find a reason to exclude. - Have your dance moves ever incorporated the air guitar? yes 051108 -- I'd like to hire someone to do all odf the unpleasant parts of my job. - That way I'll be free to concentrate on our strategy. Fair enough. - Secondly, I'd like to hire someone to do strategy. 051109 -- I'm working 80 hours per week and you hire someone to do *your* work??? - Leave him alone so he can think about groundbreaking strategies. - Such as? I changed your job title to "my underling's underling." 051110 -- Carol, don't let the underlings of my underling come into my office. - I can't learn anything useful by listening to the little people. - I renew my vow to lure you into a deadly accident!! Whoa! Whoa! Tell it to my underling. 051111 -- I found a way to double my management consulting fees. - I recommend outsourcing your job to India. - I'll double your fee if you never say that again. wag! 051112 -- Board Meeting I recommend outsourcing your CEO's job and saving the company $26 million per year. - For $4 per year you can hire an Elbonian CEO who is just as good as this guy. - Now do you understand why you should have renewed my consulting 051112 -- contract? 051113 -- Remember to include my name on the patent application. - Why? You didn't help. - That's ridiculous! I've been helping you design that thing for months! - I save all three of your E-Mails. Allow me to read them. - "Dude, is something wrong with 051113 -- your brain?" - Later: "Hey, Dilweed, maybe you should replace the backplane with a gizmo." - Then my personal favorite: "Dilbag, I'm glad you took my advice to leave the backplane alone." - That's my way of helping. It's great. You should 051113 -- patent it. 051114 -- Alice, this week you did the work of four people and made over $10 million for the company. - But according to our web monitoring software, you used company resources to look at a weather web site. - Thief. 051115 -- What fresh hell is this? I'm letting my eyebrows grow out. - If I comp them over my eyes, no one can tell that I'm asleep. - You're quiet today. 051116 -- We need three more programmers. Use agile programming methods. - Agile programming doesn't just mean doing more work with fewer people. - Find me some words that *do* mean that and ask again. 051117 -- My new magazine is called "Gullible World." - This month's cover story is "shed pounds by yelling at your children." - Next month will be "eat your way to being a better parent." 051118 -- Would you like to buy advertizing in my new magazine called "Gullible World"? - We have between one and two billion readers! Wow! - I figured out how to make three readers sound like a lot. 051119 -- May I take your picture for a feature story in "Gullible World" magazine? - It's about how engineering makes you sexier. Gosh, okay. - Perfect. Now all I need is someone to pose for the "after" picture. 051120 -- I'd like to return this scarf. - What's wrong with it? - It isn't um...scarfy enough. - I'll just run your card through the computer and... - Uh-oh...you're on our bad customer list. You've returned over a thousand items to this store. - In 051120 -- fact, you've purchased and returned this same scarf seventeen times. - Company policy says that I have to harvest your organs and sell them on Ebay. - It was good while it lasted. 051121 -- I hired an abusive, lying, back-stabbing, control freak. - But don't worry, because I'm sending you to a class on how to deal with difficult coworkers. - Wouldn't it have been better to... I've heard bad things about that guy. 051122 -- Welcome to my seminar on dealing with difficult coworkers. - Difficult coworkers generally fall into one of these groups. lazy mean smart crazy - The only way to deal with them is to quit your job and become a syndicated cartoonist. Thanks for 051122 -- coming. 051123 -- I'll be right back. I'm going to grab a Ted Sandwich before the meeting. A what? - The foos people always leave one sandwich in the brake room fridge labeled Ted. It tastes like ham. - You're looking good, Ted. Have you lost weight? 051124 -- Why did you leave your last job? - They accused me of stealing four computers. - Did they make you confess? I took the fifth. 051125 -- Good morning, Alice! Uh-oh, a cubicle cockroach. - Are you working hard or hardly working? Ha ha! I must find a way to kill it. - Do you have a flame thrower? I can't complain; no one would listen! 051126 -- Ha ha! I'm the cubicle cockroach that cannot be destroyed. - Once hired, nothing can remove me from my cubicle. I am eternal! Ha ha! - I'm moving you to a special project. erk!!! 051127 -- Our new business strategy is... Hold on. - I made a list of all of our strategies for the past five years. - There have been seventeen of them. - What does that tell us? - That I'm not afraid of change. - And that I've been working hard and I 051127 -- deserve a huge bonus. - And that I'm kind and generous and good looking. - You have to give him credit. The man knows how to answer a rhetorical question. 051128 -- Why is it unethical for humans to clone themselves? - Morality is based on accepted norms. And accepted norms are based on morality. - It's self-causing? Ironically, yes. 051129 -- After the merger, we'll have two CEOs sharing the top job. - A spokesperson explained "if our stockholders don't mind paying one CEO 450 times the average employee's salary... - ...they shouldn't mind doing it twice." 051130 -- After the merger, we'll be sharing the job of CEO. - We get along great, just like an old married couple. Ha ha ha! - He's the wife. 051201 -- So, what's it like to be in a bad mood all of the time? - - Something tells me that showing interest isn't working. 051202 -- Great. The only seat is next to Hammerhead Bob. - I'm learning ESP so I can start butting into people's private thoughts. - I sense annoyance, yet there seems to be no cause. 051203 -- Hammerhead Bob Hey, what are you talking about? I'm an expert on many topics. - Try to get this through your thick head: you are not welcome in our conversation. - Irritable, eh? Try Cramp Bark and Dandelion Root. 051204 -- Your resume says you're a career criminal. Yup. - Um...why are you applying for a job here? - I'm getting tendonitis in my pistol-whipping arm. - I thougt I'd try the slower paced life of white collar crime. - security. How much can I expect to 051204 -- embezzle in my first year? - Earl? Lefty! - Forget this job. Security is where the big money is. Can you get me in? - I should start locking my desk. 051205 -- Um...why are you here? - Originally I was seduced by the smell of your freshly brewed coffee and tempting pastries. - But now I'm all about cross-charging my time to your project. 051206 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Ed, you seem disgruntled. - You need 30 minutes in the employee rationalizer. - I...I...don't mind bad management because---the commute is easy. Better. 051207 -- Meet our new sourpuss - I heard that every office has one. And we didn't, so I went out and got one. - Does anything ever sound like a bad idea to you? Leadership is 90% optimism. 051208 -- Does anyone have an issue with the plan as I've outlined it? - KAH! KAH! KAH! - I'm with sourpuss. 051209 -- Sourpuss When life gives you lemons... - Choke on 'em and die. - You stupid lemon eater. 051210 -- Sourpuss Whatever you're doing there looks like a complete waste of time. - If you beat your head against the wall, that doesn't make it a drum. - People say the glass is half full. But they don't say of what. 051211 -- I told our CEO that the design qould be done in a month. He's ecstatic! - That would be good except that I told you it won't be done for six months. Ooh. - So, I guess you'll have to tell him. It's too late. - He already issued a press release. 051211 -- You'll have to finish the design in a month. - The only way to do it in a month is to accept massive design flaws that will destroy a billion dollar line of business. - That's okay. My stock options are so underwater that it won't make any 051211 -- difference. - I'll just blame all of the problems on the Chinese company that manufactures our products. - Ultimately, it's the CEO's fault for failing to give me proper incentives. 051212 -- Topper I ran six miles even though I was sore. That's nothing. - I broke my leg and hopped all the way to work this morning. - You hopped 40 miles on your one good leg? On the broken one. 051213 -- I'm starting Dogbert's Selfish Cell Phone Company. - It has no phone number. You can call people and bother them when they're busy, but they can't do the same to you. - Hi, Mom. Oh, nothing. I'm just walking someplace. STOP BOTHERING ME! 051214 -- V.P. of Engineering Then I had the idea of saving money by combining our four databases. - Excuse me. That was Alice's idea. You said it was impossible, so she did it on her own time. - Carry on. I'll jump in if I notice any more errors. 051215 -- I'm Vitay, the world's most desperate venture capitalist. - The VC business is more competitive than ever. I'm going to stalk you until you come up with an idea worth funding. - No pressure, but all of my kids have crooked teeth. 051216 -- Vitay, the World's Most Desperate Venture Capitalist Does anyone need a napkin to write on? - What are you thinking right now? Could it be a business plan? - TAKE MY MONEY!!! TAKE IT!!! He's nice. 051217 -- Vitay, the World's Most Desperate Venture Capitalist You two have good math grades. - If you grow up and produce a little engineer baby, I want to invest in its first idea. - Please don't be too late! Dude, we're already looking for mezzanine 051217 -- funding. 051218 -- I'd like to buy some insurance, but I don't know much about it. - You need my special indemnity casualty whole life umbrella rider binder. - What does it cover? - I can't answer that directly. - Just read that list of exclusions. Anything not 051218 -- there is covered. - Does it cover acts of God? Yes, unless you pray to the wrong one. - How do I know if it's the wrong god? - If you buy this insurance, and lightning doesn't strike me, try another god. 051219 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources The downsizing will be handled in the most humane way I could think of. - I hired a giant dung beetle to roll the poor performers into a ball and out the door. - I can't get the marketing ones to stick. 051219 -- They keep sliding off. 051220 -- Your resume says you're some kind of intermediate species. That's right. - I'm halfway between hominid and oyster. Someday I hope my light-sensitive blob will become an eye! - I don't think we can use you. Oh, man, you're giving me a serious 051220 -- pearl. 051221 -- Wally, you've been charging your time to several projects, but no one has ever seen you work. - You can't see the wind either, but surely you don't doubt that it exists. - I've also gotten complaints about the existence of your wind. I rest my 051221 -- case. 051222 -- Our new product is a cable that doesn't attach to anything. - We hope to create demand via a series of commercials showing young people dancing. - And then we'll all go straight to hell. He didn't take the last round of budget cuts well. 051223 -- This Powerpoint slide could change our entire company strategy. - The rest of the industry would have to copy us, and that could change the entire world! - Someone has been having delusions of effectiveness. 051224 -- I am entering the Powerpoint zone. - If no longer feel the need to change the real world as long as I can change these bullet points. - How much imaginary productivity did you have today? Eight slides! 051225 -- Can you come to a meeting at three? Why? - I want to tell everyone that project Acorn is canceled. - You just told me, so I don't need to go, right? - You might have questions. But I don't. - Maybe someone at the meeting will ask a question 051225 -- that you didn't think of. - Should I attend every meeting in the world just in case someone asks a good question? - - Save that one for the meeting. 051226 -- I need to use up my budget before the end of the year of else I'll get less next year. - So I'll be flexible about approving expenses for a few days. Wink, wink. - Nice coffee-holding Panda. You should see the one that isn't pregnant. 051227 -- Dogbert's Tech Support Try rebooting yourself. - Clone yourself, put the clone up for adoption, and hope intelligence can be influenced by the environment. - Evidently your parents slapped together version 1.0 of you and hoped no one would 051227 -- notice the bugs. 051228 -- Alice, can you show the new guy how to do a project status report? - He doesn'tr read them, so we all use a random phrase generator. I'll E-mail it to you. - You said that in front of him. He only listens when he's talking. 051229 -- The employee of the month is Tina, for all the um...various work that she does. - You have stripped this award of its meaning by showing that you don't even know what my job is. - It's as if you've never listened to anything I've ever said. 051229 -- You're welcome! 051230 -- Is that your resume? It's Ted's. - When the pointy-haired boss walks toward the shared printer, I print ten copies. - It turns out that I'm not a people pleaser. - Disloyal #!@*@! 051231 -- We should join the industry consortium that's promoting web service standards. - Run tht past the consortium approval review board and get a sign-off from the executive board of review board reviewers. Do those exist? In a perfect world, yes. 060101 -- We're going to have an employee appreciation day on the 8th! - That's a sunday. - That's the best day for a potluck lunch. You'll have all day saturday to make a dish to share! - I'll need a volunteer to organize everything. Let's see...which 060101 -- one of you is the woman? - Bring jackets. It's supposed to be about 45 degrees in the park that day. - I won't be able to attend because I do personal stuff on weekends. - Take pictures! - I hope noone else brought a pine cone appetizer. 060102 -- Note from the Author Approximately one gazillion people have suggested I draw a comic based on the following idea. - As you will see, this idea is not funny. But I give it to you anyway because I can't resist peer pressure. - Unfunny comic If 060102 -- you can't connect to the network, send a trouble report by E-Mail Happy? 060103 -- Uh-oh. Why am I still here? What's happening to me? - I violated the third wall and now I can't get out! - Dogbert? Is that really you??? No, I'm Tot. We must follow this yellow sticky-note road. 060104 -- Will the yellow sticky-note road lead me home? Not directly. - We're off to see the wonderful wizard of landfill. He'll know how to get you home. - Holy #!%$, I hope this isn't him. coffee...cup...need...caffeine... 060105 -- Here's your coffee. Maybe the wizard can give you some ambition. aaah... - Aren't you afraid that the wicked witch will send her winged cat after us? Say what? - I need headcount for my project. Bring them to me! 060106 -- We're off to see the wizard of landfill. He'll give you some ambition and he'll show me how to get home. - Can we go too? I need experience...and he needs a brain, heart, soul, and a strategic vision. - No, I don't. You're fired! And a job...I 060106 -- need a job. 060107 -- Oh great wizard of landfill, can you show me how to go home? ...also, my pals need experience and ambition. - You're here because you ran out of good ideas...here are a few gems about the idiots who manage my company. - There's no place like my 060107 -- home office...there's no place like my home office... He was creepy. 060108 -- My allergies are kicking up again. GAAA!!! Good Gravy, man! Do you have any idea what you've just done?!! - Since you brought up the topic of health... - When I was having my bones set, the doctor noticed that I have a detached colon. - My 060108 -- small intestines will eventually burrow up past my spleen and and try to leave my body. - GAAA!!! HERE IT COMES!!! - GURGLE - And don't get me started about my bunions. 060109 -- Your resume looks great. I see no reason why you wouldn't be an excellent phone center employee. - Mwab blah glob wobmah tob muh wah wah. - This job got a lot less stressful once I realized I hate our customers. 060110 -- Welcome to Dogbert's Retirement Planning Seminar. - Don't tell anyone that you retired. Just keep coming to work and collecting money for the weekly lottery pool. Then spend it on food. - I want my dollar back. 060111 -- Dogbert's Retirement Planning Seminar I'll show you how to spend your golden years on the golf course. - Get a job caddying for people who have better jobs than you. - Never pay rent again, thanks to the patented Dogbert Breathing Tube for sand 060111 -- traps! 060112 -- The new guy used to be a free-ranger. Let's go watch him get broken. I'm there. - They say he was a photographer. Never been cubicled. He'll be tough. - I'll lasso him with the necktie and you put the employee manual on his back. 060113 -- I used to be a photographer, wild and unspuervised. I tasted the sweet nectar of freedom. - Fill out yout time report in 15-minute increments so we always know what you're doing. - Attempted self-strangulation is code 39. If you succeed, it's 060113 -- 40. rrrrr!!! 060114 -- The ex-photographer I hired isn't doing well in captivity. Is he dying? - Not yet. It's more of a panda situation. - Would you like to mate? I couldn't be less interested. 060115 -- I gave Tom his two-weeks' notice. You'll have to do his job until I replace him. - He's a bit disgruntled, but I'm sure he'll be a professional and train you before he leaves. - I was shocked and appaled to hear that you get fired. grrr grrr - 060115 -- He isn't buying my fake sympathy grrr grrr - Sooo...how about a little training? - Everything you need is in this irreplaceable binder. - CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP - I probably won't get you a card. 060116 -- I bought you a bumper sticker that says you give money to police charities. - Now you can ignore traffic laws with total impunity. - This is the greatest bumper sticker ever. 060117 -- CEO Visits We bought our competitor and we plan to integrate their product line into ours. - Did anyone tell you that their products are worthless pieces of garbage? Maybe that's why they sold the company. - I mean congratulations. 060118 -- Dilbert, come up with a plan to integrate our product with the one we acquired through the merger. - Okay, my plan is to throw away the competitor's product because it's just a cheap knock-off of our product. - How about a plan that doesn't 060118 -- make our CEO look like a moron? We could stop wearing sleeveless sweaters. 060119 -- My boss wants me to integrate a great product with a terrible one just to validate our merger. - Is it ethical for me to stall for a month until he forgets what he asked for? - Sure. You can even hit him with a rock to speed up the forgetting. 060119 -- Maybe I'm asking the wrong ethicist. 060120 -- Dogbert's Tech Support Before I can help you, I need your tech support product identification code. - You can find it by going to your local landfill and digging until you see your product's original packaging. - But don't disturb the seagulls 060120 -- or they'll peck off your face. 060121 -- Phew! That was a nice four-mile walk. Refreshing! - Want to watch some TV? After I finish this call. - Dogbert's Tech Support Thanks for holding. There's nothing in the database about your kind of problem. #@!%* 060122 -- We can't start designing the product until someone tells us what features it should have. - That's like saying you can't play on the beach unless you know how many grains of sand there are. - Um...I don't think it's very much like that. - 060122 -- Analogy Police. Come with me. - Are you taking me to jail for a bad analogy? - The analogy police don't use a real jail. We use something similar. - You'll be here with this beautiful woman. Really? That's not so bad. - She's the one being 060122 -- punished. Your necktie is like Hitler at an ice rink. 060123 -- Did you ever come to work on monday and realize that you forgot how to do your job? - Only a total moron would forget over the weekend how to do this job. - O-o-okay. I'm starting to remember who you two are. 060124 -- Wally, what's the status of the RDP project? Am I working on that one? - You've been in charge of it for a year. OH. In that case, it's almost done. - Half of being a manager is living with a vague feeling of uneasiness. 060125 -- Hi everyone. Sorry I'm late. - I have the worst case of jet lag ever. I'm still a baby in this time zone. - I don't think it works that way. Hey, I just got a crazy idea. 060126 -- He wasn't wearing an I.D: badge. We think he's some sort of spy. - Don't look directly at him. His power of cuteness is too strong. - Aw, geez. I say *don't* look and you look right at it. Must serve baby. 060127 -- Your powers of cuteness are formidable indeed, but can you do... - THIS? - Oh crud. You win. Why do I even try? 060128 -- You're too cute to work in engineering. I'm transferring you to sales. - No one wants to hurt a baby. Use that to your advantage. - And if you buy the deluxe package I won't be emotionally scarred for life. 060129 -- I'll need to know your requirements before I start to design the software. - First of all, what are you trying to accomplish? - I'm trying to make you design my software. - I mean what are you trying to accomplish with the software? - I wont 060129 -- know what I can accomplish until you tell me what the software can do. - Try to get this concept through your thick skull: the software can do whatever I design it to do! - - Can you design it to tell you my requirements? 060130 -- What does MFU2 mean on your timeline? - That's Management Foul-Up Number Two. It usually happens around the third week. - We don't anticipate any management mistakes. That's MFU1. 060131 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Alice, you've been accused of making dismissive facial expressions. - You have also muttered the following sounds during meetings: piff, bah, ffff, and ssstop. - Did anyone complain about *this* 060131 -- expression? I like to use it in these situations. - No, that's still good. 060201 -- Hey, Dilbert, would you mind stopping by my house after work and seeing if you can fix my computer? - Sure. And while I do that you can be at my house cleaning the grout in my shower. - That's crazy talk. Hey, I'm not the one who majored in 060201 -- comparative literature. 060202 -- I was wondering if you could stop by this weekend and show me how to install my wireless network. - Under what theory are the competent obliged to help the incompetent? - Wow. This is awkward. Watch what happens when I just stare at you. 060203 -- Dilbert, I'd like you to accompany Alan on a sales call. - You'll explain how our product works with their current system. Alan will crack jokes and collect a huge commission. - It might sound unfair, but these are good jokes. Like "What can I 060203 -- do you for?" 060204 -- The Sales Call I brought my egghead to talk to your egghead while you and I make out. - mmm mmm mmm Our web services employ XML, SOAP and WSDL to achieve interoperable HTTP modules. - Do you ever think we might be in the wrong jobs? I'm not 060204 -- going to kiss you. 060205 -- Hi, handsome, are you free for lunch? - Are you sellin something, or do you have a horrible defect that isn't apparent? - Is it so hard to believe that a hot, intelligent, sane woman would be attracted to a man like you? - Ga!!! It's worse than 060205 -- I thought! - Maybe we could just drink coffee and talk about the last episonde of Battlestar Galactica. GAAA!!! - GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU PERFECT MONSTER! - There must be a guy in the engineering department who will date me. - Hi. What's wron 060205 -- with you? 060206 -- Heh Heh! I'll turn my monitor so no passersby can see what I'm doing. - Is he working? Dang! I can't tell. zzzzz - I'm starting to think I can't read people. Dude, I wasn't kidding. Come back later! 060207 -- Asok, you're my fire warden for the floor. - If there's a fire, your job is to roll around on it until it's out. - What if the whole floor is on fire? No one will be timing you. 060208 -- I'm too busy to learn anything about the projects I'm managing. - I barely have enough time to make critical decisions about them. - Maybe you're lazy and stupid. Let's go down to the pond and throw rocks at the ducks. 060209 -- Welcome to Dogbert's School fo Zombies and/or Certified Project Managers. - The training is the same for either profession. The main difference is that zombies get more sun. - Repeat after me: I want to calendar an on-site post cutover support 060209 -- review meeting. 060210 -- Certified Project Management Zombie Let's review our assumptions, risks, and constraints. - Your project management style is putting my joie de vivre at risk. - It's funny because I don't have any. 060211 -- I heard that you're a certified project management zombie. Is that true? - I'm an assertive, innovative professional, experienced in project and operations management methodology and process development. - He didn't seem dangerous. I just sat 060211 -- through a three-hour project review meeting. 060212 -- Our CEO appreciates pushback. - The last thing he wants is a bunch of yes men. - Don't be afraid to stand out your ground. He respects that. - My plan is to form business units around each product line. plan - Excuse me. We tried that once and 060212 -- it didn't work. - You're fired. Leave now. - - Cruelty or convenience? I needed a cubicle to store my extra binders. 060213 -- There's no good way to assign a bad project. - FWAP! DO IT! - That was a liberating thought. 060214 -- I'd better put some lipstick on this pig. - Behold the most exciting technical challenge since the dawn of the microprocessor! - I must rub my body before I assign it to you...oooh oooh! I'll need tongs. 060215 -- I can do this feasibility analysis in two minutes. - It's the worst idea in the world. Numbers don't lie. - Our CEO loves the idea. Luckily assumptions *do* lie. 060216 -- I need help making unrealistic assumptions to support a business case for a bad idea. Easy. - There's a hole in the back of our wardrobe closet that leads to a magical world of preposterous business assumptions. - We don't have a wardrobe 060216 -- closet. Assume we do. 060217 -- The Land Of Unrealistic Business Assumptions Suddenly I feel as if anything is possible. - Hello! We're customers who have exraordinarily bad judgement! - I need more than three of you. The hole's a thousand miles deep. The others thought it 060217 -- would be a good idea to come early. ow ow 060218 -- The Land Of Unrealistic Business Assumptions We need to find some assumptions about future sales. this way - Dang! There's only one way across and it's blocked by an inebriated hillbilly. huge sales - In the land of unrealistic assumptions, 060218 -- this is your only competitor. bzzt 060219 -- I'm thinking about buying a more fuel efficient car. Why? - It's my patriotic duty to reduce this country's dependence on foreign sources of oil. Why? - Because then the countries that hate us will have less money to fund terrorists. - 060219 -- Actually, developing countries would buy the oil you saved, thus adequately funding those same terrorists. - At least I wouldn't be funding them myself. - Oil is a fungible commodity. The capitalist system virtually guarantees that you'll end 060219 -- up buying the lowest cost oil from sources unknown to you. - Well, maybe, but I want my car to make a statement. - And the statement would be, "hey, everyone, I don't understand what fungible means!" 060220 -- This week I said I was telecommuting but I really just stayed home and watched TV in my pajamas. - I'll never know how the TV got into my pajamas. Ha ha! - Well, you had to be there. 060221 -- I got a stomach-ache during my vacation so I'm changing it to a sick day. - Apparently there's a biological limit on how many potato chips I can eat in a 24-hour period. - And I'm taking tomorrow as a sick day too. I still have eight bags left. 060222 -- Wally, why isn't my E-Mail working today? - The Internet is full. Great! Now what do I do? - I wonder if I'm supposed to see anything when it's draining. 060223 -- You know what's funny? I never studies engineering and I'm your boss. - In fact, I majored in...um...gosh, I don't remember. - You forgot your major? I don't bother remembering things I can write down. 060224 -- Welcome to Dogbert's Seminar on Work-Life Balance. - First, review this list of your priorities Family Job Exercise Vacation Must-Dos Medical Eating Hygiene Sleep Romance Holidays - You have time for three things. Work and holidays are two. You 060224 -- get to pick the third. 060225 -- Dogbert's Seminar on Work-Life Balance. This is Allen. He didn't balance his work and personal lives. - Allen did nothing but work, work, work. And now look at him. - I'm the one who tried to balance everything. That's Allen. He's a %$**! CEO 060225 -- now! 060226 -- Why is your project four months behind? - I still don't have the user's requirements because she's a complete nut job. - It's your job to manage that process! - I complained to her boss, who promptly misinterpreted the problem and ordered her 060226 -- to work on the wrong stuff. - Thene every member of her family got a serious illness. Then she got called to jury duty. - She promised to give me the requirements this afternoon. - It was too hard to come up with my own requirements, so I just 060226 -- copied the requirements from another product. - Is the other product similar to what you want? Where are you going with this? 060227 -- My fake arm is here! - Attach the fake arm to the real shoulder... - Ill come back when he's off the conference call. zzzz 060228 -- I enrolled in a distance learning class to get my master's degree. Uh-oh. - GAAA! GAAA! GAAA! - Is the online degree hard? Not so much. I'm taking my midterm exam as we speak. 060301 -- What?! You only got a "B" taking the online ethics course for me? - No one will believe you're me unless you get all perfect scores. - I...was..tired. Why? You only did 300 push-ups for my online gym class!!! 060302 -- I've been asked to design and build our center of excellence. - Which, as I understand it, is like a presidential library honoring my life's work. - In time, people learn to stop asking me questions. 060303 -- Bob will be leaving us after 17 years as vice president of marketing. - Bob's accomplishments include lowering both our margins and our sales while overseeing a series of confusing marketing campaigns. - I hope you'll all join me in wishing for 060303 -- a piano to fall on his head. 060304 -- We could do the project right for $100,000 or do it wrong for $25,000. - I believe that the wise king salmon would say to split the difference and do it for $50,000. - Fish are stupid. 060305 -- Alice, my laptop is slowing down. Can you take a look at it? - Here's the problem. There's too much smut on your hard drive. - I recommend deleting the film clips that have poor lighting. - And here's a whole category you haven't looked at in 060305 -- weeks. - I'll move those to an external drive in case you need 'em later. - Wall has all of this stuff on the server. YOu don't need it on your laptop. - What the...? You pinhead! You disabled your firewall! - If you work here long enough, your 060305 -- outrage ends up in all of the wrong places. WHO MOVED MY STAPLER?!! 060306 -- The legal department says your plan is illegal. Ask them again. - Maybe they'll change their minds. - I'll get on that as soon as I'm done planning for gold in the water fountain. That's the spirit! 060307 -- There's no purpose for this meeting other than my boss told me to have it. - So, let's just sit here silently until our time is up. - Unless you have something better to do. Not really. 060308 -- And than we'll build a second prototype and... - IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET - Oh, suddenly it's *my* fault for caring about the budget. 060309 -- We're supposed to have our budget approved by tuesday but that's not written in stone. - Yes it is. I have it right here. - It was kind of lucky because this is the only one I brought to the meeting. 060310 -- My relatives want me to have an arranged marriage. - If they find someone who's totally hot and has low standards, ask if she has a sister. - What about love? How can you not love *that*? 060311 -- Yesterday I had a great meeting about project Wombat. What?! - I've been managing that project for six months! How can you have a meeting without inviting me?!! - Have you noticed that meetings go smoother without any knowledge or expertise? 060311 -- kinda. 060312 -- Welcome to Dogbert's Catch-And-Release CEO Seminar. - Catch-And-Release is more than a way to hurt fish for entertainment. - It's a philosophy that will inform your entire life. - For example, when you acquire a new company, wait a few years 060312 -- and then spin it off. - When you catch a new spouse, wait a few years and then set it free. - When you golf, hit that ball into a hole and then take it out. - Your ultimate goal is to look decisive without making any real decisions. - Good 060312 -- seminar. It makes fishing more fun when you know it hurts them! 060313 -- Erk! That look says you want to kill me for expressing my opinion! No, no. - Women have a thousand expressions that say they want you to die. That one says she wants you to die of natural causes, preferably soon. - budda budda budda She calls 060313 -- this one "the wood chipper." 060314 -- I invented an external anti-depressant. - When I'm in a bad mood I just apply it to other people. It used to be called pepper spray. GAAA! 060315 -- We cancelled our plant maintenance contract to save money. - Each employee will adopt a nearby plant and water it. - Thr Unluckiest Plant I The Whole World Now when I pour my coffe dregs on you, it will look like work! must...run... 060316 -- Wally, what are you feeding the plant outside your cubicle? - It's a mulch of coffee dregs and my shredded status reports. - You might want to switch to decaf. 060317 -- Would you like to be seated in the loud guy section or no loud guy? - They both sound good. We'll try the loud guy section. - I hope he has good stories. AND THEN 060318 -- Wally, do you ever wonder about your purpose in life? - My purpose is to transport huge quantities of coffee from the coffee maker to a urinal. - Suddenly I am filled with despair. Hey, while you're up... 060319 -- It's almost time for our 360 degree reviews. - That means your compensation is partly dependent on the input of your peers. - I'd hate to see something bad happen to you, like, I don't know...maybe a negative review. - I've taken the liberty of 060319 -- calculating the value of a good peer review in terms of your next raise. - Pay me half of that amount, and I'll guarantee a positive outcome. - How would I know you gave me a good one? Peer reviews are anonymous. - - What is it about me that 060319 -- makes people so distrusting? 060320 -- Hello, I need some tech support. What's yout tech support password? - I don't have one. Well, then I can't help you. - Since when do you require a password? Usually right before lunch. 060321 -- Asok, I want you to attent the technology steering committee for me. - But they are all tall members of senior management. They won't even acknowledge my existence. Phfft. - Hey, Andy, this seat is free. I'll just move my coffee. 060322 -- Carol, I need some three-ring binders and a reservation for the conference room on Thursday. - I don't like the way you asked, so I'm going to make a phone call until you give up and leave. - Yeah, the big jerk is still standing there. 060323 -- Famous Artis Dogberto will tell us his plans for our lobby. - I plan to buy a drop cloth at home depot and drape it over the security desk. - Won't that be hard on the guard? Not until I douse it with gas and light it. 060324 -- My idea is to drape a huge tarp over the hideous sculpture in the courtyard. - My message will be that art is as much about the negative space as the positive. - Plus it's not really art unless someone is winning. 060325 -- My Elbonian factory can manufacture your product for pennies. - Is there any downside? Minor translation issues. - They either said "plastic or "the spleen of a pig-footed bandicoot." We don't have any plastic. 060326 -- What's that doing here? - This is my daughter, Traylor. - I brought her to the office so she can learn about working in a corporate environment. - OKay. Whatever. I have a new project for you. - Some idiot cut his finger. Now we have to do a 060326 -- safety awareness campaign. - Put on this dog costume. You're the mascot for our "spot" the safety hazard campaign. - Whenever anyone walks by, you say, "woof, woof, don't use scissors." - Can I get a tattoo? Sure. 060327 -- Here's our prototype from the Elbonian factory. - Well, I'm no expert, but thisa is obviously a good one of these. - It's an MP3 player. We used to call them Plumber's Helpers! 060328 -- After seeing the Elbonian MP3 player prototype I scheduled a conference call. - Because of the time difference, the call was at 3AM. I was groggy and they barely speak any English, but I think we got everything worked out. - He was right. It 060328 -- does look better with the speakers. 060329 -- We ship our new MP3 player in two days. How's the Elbonian factory coming along? - The prototype is the size of a small tractor and it will only play Elbonian polkas. - I'll budget a little extra for marketing. It's made of asbestos. 060330 -- We need to hire the best marketing expert we can find. - Your resume says you've won the nobel prize in marketing, and five olympic gold medals in the marketing biathlon. - What's a marketing biathlon? You ski up to people who won't buy your 060330 -- crap and you shoot them. 060331 -- The Marketing Guru Consumers will buy our tractor-sized MP3 players if we offer something free with each one. - So we'll offer a free iPod with each sale, and free towing to the landfill for our MP3 player. - The rest is just pricing. 060401 -- The Marketing Guru Your MP3 player is large and scary, but I can fix that. - All it needs is a set of Angelina Jolie lips and everyone will love it. - Six Months Later We must never speak of this. 060402 -- Interview this candidate and make sure he isn't too old. - It's illegal to ask his age. - Just stall until you see the telltale signs of E.E.H.G. - E.E.H.G.? Explosive Ear Hair Growth. - Hm. No wrinkles, but maybe he uses moisturizers and stays 060402 -- out the sun. - Wait...wait... Can't...hold out any...longer. - GAAA!!! LOOK AWAY! LOOK AWAY! sproing! sproing! HA! - Then I waited and waited...what? 060403 -- Company policy says that space heaters are not allowed in cubicles. - My heater doesn't heat space. It heats the air in my cubicle. That's okay, right? - Why would anyone heat "space"? It keeps Uranus warm. 060404 -- Ted, I'm sending you on a team-building exercise. - A security guard will drive you to the middle of the desert and leave you there! - And then the team will rescue me? Sure. 060405 -- I listened to your concerns about Ted's work, so I tricked him to being left in the middle of the desert. - He thinks it's a team-building exercise. Hee hee! We wanted you to transfer him, not kill him. - Really? This is awkward. And this is 060405 -- Ted. Where's Asok? 060406 -- I must use the survival methods I learned at the Indian Institute of Technology. - Step one: pretend to be a wounded rodent. - Now look for the highway and tickle the hawk with its own feather. 060407 -- You said it was a team-building exercise and you left me in the middle of the desert to die! - Shake it off. - You wouldn't think that would work, but it does! 060408 -- I'm back from my three-week vacation. I didn't know you were gone. - um...I meant I'm leaving tomorrow for my three-week vacation. - How was your vacation? Twice as good as I expected! 060409 -- I need you to accompany me on an important sales call. Me? - You're my secret weapon! Well, okay. - What's your name? I'm Ed, from sales. - Only two companies make this product. the prices are identical. - The difference is that our engineering 060409 -- staff brings genius and innovation to everything it touches. - Whereas my competitor employs this loser. - Really? I wondered why you didn't look familiar. Sold! - You helped make a sale? Why does everyone act all surprised? 060410 -- Alice, I need you to be less productive. - I'll get an automatic promotion if I can justify hiring one more direct report. - If I'm going to work like an idiot, I might as well look like one. 060411 -- I need to have one more direct report and it will trigger an automatic promotion for me. - Your job is to be that employee. - How's it feel to be part of the team? Not as special as I'd hoped. 060412 -- Dilmom Your security software is out of date... Uh-oh. - Would you like to spend the rest of your natural life trying to figure out how to upgrade it? ERK! - Or would you prefer to let hackers steal your identity, drain your bank accounts and 060412 -- destroy your hard drive? I NEED MORE CHOICES! 060413 -- I'll bring you on as a contract employee. - Then I'll keep you motivated by dangling the carrot of becoming a regular employee. - Your first mistake was assuming that he understands metaphors. 060414 -- The Contractor No pressure, but do you have any idea how easy it would be to get rid of you? - There isn't even any paperwork. I just point my finger and you're history. - Here comes the firing finger. Oooh...watch out! 060415 -- The Contractor My dream is to one day become a regular employee. - My dream is to eat candy and poop emeralds. - The difference is that I'm halfway successful. 060416 -- My chair is broken. May i use your extra one? - I don't have an extra chair. - Sure you do. It's right there. - That's not an extra chair. It's my guest chair. - OKay, whatever. The point is that the base broke off of my chair. - I can't sit on 060416 -- a chair that has no wheel base. It's unstable. - Stop being a baby. Just turn your chair upside-down and it will be totally stable. - When did your chair break? Last spring. You get used to it. 060417 -- I need your honest opinion about my project plan. Don't hold back. - Your plan looks like it was written by a drunken lemur as a practical joke on other drunken lemurs. - Today I learned that people don't like drunken lemur analogies. 060418 -- Dilbert says my plan won't work. I need a second opinion. - Hypothetically, if I say your plan is terrific, would I end up being the engineer who has to implement it? - Maybe. Your plan reeks of infeasibility. 060419 -- Dilbert and Wally refuse to support my project plan. Will you take a look at it? - GAAA!!! THE STUPIDITY IS LEAPING OFF THE PAGE AND BURROWING INTO MY BRAIN!!! - gurgle Does anyone around here know how to say a simple "this won't work"? 060420 -- Your engineers think my project plan won't work. - I'll assign Wally to your project. He's a perfect fit. - Because he's a problem solver? Because he won't work either. 060421 -- I just saw a study that says the dull appearance of my cubicle is probably inhibiting the growth of neurons in my brain! - Try sitting there for a few more hours and then tell me if you feel any different. - Now I can't remember what I was 060421 -- complaining about. 060422 -- Topper I had to carry over three weeks of vacation. That's nothing! - I carried over so much time that they had to create a new month and name it after me! - Shut your pie hole! It looks as if someone if having a bad topperuary. 060423 -- Your management performance has been abysmal. I'm afraid I have to minimize you. - Minimize? Is that like downsize? - Downsizing is only for non-managers. - Abysmal managers get minimized. Follow me. - Your new office is the size of a 060423 -- refrigerator crisper. - You wil have no direct reports and your job title will be "Director of Unnecessary and Special Projects." - Can I ever be maximized? Maybe if some other manager jumps off the roof. - You're right - the view up here is 060423 -- spectacular! 060424 -- I reserved a mid-sized car. Let's see what's left. - We don't have any cars left. But I can let you borrow a glove from the lost-and-found bin. - What good is one glove? You wouldn't ask that if you had a frozen hand. 060425 -- Sorry I'm late. The car rental place was out of cars. - All they had was this glove from their lost-and-found. So I put it on and ran here. - At least I got something. Hey, that's my glove! 060426 -- I plan to build my own country on the ocean using barges. - I shall rule with an iron paw, punishing citizens for no reason other than my own entertainment. Buwhaha!!! - I'm hoping people will put up with it because their homes are near the 060426 -- ocean. 060427 -- Vijay, The World's Most Desperate Venture Capitalist I need a hundred billion to build an ocean city on barges. - TAKE MY MONEY!!! TAKE IT, TAKE IT, TAKE IT! - Do I get stock or something? How about an insincere wag? insincere wag! 060428 -- "Dogbert's Barge City" is the affordable way to live by the ocean. - Your brochure says you will rule with an iron paw and throw dissidents to the sharks. - Well, I'm in. But this one is getting all dissident on you. 060429 -- Welcome to "Dogbert's Barge City," your floating paradise. - Please leave your cell phones behind, as well as anything else that might let you signal for help. - There's more garbage in paradise than you'd think. 060430 -- Wally, I have to let you go... - Well, this was bound to happen. - I guess someone told you that I e-mailed your CEO and said you think his daughter looks like a chimp. - Or is it because I built a guest house from stolen office supplies? - 060430 -- Maybe it's because you found out that I've been taking a dollar out of your desk every day for seven years. - Actually, I was trying to say I have to let you go to a training class. - - Is it someplace nice? 060501 -- I worked all year on a project that got canceled today because we got a new vice president who didn't like it. - I made a billion dollars by convincing suckers that a garbage barge was oceanfront real estate. - Would you lend me some money so I 060501 -- can open my own business? No, but I know some people on a barge that would. 060502 -- And that's how I made a billion dollars in shady real estate deals. - The moral of the story is that crime doesn't pay... - directly; it goes through escrow. Dogbert, don't ruin the rat. 060503 -- Hello Dogbert. I am here to persuade you to give your billions to third world countries. - If guilt does not work, I am prepared to wrestle you for it. - How's your decoy working out? He's got Bono in a headlock. 060504 -- You're always complaining about the management of your company so I decided to do something about it. - I used my billions to buy your company! You're going to fix management? - No, I just wanted to stop all the whining. You're fired. 060505 -- Unemployed No problem. I'll just go online and find a great job. - Let's see...this one looks good. "No experience needed... - ...must be willing to relocate, then be put into a huge blender and packaged as a condiment." 060506 -- Job Interview We need someone who can solve the biggest engineering problem we have ever encountered. - Just distribute the power supply across both functions and double the fan size. - Thanks. If I need anything else, I'll interview you again. 060507 -- And then we'll send the draft for review... - BZZZZT! - Greetings. I am the Wally from the year 2040. - In the future, time travel will be possible but highly unethical. - But it's only unethical if you make the mistake of changing anything 060507 -- from the past. - I was out of coffee so I came here to get a fresh cup. Ah, here we go. - I have to run. Make sure nothing changes because of my visit or it will kill everyone in the future. - Let me be the first to say that this feels awkward. 060508 -- Now that I'm unemployed, I don't feel like a valuable member in society. - Consider this bag of garbage. It too is unemployed and yet it is worthy of love. - I don't love it. That's too bad because no one else will date you now. 060509 -- You said I'd never find an online date because I'm unemployed. But you were wrong! - have you seen her picture? Yes! She looks hot. - Do you have "Photoshop" software? Maybe. 060510 -- With your billions of dollars, I don't understand why you live here? - I don't. I live in an underground city of interconnected palaces. The elevator is in your linen closet. - We billionaires only come topside to take your coffee and your 060510 -- women. Oh. Hola, Dogbert. 060511 -- Career Counselor And why did you leave your last job? - My dog was tired of hearing me whine about my job, so he became a billionaire and bought my company and fired me. - I don't have a checkbox for that so I'll just write in "loser." 060512 -- I'm going to start a high tech company in the garage. - Some of the most successful companies started in garages. It must help somehow. - I wonder if those other guys had homeowner rules about not parking in the driveway. 060513 -- I invented a search engine that's also a singles matching service. - It automatically matches singles who search for the same keywords. - And then it threatens to E-Mail those keywords to their mothers if they don't agree to date. I have taught 060513 -- you well. 060514 -- I've had it with this place! I quit! No!!!! - We can't finish the project on time if you leave. - I'll give you a 20% raise if you stay. - Really= Okay. I'll stay. - Huh. - HEY, EVERYONE, DISLOYALTY IS BEING REWARDED! - - I'll probably get 060514 -- another raise for this. 060515 -- I need your help to patent my search engine algorithm. - Then I will become a billionaire and have attractive girlfriends. - Hold on...I have an emerging primate...and he's got wings! ooh! ooh! ooh! 060516 -- Aren't you afraid that Google will try to squash you for inventing a better search engine? - Their company motto is "Don't be evil." It's not as if they have a death ray or something. - Google Headquarters Now look in the big hole, Eric. 060517 -- Google Headquarters Isn't it a little bit evil to kill Dilbert with our death ray? - Good point...what if I just blast the space station out of orbit and make it land on this house? - I'll bet you ten million dollars you can't. And the loser 060517 -- has to introduce himself as "the dumb one." 060518 -- My space defense shield detects an incoming threat. I am launching intercept rockets. - Apparently the boys at Google used a death ray to blast the International Space Station out of orbit and toward our house. - Why do you have a space defense 060518 -- shield? Doesn't that seem like a stupid question now? 060519 -- Vijay, The World's Most Desperate Venture Capitalist I started in my garage... TAKE MY MONEY!!! - Don't you want to hear the rest? I don't see how it could get any better. - I have a product. I NEED A FORKLIFT AND MASSAGE OIL NOW!!! 060520 -- I got funding to start my own search engine company! Nothing can stop me now! - Meanwhile FIRE THE LAWYERPULT - I'd like to talk to you about your patent. 060521 -- The first item of business is... clicky clicky clicky clicky clicky clicky clicky - What's that sount? clicky clicky clicky clicky clicky clicky - Airplane Scooter Locusts - Why does it stop when you talk? - It landed. It parked. They're 060521 -- napping. - Okay...anyway, I wanted to thank you all for your attendance. clicky clicky clicky clicky - I know you were concerned that my meetings were using up all of the time you had for doing work. clicky clicky clicky clicky clicky clicky - 060521 -- Productivity is up, but apparently we have locusts. 060522 -- You thought up your search engine idea before we fired you. That means my company owns it. - That's why I used the lawyerpult to hurl our attorney onto you. - Now I'm using the holograph device you invented. That thing is making us billions. 060522 -- GAAA!!! 060523 -- When you worked hre, you signed a non-compete agreement. - It clearly states that you are not allowed to earn money, sleep indoors, procreate or seek medical care. - Section 5B describes what you must now do with this ceremonial dagger. 060524 -- If your lawyers are going to claim all of my patents, I demand my old job back. - Okay. Really? - Yay. 060525 -- Good news, Carol: the new office supply catalog is here. - If you leaf through it and imagine that you can order things, you'll get a mild shopper's high. - Now...I know how much you hate the phrase "in lieu of a raise"... 060526 -- Alice, our budget is tight so I've been asked to reward you with non-monetary compensation. - Do you know Ken in marketing? You can punch him as hard as you want. - Does Ken know about this? People love surprises. 060527 -- Asok, you've done a good job this quarter so I'm going to toss a little non-monetary compensation your way. - Tell me some boring story about your life and I'll pretend to enjoy it. - And the story should involve pirates. Go. 060528 -- Here's a game card that gives you a chance to win groceries. - No thanks. Just take a penny off of my bill and we'll call it even. - Um...I can't do that. Why not? Isn't that game card worth a penny? - We don't have a procedure. How's thta my 060528 -- problem? - Look, maybe you could eat something that's worth a penny and I'll look the other way. - How a bout a grape? I like grapes. - It would have to be one that's been on the floor. - It tasted like victory. 060529 -- Dilbert, meet your new coworker, Mister Serdecisionas. Call me Lou. - Can you cover for me tomorrow while I put shelf paper in my kitchen cabinets? - Tomorrow is our project kickoff meeting. Good lort, man! I can't put dishes on wood? 060530 -- Asok, I'm outsourcing your job to India. What? - I moved here from India to take this job! Now I'll have to go back! - Tell Sandeep I need some photocopies. 060531 -- Wally, my job has been outsourced to India. - That's interesting because you came here from India. - Doid you already think of that? YES! 060601 -- I got a jod at the Indian company where you outsourced my job. - Then I arranged to work from home, which, as you know, is my old cubicle. - Fine, here's your assignment. E-Mail it to me. My day starts in 10 hours. 060602 -- We need to add a $3 component to our product to comply with federal law. - The product review committee will need a cost-benefit study before we decide. - And you know its accurate because I used math! DUH^100 060603 -- The product review board approved your business case for the government mandate. - Diversity is very important to this company. - What do you think "government mandate" means? I've seen the way the mailman looks at me. 060604 -- Blah, blah, blah, blah. Uh-oh. - It's 2 o'clock and my brain has shut down for the afternoon. - Blah, blah, blah, blah... I have no idea what he's talking about. - This calls for some generic leadership. - Do a cost-benefit analysis, get buy-in 060604 -- from all the key stakeholders, and track the critical metrics. - Now if you'll excuse me, I have a conference call. - push - How did anyone manage before there were fake conference calls? 060605 -- Dogbert's Tech Support Yes, we do claim that our software is idiot-proof. - If you bought it, that's proof you're an idiot. - High, five! 060606 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources What? You've been randomly selected for a drug test. - I have a shy bladder. I can't produce under pressure!!! Do it now or be fired. - Thanks for understanding. DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! 060607 -- Human resources tells me that you refused to take a random drug test. - I didn't refuse. I literally can't do it. because I have a shy bladder. It's a medical condition that 7% of men have. - I hope you will understand. It's a side effect of 060607 -- the nose candy, right? 060608 -- If you don't give us a urine sample to test, I have to fire you. - How about a hair sample to test instead? - How do I know it's your hair? You can take the sample yourself. - Add this to the list of things you shouldn't trust human resources 060608 -- to do. 060609 -- Patty The Amplifier and Distorter We got a proposal from a new vendor today. - DILBERT LOVES THE NEW VENDOR HE THINKS THAT ANYONE WHO DISAGREES IS AN IDIOT! - That's not what... HE'S HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH THE SALES REP! 060610 -- Patty The Amplifier and Distorter Tell the project team that we're pushing back the schedule by a week. - I can't tell you the reason because you would amplify and distort it. - THE SCHEDULE IS CHANGING BECAUSE DILBERT HATES WOMEN!!! 060611 -- Would you like to by a candy bar for my daughter's school fundraiser? - No thanks, I'm not hungry. - That's not really the point. - Why would I buy an overpriced candy bar if I didn't plan on eating it right away? - You'd do it because your 060611 -- coworker asked you to. - That's a reason? Yes, it is. - In that case, I'll take one. - Five Minutes Later Hey, coworker, would you like to buy a half-eaten candy bar? 060612 -- I don't believ in using Blackberries. I prefer the old ways. click click click - The only effective way to coommunicate is person to person. click click click click click click click - What's he babbling about? click click clicl Something about 060612 -- being old. click click I'm a people person! 060613 -- Satan's Vendor You'll have many benefits after our technology is irrevocably implemented in your network. - For example, when one of our products stops working, we'll blame another vendor within 24 hours. - Do you have free T-Shirts? - Yes, 060613 -- they're made of the fines allergens. 060614 -- Satan's Vendor We'll send your engineers to our free training course. - The training is held on our own island retreat. - I'm going where? Fecalruba 060615 -- Satan's Vendor Ha ha ha! Now that you've implemented our product, you are at our mercy. - We shall raise the prices of upgrades and delay promised patches. There is nothing you can do about it. Nothing! - Wow. You're fast with those scissors. I 060615 -- scrap. 060616 -- Let's use our process to figure out why project Wolverine failed. - There was only one reason: Management discourages employees from voicing opinions. - Wanagewent duthcourages uth. Boo hoo! 060617 -- I think what we should do is... - Give me a minute to install my management listening catheter. - Tell me about your excellent suggestion. 060618 -- Annual Review Your project came in 10% over budget. - Actually, it came in in at exactly what I estimated. - You cut my budget by 10% because you wanted to feel like a leader. - I assume you'll give me a huge raise to reward my excellent 060618 -- estimating ability. - Why can't you be like Wally? His project budget was $10,000,000 and he only spent $147. - If you're so smart, explain that! - That's hard to explain without using the phrase "you gullible toad." - I'm next. What kind of 060618 -- mood is he in? Not so good. 060619 -- Smokin'Jim I'll see if the errors are coming from the compiler or...uh-oh. - Code Red! I'm losing him! Bring the containment suit, stat! - He'll be highly productive for another hour. Then we'll notify the widow. 060620 -- Smokin'Jim I've got a nicotine addiction, a tiny bladder, and attention deficit disorder. - So talk fast because I can't focus for more than ten seconds. - Gaa! I have to learn to give that warning faster!!!! 060621 -- You need to work this weekend. There's no work to do. I'm waiting for input. - That doesn't matter. Strong leaders make their people work on weekends. - Then he asked me what the clueless leaders do, as if I would know that. 060622 -- Before I begin my day, I'd like to see which of my thirty projects you still remember assigning to me. - 10 Minutes Later ...and thirty: rename the projects so it's not so easy to spot our overspending. - None of those ring a bell, but they all 060622 -- seem critical now. Ouch. 060623 -- Gaaa! You put your gum on this recyclable waste material!!! - How do you like it in your hair? Huh? Not so funny now it is, tree-killer! - The worst part is that I eny him for being passionate about his job. 060624 -- I'm Betty, the Bulldozer, and I always get what I want! - Drop everything and start doing my bidding now, intern! - shudder This was just a test. Wait here until I need something. 060625 -- Welcome to Dogbert's Accelerated Sales Training Course. - Today you will learn how a person can simultaneously drink and golf. - What will we learn tomorrow? - Tomorrow? What part of "accelerated" is confusing you? - As you know, the hard part 060625 -- about drinking and golfing is that they both require your hands. - That's why I invented the Sportsman's Beer Muzzle. - Give this to your client and the sale will practically make itself. Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! - This ish the besht day of my life! I'll 060625 -- put you down for ten pallets of mouse pads. 060626 -- Can you bring me up to speed before we go to the meeting? - No. You can't fit two gallons in a thimble no matter how fast you pour. - Wait a minute...which one of us is the thimble? 060627 -- I've written a future best-selling book. - It's part fake autobiography and part plagiarism. - Publisher Pitch You were a large white whale? Wow! Until I married Mary Magdalene. 060628 -- Oprah invited me to appear on her show to talk about my book. But I'm too busy. Can you pretend you're me? - Gosh...normally I would never do something like that, but it's probably my only chance of being on Oprah. Thank you. - Ow! Ow! Ow! 060628 -- Oprah is a surprisingly good puncher. 060629 -- Exit Interview And what is your reason for leaving? - To be honest, I was spending way too much time thinking about creative ways to kill you. - Have you cleared out your desk? Why don't you go check. 060630 -- Our CEO got a $40,000,000 bonus this year. Can I get that too? - Wally, he got that much because he's a million times more important than you. - Fair enough. Can I have the $400 that you say I'm worth? 060701 -- Don't worry, Alice. Stinky pets is here to work closely with you on that technical problem. - I like to begin by releasing all of my negative energy. - BRRAAAP! aaeeii!! 060702 -- Dilbert, this is Amber Dextrous, your new co-worker. - Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. She's going for the hug. - Oh heck, I'll just go with the flow and for once not be the socially awkward one. - She wasn't going for the hug. She shaes 060702 -- with both hands. - She's the perfect employee. She can do two things at the same time! - Human resources surgically separated the two sides of her brain so she can multitask. - Two Days Later I'm sorry to report that Amber drowned while trying 060702 -- to talk and drink water at the same time. - Human resources would like to see you after the meeting. 060703 -- Stinky Pete I was jogging to work and eating my onion sandwich when I spotted a sewage spill. - So I did what anyone would do in that situation: I rolled around in it. - A penny for your thoughts. I must insert my head into my buttocks so I can 060703 -- breathe. 060704 -- I can no longer work with you because of what you said to someone about me. - What did I allegedly say to whom? - I can't tell you without violating the insane chick code of ethics. 060705 -- Welcome to the monthly meeting of insane chicks. - Our speaker today is Betty, and her topic is "all the people who are intentionally hurting us." - The breakout session is titled "How to turn your imaginary problems into real ones." 060706 -- The Society Of Insane Chicks I know he hates me because he likes to play racquetball. - Maybe he just likes racquetball. And wants to stay healthy. - Leave now. 060707 -- I did a background check and discovered that you embellished your resume. - For example, there's no college named "The Einstein One." - And I'm reasonably certain that "smartology" isn't a real major. 060708 -- Now that I know your resume was embellished, you need to talk to the VP of human resources. - Are you going to fire me? Nah. I'll let you in on a little secret. - I'm the ficus tree that used to be in the lobby. 060709 -- Dilbert, I have alittle project for you to do in your spare time. - What exactly is my "spare time"? - Well, for example, there's the time that normal people would use for dating. - And since you're not dating, you can trim a few minutes from 060709 -- your hygiene schedule, too. - Then there's the time you spend daydreaming about a fulfilling life. - That's exactly like stealing from the company. - And your stupid questions - those have to take at least an hour a day. - Are my questions 060709 -- stupid? Not as bad as your answers. 060710 -- We discovered that the mud in Elbonia is caused by an abundance of oil and coal near the surface. - Our country will be prosperous and happy forever unless we do something incredibly stupid. - Are you building any weapons of mass destruction? 060710 -- Why? Is that a problem? 060711 -- I want you to write a business case for lobbying our governemnt to attack Elbonia. - In the risk analysis section, do you want me to assume that hell is real or imaginary? - Real. But remember to discount the infinite future flows of agony to 060711 -- the present so it doesn't look so bad. 060712 -- If you hire me as your lobbyist I will convince Switzerland to attack Elbonia. - When the war begins, your sales of Kevlar Lederhosen will skyrocket! - It's not as bad as it sounds. Elbonians believe that if they die fighting a neutral country, 060712 -- their souls get candy. 060713 -- Dogbert The Lobyyist For a million dollars I can have the government include your industrial waste in the recommended food pyramid. - For anothe rmillion I'll have congress authorize huge tax breaks for soulless, Blackberry-using weasels with 060713 -- coffee breath. - I just want to hug you! That's another million. 060714 -- Dogbert The Lobyyist Congressman, I will give you this bag of money if you vote for tax breaks for my client. - Try to be less obvious than last time. - YES! I VOTE YES! smooth. 060715 -- You're in luck. I've lobbied the governments of several countries to attack your country and liberate you and your oil. - We're already a democratic country! You're confusing us with North Elbonia! - For a nitpicker, you sure dress poorly. 060716 -- Wally, you've agreed to pull together all of the technical specifications by thursday, right? - Yes, I'll look into pulling that stuff together. - I don't need you to "look into it." I need you to do it. I agree. - Are you agreeing that i need 060716 -- it or agreeing to do it? - You will have the list of who has the technical specifications by thursday. - I don't need the list of who has them. I need the specifications! I agree. - Gaaa!!! Forget it! I'll get them myself! - Did you help Bob 060716 -- get what he needs? He'll have everything by thursday. 060717 -- Sorry I'm late. I was behind a herd of slow walkers. - I couldn't jog around them at the wide spots because my coffee cup was too full. - It's all part of my Can't-Do approach to life. 060718 -- My pointy-haired boss couldn't make it so he asked me to take notes. - Then entire reason for this meeting is to get his input. How the %*$!* does taking notes help? - The...entire... 060719 -- Whar type of meeting-decision style will we beusing today? - Will it be authoritative, colsultative, voting or consensus? Shut your coffee hole. Well played. 060720 -- I find it rather demotivating that you never praise me for a job well done. - You've never done a job well. Taht's because I'm demotivated. - You have to go first. Wouldn't that make me the leader? 060721 -- Today I had a choice of doing something important that no one would ever realize... - ...or doing something useless that would look like an accomplishment. - So I attended meetings until I could no longer appreciate the difference. Keep up the 060721 -- good work. 060722 -- Do you know where Asok is? NO, I DO NOT! - Do you think it's my job to know the location of all employees? Do you? Do you? Do you? - Have you seen Alice? GAAA!!! MY HAIR IS ON FIRE!! 060723 -- What the...? How can you be relaxed with so much work to do? - Your mistake is taking pride in how much work you can complete. - You see, Alice, there's an infinite quantity of potential work. - But it's only possible to do a finite amount. - 060723 -- You have set yourself up for certain failure according to your own arbitrary standard. - By way of contrast, I take pride in *not* taking pride in my work. - I've already achieved my goal and it's not even lunch time yet. - Don't you need a new 060723 -- goal for after lunch? I'm aiming for a distended stomach. 060724 -- Wally, are you sure you should eat that burrito? You do not have ISO 9004-3 certification. - HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA - It is entirely possible that I have been working here for too long. 060725 -- Is it more important to follow our documented process or to meet the deadline? - I only ask because our deadline is arbitrary and our documented process was pulled out of someone's lower torso. - Where's your artificial sense of urgency? 060725 -- Teamwork killed it. 060726 -- Wally, I came to ask you for the new design specs. - But we both know you'll send me to someone who doesn't have them. And that person will refer me back to you. - When I return, you will have escaped to your secret hiding place. - Ted has the 060726 -- specs. 060727 -- There's a little thing i like to do before any meeting with a marketing guy. - BONK! - This way there's more congruence between the things you say and the way you look. 060728 -- Alice, I've received some complaints that you have been bonking the heads of marketing people on tables. - Where else should I bonk their heads? Tables are the best places!!! - I don't think I'm getting through. The chair is way too soft! 060729 -- Alice, interview the guy in our conference room and see what he can do for us. - I'm going to bonk your head on the table. If it sounds empty, you'll work in marketing. - How did it go? I bonked too hard. We just got a new sales guy. 060730 -- Did you fund the infrastructure project yet? Nope. - I'm playing budget chicken with the director of operations. - I'm hoping that his department needs the infrastructure more than we do. - If I can bluff him into funding the project with his 060730 -- budget instead of mine, I win. - He'll be reprimanded for exceeding his budget and I'll get a bonus for being under mine. - I'll use the bonus to buy a summer cabin by the lake. - Then I'll E-Mail him pictures of my cabin and say, "I hope 060730 -- you're enjoying your infrastructure as much as I'm enjoying my cabin!" - You've reached a new low. I've been thinking of firing you so I can get a fishing hat. 060731 -- You've had fifteen jobs in two months. How can I be sure you're not a job hopper? - Maybe i change jobs a lot. And maybe i have gigantic rabbit ears. But does that make me a job hopper? - Okay, okay, you're hired. I am so sick of this place! 060801 -- I hear you're a job hopper. I like to think I have high standards. - Are you aware that all jobs require you to do things you'd rather not do? That's why they have to pay you. - Perhaps your expectations are unrealistic. I Quit! I'm going 060801 -- someplace where my coworkers will never waste my time!!! 060802 -- My Powerpoint presentation is a vision of beauty and persuasion. - It will make engineers weep, and profits will rain down from the sky. - Jeepers, what kind of limping scrod is that? The good kind! 060803 -- Did you have a chance to review my Powerpoint presentation? - It's full of technical jargon and it's way too long. - Did you even look at it? Why would I look at something like that? 060804 -- Our CEO has five minutes. Is that enough time for your Powerpoint presentation? - No. An incomplete explanation of the situation will cause massively harmful strategic choices. - What can we get for four-and-a-half minutes? 060805 -- In order to make an informed decision, you would need to know as much as I know - That's impossible, so instead, by mutual, implied agreement, I will feed you some lies that point you to the right decision. - If we don't upgrade our servers, a 060805 -- herd of trolls will attack headquarters. No trolls! 060806 -- I'm like the story of the auto mechanic. - A woman has her car towed into the shop. The mechanic opens the hood and takes a look. - After about ten seconds he takes a hammer and taps the engine. It starts right up. - The mechanic says, "That 060806 -- will be $100, please." zzzz - The woman says, "$100??? All you did was tap the engine!" - The mechanic says, "it's $90 for knowing where to tap and $10 for the tap." zzzzz - TAP! - 20 years ago I wouldn't have known which one of you to tap. 060807 -- Hey, I'm having a Schadenfreude party. Would you like to come? - Sure! I don't know what Schadenfreude means, but it sounds fun. Too bad you're not invited, looser. - Ouch. Best party ever. 060808 -- Customers are complaining that our price stickers leave white crud on the product. - Our action plan is to include directions on how to lick it off. - What about fingernails? Why would you lick fingernails? 060809 -- Do you mind if I spout obvious generalities about information? - If you have too much information, and it's not organized in any useful way, then it can't help you to make decisions. - Are you a consultant or mildly retarded? I wish I knew. 060810 -- The Mildly Retarded Consultant You'll have to drink from the firehose unless... - ...you drill down and check the dashboard to see why the bloatware bubbled of from the bake-off. - Does that mean anything? Don't ping my cheese with your 060810 -- bandwidth. 060811 -- You know what's funny? I'm getting paid to consult, but you're the smartest and most experienced person in the room. - That must burn you like the heat of a thousand suns. - TWEEEET That's my favorite sound! 060812 -- Hi. I'm your new nemesis. - The nemesis function used to be handled informally. Now it's a profession, kind of like project management. - Stand by while I pepare my nemesis face and look for reasons to thwart you. sigh 060813 -- When do I need to give the specs to the programmers? - They don't need them. - Why? Is it because they already know what to do? - Yes, exactly. They know how to do that part. - Well, now I have a difficult choice. - I could call the 060813 -- programmers, prove you wrong, and suffer the consequences in a thousand subtle ways... - Or I could do nothing and wait to get hosed for not providing the specs on time. - Geez. You complain when I *don't* give you choices too. 060814 -- And that's why I recommend using this process. - The Office Nemesis Have you done a cost-benefit analysis for every conceivable option? - Safety violation! Safety violation! 060815 -- By now, you've noticed that your jobs are hideous nightmares of frustration and underpayment. - But what you don't know is that every other company is exactly the same. - Reduce employee turnover...check. 060816 -- blah blah blah Drop the cell phone. I darn you to heck. - blah blah blah Seriously, don't make me use the spoon. - I'm sorry it had to come to this. 060817 -- Mordac, The Preventor Of Information Services You have exceeded your E-Mail storage limit! - To increase you limit, you must get approval from you VP, the CIO, and one nonexistent person to be named later. - I'm thinking either a Yeti or a 060817 -- bikini model who is also an engineer. 060818 -- This week I tried to work, but pop-up messages kept telling me to update my computer's software. - I tried closing the pop-up windows, but they just kept coming back. There were too many of them! - Did you upgrade your software? Great. I see 060818 -- whose side you're on. 060819 -- Today I will keep a positive attitude about life. - I canceled your project so I can use the budget to remodel my office. - Yay, life! 060820 -- Dilbert, meet your new coworker, Phil O'Dendron. - Phil is a potted plant. He'll sit in your cubicle all day while you try to work. - Does it talk? - He has three stories that he repeats in an infinite loop. - He'll begin with his reasons for 060820 -- why you should use his tax guy. - Then he'll do a recap of recent reality TV shows. - And last but not least, "the way we did it at my last job." - How do you plan to cut expenses? Well, performance bonuses are under control. 060821 -- Maybe I'll quit this job and sell things on Ebay. What things? - Items. - People like items. Good plan. 060822 -- Wally, we've been monitoring your Internet usage. - You've been running a side business on Ebay, selling our office supplies. - Well, I guess empowerment turned out to be a bunch of blah, blah, blah. 060823 -- Wally, I've documented all of your disciplinary issues in your personnel file. - You have violations for every letter of the alphabet except z. For some reason you missed that one. - zzzzzz 060824 -- Wally has a laziness disability. If you fire him, I wuill sue you for violating labor laws. - Furthermore, he is part endangered butterfly, on his mother's side. - As we speak, he's looking for a workplace hazard to roll around in. 060825 -- Your lawyer threatened to sue if I fire you for gross incompetence. So I decided to let you stay. - And we've moved to an alphabetical system for awarding "employee of the month." This is your month. - Stupid alphabet. 060826 -- Alice, we're doing some construction and I have to move you to a slightly larger cubicle. - Muwhahaha! I will use the power of my slightly larger cubicle to rule my coworkers with an iron fist! - GET OUT OF MY WAY, YOU WORTHLESS MICROCUBER!! 060827 -- There's one thing you should know... Whoa, woa, Asok! - What? Never tell him anything when he's distracted. - He won't remember what you say. Later he'll blame you for not telling him. - Also avoid telling him anything when he's angry, late, or 060827 -- busy. - And don't tell him anything when he's tense or hungry. - That doesn't leave much. I usually wait for a yawn. - Yawn! My project is behind schedule because the vendor lied!!! - The next one is all yours. 060828 -- This is a picture of my cubicle. As you see, it's slightly larger than yours. - That means I'm slightly more important than you. - And yet you've worked here much longer. I GET IT!!! 060829 -- I couldn't do any work this week because you gave Alice a bigger cubicle. - Your favoritism had a corrosive effect on my morale, thus inhibiting my effectiveness. - I'm optimistic that you'll do a better job of motivating me next week. 060830 -- I'm a technology left-behind. - I don't know how to use a computer, cell phone, PDA, digital camera, iPod or TiVO. - I'd recommend a life of crime but you aren't qualified. 060831 -- The highlight of my workday is my ham sandwich. - From now until quitiing time, nothing else will be as rewarding. - What do you do after work? I think about the sandwich. 060901 -- We can kick a field goal in the ninth inning if we use a full-court press. - Remember that you drive for show but pick up the spare for dough. - Have you been helping Alice with her sports metaphors? Perhaps. 060902 -- Executive Compensation Review Board How much should we pay our CEO if he just shows up for work? - FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!!! honk honk - The clown makes a good argument. Aye! 060903 -- You exceeded all of your goals this year. - But I can't give you much of a raise because you didn't have the appearance of success. - Um...what? - I have to justify to management all large raises, and they don't know that you exist. - Who do 060903 -- they think accomplished all of my goals? - - I'll make it up to you next year. push - Who was that? Some vendor. 060904 -- If I buy this, how can I be sure you won't come out with a newer version next week? - I give you my word as a job-hopping commission junky with a gambling problem. - And even if we did have a newer version, it sure wouldn't fix any of the 060904 -- problems that this one has. 060905 -- Wow! You're a decorated army combat veteran. - That's the kind of toughness we need around here. You're hired! - Then we'll have a premeeting to discuss leveraging our synergies to productize our content. GAAA!!! 060906 -- Is it difficult to transistion from leading troops in combat to the corporate life? - WHERE ARE THE PRODUCT SPECS?!! - The main difference is that it's harder to get good intel. 060907 -- The enemy was less than fifty feet away and my only hope was to call for an air strike. - That reminds me of the time I ran out of staples and had to use glue. - And then a sniper spotted me. My glue was bad. 060908 -- Steve, ask everyone in the department to sign this birthday card for my secretary. - I've led menin combat and this is the sort of assignment you give me?? - Also, run down to the convenience store and buy her something fluffy or orange. 060909 -- What are you going to wear to Ted's wedding? - Whatever comes up in the rotation. - Then she shrieked some nonsense about spending six months shopping for shoes and started to punch me. 060910 -- How was your conference call? - Very successful. Bill said he'd find a new supplier for the casing. - Or it might have been Ron, Ted, or Bob. They all sound the same on the phone. - I hope it wasn't Bill. He never follows through. - Ron is too 060910 -- overworked, Ted is a liar and Bob's a moron. - I'd say the call was a waste of time. It might even be a huge step backward. - - Success is the happy feeling you get between the time you do something an the time you tell a woman what you did. 060911 -- You're in charge of installing the system that Lyin' John sold to our biggest customer. - Lyin' John neglected to include the network and server in his sale. This is a financial sinkhole. - You take the joy out of delegating. 060912 -- Here's the problem: our salesman, Lyin' John, sold you a system that we can't install without losing money. - I propose that you pay us 40% more than we quoted you in the contract, and everyone wins. - crack!!! Her body language says she's 060912 -- thinking about it. 060913 -- Per your suggestion, I asked our customer to voluntarily pay us more money to cover our bidding error. - It might surprise you to learn that our customer doesn't like that idea. - You probably made it sound like a bad thing. 060914 -- Our sales guy vastly underbid a job. now it's my project to install the system in a way that's profitable. - Blame your customer for underspecifying the features then charge her through the nose for change orders. - Three million dollars for an 060914 -- electrical plug? The base model uses a potato battery. 060915 -- I want employees who are passionate! - GIVE ME THIS JOB OR SO HELP ME GOD, I WILL CUT OFF MY EAR! - And I'm a people person. 060916 -- My new strategy is to hire passionate people instead of smart ones. - I curse the air conditioning system that blows such a cold wind! - I can already feel our stock price going up. 060917 -- We don't have enough chairs. - - Why do I always have to get the extra chair? - I need to borrow your guest chair. No way. - - PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH GAAA!!! PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH - - If you aren't willing to punch a coworker for a 060917 -- chair, you don't belong in this business. 060918 -- Alice, I'm sending you to a communication class. - Because I've noticed that your words often say one thing while your body language says another. - Frankly, it's creepy. Thank you. I appreciate the useful feedback. 060919 -- Welcome to Dogbert's communication seminar. - Today you will learn how to use your Blackberry while pretending to listen. - Now repeat after me: Uh-huh, yeah, uh-huh. What was he thinking? Wow! click click click click 060920 -- Dogbert's Communication Seminar There's really no point in listening to other people. - They're either going to be agreeing with xou or saying stupid stuff. - That should cut down on the questions. 060921 -- I got the latest numbers from Yvonne. - How's Yvonne doing with the Sextuplets now that her house burned down and she had shoulder surgery? - It didn't come up. 060922 -- So, Asok, what have you heard about Ted's project? - He seems to be in over his head and he's blaming you for cutting the whole budget. - I hope this doesn't come back to bite me. Not now, Carol. I'm working my new snitch. 060923 -- Please don't tell Ted I said bad things about his project. Okay. - Hey Ted, someone told me that your project is floundering!!! gurk! - Act cool. 060924 -- Welcome to Dogbert's School of Management. - In today's lesson you will learn how to get your employees to do the impossible. - I have issued to each of you one large rock for practice. - Throw your rock in the air and demand that it stay there 060924 -- without falling. - Offer some non-monetary compensation to your rock to incent it. - If your rock refuses to comply, try yelling at it. Go. - BONK!-OW! BONK!-OW! BONK!-OW! BONK!-OW! BONK!-OW! BONK!-OW! - For those of you who stood directly 060924 -- below your rock, congratulations. Pick up your diploma on the way out. 060925 -- I'm in trouble. Do we have a witness protection program for office snitches? - I have the perfect hiding place for employees. - I'm gonna go eat some asparagus. Try to blend in. 060926 -- You're so attractive that I'm blind to your complete lack of qualifications. - If I hire you, will you show up for work? Not often, you ignorant lump. - Ha ha! It's cute the way you say it. Ha ha! I want your office. 060927 -- Alice, this is Ellen, your new natural enemy. - You're highly skilled but mannish, whereas Ellen is unqualified and totally hot. - Now I will have to decide who will come with me to the rtrade show in Hawaii and who will do the furniture 060927 -- inventory. 060928 -- Did you hire Ellen just because she's hot? - Carol, hotness is an important skill. It's like a super power. - From now on, how much are you charging us for printer cartridges? FUH FUH FREE! 060929 -- That new employee is getting special treatment jus because she's hot. IT's unfair. - She's hot? Where is her cubicle? Maybe I should bring her some coffee. - Do you mind brewing an extra pot? I don't know how big her mug is. 060930 -- The new employee at work is hot, and she's getting special treatment. How can I get rid of her? - Water finds its own level. She'll leave within a week. - They say that most people meet their future spouses at work. ERK! 061001 -- According to my benchmark tests, our product is the worst one in the market. - Maybe you can tweak the numbers. - Fake them? - Fake is such an ugly word. - Just remember that your next raise depends on the sales of that product. - And mistakes 061001 -- happen. A decimal place can be here or there. - All I'm asking is that you do the tests again... while drinking. - I always wondered what job satisfaction felt like. 061002 -- I come from a place where we have many coloful folk sayings! - I'm happier than a wooden spoon at the spelling bee. - Most of 'em don't mean nothin'. 061003 -- Did you start the benchmark tests? - I'm all over that like a caterpillar on my sunday pants. - Does that mean...yes? Do birds eat beans to fly faster? 061004 -- I cannot decide if you are very wise or just a big stupid moron. - Well, I'll tell you, little cowpoke, when the snake falls in love with the spaghetti, it's time to buy a new hat. - You look more flustered than a barefoot squirrel at a tire 061004 -- store. GAAA!!! THEY ALMOST MAKE SENSE!!! 061005 -- Hello, tech support, my computer is frozen. - Try hanging up and slamming your hand in a drawer. - How's work? My average call time is down and my job satisfaction is up. 061006 -- This t-shirt goes to Ted for his work on the Alpha project. - Idiot Your work was terrible. You're fired. - It was fightening. Were you scared shirtless? 061007 -- I need to blame someone for the failure of project Alpha. - Use the plunger of blame. It's the latest technology for randomly distributing blame. - Please tell me that someone is patting me on the back right now. 061008 -- A business magazine is sending a reporter to interview me. You? - They want to learn my best management practices. - That's a little like milking a squirrel because you need butter. - I don't know what that meant, but I like the way it sounded. 061008 -- - Describe your typical day. - Well, let me tell you... - Sometimes you milk the squirrel, and sometimes the squirrel milks you. - "He is like a Zen master. His words are peppered with squirrel-related wisdom." 061009 -- Why did you attach the plunger of blame to me? - The short answer is "because I can." - What's the long answer? Because I-I-I-I CA-A-A-A. 061010 -- My boss marked me with the plunger of blame. How can I get rid of it? - Eventually your body will absorb the plunger of blame and turn it into the wrinkles of experience. - And then you die. It's starting to itch! 061011 -- A disturbing number of you have requested the return of Loud Howard. - Loud Howard is one-dimensional. There is nothing clever or insightful about him. He is simply loud. - It is a mystery why anyone would want more of this guy. THEY LOVE ME!!! 061012 -- Loud Howard Returns. Loud Howard, I'm planning a reorg and I need you to... - A REORG? - ...keep it for yourself. CAN DO! 061013 -- Loud Howard THERE's GOING TO BE A REORG! - I'M NOT SUPPOSEd TO TELL ANYONE! - Reorg? DON'T MAKE ME SHUSH YOU! 061014 -- I need you to drop whatever you're doing and work all might to make this change to your system. - If you refuse to do my bidding, Here's the rumor I will spread about you. - Ha! I'll say I was only scratching an itch. Good luck with that. 061015 -- My project has been infected by attractive people. - As you know, attractive people are unproductive. - The problem is compounded when you put several of them in the same room. - They've already started to pair off. - I've got four love 061015 -- triangles and six divorces. - All of my status reports say, and I quote, "Dude, I can't concentrate now." - My plan is to replace each attractive person with something like this, or this. - He thinks I'm productive. 061016 -- I stayed up all night working on Mindy's software because she threatened me if I didn't. - Really? Threats make you work all night? - Um...no? Work on this all night or I'll punch you. 061017 -- Sometimes I feel as if my life is nothing but moving things from one place to another. - I've decided to seek a deeper connection with others to cure my emptiness. - Blah, blah, blah. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. 061018 -- Wally, how do you cope with the soul-crushing futility of this job? - One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee. - What got into you? 061019 -- I finished all of my projects on one day. - I also reconfigured the network, wrote seven white papers and applied for nine patents. - Are you naked or am I developing X-ray vision? Give a thought to decaf. 061020 -- I wanted to discuss the... Whoa! Stop. - Large doses of caffeine allow me to see the future. I already know what both of us will say. - You're a freak. And then I say, "and then I say..." 061021 -- Thanks to coffee, I can levitate objects with my mind. - Bring...the...mouse...bring the...mouse. - It's not perfect yet. No problem. I appreciate the attention. 061022 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Our employee onboarding process will get you all mainstreamed in no time at all. - This will be your cubicle, if we can find another place to store this junk. - You'll get a phone and computer if the 061022 -- budget ever gets approved. - This is Alice. She will be your mentor. - I don't have time to babysit! I'm buried in work! - I do not like you. I...do...not...like you!!! - stand in the hallway and read these binders. If you learn anything, 061022 -- forget it, because knowledge isn't rewarded here. - Try giving up hope. It turns the bad feeling into emptiness. 061023 -- How can I tell if I'm drinking too much coffee? - What would you do if I told you to quit? - I'd jab you with a used needle. In that case, you're fine. 061024 -- You've been acting strangely lately. Maybe you should cut down on the coffee. - You have failed me. Feel the power of the force! erk! - Bad dream? I wouldn't call it bad! 061025 -- Alice, you did the work of three people this year and earned the highest raise in the department! - 3% FOOM! - What made you all cumulonimbus? 3%. 061026 -- I worry that all of my wisdom is derived from bad analogies. - Ratbert, sometimes a good wine has to age before it is perfect. - So...I'll get smarter over time? To the extent that you are like a grape. 061027 -- I wanted to debate with people on the Internet but I worry thet I'm not smart enough. - Maybe I'll just read what the smart people are saying. - Okay, I'm in. 061028 -- I'm debating on the Internet! - Ha ha! I'm winning every argument by saying the same thing! What's that? - "How would you like if Hitler killed you?" Hey, I debated you last night! 061029 -- Welcome to Dogbert's Deeply Discounted Motivational Speakers Bureau. - I need a slightly motivational speaker and I don't have much budget. - I want to inspire my employees to work harder, without motivating them to seek better jobs. - I 061029 -- recommend Robbie, the frightening Hobo. - Does he talk about his difficult journey from the dumpster to success? - We're not sure. He mumbles. - But no one has ever become an entrepreneur after hearing him speak. - mumble mumble mumble 061029 -- Must...keeep...job. 061030 -- Wally, I can't work with the smell of popcorn in the air. It makes me insane! - I use it to mask the odors coming from my body. Choose your poison. - Refuelling the Hindenburg? Why are people so mean? 061031 -- It's another day of useless work and no accomplishment. - Luckily I have a meaningful personal life. - Ratbert broke the X-Box. GAAA!!! I HAVE NOTHING! 061101 -- Wally, the marketing department requested your help. Me? - Our new product is worthless, much like yourself. They figured you'd have some insight. - All it does is occupy space and smell bad. Well, it's definitely a gift item. 061102 -- Wally in Marketing We'll need a product for this product. - What do you call something that just occupies space and smells bad? - What was your name again? I don't like where this is heading. 061103 -- Wally in Marketing According to my marketing research, ninety percent of your customers... - ..."fantasize about beating you to death with your stupid product." - What about the other ten percent? They asked for your company address but didn't 061103 -- say why. 061104 -- Wally in Marketing Wally, I want you to design our sales collateral. - The trick is to compare our product with things that are even worse. - "Prettier than a skunk sandwich and cooler than a hobo's mittens." 061105 -- Today I will teach you how to use your incompetence to achieve your goals. - Step 1: Be incompetent. (also known as "the easy part.") - Step 2: Volunteer for the most difficult and important projects - Step 3: Convince your boss that an enemy 061105 -- within the company is slowing you down. - Step 4: Insist that competent people be pulled off of other projects to help you. - Step 5: Declare yourself the leader of the competent people - Step 6: Claim credit for the work of the competent 061105 -- people. - Step 7: After you get promoted, fire the competent people to eliminate witnesses. 061106 -- Hey Mort, are you coming to the...uh-oh. - Are you dead? Hello! Hello! - I'm going to let that problem work itself out. 061107 -- I just saw Mort in his cubicle. I think he's...dead. I noticed that yesterday. - And you didn't say anything???! Were you thinking he's just as as dead tomorrow and someone else can do the paperwork? - Wait. That's pretty good thinking... I was 061107 -- proud of it. 061108 -- There's a rumor that you're dead. Is it true? - - He'll be missed. 061109 -- We've got a dead guy in cubicle D-32. Uh-oh. - Do you have any idea how much paperwork it causes when someone dies in one of my cubicles? - Ten more feet to the marketing department. 061110 -- Get the user data from Ed. That's impossible. - Ed is an unreachable. He doesn't answer his phone or return messages. He's never in his cubicle and he doesn't read E-Mail. - Does he use the restroom? No, we think he modified his briefcase. 061111 -- I need some data from an unreachable guy named Ed. What should I do? - Just make up a bunch of data like everyone else does. - Everyone else does that? Are you doubting my data? 061112 -- Before you energize my team with your proposal, let me introduce everyone. - This is Wally. He'll show no reaction because he hopes apathy will kill your idea before it creates work. - This is Alice. She'll leave halfway through your 061112 -- presentation to take a phone call. - This is Asok. He'll be enthusiastic because he doesn't understand how the real world works. - This is Dilbert. He'll tell you why your idea is impossible. - This is Carol. She'll spend the entire meeting 061112 -- wondering if that's your real hair. - And this is Ted. He gave his two-weeks' notice last week. - And I like to keep my eyes closed the entire time because of my allergies. Go. 061113 -- Return Of Topper Then we started taking RPG fire from a rooftop. That's nothing. - I strangled 900 insurgents with my bare hands. - That seems unlikely. That's what the first 600 said. 061114 -- Topper My first baby weighed 11 pounds. That's nothing. - I once passed a kidney stone that was the size of a small horse. - I find that hard to believe. That kidney stone went on to win the Kentucky Derby! 061115 -- They're filming a movie downtown. I just saw Brad Pitt! That's nothing. - I once used too much fake tanning spray and the next thing I knew, Brad and Angelina adopted me. - You're saying Angelina Jolie is your mom? Until I talked her out of 061115 -- bottle feeding. 061116 -- Tina, you were only supposed to document our project status, not to rewrite the entire scope. - Our CEO loves the new project scope. We'll expect you to do that without extra resources. - Is this a "neener-neener" situation or more of a "Who's 061116 -- your Daddy?"? 061117 -- Our project scope has vastly expanded, so we'll all need to pull together as a team. - Is it too late for me to bail out before this project becomes a blight on my carreer? - I already put the team photo on our coffee cups. GAAA!!! 061118 -- You haven't given me enough resources to do my project. - That's because your project isn't important neither are you. - This took an ugly turn. Would you mind not exhaling so much in my coffee? 061119 -- First Date Do you feel like doing some conversation? - Okay. I love talking. - Do you like politics? No. - Science an technology? Not really. - War? No. Sports? No. Current Events? No. - What's left? I like to talk about my hair. - Um...okay, 061119 -- we can try that. - This brown is a browner brown than I wanted? Right. Are we done with hair? 061120 -- I don't like to judge people by their looks, but I'm going to make an exception for you. - Something tells me that you and I will be butting heads. - I have a degree in marketing. Why aren't your lips moving? 061121 -- Does marketing have any data on customer preferences? - ERR GRUNT! - This is disturbing on so many levels. 061122 -- What happens if I add the lies from marketing to my boss's assumptions...than factor in some reality? - KABOOM! - Stupid reality. 061123 -- Dilbert, meet Albert. He's old, but I like to call him experienced. - I'm trying to win anaward for being one of the best places to work if you have one foot in the grave. - I'm only 54. I ran a marathon yesterday. I asked the cafeteria to 061123 -- stock up on food that's easy to gum. 061124 -- Asok, this is Albert. He's old but we need to call him mature. - Explain to him what the computers are, but don't let him touch anything. The elderly like to fiddle. - I was a chip designer in my last job. Really? Chocolate or poker? 061125 -- When I was a kid, we didn't have any cell phones, iPods, video games or computers. - I played outside. My only toy was tree bark. - Were you raised by squirrels? No, I'm just mature. 061126 -- Our company has decided to try something new. Six Sigma - New? Six Sigma was developed in the 80s. - It's new to us. - Why don't we jump on a fad that hasn't already been widely discredited? - That way the false hope might sustain us. - There's 061126 -- nothing wrong with Six Sigma. All it does is reduce defects! - Let's see...Fortune Magazine says...blah, blah...most companies that used Six Sigma have trailes the S&P 500. - Sorry I'm late. What did I miss while I was innovating? 061127 -- Did you tell Asok to get our client a "little bit pregnant"? Yes. - Well, he doesn't understand all of our American sayings. - I don't know what this is all about, but I'm in. 061128 -- I've been trying for six months to solve this engineering problem. It might be impossible. - Just turn int sideways and it will fit perfectly. - Okay...now I have to kill you. 061129 -- We might need to restate our earnings. - It turns out that we're not allowed to make up numbers. - Did you know that "frillion" isn't an actual number? 061130 -- Today the company restated its earnings from "a few frillion" to "a loss of 1.3 billion." - This would be humilitating if I had any friends. - Your strategy of being unattractive is paying off. I'm ugly like a fox. 061201 -- ...and I work there as an engineer. - Go away. I lost $3,000 when your company restated its earnings. - Tonight I was rejected for corporate malfeasance. I'll add it to the list. 061202 -- Our CEO is here to answer questions any of your about our restatement of earnings. - Will you return your $25,000,000 bonus from last year, mow that you acknowledge it was unearned? - And what's your name? Dilbert. 061203 -- Alice, you need to use up your vacation days before the end of the year. - You told me I had to finish my project before the and of the year. - I have 19 vacation days to use and there are 19 work days left in the year. - That leaves zero days 061203 -- to do 19 days worth of work. - You could work on weekends and use weekdays for vacation. - WHY THE *%*!# WOULD I DO THAT?!! - Because vacations reduce your stress. Duh. - You'd think that would be obvious. AAIEEE!!! PUNCH!!! 061204 -- It's stressful to be a contract employee. I only get paid for the hours I work. - I can't enjoy my time off because it feels as if it costs me a fortune! - Do you know what I mean? Yeah, I had a feeling once. 061205 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Every Absence counts as one "occurence" whether it is one day or more. - I just got a headache. I'll se you in a year. Or as I like to call it, one occurence. - If something is worth having, it's worth 061205 -- abusing. 061206 -- Hey, is that a new candy dish? Yes, it is. - GET YOUR HAND AWAY FROM MY #!%** CANDY! - I love the new candy dish. 061207 -- You work in a cubicle while your routers and servers have a private office with their own climate control. - The machines have taken over. Your job is to provide them with electricity. - And do you think those electronic voting machines care 061207 -- about your opinion? 061208 -- Carl quit. He's the only one who knows how to program the legacy system. - It can't be that hard. Go figure it out. - Frack. 061209 -- I found a family of squirrels living inside our legacy system. - They control our payroll database. They're making demands. - Leave the acorns and no one will get their deductions increased. 061210 -- This is Dogbert's Tech Support. How may I abuse you? - I get an error message every time I open an application. - Try giving me all of your personal information and then checking into rehab. - Then I'll have someone steal your identity and move 061210 -- in with your wife. - There's a good chance that the new gux will know how to fix your computer. - When you get out of rehab, talk your wife into taking you back. - Then never touch your computer again because it hurts the ones you love. - How's 061210 -- work? Everyone wants to talk to my supervisor. 061211 -- I need your comments on this before I submit it. - Just leave it here and hope I become the sort of boss who gets around to doing that sort of thing. - Did someone tell you that hope works? 061212 -- Flashback: Indian Insitute Of Technology - Your telekinesis grades are very good, young Asok. - Always remember that you may not use your powers in front of the ungifted. - Present Day What the...? I just blinked and the last doughnut 061212 -- disappeared! 061213 -- I worked on my own time to invent a room-temperature superconductor that could eliminate our need for oil. - You were supposed to be finding a new vendor for toner cartridges. What happened to that? - Must...not use...telekinesis... Why does my 061213 -- necktie seem so...ERK!!! 061214 -- And the point of my presentation is that these titanium tubes wil... - BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!!! - It's for you. 061215 -- The director of Marketing need an engineering resource. - I'm giving you to him because I hate his stupid guts. - What did I do to deserve this? Sorry I'm late. I had to drown a burrito. 061216 -- Wally, if I give you an assignment, what are the odds that you will actually do it right? - If I put my mind to a task, I do it well. - Will you put your mind to it? Wow. Good follow-up question. 061217 -- You missed the meeting. What meeting? - The budget meeting that you told me to schedule. - You never told me when it was. - I sent you an E-Mail. - Well, obviously you chosse an uninteresting subject line. - Otherwise I would have opened it. - 061217 -- You're a bad E-Mail sender. - I also told you in person. Boringly? 061218 -- I got your overly brief E-Mail, which obviously means you hate me and everything I stand for! - I was in a hurry and didn't want to make you wait for a replay. - Well, okay, but I still have a residual hatred that I'll need to transfer to some 061218 -- other aspect of your personality. Fair enough. 061219 -- Tina seems mad at you. What's that about? - She thought I did something rude, but when she found out I didn't, she still had residual anger. - I wonder what it's like to have squirrels living in your skull. 061220 -- Bob, The Unluckiest Insurance Agent. You're making a good decision. - GAAAK! - 061221 -- Bob, The Unluckiest Insurance Agent. Our hazard coverage is second to none! - - Don't flee down the stairwell. The steps are made of asbestos. 061222 -- There's an article in the paper about that guy you voted for. - He's having an affair with a squirrel. - Want to talk politics? Shut up. 061223 -- I heard thet the guy you voted for just confessed to having an affair with a squirrel. - Shut up. The guy you voted for is being sued for choking his secretary. - In some countries they don't get a choice of who to vote for. I feel sorry for 061223 -- them. 061224 -- I'll be right back after I return these dishes to the cafeteria. Whoa, whoa! - Winners don't return dishes to the cafeteria. - Then how do the dishes get back? - You must use your powers of low standards. - Just place the dishes on the floor 061224 -- and wait for a loser with high standards. - Gaaa! Dishes on the floor! - Once again I have to clean up after slobs! - It is like a miracle. Now ask her to bring you back a yogurt. 061225 -- I found a way to save a million dollars by spending only $10,000. - The $10,000 would come out of my budget but the savings would go into someone else's budget. It's not feasible. - Our stockholders might disagree. That's why they aren't 061225 -- invited to meetings. 061226 -- We don't pay enough to attract qualified employees. - No problem. I'll hire unqualified people with good attitudes to train them. - Dilbert, when ypu get a second, train this guy. Yay! 061227 -- All attempts to train you have failed. - But I don't want to fire you because there's a hiring freeze and I can't backfill. - So I've decided to scale back your responsibilities. Where do you want these? 061228 -- Vlad is here to tell us why it's so important to donate blood. - Blood is totally delicious and I'm too lazy to bite necks. - You're not with the red cross, are you. - Competition is healthy too. 061229 -- Is it true that you allowed a vampire to run the blood drive? - Yes, and it takes a big man to admit he's wrong. - You admit you were wrong? I decided to loose weight instead. 061230 -- Women know all about diets. Which one should I use? - Should I go with the one that makes me miserable and doesn't work, or the one that might kill me? - If you do bothh, I won't ask for anything on National Secretary's Day. 061231 -- I'll ask the vendor for ballpark prices to see if the idea is feasible. - You can't talk with vendors until our change control board approves the project. - But that would require a cost-benefit analysis. - And I can't do that without ballpark 061231 -- prices from the vendor. - Just take your best guess. - So...I should make up a number so I can get approval to make a phone call and ask what the number should have been? - Right. But first you need to get my approval to do the cost-benefit 061231 -- analysis. - Will you approve it? I'd have to see the numbers. 070101 -- Our meat and potatoes is knowing how to sandwich in our product without causing the other vendors to beef. - We'll get our just desserts when they drink the kool-aid. Then we can have our cake and eat it too. - Are you on a diet? Shut your pie 070101 -- hole. 070102 -- I should warn you that I'm on a diet and might not have the sharp focus that you've come to expect from me. - HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA - I thought of something funny totally on my own. 070103 -- How's your diet coming along? - MM-GUWUNG-MMGUH-MUH - It's hard to pick the one best doughnut I've ever had, but this one is on my top five. 070104 -- My doctor says it will be easier if I diet with a buddy. Do you want in on this? - Good lord. I think I just developed an eating disorder! - They say the first 20 pounds are the easiest. NOT HELPING! 070105 -- My diet is making me too hungry to listen. I hope that doesn't affect the quality of my decisions. - Amortize the depreciation over the bandwidth of the discount rate. - Don't ask him for anything today. I brought am emergency hoagie. 070106 -- Dogbert: Diet Guru Try stuffing fewer groceries down your maw. - I was hoping you'd give me motivation. - Stop eating or I'll kill you. Would I get a last meal? 070107 -- Tina, I need you to edit this before I send it out. - Sure. I could use a good laugh. - Let's start with the words that aren't words. - Incentinemt...robustify...flexitate...and leadershipping. - I'll take those out and see what's left. - "If 070107 -- you're not onboard with quality excellence, you're underboard." - WA-HA-HA HA-HA-HA HA!!! - Why do I even bother trying to moralify these people. 070108 -- I'm making you a sales engineer. You'll be paid on commission. - When our sales reps lie, it will be your job to make it look like the truth. - Try to avoid facts. 070109 -- Sales Engineer Your sales rep told us that the product hels itself. Is that true? - It's totally true...that he said that. - Let me ask this another way... NOOO!!! ONE WAY PER QUESTION! 070110 -- I'm a sales support engineer now. Can you teach me to be a good liar? - Sure. Meet me on the porch, and don't wear a coat; The cold will help the learning. - The first lesson is always the cruelest. 070111 -- Sales Engineer I did the hard part of making the sale. All you have to do is install it. - I might have promised them a few extra features. -Did you bring your own massage table or should I just get naked an sprawl on a desk? 070112 -- Your network product appears to be a shoebox full of twigs and leaves. - Ho ho! Just wait until my engineer does his magic and integrates it with you network! - Make it look like another vendor's fault. 070113 -- Sales Engineer I've successfully integrated our product with your network. - It might look as if all I did was run a CAT5 cable through a shoebox full of twigs and leaves. - Is that all you did? A CAT6 cable would be overkill. 070114 -- Did you set up my pre-meeting for wednesday? - Yes. It's on thursday. - You scheduled my pre-meeting for the day after the meeting? - That was the only day everyone could make it. - There's no point in having a pre-meeting after the actual 070114 -- meeting. - Sure there is. You can talk about how much better the meeting would have been if you had been prepared. - Here comes the pointy-haired boss. You'd better scurry away before he gives you more work. - There's a fine line between evil 070114 -- and underpaid. 070115 -- - TRA-LA-LA LA-LA-LA-LA!!! - Why do I need a reason? 070116 -- Every week I order sugared doughnuts online and every week they deliver plain doughnuts. - Those aren't plain. Ratbert licks the sugar off of them when they arrive. - I work in a cubicle. I can get used to this too. 070117 -- Dogbert's Password Recovery Service For Morons I don't remember my password. - Is it "123"? - That's just spooky. 070118 -- Dogbert's Password Recovery Service For Morons I done forgot my password. What's your name? - My name is Ned, i think. Is your password "Ned"? - Sweet baby jeepers, you're like some sort of Nostrildogmas! Here's a brochure for my cult. 070119 -- Carol, schedule a staff meeting. What's the topic? - I plan to use Six Sigma with lean methods to eliminate the gap between our strategy and our objectives. - I'll just say "waste of time." 070120 -- We need to find a way to close the gap between our strategy and our capabilities. - Why don't we just pretend we're good at something and call it our strategy. - Sorry...didn't mean to jump ahead. 070121 -- From now on, all travel must be booked through the corporate travel web site. - Our travel web site is terrible. - It only lets you book the cheapest flight, and that's always on Elbonian Airlines. - Don't be such a snob. What's wrong with 070121 -- using a discount airline? - Well, they list theor destination airports as "whatever looks soft." - The meals in first class are made of anyone who dies in coach. - Their entrire security screening process involved shouting at each passenger 070121 -- "Are you Osama Bin Laden?!!!! - And once I saw a baggage handler wearing my dress. Whiner. 070122 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I am a scientist from the planet Zorp. I bring you technologies beyond your imagination. - All I ask is that you let me work with your engineers to transfer this knowledge. - They think "work" means 070122 -- sitting in a fabric-covered container. 070123 -- I am an alien with highly advanced intelligence. I have come to share my genius with this company. - Me too. But they don't like that sort of thing here. It's a quagmire. 070124 -- I came to this company to bring the technology of my advanced culture to you simpletons. - Has anyone ever told you that your snout is like the handle of a gavel? A what? - How's the new guy working out? ORDER IN THE COURT! BAM BAM BAM 070125 -- I came from a distant planet to bring you advanced technology, but no one here will listen! - I am a superior being, you moron! Listen to what I tell you and then do it! - I fired him before he started yammering about Linux. Easy come, easy go. 070126 -- Can you come to a meeting right now? No, it's almost lunch time. - If I miss lunch, my day will be 12 hours of uninterrupted misery. I will envy the dead. - That's stupid. The dead don't eat lunch either. 070127 -- Asok, your assignment is to buy a display case for our awards. - Then go to the awards store and buy a bunch of awards because we don't have any. - The next one is for "best unethical filling of an awards showcase." 070128 -- I enjoyed meeting your staff. Keep up the good work. - This isn't my staff. I report to the guy who reports to you. - Really? Which one of you reports to me? - - Well, that explains why you keep hanging around outside my office. - I've been 070128 -- going to your office for years, waiting for you to get off the phone so I could talk to you. - I've been making fake phone calls for years, hoping the weirdo outside my office would go away. - Keep up the good work. 070129 -- Dogbert Consults Your problem is that you have too many losers on the payroll. - Luckily I have developed a foolproof DNA test for identifying losers. - Well, I'm afraid your DNA doesn't match mine, loser. 070130 -- I analyzed the DNA of all of your applicants to find the best fit for the job. - The most qualified applicant who is willing to work for you has three ears, a snout, and a life expectancy of thursday. - Dilbert, meet the new guy. And do it 070130 -- quickly. cough cough 070131 -- Our new philosophy is "a bias for action." - Are we eliminating our six-sigma program, the budget cycle, ISO certification, and our approval processes? - Can I get back to you on that? Sure. No rush. 070201 -- My day will start out great if I can make it to the cubicle without human contact. - AAYI-YI-YI-YI! - I hope that was the sound of teamwork. Why did you add this button the the user interface? YOu told me to. - Why would I tell you that` You always suggest random changes to create the illusion of adding value. - Well, remove that button. It's only on your copy. 070203 -- There's a job opening for an engineer in research and development! - It's a chance to escape the mismanaged futility of my current job and live the dream! - Hey, there's an opening for a new manager of research and development! 070204 -- I'd like to kick off the project by assigning blame for its eventual failure. - Shouldn't we do this after the project is over? - I see no reason to wait. - Well...okay. - Our boss will make us use the wrong vendor. - Wally won't do any work. 070204 -- Alice will alienate the client, and Ted is generally worthless. - In summary, my excellent work will be rendered moot by nincompoops. - Do you even work here? NO, I was just in the neighborhood. 070205 -- Do you mind if I apply for the opening in R&D? Hey, I just applied for the manager job there. - Um...maybe I'll wait. T make sure I'll be your boss? - Ooo-kay... This must be what bonding feels like. 070206 -- Congratulations on 20 years of service. Here's a pen with the company's logo. - I have one just like it. At least I think this one is mine. I might have gotten them mixed up. - Which one looks like it spent the least time in my ear? 070207 -- You said to tell you if marketing wasn't cooperating. - You can't come running to me with every little problem. Go fix it. - Then why did you tell me to tell you?! It's just something I say. 070208 -- Wally, what are your goals for the coming year? - My goal is to replace my soul with coffee and become immortal. - I mean something about work. Oh, I thought you said *my* goals. 070209 -- I wrote out my goals for the coming year. - I set them higher than I can achieve because our boss said it's good to have stretch goals. - Well, more for us. 070210 -- I'm concerned that you might be low-balling your goals for the coming year. - For example, this one says you will "decompose in your chair." - That sounds easy. Not really. Half of the time I'm in a different chair. 070211 -- Our travel budget is shot. - We'll take money out of the training budget. - We need training to support our new product. - We'll use the software budget for training. - We need to do a mandatory software upgrade. - Fine. Move some money from 070211 -- the travel budget to the software budget. - Geez, you people do nothing but complain. Meanwhile I'm managing my brains out. - I wondered what happened to them. Happened to what? 070212 -- He is totally violating my personal space with his non-standard facial hair. Then I said... - HA! HA! HA! HA! Gaaa!!! His warm, moist breath is all over me! - Pleas stop touching my brain with your nose. 070213 -- He was violating my personal space and his head got stuck in my ear. - You need a huge yawn to open the ear canal so he can get out. - Yes, I do have lots of pictures of my porcelain frog collection. Why do you ask? 070214 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Employee appreciation day is next tuesday. The cover charge is $25 apiece. - How do we know you won't buy cheap hot dogs and pocket the rest of your money? - Every day it gets harder to appreciate you. 070214 -- gulp gulp gulp 070215 -- How's your project coming along? It's a steaming pile of failure. - It's like fifteen drunken monkeys with a jigsaw puzzle. - How's your project coming along? Fine. 070216 -- Who needs a little management help on their project? - - You could almost feel the teamwork in the air. 070217 -- Alice, I have some good ideas about your project. GAAA! WHY ME? - WHY MUST I SUFFER YOUR IDEAS? WHY, WHY, WHY?! - You're not a good listener. SHOOT ME! SHOOT ME! SHOOT ME! 070218 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources The new company health plan is Google. - From now on, employees must google to diagnose their own illnesses. - For example, this guy has a growth on his neck. I do? - A quick search on my Blackberry 070218 -- tells me it's... - WHAT IS IT? Ooh. Wow. - A pregnant termite crawled into your mouth and built a hive in your esophagus. - GAAA!!! Stop being a baby. The treatment for this is... - Do you have an arc welder and a barrel of kerosene? 070219 -- I hired the Dogbert Public Relations Firm to get us some free publicity. - I've already told the media that your products are deadly and we're voluntarily recalling everything. - But...they aren't deadly. Hey, I don't tell *you* how to be fat. 070219 -- *snork 070220 -- Dogbert Does Public Relations Our products are made by asthmatic dwarves. You should do a story on that. - Not enough? OKay, what if the dwarves are also polygamous serial killers? - When you talk to the reporter, try to sluoch, wheeze, and act 070220 -- henpecked to the point of homicide. 070221 -- Dogbert Does Public Relations You can't get free publicity simply by doing something better. - You have to do something in a way that has never been done. - It's a Sir Richard Branson sort of thing. You wouldn't understand. 070222 -- I hope you don't expect me to write a favorable article about your company just because you bought me drinks. - No, I expect you to publish my press release and act like you wrote it. - You can work or you can get drunk, but the pay is exactly 070222 -- the same. 070223 -- Thanks to my P.R. campaign, your stock price is grossly over-inflated. - Now you can use your stock to buy companies that actually make money. - After you manage those companies into the toilet, give me a jingle. 070224 -- Someone left a dead horse in the hall. - I am going to punch that dead horse until it gallops away. - punch punch punch punch You were right. But where did you find a dead horse? There's a store for everything. 070225 -- You'll be in charge of this project. - What's my budget? I'll need to approve all expenses. - Who will report to me? - Your team will report to me and I'll tell them what to do. - So I'll start on the project plan. Um... - Skip that part. I 070225 -- already have a plan in my head. - Hypothetically, who would take the blame if this project failed? - Well, you're in charge... 070226 -- The facilities people tell me there's asbestos in the ceiling. - They say you don't need to worry about it unless it gets disturbed. - They plan to disturb it today. 070227 -- The employees are getting all whiney about the asbestos in the ceiling. - I told them it wasn't dangerous, but apparently I'm not credible in this hazmat suit. - I don't think it's fair that they judge me by my clothes. 070228 -- They found asbestos in our ceiling. We're all in danger. - I must use my telekinesis to remove the asbestos. GAAA! - The threat has been neutralized. You must never ask me how it was done. I'm not even curious. 070301 -- Do your esimates include tax and shipping? Relax, relax, calm down. - There's no need to get all nuts about the tax and shipping. It's under control. Take a deep breath. - Um...All I asked was...Gaaa! You're totally losing it now! 070302 -- Dilbert totally flipped out when I showed him the cost estimates. - Really? Or is this one of those cases where someone acts normally and you unexplicably tell the world that they totally flipped out? - Whoa! Don't flip out. I wonder if I can 070302 -- punch her sane. 070303 -- Alice, you've been accused of punching a crazy co-worker. - In my defense, it did make her less crazy. - I know. Here's a list of additional crazy employees I'd like you to punch. 070304 -- May I see the vacation schedule? - Why do you want it? No reason. - Well, Ted, I hope you're enjoying your vacation. - Wally, do you have the cost estimates? I'm waiting for Ted's input. He's on vacation. - How about the revised timeline? I'm 070304 -- waiting for Ted. - Do you need any office supplies? I'm going to the store. Maybe some pens. - Limited selection but excellent prices. - Thanks. So, I understand you have a vacation next week. 070305 -- Have you signed Ted's Get Well card yet? - Don't leave that here. Ted passed away two weeks ago. How long have you had the card on your desktop? - Have you signed Ted's Get Well card yet? Put it on the pile. 070306 -- I spent this entire week unscrewing the problems created by your ambiguous communication. - Next week I hope to unscrew the problems created by your hiring of morons. - Moving on, I've made some changes to the budget. There goes April. 070307 -- Wally, too many people are asking me for things. How can I set priorities? - Wait until everyone is yelling at you and then help whoever makes the scariest threat on any given day. - Is that what you do? No, I tell people to go ask you. 070308 -- Wally, did you finish the detailed analysis? No, I'm more of a big picture kind of guy. - Why didn't you tell me that a week ago when I asked? I don't like to disappoint people. - What the %$%! do you think I am *now*?! - Hey, I think I'm 070308 -- starting to like disappointing people! 070309 -- I disappoint people, but I'm learning to enjoy it. - The key to happiness is to love who you are, not who others want you to be. - Doesn't that make you a soxiopath? Yeah. I love that about me. 070310 -- Dogbert's Speakers Bureau What topic would you be speaking about? - I would speak about the folly of trying to satisfy other people's unreasonable expectations. - Would you show up on time? No. I doubt I would even prepare a speech. 070311 -- Every company needs goals. ***GOALS*** - We have division goals, department goals, district goals and affiliate goals. - You will all attend afour-hour training session on how to write goals. - Every week you will report on how you are doing 070311 -- compared to your goals. - Those reports will be entered into a giant database. - Won't the size and complexity of the database make it impossible to know what's really happening? - Yes. That's why your raises will be based on what you look 070311 -- like. - Bummer for you. 070312 -- Dogbert's Speakers Bureau I booked you to do the keynote speech for a big company. - They need a speaker who is so boring and uninspiring that their CEO's humorous skit seems less soul-crushing. - How large is the audience? 1,500 visctims. 070313 -- Wally's Keynote Speech The source of all unhappiness is other people. - The sooner you learn to think of other peoples as noisy furniture, the sooner you will be happy. - That's the stupidest advice I've ever heard! Hey, it's a talking ottoman! 070313 -- Hee-hee! 070314 -- Financial Advisor You've made a lot of money as a demotivational speaker. - I recommend allocating 2% of it to me, and 98% to things that sound good if you don't look into them too closely. - How about a managed stock fund with high churn and a 070314 -- big front-end load? Sounds good. 070315 -- Thanks to my outside income, I didn't feel any pressure to work this week. - So I spent my time drawing pictures of you in funny positions. - I might be losing my firm grip on things. Not according to this picture. 070316 -- We have a squatter problem. - We must make our empty cubicles appear occupied or else we'll lose them to other departments. - When we're done hosing our own company, can we start hosing the competition? Our customers are next. 070317 -- Did you finish the technical evaluation? First draft. - Um...this says nothing but literally "blah, blah, blah." - I like to nail the spacing first. 070318 -- Some batteries in the lab leaked. - I cleaned it up, but there was no place to put all of the hazardous waste. - I couldn't put it in the regular trash or the recycling bin. - It's not legal to pour it down the drain or flush it. - So I put it 070318 -- between two pieces of bread and left it in the break room refrigerator. - GAAA!!! - Not really. I just wanted to find out who's been eating my lunch. - You mean I'm not going to die? Not instantly. 070319 -- Did you know that loneliness can't be cured by listening to others? - You can only feel alive and whole when others are listening to *you*. - What do you think of that? Think of what? 070320 -- I have finished my projects. What's next? Make a spreadsheet and track something. - Track what? I think you'll find that it doesn't matter. - 070321 -- In order to boost productivity, the company has decided that employees can not use E-Mail on Fridays. - What if my highest priorities require E-Mail? Should I waste my day doing worthless stuff? - Geez, somehow you made a great idea seem 070321 -- ridiculous. Yeah, that's all me. 070322 -- How can I achiev my full potential? You already have. - What? Seriously. You already peaked. - I came to human resources for some guidance. That's what tipped me off. 070323 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I'd like to discuss my career plan. - The plan is that we'll keep you around until we find a starving Elbonian to do your job for less. - In other words, blah, blah, maybe someday you will get a 070323 -- promotion. 070324 -- Everything you do is different from the way I would do it. - That's how I know you're doing everything wrong. - I wouldn't be making that face. 070325 -- And now for another round of E-Mail judo. - Let's see...this guy wants me to attend a meeting. - Eee-yah! I'll tell him I'm booked. - This guy wants some information. - Ee-yah! I'll tell him my hard drive crashed. - This idiot wants my input on 070325 -- his document. - Eee-yah! I'll tell him the attachment won't open. - Who's winning today? Not the people who sent me E-Mail Eee-yah!. 070326 -- Hi, I'm Jeff, the human ashtray. - I like to lean in real close to people so they can enjoy my aroma! - OW! OW! OW! Sounds like someone is getting his ash kicked. 070327 -- Jeff, The Human Ashtray Watch out for that hole in the ground! - That's not a hole. It's just a dark spot on the floor from some of your ash falling there. Oh. - I can't tell the difference between my ash and a hole in the ground. Dilbert, did 070327 -- you meet your new boss? 070328 -- Just because my head is an ashtray, that doesn't mean I can't be a good manager. - Ask me any question and I will show you my managerial talent. - The answer is six bags of potatoes! May I ask the question first? 070329 -- There's more to being a manager than just having an ashtray for a head. There is? - Yes, and I am doing a lot of research to find out what those other things are. - Later, at the library Cat Fancy This is good stuff. 070330 -- When you're done researching new technology, I want you to inventory our furniture. - When do you think you'll be done? When will you forget you asked me, and assign the furniture project to someone else? - Two weeks. I'll be done in 15 days. 070331 -- I don't understand what your department does, so I decided to eliminate it. - What if I explain what we do? Would you change your mind? - I see you're not a big fan of decisiveness. 070401 -- Do you have a minute? No. I'm busy. - When would be a good time for me to come back? - Come back when I'm not busy. - Aren't you always busy? Heck, no. - Sometimes I'm in between doing one thing and doing another thing. - When will that happen? 070401 -- It's unpredictable. - Ask Carol, to call you when I'm not busy. - Carol, would you... I'M BUSY! 070402 -- Our CEO wants to eliminate the department because he doesn't know what we do. - I need someone to tell me what we do so I can tell him. - We explain things to morons. Should I be writing this down? 070403 -- Asok, I need you to create a Powerpoint presentation that will save our department from being eliminated. - You must quantify the unquantifiable. And that can only be done by a process called lying. - Lying is a process? It can be, if you use 070403 -- enough slides. 070404 -- I need to quantify the benefits of our department. Any ideas? - I recommend dishonesty. - Would that work? It made me the man I am today. 070405 -- I have the ability to quantify the unquantifiable. - That is why they call me Dogbert The Quantifier. - Who calls you that? Eight people. 070406 -- Dogbert The Quantifier How can I quantify the benefits of my department? - Try making absurd claims of value while hoping that no one asks questions. - Does that work? I hope so. Here's my invoice. 070407 -- Art Department I am Dogbert, The Quantifier Of Unquantifiable Things. - I declare you to be worth $85. - No one likes to be quantified. *#!**%*! 070408 -- If I invented something that would give me unlimited power... - ...would you kill me in my sleep so xou could stel it? - Of course not. - Good. - I mean, why would I wait until you were asleep? - That's just burning daylight. - In fact. I'm 070408 -- thinking of killing you right now just in case you already invented it and you're trying to decide whether you should tell me. - It was a hypothetical question. Maybe, but it's not a chance I'm willing to take. 070409 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I hired two people to work on your project. - One is a mumbler and the other one is hard of hearing but doesn't know it. - Mmmm, afterglow. 070410 -- - Your success diminishes me. - 070411 -- E-Mail me with your comments on the design. Can't I just tell you my comments now? - I need it in writing because you're a huge liar and You'll change your story later. - And I might punch you for not shaving the back of your neck. Well then, 070411 -- E-Mail it is. 070412 -- I never reviewed the design. Yes you did. Here's a copy of your E-Mail. - This is hardly conclusive. Did you get any DNA evidence? - What was all that screaming? A had to collect some DNA. 070413 -- I don't understand why technical writers get paid less than engineers. - If you were capable of understanding that sort of thing, you'd be an engineer. - This took an ugly turn. And your dress looks like a tube sock with aspirations. 070414 -- You wrote last year's date on this report. Ha ha! Swift. - I enjoy pointing out your mistakes because it makes me feel better about myself. - I wrote this last year. This will go faster if you say you didn't. 070415 -- Company Lawyer I did a trademark search on all of the excellent product names you suggested. - Every one of them is taken. - So I did a search on the names that weren't so great. - Those are taken too. - Then I checked on the names iCrud, 070415 -- iPuke, Eatdirtanddie, and Defectiveproduct. - All Taken. - So our new product name will be a combination of grunts and shrieks. - Like this? Grrrreeeyyaaa? That one is taken. Ours sounds more like a monkey passing a kidney stone. 070416 -- I spent my entire day planning and scheduling future work, and no time doing work. - Tomorrow I plan to spend the entire day eplaining why I didn't have time to do work. - It hurts less if you call it a plan. What happens if you call it your 070416 -- purpose? 070417 -- According to my Soul-O-Meter, you still have 1% of your soul. - I'll give you a doughnut for it. Sold. - It's funny how quickly a good day can become a great day. 070418 -- Stop right there. I'm detecting a glimmer of hope. - I was hoping I would be appreciated for my hard work. - False hope is okay. Carry on. 070419 -- My Soul-O-Meter is picking up a reincarnated soul. It looks like you have had several previous lives. - I'll cauterize your head so your soul stays in your dead body next time. zzzt!!! - Because I can. 070420 -- This product will leapfrog the iPod and provide pleasure to all five of your senses. - The user can download pictures, smells, tastes, and celebrity tickling patterns. - The test group preferred it over eating. They're all dead. It has the 070420 -- coolness factor. 070421 -- Don't feel bad if you only got a 3% raise; I only got 2% myself. - Can we feel bad that 2% of *your* pay is bigger than 3% of *our* pay? - Don't get all mathy on me. 070422 -- We're planning to outsource half of the department. - You can't tell anyone. - Is it true that half of the department will be outsourced? - Before you answer, I should tell you that I've made a list... - ...of all the responses that mean the 070422 -- same as yes. - For example, if you say, "ignore the rumors," that means yes. - Also on the list are, "why do you ask" and, "who told you that?" - That list is stupid. Gaaa!!! That's number 8 on my list!!! 070423 -- Phew. This has been a long meeting. Does anyone have any other issues? I... - PUNCH - We have a motion to adjourn. 070424 -- You hava bad case of chair buttocks. - You can still live a normal life. - Assuming it's normal for people to point and laugh at you. 070425 -- This is the posterior of a healthy, unemployed woman. - Prolonged exposure to employment will create more of a box shape. - I'd offer you a lollipop, but it would only make things worse. 070426 -- Tina The Tech Writer I'm starting my own blog! Dear god, no! - Every day I will record my personal thoughts about our business. - I need you to write the first one by noon. I can't wait to see what I'm thinking. 070427 -- This blog post you wrote for me isn't witty enough. - Try it again, but make it sound like Mark Twain. - "I reckon you'd be hankerin' for some quality. 'taint happein' but it orter." 070428 -- Your blog has become an embarrassment to the company. - You have failed me. Now you must pay the price. - snap Oh, crud. I need you to call the facilities department for me...and come back tomorrow. 070429 -- We're going to take a page from the automakers' playbooks. - Automakers prove their design skills by creating concept cars that will never go in production. - Then they prove their management skills by producing cars that are less attractive 070429 -- than corrective underpants. - Tomorrow we're holding a press conference to show the world our own concept product. - Our concept product can stop global warming and wax your back at the same time. - Can it actually do those things? Whay do you 070429 -- care? - So...actually it's just a huge waste of time. - You might have a mighty low opinion of news. 070430 -- You might hear some noise from the basement tonight. - I got a big order for running shoes, so I'm making Elbonians work around the clock. - Here's some pepper spray in case any of them escape. 070501 -- Please help me. Your dog has enslaved my people in your basement and forced us to make running shoes! - PSSST GAAA!!! MY EYES!!! - I like to help people, but I also like inexpensive footwear. 070502 -- We have a report of a cartoonist in cubicle 45950. His comics may embarrass the company. - We can't fire him because it would look bad. You must give him absurd assignments until he quits. - Your new job is to evaluate technology that obviously 070502 -- has no economical application. Woo hoo! 070503 -- I heard that you started a comic strip on the side. - You're in my seat, fly bait. Move or I'll pound your head so hard you'll have to remove your pants to read. - Did I miss anything about teamwork? Where do you get your ideas? 070504 -- You can't have a side job of drawing a comic strip about the workplace. - I should fire you for mocking the management of this company in newspapers. - Because then I'd mock you less? 070505 -- My side job as cartoonist is doing well, so this is my resignation. - My new carreer involves sitting around in my pajamas and thinking of ways to ridicule you. - Actually, it's not so much a letter of resignation as it is a drawing of your 070505 -- body with a manure head. 070506 -- Can I ask you a question? Sure, new guy. - How long do I need to work here before... - ...the dark cloud of hopelessness and despair begins to lift? - I keep expecting the feeling to go away any minute. - I was hoping to achieve job 070506 -- satisfaction within a month. - Once that happens, I feel thet total self-actualization can't be far behind. - I'd give you another day or two. - Any minute now. 070507 -- "Yes, do that right away." Do what? - Can I ignore E-Mail from people who don't include my original message in their reply? Yes, and you can hate them, too. - 90% of happiness is picking the right ethicist. 070508 -- Why don't you answer my E-Mails? Do I need to complain to your boss? - Your messages have too many topics and no paragraph breaks. They are a violation of all that is good and right about E-Mail. snork - "Blah, blah, blah, Dilbert is rude..." 070508 -- Geez, I can't even read this mess. click* delete* 070509 -- Wally, you have attended thousands of meetings and never gotten an action item. What is your secret? - When the action items are handed out, I use a certain facial expression to ward them off. - ...and I'll need someone to... 070510 -- This completes my presentation. - Does anyone have a question designed to increase my workload for your entertainment? - How much money would the company save if you did the project by yourself? Hmmm... 070511 -- Dogbert's Tech Support Try turning off your router, your modem, and your computer. - Now turn off your air conditioning, your lights, and your water heater. Unplug your microwave and defrost your refrigerator. - You're very thorough. Cancel 070511 -- your garbage service, renounce your citizenship, and yank out your phone. 070512 -- Dogbert's Tech Support Give me a list of all the software and hardware you're using. - Now sit there like a sheep while I randomly select a product from the list and tell you it's the problem. - What if I know it isn't? - That will matter less 070512 -- than you'd imagine. 070513 -- I asked Disgruntled Doug to work on our pricing model. - The fate of the entire company rests in his tiny hands. - That reminds me: I gave your cubicle to an intern. - But don't worry. I have another workspace for you. - You can use this little 070513 -- cardboard box that the laser printer came in. - It's only temporary. - Until we can find you a larger cardboard box. - I have an urge to underestimate costs. 070514 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources I've worked in a windowless cube for 25 years. Can I move to the vacant cube by the window? Sure. - GAAA!!! IT BURNS! - Too fast. 070515 -- They can take my soul but they can't take my name! - Visa called. Someone stole your identity. - I need a new battle cry. How about "Ouch"? 070516 -- Dogbert Consults You need a dashboard application to track your key metrics. - That way you'll have more data to ignore when you make your decisions based on company politics. - Will the data be accurate? Okay, let's pretend that matters. 070517 -- I can monitor the company's key metrics from my executive dashboard. - Uh-oh. I need to do a better job of falsifying my data. - Allow me to set the stage for your next assignment by reminding you that stockholders have never done anything for 070517 -- you. 070518 -- Carol, you showed up for work almost every day this week. Here are some "Morale Dollars." - It's not real money, but you can redeem it for gifts and services that you don't want or need. - I also entered you into a raffle that you didn't win. 070518 -- HONK! 070519 -- Ted, I need you to work late every night until we catch up. - You'll also need to work every weekend. - What about my family? They had a good run. 070520 -- Every project you worked on this year got canceled after the reorganization. - It's as if you didn't exist. - That's not entirely true. - For example, I occupied space. - I'd like to see someone who doesn't exist to do that. - A dead person can 070520 -- occupy space. - But a dead person *exists*. - I won the argument, but it was a hollow victory. 070521 -- You have a pattern of raising no objections to plans and later acting as if you opposed them from the start. - I hope to thwart you by asking you to sign off on this plan in writing. - Ooh, if only you had asked me before my hands got stuck in 070521 -- these coffee mugs. 070522 -- Did you get all of the department heads to sign off on our business plan? - No, they prefer to see us fail so they look good in comparison and there's more money in the budget for them. - How can we speed up the process? I'm failing as fast as 070522 -- I can. 070523 -- I had a productive time at the management retreat. - We golfed as hard as we could until we came up with a new vision for the company!!! - But no one wrote it down, so we're going to try again next month. 070524 -- Asok, you need to have more of a winner's mentality. - If I had that sort of thing, why would I work here? - Ideally, we want you to be dumb and optimistic at the same time. 070525 -- I'm so busy it feels as if my head will explode. Ted, one more thing... - KABOOM! - Clean up on aisle three. 070526 -- Dilbert, do you have some time to help me with this technical analysis? - Sure, if you'll go to my house and mow my lawn so this doesn't become a lopsided relationship. - Why must you be so difficult to abuse? Go spit in your socks. 070527 -- The best choice for employee of the month is... - Congratulations to Alice for being our Employee Of The Month! - You get to use my parking spot near the entrance for the rest of the month. - I take public transit to work. - You also get to 070527 -- take the rest of today off. - It's already five o'clock, and you said I need to finish mx project by tomorrow morning. - And you get to have pizza with me. I'M ON A #!**% LOW CARB DIET!!! - I nailed it. Pizza 070528 -- I represent the law firm of Dogbert, Dogbert, and more Dogbert. - Your company's web page steals people's cursors and puts them in your own search field. - And my suit is too tight. When you put it all together, I might have to kill you. 070529 -- Today you will wear clothes you don't want to wear. - You'll drive somewhere you don't want to be, and do things you don't want to do. - Have a nive day. 070530 -- Have fun working while I'm home chewing on your computer cables. - I'll probably start with a USB cable appetizer, then do the Ethernet cable with blue cheese dressing. - Then I'm going to warp my colon around some coax. I envy you, and it's 070530 -- disturbing. 070531 -- I got a text message from our boss. - "Keep up wrk" - What does that mean? You just got your annual performance review. 070601 -- Rebels have threatened to attack our Elbonian factory unless we give them a million dollars. - That's outrageous! Tell them their competition offered to not attack us for half that price. - Negotiations Begin That wouldn't even cover our costs 070601 -- of not attacking! 070602 -- Rebel Negotiations Your price to not attack our Elbonian factory is too high. - We can give you the Senior Citizen Discount. snort - That's just mean. Sorry. I'll switch to more observational humor. 070603 -- CEO Meeting I brought Dilbert in case you have any technical questions. - What's the status of the technology platform migration project? - Be completely hones. We have nothing to hide. - Well, okay. - The project is like a hundred drunken 070603 -- clowns with bees in their underpants. - I expect the decline in morale to lead to violence. - Most of us are only pretending to work while scretly hoping the project gets canceled after you get fired by the board. - It turns out that we did 070603 -- have a few things to hide. 070604 -- I reached an agreement with the rebels so they won't attack our factory in Elbonia. - It's a stock swap. Every time they collect a ransom, the value of our company will increase. - Doesn't that make us terrorists? Very indirectly. 070605 -- I heard your company is funding terrorists. Very indirectly. - And they aren't the bad kind of terrorists. They're more like rebels who sometimes do terrorist things. - How did they brainwash you so fast? Iran supplied them with Powerpoint. 070606 -- The new dress code is a thin film of oil. - We're consolidating offices and we need to fit twenty people in each cubicle. - They've pretty much given up on winning one of those awards for best places to work. 070607 -- Managing is a lot easier now that we've given up on winning one of those "best places to work" awards. - Do you have a minute? Not for losers. - There was a time when I wouldn't have known how to handle that situation. 070608 -- Happy birthday. What's it feel like to be 50? - It's great! I've never felt better in my entire life! - So it's sort of a delusional thing? Yes, luckily. 070609 -- I need this software to do my job. - The software budget is spent. Just share a computer with someone who has this software. - Why don't you take your tiny mittens and a thermometer to hell and wait for a sign that it's your turn. 070610 -- Is your plan consisten with our corporate strategy? - How would I know? - Don't you know our strategy? No. Do you? - Of course I do. It's something about leveraging our platforms. - Does your plan leverage our platforms? - No, but I can rewrite 070610 -- my plan so it seems as if it does. - Good. Go back and do that. - There's no point in having a strategy if you aren't going to pretend to follow it. 070611 -- This week I mapped and gapped the requirements to consolidate everything into a program of work... - ...to maximize synergy capture and optimize our resource utilization. - If any of that sounded like work, I'll do some more of it next week. 070612 -- CEO Visit My meetings go faster when I set the tone. - Opinions are treason. - Do you have any opinions, Doofy? 070613 -- CEO Visit It's important that you have a passion for your job. - For example, my passion involves working you like rented mules so I can afford to purchase luxury items. - I bought a pingpong table with the raise you didn't get. 070614 -- What does my forehead sy? - I keep forgetting my password, so I wrote it on my head. - Is your password 123? I just said I don't know. 070615 -- Run a simulation of our productivity if we lost half our workforce to a pandemic. - Should I assume we lose the productive people or the people who ask other people to run pandemic simulations? - Try both ways. Okay. I'm done. 070616 -- Remember to charge your time to the appropriate project code. - Unless your peoject is unfunded, in which case the time codes won't work and you'll need to falsify your time report. - Are any of our projects funded? This is the embarrassing 070616 -- part. 070617 -- Gaaa! That idiot is whistling in his cube again!!! - I would complain but I don't like confrontation. - I can't talk to his boss because I would appear whiney. - There's only one solution. - Alice, please stop by my cubicle when you get a 070617 -- second. - What's up? Wait. I'll be right back. - STOP WHISTLING, YOU FREAKIN' MORON!!! - What's up? Never mind. I found a work-araound. 070618 -- One way to save the planet is to drive a fuel-efficient car. - Another way is to give bad career advice to sone idiot so he gets fired and no longer commutes. - You should get a license to sell real estate. Really? 070619 -- Dogbert The Green Consultant Stop eating, breathing, driving, defecating, and procreating. - Sit in the dark and decompose on some garden seeds. - Or do you admit you hate earth? A little. 070620 -- Dogbert The Green Consultant Try ramming your SUV into hybrid cars. - That should stop them from using fuel altogether. - You can't save the earth unless you're willing to make other people sacrifice. I'm in. 070621 -- Dogbert The Green Consultant Your coworkers have identified you as a source of methane. - If we capture this free source of energy we can power a small office building. - I give and I give. 070622 -- Alice, may I ask you a question? Alice? Alice? - Gaaa! Anm I so unimportant you feel no need to acknowledge my existence??? - Am I totally unimportant? Hey, it's a bunch of talking clothes! 070623 -- My job is an endless series of mind-numbingly unimportant tasks. - My central nervous system is starting to atrophy. - I'm kind of busy. Punch me in the head so I can feel something. 070624 -- Run this by our attorney. - May i vigorously hit myself with a hammer instead? - You have my attention. - Either way, it's a painful process that won't change the final result. - But the hammer is quicker and it will still make you feel as if 070624 -- you made me do something. - Okay, Try the hammer thing. - BAM! OUCH! BAM! OUCH! BAM! OUCH! - Now run it by our attorney so it feels as if I did TWO things. 070625 -- I hired Nancy because she's had so many personal problems in the past year. - I figure lightning can't strike the same place more than ten or twelve times in a row. - It's not as if she invites problems. I'm in love with a medical school 070625 -- cadaver! 070626 -- Nancy, the Employee With Serial Personal Problems I'm in love with a medical school cadaver. - Do you ever think that maybe your personal problems are caused by your own bad decisions? - How's it my fault that my boyfriend is acting cold? 070627 -- Nancy, the Employee With Serial Personal Problems The doctors say I need an operation. - They think my steady diet of licorice and diet soda turned my spleen into a C-4 explosive. - So I joined a support group. Have you heard of Al Qaeda? Gotta 070627 -- go... 070628 -- Dogbert, Career Counselor Do something with love. - I love not working. - Do you have any loves that are less loserish? I love to watch Bowling! 070629 -- Dogbert, Career Counselor You have no marketable talent. - You're totally unemployable and that's not going to change. - The important thing is to keep a positive attitude. 070630 -- Dogbert, Career Counselor What would you like to do with your degree in...flower arranging? - I'd like to be a billionaire. - Are you willing to work hard? That would sort of defeat the purpose. 070701 -- Wally, did you complete the benchmark tests? No. - slurp - Because? Global warming. - What? - Well, normally this would have been a pleasant week. - But thankt to you and your stupid SUV, it was too hot to work. - Remember, if you're not part 070701 -- of the solution, you're part of the problem. - You work indoors! Said the polluter. 070702 -- Human Resources is a company's most important strategic asset. - That means it's your fault we're losing market share. Maybe you should fire yourself. - Strategic assets don't like accountability. 070703 -- I decided to segment the compensation of different classes of employees. - You'll be in the segment that gets paid the same no matter what you do. - I call your segment the "relatively unimportant" segment. Catchy. 070704 -- Maybe I should invite some friends over for a barbecue. You don't have any friends. - Good point. Maybe I should make some friends first. Exactly. - Do you like meat? 070705 -- I finished planning the annual executive golf tournament. - I put all of the cigar smokers in your foursome in case your golf cart has a gas leak. - Lunch is baked beans and sauerkraut. And I bought you some golf balls made of flint. 070706 -- I'm off to the executive golf tournament. - It just struck me how much contrast there is between your job and mine. Gotta go. - Let me know if anything else strikes you. 070707 -- Give me a sand wedge. - This sandwich is all I have for lunch. You can take my pride but not my sandwich! - I think I'm losing the psychological advantage with my foursome. m-m-m-m chew-chew-chew! hee-hee!! 070708 -- You should hire me as your management consultant. - We're a management consulting firm. We don't need a management consultant to consult us. - Are you saying that management consulting is wothless? - No. I'm saying we already know everything 070708 -- about management consulting. - How can you be so sure I can't help you when you don't know what my advice will be? - - Okay, you're hired. What's your advice? - Beats me. I'll have to ask my management consultant. 070709 -- - - How was the all hands meeting? Creepy. 070710 -- Ted, I'm going to eliminate your function and outsource it to the Dogbert Outsourcing Company. - I need a job. You're hired. - I'M BA-A-ACK! 070711 -- Does anyone here have any knowledge or any authority to make decisions? - I'm only here to listen and misinterpret. - Let's try to build on that. 070712 -- Carol, set up a dinner for all key employees. Which ones are key? - That would be everyone except um...you. - I CURSE YOUR DINNER! I'll bring you some mints...if they have extras. 070713 -- You're not allowed to have internal phone lists on your wall. - There are excellent reasons for this policy, and I hope to someday know what they are. - They're getting suspicous about the random policy generator. 070714 -- Catbert, Evil Director of Human Resources Our new policy is no drinking coffee during work. - That should remove all doubt that our policies are designed for any reason other than evil. - Your honesty is refeshing. STOP RUINING THE MOMENT!!! 070715 -- No offense, but you're totally unqualified for this position. - That's okay. I already have a job. - I just need a job offer at a higher salary so I can use it to negotiate for a raise. - My boss is a irrational dipwad who is easily manipulated 070715 -- by bogus comparisons and the illusion of scarcity. - Your offer will make him think my value is much higher than it actually is. - Great. Now that I know I can't have you, I desperately want to hire you. - My mind is already forming 070715 -- rationalizations for your total lack of qualifications! - How do you turn this off?!! I'll tell you after you write the offer. 070716 -- I'll be managing the Elbonian branch office but I'll be based in my own country. - I'll never see you in person but I want you all to work long hours and wear dockers. - What is he doing? Sometimes we use mud to muffle laughter. 070717 -- My Elbonian division won't do any work unless someone is watching them every minute. - Tell them you have hidden cameras. - Then randomly fire one Elbonian per week. Hee-hee! Evil makes my buttocks tingle. 070718 -- I'd like your input on the idea of hiring a coordinator for our projects. - Terrible idea. Waste of money. Wouldn't help. - He starts monday. 070719 -- Employee Orientation This job will leave you with no time for exercise. - You will work long hours and consume trans fats until you are shaped like this. - On a positive note, your payroll deduction service allows you to save money for dirt to 070719 -- turn your cubicle into a burial site. 070720 -- I'm promoting you from senior engineer to lead engineer. - The pay is the same but people will disrespect you less. - Including you? It's not magic. 070721 -- I got promoted to lead engineer. Me too. - Wow. Buzz kill. Right back at you. - If you think about it, all motivation is temporary. 070722 -- Out pointy-haired boss is insisting we use old technology because he thinks it will be easier to get it funded. - You should raise that issue at the meeting. - We'll back you up. Absolutely. - Are there any issues? - You're making us use old 070722 -- technology just to make your job easier. - Does anyone else think that? No. No. No. - The old technology works fine. New technology is too buggy. - WHAt WAs THAT?!! It's just something we do. 070723 -- Your snacks are too loud. - Only inconsiderate jerks eat crunchy food in cubicles. crunch crunch crunch - Maybe you should try to make me love you more than I love salt. 070724 -- I askes Wally to stop eating noisy snacks in his cubicle but he refuses. - Tht's because he likes salt more than he likes you. We all feel the same way. - What? You're somewhere between oatmeal and kelp. 070725 -- I can't stop punching people who deserve to be punched. - For example, your high rates and ridiculous combover make me want to punch your face in. - But you won't, right? Let's what happens when I regain the element of surprise. 070726 -- All of your E-Mails this week were marked as highest priority. - So I spent the entire week working on the first one. - Next week I plan to continue not feeding the squirrels by the east entrance. 070727 -- I hired the Dogbert Moving Company to handle your relocation. - It saves us money because they only send one huge guy. - After you load your couch on the truck, make me another sanwich or, again, I'll kill you. 070728 -- You eleiminated the budget for automated test software. How are we going to test our new code? - Go write some automated test software, you big baby. I already pay you, so it's free. - Today I learned you can end any conversation by calling the 070728 -- other person a big baby. Waa-waa! Do you want your bottle? 070729 -- What would your system cost? We can deliver in two weeks. - But what would it cost? - A lot of vendors deliver in four weeks, but we can do it in two. - I'm asking about price, not delivery schedules. - Do you want it shipped by ground or air? 070729 -- Air is even faster. - What does it cost? Ground costs less than air. - GAAA!!! WHAT DOES THE *SYSTEM* COST?!! - For ground? 070730 -- I can't develop an automated testing system by the arbitrary deadline you set. - Try working smarter, not harder, with a sense of urgency, and a bias for action. - Or maybe *you* could do something differently. I'm not the one who can't get his 070730 -- work done. 070731 -- There are two kinds of management problems. - There's the kind you can solve by yelling and the kind you can solve by buying some sort of software. - That's why I created "some sort of software that yells." ooo!! 070801 -- Wally, I bought Dogbert's Management Software to yell at you so I don't have to. - I recommend track 3, "you're my least valuable asset." - Who wants to buy Dogbert's Nois Cancellation Headphones for Bad Employees? I need you less than my 070801 -- mousepad. 070802 -- Are you wearing noise cancellation headphones? What? I SAID, ARE YOU WEARING NOISE CANCELLATION HEADPHONES?! What? - This won't end well. I SAID... 070803 -- From now on, I want you to use open source software fo everything we do. It's free. I'll be right back. - It's an emergency. I think he's been reading. - We know you have a trade publication in here. Hand it over and no one has to get hurt. 070804 -- I narrowed down the options to an alternative that costs too much another that won't work. - I didn't do any research. It's more of an experience sort of thing. - Next week I plan to think about the option of using technology that isn't yet 070804 -- available. 070805 -- When do you to come out with a new model? - In about two months. - I'll wait and buy the new model. - Did I say two months? I meant never. - Never? That must mean your company is going out of business and won't support this product. - What's a 070805 -- length of time between two months and never that would cause you to buy now? - One year. Our new model comes out in a year. - I'll wait until then. You're my worst customer ever. 070806 -- Did you get the note I left on your monitor? Yes - Did you get my voicemail? Yes Did you get my E-Mail? Yes - Should I tell you what the note and voicemail and E-Mail said? There's something wrong with you. 070807 -- I've decided to manage by spreadsheet. - I'll track things until all of our problems fix themselves. - Your optimism is cute. Thanks. You're pretty fuzzy yourself. 070808 -- Asok, according to my spreadsheet, you have been doing a terrible job. - Perhaps your spreadsheet is poorly conceived and does not capture the complexity of the real world. - And let's not forget the near certainty that your formulae are 070808 -- pointing to the wrong cells. Numbers don't lie. 070809 -- Cancel all of my meetings. I'm going to manage by making spreadsheets and sending E-Mails. - With any luck, I'll never again need to speak with unimportant subordinates such as yourself. - %*#**!* C23 is in a bad mood today. 070810 -- I'm wearing my tall pants and my old-fashioned hairpiece because I'm running for president. - I put a glove on my tail so I can shake 50% more hands. - My policy is to give all the money in the treasury to Iowans. But I might flip-flop after 070810 -- the first primary. 070811 -- Dogbert For President Vote for me or the terrorists will use your skulls for salad bowls. - I promise to take money from the people who don't vote for me and give it to the people who do. - Pollution has vitamins! I like how he makes me feel. 070812 -- Prepare a proposal for this customer. Why me? - You were walking by. I had it in my hand. - We can't win this business. We don't have the right product or expertise. - Just say we do. We'll figure it out later. - They know we don't. And we'd 070812 -- still be the most extensive bidder. - Bid low. We'll make it up with change orders and unexpected essential upgrades. - In other words, I've been randomly assigned to create lies for a proposal we can't win for a service we can't perform. - You 070812 -- make competing sound bad. 070813 -- If you are elected president, what will you do in the first hundred days? - I figure it will take me at least that long to carve my name in all the furniture. - Then it would be time to wipe that smug smile off of Switzerland's face. 070814 -- Ratbert, I want you to be my vice presidential running mate. - Your job is to be so unpopular that no one will want to assassinate me. I can do that! - Seriously. Stop campaigning on my shoe. grrr!!! 070815 -- Carol, set up a meeting with the technology review board to decide how we'll decide on new technologies. - Do you also need a meeting to decide how you will put together a meeting to decide how to decide things? - Maybe I should get some people 070815 -- together to help you answer that question. Maybe. 070816 -- I didn't understand anything you just said. Go away. - Our CEO doesn't like your idea. He didn't say why. - Do you ever feel like you're wallpapering fog? I don't get that invested. 070817 -- Carol, I give you far too much work. There's only one solution. - I hired a coffee swilling beaver to show you how to work faster. - When I watch you, it's as if time stands still. 070818 -- Coffee Swilling Beaver If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it... - I'd still chew the bejeezus out of it because I have no impulse control. - That reminds me: the pencil I borrowed from you isn't coming back. 070819 -- I called this meeting to discuss the changes in the pension plan. - We already saw the company-wide E-Mail about the changes. - And we're all engineers, so we understand the changes better than you do. - I'll bet you intend to waste our time by 070819 -- reading the E-Mail to us. - You can't stop yourself. It's some sort of compulsion. - If you read that E-Mail, it's proof that something is wrong with your brain. - Can't...resist...reading...E-Mail. - GAAA!!! Best meeting ever. 070820 -- Alice, you have the highest salary in the department. But don't tell anyone what it is. - Dilbert, you have the highest salary in the department. But don't tell anyone what it is. - I can't believe I never thought of that before. Yeah, 070820 -- especially since you're the highest paid manager. 070821 -- Then I found out there are two kinds of face-lifts. - I accidentally checked the box for the kind that lets you see over the top of your cubicle. - So I try to drink more, but that isn't working out either. 070822 -- Stockholder Meeting Do we have any questions from gadflies? - You earned 72 million dollars while our stock price dropped nine percent. How can you sleep at night? . zzzzz 070823 -- When I was a boy, I dreamed of one day working in a fabric-covered box. - I'm lifing proof that dreams can come true. - Women don't like winners either. 070824 -- As you requested, I sorted the future product features into three priorities. - Let me know which group I should stop working on. Essential Critical Must-Have - This is the part where you pretend to add value. 070825 -- We have too much goodwill on the balance sheet. I decided to sell some of it. - A mysterious buyer offered a million dollars for the right to decrease our goodwill. - You might have a bit less job satisfaction next week. 070826 -- I can't give you a raise because you ask me too many questions. - That's a sign that you can't do your job. - I anticipated your misperception and prepared for it. - I saved all of my E-Mails and matched them to your policies and procedures. - 070826 -- For example, this is your E-Mail saying we need your permission to buy software. - And here's my E-Mail asking if I can buy some software. - Should I run throught the other seven hundred documented examples? - There you go asking another 070826 -- question. 070827 -- Now that I have purchased your company's goodwill, I plan to make some changes. - I redesigned your headquarters building. - What's this part that looks like a horse's rump? That's the entrance to the executive suite. 070828 -- We financed our expansion by selling the goodwill on our balance sheet to a wealthy investor. - I made a list o the customers that I want your projuct to injure. - Your lawyer did a bad job on the contract. His name is on your list. 070829 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources Some of you have been thinking about happy things when you should be working. - These sensors will alert management any time the pleasure areas of your brain have more blood flow. - I was happier not 070829 -- knowing. ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding 070830 -- According to our employee brain monitor, you have not been thinking about work. - All of your brain activity is in the zones that control love of coffee, digestive functions and...uh-oh. - I'M BLIND!!! Oh, that one. 070831 -- Ted, I have to let you go, but there's a good reason. - There's no money to pay your salary because I made a typo in my budget request. - Until then, I was totally planning to reward your hard work. 070901 -- I made a typo in my annual budget request, but don't worry. - There are only two things you can't buy for the test lab this year. - Hardware and software. 070902 -- Our CEO's son is joining the department as an intern. - I want you to be his mentor. - And by mentor, I mean don't let the little spy learn anything about us. - If he finds out what we do, he'll tell his dad we're doing it wrong. - Here's a 070902 -- list of compliments you can give him. - Tell him his assignment is to go someplace and study cool motorcycles. - If he asks more than three questions, kill him. - Where's my desk? That's one. 070903 -- I hired all of you because the project will take 300 man days to complete. - There are 300 of you, so I want you to finish by five o'clock and clean out your desks. You're all fired. - If it takes more than one meeting to manage a project, I 070903 -- loose interest. 070904 -- I finished all of my work, and now I'm available for another high profile assignment. - Create a document and route it around for approval. - On what topic? How to keep an intern busy. 070905 -- Which way is the microwave? - Thanks. - It's getting harder to be open-minded. 070906 -- Carl, I have to fire you. - You're totally incompetent at everything you do. - Before you go, I'd like you to teach Dilbert how to do your job. 070907 -- Although I've been fired for gross incompetence, I'm professional enough to train you before I leave. - Don't bother. I already coded a Java app to do everything you do. - Everything? Except for the incompetent parts. 070908 -- Everyone says your new circuit design is worse than the old one. - By "everyone", do you mean you heard it from one person who doesn't like me, and isn't familiar with either design? - I also spoke to the people who heard it from that one 070908 -- person. 070909 -- I didn't have time to finish my tasks for this meeting. No problem. - If you ger cornered, read this powerful anti-meeting speel. - Asok, did you finish the traffic estimates? erk - Um...I was wondering if our new service is Web 2.0 or Web 070909 -- 1.0. - Obviously it's a Web 2.0 application because of the tag-based folksonomies. - No it isn't- All of our technology existed before the Internet bubble. - "When" doesn't matter. It only matters that we use the Web as a platform! - EVERYTHING 070909 -- IS A PLATFORM! Freaky. 070910 -- I'll need more than tall pants and traditional looking hair to get elected president. - I'm hoping to form an unholy alliance with the military industrial complex. - You're willing to attack allies? It's the highest R.O.I. 070911 -- Alice, see me at the end of business today. - Ohmygod, ohmygod, what corpse floated up from the ocean floor? I can't wait seven hours. Gah! - Seven Hours Later What?! What?! What?! Can you come back tomorrow? 070912 -- People are complaining about how you use your security card. - We'd appreciate it if you didn't keep it in your front pocket and thrust it at the door sensor. - I didn't know the security card was why the door opened. 070913 -- We can't compete on price. - We also can't compete on quality, features or service. - That leaves fraud, which I'd like you to call marketing. 070914 -- Our new VP of marketing promises to improve our revenues by ten billion percent! - That is a ridiculous lie that only a gullible moron would believe. - Oh yeah? How do you explain the fact that *he* believed it? Touche 070915 -- Dogbert, The VP Of Marketing It's my job to spraypaint the roadkill. - I'll use a process the experts call "dishonesty." - My motto is "if it isn't immoral, it probably won't work." 070916 -- You didn't make any of the contract changes we agreed on last month. - That's how I negotiate. - I'm not authorizes to make any changes to the contract. - And the executives who have that power will think I'm not doing my job if I ask them to 070916 -- do it. - So I agree to everything you ask, then I don't put anything of it in the contract. - Over the course of several months, I hope to wear you down and make you sign the contract as is. - Can you change at least section three the way I 070916 -- asked? Sure. No problem. - I'll see you in a month. 070917 -- Dogbert, The VP Of Marketing Describe your product in technical terms and I'll turn it into marketing language. - Well, it tends to overheat. "Hottest product on the market!" - All the parts are known carcinogens. "Makes you appreciate life!" 070918 -- Dogbert, VP Of Marketing As head of public relations, it will be my job to explain your marketing claims. So? - You claim your product can turn tap water into unleaded gasoline and reanimate the dead. - Are you asking me to do a lousy job of 070918 -- marketing just so your job is easier? Um... 070919 -- Alice, did you hear I'm getting a cubicle by the window? - Although I wouldn't want that cubicle because of the glare, the fact that you want it makes me hate you for getting it. - We're like a family here. I HOPE IT COLLAPSES ON YOUR HEAD! 070920 -- I saw a fascinating documentary about bugs. - In other words, you like bugs more than you like me. - Yes, but I didn't realize it until just now. 070921 -- Wally, did you get those cost estimates I asked for last week? - No, I need constant supervision. - Can you do it now? Do you have time to watch? 070922 -- Carol, did you update the org chart yet? - No. I kept waiting for it to become more important than my personal problems, but it just never happened. - How about right now? Ouch! I think that's my appendix! 070923 -- I changed the product design. - It's worse than the old design. - You asked me to come up with a new design. - I meant a new design that's better then the old design. - Great. You could have told me that before I did all of this work. - How do 070923 -- you think this makes me feel? - No one would blame me for hating you. - I'm the only sane person in this company. 070924 -- Dogbert For President As President, I will not make decisions based on polls. - In fact, I won't give you a single thing that you want. That's called leadership. - I'll never understand why that works. YAY! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! 070925 -- Donate to my campaign, and I'll let you drill for oil in my opponent's lawn. - And I'll appoint you to run the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms. - Is that as fun as it sounds? Not for your neighbors. 070926 -- Today I completed my high priority taks and launched them into the miasma. - There they will rot from neglect while I draw closer to the abyss of eternel Nothingness. - I have an idea: Let's never talk about you. 070927 -- It's time for some generic management. - Did you talk to What's-His-Name about the thing? Um...yes. - There should be some sort of award for avoiding minutiae. 070928 -- Wally, it's ten o'clock. You're supposed to start at eight. - That's because I plan to work for two unverifiable hours after you leave tonight. - My alleged loyalty to this company is second to none. 070929 -- Wally, your choice of words leads us to think you are only pretending to be loyal to the company. - Sorry. I'll try to appear more loyal in the future. - You did it again. Don't be silly, I couldn't be more loyal. 070930 -- What are you doing? Carpet fishing. - It's a sport I invented. - I didved the carpet in my cubicle into a numbered grid. - Then I wrote a computer program that randomly picks a carpet location and a type of fish about once an hour. - If it 070930 -- picks the carpet location where I happen to be dangling this string, it means I hooked a fish. - - Yesterday I caught a marlin. - Did you come here for some reason other than to spoil the salmon run? 071001 -- Why did it take six months to complete this simple task? - Because of your continouous changes, your unclear communication, and your short work days. - I'm looking for something more along the lines of you being lazy. 071002 -- I hired a sadist. Why? - I'll be using her to thin the herd. Herd? - That one looks slow. They all look like that. 071003 -- The Sadist Vs. Wally You are worthless and overpaid! - Thank you. - He's immune to my sadism. So, what's it like being underpaid? 071004 -- Remember to use all of your vacation time before year end. I'm off next week. - WHAT! I curse you for taking time off when we have so much work to do! DIE, DIE, DIE!!! - Anyway, the point is that vacations help relieve your stress. 071005 -- I quadrupled my workload to finish projects before I go on vacation. - I'm going home early to watch Battlestar Galactica on my DVR. - I might eat a sandwich! Must...not...envy...the vacationless. 071006 -- Did you look at my Powerpoint presentation? - Yes, it's a confused jumble of useless information with a Wino's spittle of unsupported conclusions. - Wino's spittle? You heard me. 071007 -- Tomorrow is the mandatory meeting on employee health and well-being. - The meeting starts at 6 A.M., so it will interfere with your sleep and not your work. - Doesn't that send a message that work is more important than health? - I hope so. 071007 -- That's the theme of the meeting. - Healthy employees are unproductive. - They're always exercising or eating fruit when they should be working. - We prefer employees who work hard and die before their pensions start paying out. - Suddenly I 071007 -- feel sick. Right on schedule! 071008 -- Explain why you charge less of your time to projects than all other engineers. - I'm trying something new. It's called honesty. - Stop doing that. Okay. Brilliant suggestion. 071009 -- You treat every conversation like it's a contest where you have to be the one who is right! - It only seems that way because everything you say is wrong. - See? There it is! I'm pretty sure that was you again. 071010 -- The new guy is a huge weasel. Don't believe anything he says. - You say that about all the new hires so they won't seem credible when they complain about you. - I'll stop doing it when it stops working. 071011 -- I hired an unqualified crony to run our quality control group. - I value loyalty over competence. That's the sign of a great leader. - Do you see *any* problem with that? It makes you look extra disloyal? 071012 -- Your unqualified crony is causing a rebellion among the staff. - There's no need to blow this allout of proportion. - But I promise to monitor the situation. 071013 -- Hello, Keith. You're the next coworker I have targeted for elimination. - I'll be using a rumor campaign to convince everyone you are dishonest and incompetent. Why??? - Do I need a reason? We think she wasn't hugged enough. 071014 -- I found a clever way to write my application code in one hour! - Normally this sort of thing would take weeks. - I assume my high level of efficiancy will be recognized and awarded. - Let me know how that works out for you. - You did all of 071014 -- that in one hour? Yes, I did. - From now on, I expect you to finish all of your projects in one hour. - Otherwise I'll assume you're ripping off the company. - You could have warned me. - That's not how experience works. 071015 -- Alice is spreading false rumors about me. She's trying to make me quit. - At this company, we don't get all anal about the difference between false rumors and actual facts. - That's not fair! Said the alleged poacher of endangered species. 071016 -- My pay is below market. Can I have a 20% raise? - No, but I'll let you use two flat screen monitors in your cubicle so it feels like you're an evil genius in a secret lair. - BU-WA-HAHA! Who got a second monitor? 071017 -- Why does Dilbert get two computer monitors while I only get one?! - Well, according to researchers, it's because men tend to negotiate and women don't. - So, what happens now? If I had to guess, I'd say more complaining. 071018 -- Make these changes and run it by me again. - History suggests I have entered an infinite loop of making changes with no hope of finishing. - My life is a furious ball of nothing. And I'm not wild about the font. 071019 -- This week I increased my productivity by improving my morale. - I watched funny YouTube videos from morning until dusk. - That's all you did? Don't worry. I'm almost halfway done. 071020 -- Dogbert The Security Consultant Be on the lookout for any suspicious behavior. - If you see a guy doing something that you wouldn't do, beat him to death with a trash can. - Can we use recycle bins? I wouldn't have asked that question. 071021 -- My accomplishment this week was helping Alice finish her project in a timely manner. - You didn't do anything to help me. - Sure I did. - Rememeber when I came to your cubicle to ask for some data I need for my project? - You said you were too 071021 -- busy, and shooed me away. - If I had insisted on doing my job, you would have had less time to do yours. - It's called teamwork. - Are we still big on that? Must...control...fist...of...death. 071022 -- Dogbert The Security Consultant If you see someone without an Id badge... - ...strip search him, confiscate his wallet, and lock him in the janitor's closet until he starves! - That seems a bit extreme. You're about a minute away from living on 071022 -- mop water. 071023 -- I can't do my work because the Internet is too fascinating. - The physical world no longer holds my interest. I find joy only on the Internet. - Can I take a hit on your iPhone before I go back to my cubicle? No. 071024 -- I'm addicted to the Internet. - I no longer care for direct human interaction. It's too shallow and predictable. - Maybe you should try some outdoor activities. I saw that coming. 071025 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources From now on, all sick days must be scheduled in advance. - That's ridiculous. How are we supposed to know when we're going to be sick? - Tomorrow. I hired a guy who never washes his hands to help you 071025 -- with scheduling. 071026 -- Why does it seem as if most of the decisions in my workplace are made by drunken lemurs? - Decisions are made by people who have time, not people who have talent. - Why are talented people so busy? They're fixing the problems made by people who 071026 -- have time. 071027 -- Do you mind if I give you some advice? Not at all. - Do you mind if I roll my eyes, sigh deeply, and dismiss your advice as if it came from the village idiot? - I might mind. Well then, let me give you some advice... 071028 -- My brain is empty. - It feels great! - Stress is just another word for knowledge. - Wait a minute. How do I know that? - GAAA!!! Somrthing got past the filters! - Mut...do...Mantra... - Lindsay Lohan...Britney Spears...Paris Hilton...Ommmmmm - 071028 -- Are you a ll good now? Have we met? 071029 -- Why didn't you use any of my suggestions? - My theory is that your brain is the size of a marble, and twice as smooth. - The root cause probably involves slow learners mating for many generations. 071030 -- Dogbert Consults Every credible scientist on earth says your products harm the environment. - I recommend playing weasels to write articles casting doubt on the data. - Then eat the wrong kinds of foods and hope you die before the earth does. 071030 -- You're making me hungry! 071031 -- Reant-a-Weasel - I need three bitter and unsuccessful scientists and a hundred lazy journalists. Very good. - Did you know toddlers thrive on pollution? 071101 -- I'm always wrong about everything. What can I do to fix that? - I recommend shopping. The customer is always right. - Shopping makes me smart?!! You aren't shopping yet. 071102 -- I'd like to buy some tires for a refrigerator. - This is a lingerie store. Get lost before I stomp on your tail. - I think I debunked the theory that the customer is always right. 071103 -- Don't bring me problems, bring me solutions. - When I bring you solutions, you tell me they won't work and treat me like a moron. - What's the problem with that? 071104 -- Where do you think you're going? - I need to ask our VP of sales a question. - Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! - You can't speak directly with a vice president. - You need to talk to your boss, who talks to his boss, who talks to someone who is friends with 071104 -- the VP of sales, who then talks to him. - Wouldn't that virtually guarantee that the wrong question gets asked? - It's better to have the right person ask the wrong question than the wrong person ask the right question. - Do you have a minute? 071104 -- Do you have a minute? Talk to my secretary. 071105 -- That price quote includes *everything*! - What about taxes, shipping, cables, carts, software, memory upgrades, maintenance and insurance? - Has anyone ever called you needy? 071106 -- You should check with Ted to see if he knows about this sort of thing. - I'll add that to my list of marginally useful things that other people have suggested I do. - Apparently, agreeing isn't enough. You also need to say it a certain way. 071107 -- Our new strategy has never worked for anyone before. - That will give us the element of surprise. - Let's get started! Can I rebalance my 401(K) first? 071108 -- I need a $1,600 handheld bar code scanner to finish my lab tests. - Okay. Apply for a capital budget variance, prepare an RFP, get three bids, form a team to evaluate the bids, then prepare a purchase order. - Never mind. I'll just learn to 071108 -- read bar codes by sight. Quitter. 071109 -- When will I get your project status report? - You're asking for a status report on the status of the status report? - Right. When can I get that? It's starting to look like infinity. 071110 -- At my old job, we did everything better than we do it here. - They sound like a great company. It's no wonder they fired you. - They didn't fire me. I quit to come work here. So, your point is that you're a moron? 071111 -- Wally, can I get your comments on my article by tomorrow? Sure. - You say "sure," but we both know it's a lie. - You just want me to go away. - You plan to wait until tomorrow and make an excuse. - Then you'll I'll give up. - Yes, but remember, 071111 -- my comments are always worthless. They would cause you extra work and worsen the result. - So if I give you nothing, everyone wins. - In that case, thank you for ignoring my needs. It's the least I could do. 071112 -- Asok, I need you to fill in at tech support for a few days. - You'll be the guy who asks the customer for information, then transfers the call to another person who asks exactly the same questions. - Wouldn't that make me a barrier in progress? 071112 -- Only if the other guy actually helped. 071113 -- I don't understand anything you do, so I assume it's all useless. - Maybe you could go to M.I.T. and get a degree in engineering so you would understand what I do. - Would that be easier than not giving you a raise? 071114 -- I'm trying to develop a good attitude about my job. - Every morning I tell myself I am invigorated by busywork. - Asok, I need you to relabel the toner cartridged. WOO-HOO! 071115 -- Then we program the web site using a fast guy in tights and a movie about coffee. - Correct me if I'm wrong. We use Flash and Javascript. - I SAID, *"IF"*!!! 071116 -- Mordac, The Preventer Of Information Services Security is more important than usability. - In a perfect world, no one would be able to use anything. - To complete the log-in procedure, stare directly at the sun. 071117 -- I am Mordac, The Preventor Of Information Services, and I bring you my newest biometric scanner. - Instead of a password, I put this on your head and squeeze until you scream in a way that only you can scream. - GAAA! GAAA! GAAA! No, that's not 071117 -- you. 071118 -- Career Day Class, today Dilbert will tell us what a career in engineering is all about. - My job involves explaining things to idiots. - Then the idiots make decisions based on misinterpreting what I said. - Then it is my job to try to fix the 071118 -- massive problems caused by the bad decisions. - Eventually, rumors overwhelm facts, and I give up. - In the final phase, I assign blame to an unpopular coworker. - So whatever you do in life, don't be unpopular. Don't listen to him! Said the 071118 -- unpopular teacher. 071119 -- Dogbert Consults Do you want me to lie to you for $400 per hour or give you the truth for $200? I'll take the truth. - Okay. The problem is that having you try to manage engineers is like having an earthworm try to juggle. - How's my premium 071119 -- pricing option sound to you now? 071120 -- Can I order some pens? No. It's impossible. - You need a pen to fill out the pen request form, And if you have a pen, you're not allowed to order one. - Maybe I could borrow *your* pen. That sounds like some sort of parasitic arrangement. 071121 -- This document says a backup server is overkill. - Um, no, it says the opposite of that. I know it because I wrote it this morning. - No, I think you're misinterpreting it. I WROTE IT!!! 071122 -- We've decided to be more family friendly in our policies. - To compensate for the lost productivity, we'll be openly hostile to single people. - That doesn't seem fair. SHUT UP AND GET BACK TO WORK, EUNUCH! 071123 -- I'd like to take advantage of our new family friendly policy. - Three of my kids have bronchitis, two have dental appointments, one is on a school play, and one has a rugby game. - In all likelyhood, you will never see me again. We didn't think 071123 -- this through. 071124 -- Your resume is riddled with spelling errors. Why should we hire a moron? - My poor performance would make you look good in comparison. You'll get a bigger raise if I work here. - What do you think of him? Well, his interview skills are crazy 071124 -- good. 071125 -- Dilbert, I need you to do something, but I don't have time to fully explain it. - I'll give you just enough information to send you down the wrong path. - LAter, after you do it wrong, I'll treat you like you're some sort of idiot. - Then I'll 071125 -- put you through the embarrassment of undoing everything you did. - This might not sound like a good plan to you. - But it takes the task off of my plate and puts it on yours. - That's called progress! - Roday I helped make progress. Better luck 071125 -- tomorrow. 071126 -- We're going to try something called Agile Programming. - That means no more planning and no more documentation. Just start writing code and complaining. - I'm glad it has a name. That was your training. 071127 -- Tina the Tech Writer I decided to base your salary on the number of pages you write. - Fine. I'll give you a high volume of low quality work. - Sometimes the best you can do is move the hairball to another pocket. 071128 -- Tina the Tech Writer As you requested, I increased the speed of my writing. - My breakthrough was realizing that accuracy and clarity are optional! - Would you like to micromanage me by reading it all and pointing out the errors? 071129 -- What's wrong with your face? It's a goatee. - I hate goatees, so I am using my powers of extreme uncoolness to make them go away. - That could work. GAAA!!! 071130 -- Dogbert's Tech Support No one else has ever reported that problem. - That means you are either crazy or a liar. - It's a little of both, but how did you know? I can see you through your computer. 071201 -- Never tell anyone we don't have enough resources to do a project. it makes us look lame. - Instead, say we have a fixed capacity that is already dedicated to higher priorities, That makes whoever asked us for help look lame. - Can I keep 071201 -- telling people I donated all of my blood to hurricane victims? 071202 -- Do you have a minute? No. - This will just take a second. No it won't. - It's real quick. Never is. - You have my word that it will take no longer than five seconds. - Okay. Go. - Oh, good. So I was walking by and I thought maybe I should stop 071202 -- and ask you something because... Time's up. - - Jerk. Liar. 071203 -- Our next project is building a private shuttle to the moon. - Now if you make any mistakes, innocent tourists will perish in the vacuum of space. - We need to work on our rationalizations. Is anyone really "innocent"? 071204 -- My company wants me to design a private moon shuttle in three months. Doom is inevitable. - What you need is a scapegoat to blame for the project never getting finished. I'll send one over. - I was almost done, and then this idiot comes along. 071205 -- Asok, I need an intern to test-pilot our new moon shuttle prototype. - Wouldn't it be wiser to send a monkey on the first flight? - You're thinking of the second flight. 071206 -- Don't worry, Asok. The prototype is perfectly safe. - I found you a co-pilot. He's a bit grim, but he works for free. - Hey, I wonder what this button does. 071207 -- I am sad to report that Asok the intern died during a test of our moon shuttle prototype. - Before he left, he put a sample of his DNA in a jar. His plan is to reincarnate into his own clone. - Where's the jar with Asok's DNA? I needed a second 071207 -- candy jar. 071208 -- Your prototype killed Asok. That means it is your job to clone him and hope he reincarnates into the clone. - Carol used his DNA container for a snack jar, so be careful. - Why do I feel nuts? You're part Snickers bar. 071209 -- I need a cost estimate on your project. - I have no idea. I haven't even gathered the user requirements. - Don't worry. I won't hold you for the estimate. - Yes you will. You will put it in the plan, forget we had this conversation, fire me 071209 -- when I go over budget. - Give me a number or I'll fire you right now. - Okay, it will cost ten million dollars. - That's too high. If you already know the cost, why are you asking ME? - So you'll feel like you had input. Is input supposed to 071209 -- feel this bad? 071210 -- Asok died in a work-related accident. His disaster recovery plan was to reincarnate into his own clone. - You are his clone, but your DNA got mixed up with a Snickers bar. You are doomed to walk the earth as half man, half snack. rrrrr - Phew! 071210 -- It is lucky I studied guided reincarnation and advanced shapeshifting at the Indian Insitute of Technology. 071211 -- I was dead for a week, but I managed to reincarnate into my own clone and use my shapeshifting skills to look less like a Snickers bar. - I once waited four hours for a cable TV gu to show up at my house. Those stories are not equivalent. It's 071211 -- subjective. 071212 -- Don't you dare take another cup of coffee. - The more you drink, the more often I have to order coffee. You are destroying my quality of life! - GAAA!!! If this doesn't make the coffee taste better, I don't know what will. 071213 -- Mordac, The Preventer Of Information Services I made some changes to the network that I alone understand. - I didn't have time to test it, but if there is a problem, I'll be on vacation for three weeks in a russian submarine below the arctic 071213 -- circle. - My screen just went blank. Let's chalk that up to coincidence. 071214 -- It was theoretically impossible to work this week. - Everything I needed to do required me to do something else first, until it all looped back on itself like a Mbius strip. - Maybe you could make a to-do list. As if I had a pencil. 071215 -- I don't know you. Why are you in this meeting? - I'm creating the illusion of work by conflating the concepts of attendance and productivity. - You should leave. And who should I say hates teamwork? 071216 -- I can't give you the highest raise because you didn't exceed expectations. - If you thought it was possible for me to exceed my expectations, you would have set the goals higher. - So there are only two possibilities here. - Either you are 071216 -- incompetent at setting goals... - or I attained the maximum possible achievement and I deserve the maximum raise. - Which is it? - - Can I hear those two choices again? 071217 -- You have good experience as a dead horse, but can you take a beating? - So, you think you can ignore my questions, do you? - Cancel all of my meetings. This could take a few more hours. 071218 -- I hired a dead horse. He doesn't look like much, but if you beat him long enough, he does good work. - Have you seen him do good work? I haven't beaten him long enough. - INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE OTHERS! whap! 071219 -- I'm not allowed to discuss the company politics that form a career minefield around your project. - And I can't tell you the company's new strategic direction, or anything about our upcoming reorg. - My plan is to criticize you until something 071219 -- good happens. 071220 -- Alice, I want you to move to a cubicle closer to the rest of the department. - Is there a reason that isn't apparent, or is this coming from the reptilian part of your brain? - How would I know? That's a surprisingly good point. 071221 -- Your staff meeting will take an hour of my life that I will never get back. - If you let me skip the meeting, I will agree to die an hour earlier to make up the difference. - He agreed? Yes, and I'm going to use that extra hour of death to 071221 -- haunt him. 071222 -- What have you done lately to enhance our strategy into the next adjancency? - I don't know what that means, so I'm going to say, "everything." - He's lucky there's no way to verify the claim. 071223 -- I'm off to the management retreat. - I won't be reachable because I'll be busy golfing, swimming, drinking, and getting massages. - And attending meetings? - I don't see how we'll have any time for that. - While I'm gone, I have a few tasks for 071223 -- you to do. - Open all the packages of printer paper and make sure they have the right number of sheets. - Then crawl into the heating ducts and see if you can find what died in there. - It's my last boss. Spray him with something lemony. 071224 -- This concludes the useful part of my presentation. - Now let's open the floor to suggestions from people who are unqualified to do their own jobs, much less mine. - Yes, you with the forehead. Can you make the software out of recycled paper? 071225 -- Bruce, you're totally incompetent at your job, so I'm moving you to another job. - I'm hoping your lack of trainingfor your new job will make your incompetence seem normal. - Half of this job is knowing when to give up. 071226 -- And Wally, did you finish your project taks for today? - No. I took a calculated risk that other people would not finish their tasks either, making my lateness totally irrelevant. - Um... That is the worst... I need another week. 071227 -- My new cubicle is too small. - It only seems so small because you were so spoiled before. - I didn't feel spoiled. Apparently it sneaks up on you. 071228 -- Alice, I got your two weeks' notice. - Will you stay if I give you a 20% raise? Okay. - Hey Dad, do you remember you said I should never be a quitter? You do? Well, it turns out that you're a moron. 071229 -- What kind of party are we having for New Year's Eve? - Why would I celebrate an arbitrary calendar event? - Suddenly i don't feel so bad about using your hairbrush as a loofah. 071230 -- Alice, your resume is impressive. - Tell me why you want to be promoted to management. - Well, obvoiusly there's the money and prestige. - I'm also attracted by the prospect of doing much less work. - The opportunity to abuse subordinates is a 071230 -- big plus. - And I speak fluent managerese. Watch this.. - FUH FUH FUH FUH FUH - Did you really want that job? No, but I *love* interviewing! 071231 -- I hate it when people stop working just because it's the day before a holiday. Ha! Ha! Ha! - It cheapens the lack of work that I cultivate year-round. - I saw the funniest video clip! TOURIST! 080101 -- I had a great day at work. For some reason, no one interrupted me, so I got a lot done. - Today is a holiday. - All of my victories are tainted. 080102 -- What did you do for New Year's Day? - I forgot it was a holiday and I came to work for ten hours. - That's sort of loserish. Thanks for labeling it. 080103 -- Wally, did you finish the traffic estimates? I didn't have time. - I spent all week shopping on the company's online supply ordering site. - Hey, you can't blame the guy who just *uses* the attractive nuisance. 080104 -- Wally, I need you to attend a meeting on friday morning. - But that is Bagel Friday. It's the only thing that separates us from the animals. - You could get a bagel to go. It's as if you don't *want* to understand. 080105 -- Someone said our pointy-haired boss hired a mole. Moles creep me out. - "Mole' is a figure of speech. It's not literally a mole. - Why do I feel tiny eyes on the back of my neck? 080106 -- Topper I didn't get much sleep last night. That's nothing. - I haven't slept in a month. - Wouldn't that kill you? It did, but that's nothing. - I spent a week in the afterlife, then I returned to this world as a zombie. - I taught myself 080106 -- homeopathy and discovered a cure for zombies. - Now I'm alive again. - Please be done...please be done...please be done... - I took pictures of heaven. GAAA!!! 080107 -- What have you learned this week working as my employee mole? - Some of the people in this building think you're a worthless, self-important gas bag. - What do the other people think? They don't know you. 080108 -- I'm the official department mole. I'll be reporting your every misstep to your pointy-haired boss. - Won't this have a chilling effect on our creativity and honesty? - That didn't take long. 080109 -- And those are the comany priorities for the coming year. Any questions? - Should I be concerned that none of my projects relate to any of those priorities? - You're overthinking again. Sorry. 080110 -- Tina, put together a document showing how our budget aligns with our priorities. - It doesn't. Write it so it seems like it does. - Isn't that lying? I call it leadership by words. 080111 -- This design will never work in the real world. - That design is already widely used in the real world. - I can come back later if you need time to concoct additional uninformed criticisms. 080112 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources I need a goal. What can I do to get a raise? - Try rewriting the law of supply and demand. - Harsh. I have to toss a purr your way. 080113 -- Dilbert, I need you to help Ted on his project. - If Ted's project succeeds, who will get the credit? - Ted will. It's his project. - What if it fails? - That would be your fault for not helping him enough. - If I spend my time helping Ted, my 080113 -- own projects will suffer. - The only way this makes sense is if my projects are unimportant and so am I. - If it makes you feel any betterm Ted and his project are unimportant either. 080114 -- It's too hard to keep everyone informed about everything. - I've decided to take you out of the loop. Really?? - Now I know what fathers mean when they talk about witnessing the birth of their children. Lucky! 080115 -- Now that you're out of the loop, your new cubicle will be a giant mushroom. - It's a pleasant environment except when the mushroom gets its nutrients. - Nutrients? 080116 -- I finished my project and I'm ready to present it to the board of directors. - Interns don't speak to the board of directors, Asok. It would be considered an insult. - How is that an insult? You have the stink of unimportance. 080117 -- Who will present my findings to the board of directors? - They only listen to the CEO. And he only listens to the senior vice presidents, and they only listen to the... - Could you show this to the janitor for me? Whoa! Whoa! You don't talk to 080117 -- me directly! 080118 -- CEO Presents To The Board Of Directors An underling made these Powerpoint slides and I don't understand them. - But it doesn't matter because all of you are too preoccupied with your day jobs and mistresses to pay attention. - Who votes to give 080118 -- me a huge bonus just to end this meeting? Aye Aye Aye 080119 -- Our CEO didn't understand the PowerPoint slides you made for him, so he asked the board of directors for a bonus. - With any luck, the bonus will incent him to try harder to understand your slides. - I'm getting better at finding tenuous 081119 -- connections to hope. 080120 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Your boss says that you have a bad attitude. - That's because my project is a flailing corpse of misery, and my boss donated his brain to a gum museum. - If I had a good attitude in this situation, it 080120 -- would be a sign of mental imbalance. - My bad attitude is proof that I am thinking clearly. - Are you going to compliment me on my clarity odemand I be irrational? - I'm putting you in charge of the employee morale festival. - I have a sudden 080120 -- urge to grab you by the tail and beat myself to death. - That's how I know I won the meeting. 080121 -- This week I functioned as an incubator of innovations for contributions to the value chain. - To the observer, it looks as if I am doing nothing, but on the inside, I am incubating my brains out. - It doesn't count unless it hurts. It hurts 080121 -- plenty. 080122 -- Our vendor sent us a consultant to help configure the software. - We can tell how important we are by looking at the consultant they assigned to us. - The word that comes to mind is Doohickey. 080123 -- Ratbert The Software Consultat Don't let your lack of knowledge interfere with my brilliance. - Don't touch the keyboard, don't offer opinions and don't breathe so loudly that I can hear it. - There. I've either configured your software or 080123 -- erased something called a BIOS. 080124 -- The new software is a disaster. Then why did you recommend it? - This software is *your* idea. I recommended *against* it! - So whose fault is it? The person with the unpersuasive recommendations? 080125 -- My new chair can be adjusted to a jillion different positions. - That practically guarantees I'm using it in a suboptimal way. I think it might be disabling me. - Does that look normal to you? 080126 -- If you hire me, I will do all the jobs that the people born in this country are too fat and lazy to do. - IO don't require a safe working environment,and I thrive on abuse! - Do you complain much? I'll remove my own tongue and give it to you in 080126 -- a picke jar for boss's day. 080127 -- Okay, we have a good plan forward. This meeting is adjourned. - OOOH!!! - AAAAH!!! What is that? - AAAH!!! She's tasting the sweet nectar of the illusion of progress. - It's that euphoric feeling you get between the time you make a plan and the 080127 -- time some moron thwarts it. - It can last anywhere from less than a minute to as much as a minute. AAAH!!! - Ted won't meet with us because someone told him that you told someone else he was an obstacle. - GRRRRR!!! The landing is harsh. 080128 -- I need a decision, but it involves more than one variable, and I know you can't handle that. - I'll give you an hour to dither before I badger you into making the correct decision. - I'm going to dither for *two* hours just to show her who is 080128 -- in charge. 080129 -- I'll tell you my idea if you promise not to reject it before thinking about it. - I already rejected it because only putrid ideas come with warnings. - My time management is getting better. I can't pretend to care. 080130 -- Dogbert The Financial Planner With advances in health care, you could live to be 200. - If you have a good financial plan, only the last 120 years will be spent in squalor. - I recommend a diversified portfolio. And bacon. 080131 -- Dogbert The Financial Planner Investing is far too complicated for your tiny brain. - YOU ARE A FINANCIAL TROGLODYTE!!! - Do I get some advice now? No, our first meeting is just to soften you up. 080201 -- Do you have any hobbies? - I like to read obscure articles on the Internet and imagine having friends who are interested in the same things. - But you do have friends, right? Is it too late to change the subject? 080202 -- If I try to give you the raise you deserve, the people above me will just rediuce it. - Maybe you could use some of your political capital to argue my case. - Maybe not. 080203 -- How is work, Dilbert? Well, Mom... - I'm like a fly stuck in a thick tar of despair. - Incompetence hangs in the air like the cold stench of death. - I'm drowning, and monkeys dressed as lifeguards are throwing me anvils. - My job has convinced 080203 -- me that life is a stale joke with no punch line. - I long for the comfort of the grave. - Next time, just say "it's fine." - I enjoy our talks. It's fine. 080204 -- Your travel expenses are rejected because all of your meal costs are round numbers. - Either you are a liar, or worse. - I decide what to order based on what totals to a round number after a 15% tip. That's worse. 080205 -- That thing is called a "boss." - His job is to identify systems that are inefficient and make them out new standards. - I do *way* more than that. Don't look directly at it. 080206 -- Is this "take your daughter to work day" again? No, I'm a freelancer. - I've narrowed my carreer choices to prison guard or monkey trainer. - I don't see how coming here will help. I'll give you a banana if you show me your cubicles. 080207 -- I'm here to go through the motions of trying to ask you a question. - But we both know your phone will ring, or you'll be late for a meeting, or the carpet will catch on fire before I ask the question. - It's a short question, so get ready to 080207 -- make your move. 080208 -- My new five-year plan looks like this. PLAN - How can you have a five-year plan when you don't know what will happen in the next five minutes? - We have this room now. Bad timing. Shoo! Shoo! 080209 -- Our competitors just made our new five-year plan moot. - While we were strategizing, they were doing something I believe they call "work." - On the plus side, I managed to salvage some joy by mocking you. Whatever you're doing, stop it. 080210 -- We'll be using the Dogbert Personality Predictor Index to judge your carreer potential. - Then we'll leave you in the dead-end job that most closely matches your lack of potential. - Here's a sample question... - How would other people describe 080210 -- you? a) angry loner b) embezzler c) lazy - That's not enough choices! - Says the angry loner. - You have thirty minutes to give yourself a label that will haunt you for the rest of your life. - Would you say I'm more of an unidentified hominid 080210 -- or an inappropriate toucher? 080211 -- Your most sensitive materials should always be sent in an interoffice envelope marked "Top Secret." - Are you a moron who works in our security department, or an industrial spy who is too lazy to look through lots of envelopes? - Our security 080211 -- guys don't slap that hard or run that fast. 080212 -- Our servers are using too much electricity. We need to virtualize. - I did my part by reading about virtualization in a trade journal. Mow you do the software part. - Why is your part taking so long? 080213 -- I hired a consultant to help with our virtualization project because I don't trust employees with anything important. - I will do the heavy thinking while each of you performs your usual duties as obstacles to progress. - You said this is *my* 080213 -- project! I'll let him unplug something. 080214 -- There's no need to worry about the server virtualization project. - In phase one, a team of blind monkeys will unplug unnecessary servers. - In phase two, the monkeys will hurl software at whatever is left. Voila! 080215 -- The server virtualization project is done, and there are no trouble tickets. - My rates might seem steep, but remember, there are no trouble tickets. - Our online trouble ticket system is broken. 080216 -- I heard a rumor that you're highly talented. - That means you'll leave this company any minute. I came to salvage whatever assets you leave behind. - Is he the talented guy? Back off! I'm already chasing this ambulance. 080217 -- Here's your assignment. DO IT! DO IT! DO IT, YOU IDIOT! - What kind of management is THAT? - That's called tough love. - Tough love only makes sense if I am doing something wrong and refuse to change. - Well, sometimes more is less. - The 080217 -- saying is "less is more," not "more is less." - If less equals more, then more must equal less. Duh. - This is the part where you usually refuse to admit you are wrong. 080218 -- Don't get too friendly with the new guy. His armpits are 66 inches off the ground. - He seems nice. I fail to see how the height of his armpits is relevant. You'll see. - Hey, little buddy. Let me tell you about my weekend. 080219 -- Dogbert's Electric Cubicle Walls. - I have a leaner. I want to stun him but not kill him. I recommend our Keith Richards model. - Maybe I should dial it back a little. 080220 -- Our surveillance cameras caught you posting this anti-management comic on the wall. - This comic compares managers to drunken lemurs. - Do you think drunken lemurs are like managers? No. Some lemurs can hold their liquor. 080221 -- Wally, I have to fire you for posting a comic comparing managers to drunken lemurs. - You won't be eligible for unemployment benefits unless you can prove you were stupid as opposed to malicious. - Can you prove you're stupid? Is there another 080221 -- explanation for working here? 080222 -- I don't hold any grudges about being fired for hanging a comic on the wall. - The company will be fine without my secret and exclusive knowledge of the critical systems. - If the framistan starts to gabol, just purge the cache within sixty 080222 -- seconds and the servers won't explode. 080223 -- The Dogbert Gazette is doing a story on your firing of an employee for posting a comic on the wall. - I need some quotes that support my thesis of you being a humorless stain on the soul of humanity. - Would you say you worship Satan, or do you 080223 -- simply respect his no-nonsense approach to discipline? 080224 -- I'm going to a single's mixer tonight. - Do you have any advice? - Don't I always? - I's all about knowing what a woman needs. - Find a woman who looks hot, carve her out from the herd and read thid. - What is it? It's the ultimate pick up 080224 -- line. - Um...Hi. Excuse me. - "Criticism completes me." He's a keeper. 080225 -- I'm Bob The Esquire Dinosaur. Your ex-employee, Wally, hired me to slap you with a suit for firing him. - Take off your suit so can slap you with it. - Not now. He's being slapped with a suit, and I don't want to ruin the rhythm. ouch! 080226 -- Bob The Esquire Dinosaur I slapped your ex-boss with his own suit until he agreed to rehire you. - It only took ten minutes to make him agree, and another hour to convince me that he liked it. - How much do I owe you for all the fun? This one 080226 -- is pro bono. 080227 -- Each department that signs off on the proposal adds a brick to the wall of approval. Approval Process - Question: What would happen if I flung one of those conceptual bricks at your conceptual, stupid head? - They warned me you were a tough 080227 -- audience. FLING! FLING! 080228 -- I realize you don't like the new information services approval policy. - But I would appreciate it if you didn't build effigies of me out of office supplies. Seriously. It's creeping me out. Heh heh heh! 080229 -- Catbert, The Evil Director Of Human Resources, Posts A Job Opening. Requirements: - Candidate must have an I.Q. of 300, two centuries of Unix experience and a track record of winning nobel prizes. - 90% of my job is convincing people they 080229 -- don't deserve *theirs*. 080301 -- I have all of the job requirements you're looking for. - I have an I.Q. of 3600, several nobel prizes, ans two centuries of Unix experience, thanks to the time machine and the immortality drug I invented. - That's a lot of words for "too old." 080302 -- What do you think of my idea? - It won't work. Why not? - Do you want the long answer you won't understand because you possess neither the experience nor the education needed? - Or the dismissive and insulting answer that has the advantage of 080302 -- being quick? - Another advantage of the insulting answer is that you can tell people I rejected your idea because I didn't think of it myself. - I guess I'll take the insulting answer. - Fine. Your idea is dumber than snake mittens. - What do 080302 -- you have against snake mittens? 080303 -- This company is like a family. Our culture is based on trust and respect. - Now sign this document that says we can test you for drugs and search your computer and office. - Can I borrow your pen? Do I look like Bill and Melinda Gates? 080304 -- Catbert, Evil Director Of Human Resources I'd like to change my job title to something with "Architect" in it. - My dream is to do less work while allegedly being more valuable. - The best I can do is "Code Monkey." How about "Software Simian"? 080305 -- I used to have a brother, but a piano fell on his head. - Hee hee! - Sometimes I laugh at the wrong times. 080306 -- Carol, I E-mailed you the department payroll report to reformat. - Don't let anyone see it because they might... - BAM! Exactly. They might do that. 080307 -- You'd be happier if you renounced your addiction to the Internet and lived for the moment. - Are you referring to the moment when there's a rat on my bed giving me advice? - How about now? Perfect. Don't chew on the Wi-Fi signal booster. 080308 -- Wally, this is your new team leader. He spells his name like Jesus but it's pronounced Hay-soos. - If you do what Jesus would do, you can enjoy your retirement. - I have a coffee stain that looks just like you. I get that a lot. 080309 -- Our online budget approval system isn't working. - There's a process for making changes to the system, but I don't know it. - I could take a class to learn the process, but there's also a process for approving classes. - I could learn the 080309 -- process for approving classes, but I'd still need approval for a budget variance to take the class. - And I can't get that because the online budget approval system is broken. - I can't even have this conversation because it will make me charge 080309 -- too much of my engineering time to administrative overhead. - So I'll go sit in my cubicle and pretend to be thinking about a billable project. - It looks like I'll be exaggerating my accomplishments again this year. 080310 -- Pronounced Hay-Soos With a name like Jesus, I can't promise I won't mock you. - Baldness be gone. FOOP! - I'm not lazy...and I can see! Don't spill your wine. 080311 -- It's Pronounced Hay-Soos My name is Jesus, and I seek twelve people to work on my project. - I am the saver of databases. Join me to upgrade our systems. - First, we're all going to lunch. I have a bad feeling about this. 080312 -- Pronounced Hay-Soos The new team leader, Jesus, is gaining quite a following. - He fixed my eyesight and made my hair regrow. I think he wants your job as CEO. - For forty shares of stock, I could point him out at lunch. I'll punch his pilot 080312 -- light out! 080313 -- Pronounced Hay-Soos Did you find out who ratted you out, Jesus? - FZEEET! - Maybe you have a way of finding out that sort of thing. 080314 -- Pronounced Hay-Soos Jesus, I thought you got downsized. I came back. - Tell the others I was downsized so I could return as a consultant and save their pensions. - He should have written that down. 080315 -- Dilbert asked me a question in front of the entire group that I already answered last week. - What kind of game is he playing? Maybe he forgot your answer. - That's crazy talk. 080316 -- My management philosophy is "measure twice, cut once." - That only makes sense in a narrow, and generally archaic, set of conditions. - In software development, the item being cut, metaphoriccally speaking, is often plentiful and inexpensive. - 080316 -- In many cases, the cost of measuring incorrectly is low compared to the time wasted doing two measurements before every action. - Your philosophy is better suited for rock carving than web design. - Do you have any wise sayings that involve 080316 -- churning your own butter, or putting saddles on dinosaurs? - Don't bite the hand that feeds you. - I have direct deposit. 080317 -- That's my plan. Now I'd like to open the floor to your soul-crushing negativity. - You have written humanity's final chapter! Darkness stalks us! I'll never know love! - Anticipating it didn't help. 080318 -- My pessimistic coworkers have crushed my soul. Now i am nothing but meat with clothes. - You can regain your soul by volunteering to help the less fortunate. - Who is less fortunate than me? Anyone you date. 080319 -- I look different from my online picture because it was taken before my coworkers crushed my soul. - Would you like to hear an endless series of stories about a coworker you don't know? Okay. - Really? Gee, you must have some huge defects on 080319 -- your own. - I DON'T DESERVE TO BE HAPPY! 080320 -- The world's smartest garbage man says I need to help someone less fortunate to regain my soul. - Don't look at me. I'm happier than a tickled clam. - I brought you some flowers, dead man. I don't need them. I'm good. 080321 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Is there a company sponsored program for regrowing my lost soul? - No, but I'd be happy to bat your dried-up head until it snaps off. - I have trouble saying no to free stuff. 080322 -- I hear your soul was crushed and Catbert slapped off your dried-up head. - Try this juice I've been selling on the side. It's made from actual berries. - SPOIT! Oh, crud. That was the placebo. 080323 -- I need a doctor's note for the two days of work I missed. - You look healthy to me. I got better. - How do I know you were sick? The note just needs to *say* I was sick. - So you want me to lie? It's not a lie. I really was sick. - If your 080323 -- company doesn't trust you, why should I? Good point. - What if I let the people in your waiting room cough on me? Then you can write a note saying I have what they have. - As long as I didn't recommend it, I think that passes ethical muster. - 080323 -- You have nine diseases? That have names. 080324 -- Where can I put this important document so it won't get lost in your desk clutter? - I'll flatten my hair so you can leave it on top of my head. - Are you happy? I didn't know happy was an option. 080325 -- Carol, I hired famed archaeologist Dogbert to find the budget report in the clutter of your desk. - This appears to be a copier repairman skull, possibly a Ricoh or Kyocera. - I think he used tools. Not fast enough. 080326 -- You're late, as always. - You mean twice, if you include the time you forgot to set your watch back by an hour. - And this time when you E-mailed the wrong start time? Oh, look how you try to flip it around! 080327 -- My cable system wasn't working last night. I didn't have TV or Internet. - So I stared at the wall until it was time for bed. - I considered carving a canoe out of a tree trunk, but it seemed like a lot of work. CHECK! 080328 -- It's obvious what I need to do next. - But I'll let you tell me so you can maintain the illusion of value. - Stop being this way. I saw that coming a mile away. 080329 -- Dilbert says I'm predictable. Am I predictable? Gesundheit in advance. - Must...control sneeze. Must...not be...predictable. - MROOMPH! Yesterday I drew a picture of what this would look like. 080330 -- The security audit accidentally locked all of the developers out of the system. - Well, it is what it is. - How does that help? - You don't know what you don't know. - Congratulation. You're the first human to fail the Turing Test. - What does 080330 -- that mean. - Um... - It is whatit is? Why didn't you say that in the first place? 080331 -- I'd like to give you a raise but I used the entire budget on a new coffee maker. - It's a nice one. - There's a talk that I paid too much for you. 080401 -- You must be the new coffee machine. - THOOP! - It's aggressive, but I like that in my coffee makers. 080402 -- Alice, I want you to interview a job candidate. Let me know what you think. - Why did you leave your last job? I punched my boss. - He's exactly what we need. 080403 -- My project is on hold. Do you need any help on yours? - Sure. Call these customers and tell them we can't deliver on time or with the features they need. - Do you have any tasks that *don't* feel like getting waterboarded on your birthday? And 080403 -- tell them the price went up. 080404 -- Mordac, The Preventer Of Information Resources Do you know how the system distinguishes between authorized and illegal access? - ZAP! - It doesn't. 080405 -- My boss sent me to represent him at this meeting. - Fuh-Fuh-Fuh Everything costs too much. Fuh-Fuh-Fuh We don't have enough resources! - That doesn't help us. Hey, I'm not the one who invited him. 080406 -- I planned to be productive this week. - I sent you an E-Mail with 25 questions I need answered before I can start on my project. - I waited patiently while your non-responsiveness crushed my hopes and dreams. - I don't have time to answer 25 080406 -- questions! - Well then, it appears we are at a standoff. - Okay, okay! I'll work all weekend answering your stupid questions!!! - That's great, unless you can't find the E-Mail I sent. - Did you really send an E-Mail? That's not how I roll. 080407 -- Wally, do you have the capital cost estimates I asked for last week? - No. I always ask you to clarify what you need, You say you'll get back to me but you never do. - Maybe I could clarify it now. That would ruin my system. 080408 -- YOU'Re FIRED! GAAA!!! - Not really. But now this 2% raise won't seem so bad. - This job is all about managing expectations. 080409 -- Greetings, Troglodytes. I am from the Millenium Generation. - I was forged in the digital age. I will use my knowledge of Myspace.Com and YouTube and E-Mail to rule this planet. BUWHA-HAHA!!! - Trash Wow, you're right. He doesn't have much 080409 -- upper body strength. 080410 -- Did you make the changes I asked for? That depends. - Do you remember what you asked me to change? - No. Yup, I made the changes. 080411 -- Heed my advice, Young Asok. Only an idiot finishes a project before the deadline. - The less time you give people to nitpick, the more time you have to pretend you are overworked. - Freedom is just another word for people finding out you're 080411 -- useless. 080412 -- Matt The Temp Our parking lot flooded after the big storm. - I need you to wade out there and find our drowned power cables. - He seems to fully embrace the temp concept. FZEET! 080413 -- Alice, I'm hoping we can work together on this project in the spirit of cooperation. - I'll have some ideas, and you'll have some ideas, and together we can pick the best ones. - Sure, that's one approach. - But I prefer to exhale deeply and 080413 -- roll my eyes while you prattle. - Then I will verbally demolish your ludicous ideas, and dismantle your mistaken self-image as a competent man. - The carnage will create a striking contrast for the warm, clear glow of *my* brilliant ideas. - 080413 -- Later, I will round out the package by spreading amusing stories about how ignorant you are. - Is there any chance of doing it my way? Now watch the eyes. 080414 -- Loud Howard insists ion using his speakerphone in his cubicle. You have to do something about it. - I'll move him to a private office that just became available. Problem solved. - GAAA!!! I need to punch you until we both forget what happened 080414 -- here. Spare the glasses. 080415 -- I want the entire staff to meet at 10 A.M. every day for a five-minute huddle. - We'll use this high-energy stand-up meeting to solve problems and share successes. - Who has a problem that can be solved in a minute? I'm tired. Can I sit on you? 080416 -- Who has some successes to share at our 5-minute daily huddle? - - Okay...are there any obstacles? Everything. 080417 -- You let Dilbert have two flat screen monitors in his cubicle. - I'm not the least bit envious, but I should point out that a worker with two monitors should be able to do twice as much work. - Did you know there are some advantages to having 080417 -- only one monitor? 080418 -- I want you to have the same emotional investment in this company as you have with your families. - I'm divorced. I'm single. I have never been kissed. - Mission accomplished. 080419 -- Thanks to marketing, sales have increased 100%! - Question: Are you asking a room full of engineers to be excited about a big percentage increase over a trivial base? - You leave me no coice but to give you the stink eye. Ow! Ow! Make it stop! 080420 -- I have an issue. Lordy lord. - No one in the department wants to be left out of the decision making. - But no one is willing to make a decision. - As a result, all of my problems are perpetual. - Can you do something about that? - I can appear 080420 -- to be concerned. How's this expression? - Can you combine that with some impractical advice and unwarranted optimism? - I'm frequently thwarted, but rarely disappointed. 080421 -- Beware of the power of Stink Eye, intern. I will make you bow to my will! GAAA!!! - Must...use...banned telekinetic powers to neutralize threat. grrrr!!! - You have a call from the Indian Insitute Of Technology. It's someone from the Department 080421 -- Of Things You Shouldn't Do. 080422 -- Asok, you must return to the Indian Institute Of Technology to explain your illegal use of telekinesis. But, but... - POOF!! - Vijay, pants. 080423 -- Asok, you have violated the Indian Institute Of Technology's ban on the use of telekinesis in the ungifted world. - Your punishment is 30 years in the box. - Where were you this morning? grrrr 080424 -- The company has decided to explore strategic alternatives. - Is that another way to say the company is for sale and we'll all be fired by our new corporate overlords? - What answer will spark the least employee vandalism? 080425 -- We could only find one company in the galaxy willing to form a strategic alliance with us. - Admiral B'Tang-B'Tang is here to describe how we can help each other. FOOP! - Stop saying "foop," Ted. 080426 -- Dilbert, I need you to handle the due diligence for our alliance with the Galactic Protein Corporation. - Find out if they have any hidden issues we should know about. - Is this a bad time? Human Buns 080427 -- Who Thought of this idea? I came up with it all by myself. - My subordinates who have a healthy fear of losing their jobs, had nothing to do with it. Right? - We're not worth the oxygen we breathe. I don't even known why I'm here. - I asked 080427 -- because it's an awful idea. - You said I was stealing credit for a *good* idea, you lying liar!!! - Oh, wait. I read it wrong. This is actually a good idea. - Thanks. I knew I was a winner when I thought of it. - You gave him a good idea? Not 080427 -- intentionally. It must have been a typo. 080428 -- I recommend we cancel our planned merger. - They plan to open a chain of fast food restaurants using our employees as a source of protein. - If we always waited for the perfect situation, we'd never get anything done. 080429 -- Deus Ex Machina Services I need an improbale solution to a work problem. - Sure. I charge one million dollars for each improbable solution. - Okay, then I also need an improbable way to get things from you for free. Stop breaking my business 080429 -- model. 080430 -- You can thwart this unfriendly takeover by using something called a poison pill. - I keep one in my watch. I'l ltake it immediately. That's not... - I suppose I could feed your tainted CEO carcass to the executives of the other company. gurgle* 080501 -- I thwarted the hostile takeover bid, but your CEO died in the process. - I'll find you someone else to blather about quality while being grossly overpaid. - I like your look, but can you blather? Quality is my global added value! 080502 -- Our Alternative Fuel Division has found a way to turn fresh water into fuel! Water -> Fuel - Wouldn't that turn the world into an uninhabitable wasteland in the long run? - Not if someone finds a way to turn oil into water. 080503 -- You must be Dilbert. I'm the new guy on your project team. - What's that foul stench? It's the stink of failure. It follows me from project to project. - HOW DO I GET IT OFF?!! You can dilute it by shaking hands. 080504 -- Dilbert, I want you to be the lead developer on this project. - Don't check the other developers' work because it eill make them angry. - That's okay, as long a s they do good work. - Actually, they do bad work. Very very bad work. - You are 080504 -- setting me up for certain failure. - If work were easy, no one would pay you to do it. - Okay. I'll go through the motions while hoping the project gets canceled for other reasons. - Keep up the bad work, Carl. Who told you? 080505 -- Can I count on your cooperation for the next phase of the project? No. - You emit the musky scent of failure. Women can detect that sort of thing. - Would a bath fix it? How long are you willing to stay submerged? 080506 -- I acquired the musky scent of failure. Do you have anything that can get rid of it? - Try being successful at something important. - I work in a fabric-covered box. Okay, then try rubbing this behind both ears. 080507 -- Use the CRS database to size the market. That data is wrong. - Then use the SIBS database. That data is also wrong. - Can you average them? Sure. I can multiply them too. 080508 -- I didn't have any accurate numbers so I just made up this one. $4,629,873 - Studies have shown that accurate numbers aren't any more useful than the ones you make up. - How many studies showed that? Eightyseven. 080509 -- The company decided to invest a billion dollars based on your stupid, made-up numbers. - You've crushed my dreams of a better tomorrow. Now my life is a cold, wet slide of oblivion. - I finally made a difference at work. How many victims? 080510 -- I cut the quality control budget to free up funds to increase our sales force. - So your strategy is to sell a larger quantity of defective products? - The quality will be fine. The tests will just take longer. So...it's an antique thing? 080511 -- Wally, I can't open that file you mailed. - Sounds like you need to upgrade your viewer application. - Which means you'll probably have to upgrade your operating system. - You'd better add some RAM while you're at it. - But it probably makes 080511 -- no sense to upgrade your old computer. This is a good time to get a new one. - How do I get a new computer? - It's easy. I'll send you a file that explains it. - Are you sending corrupted files to people again? Only if I think they deserve it. 080512 -- I need someone to make ten copies of this document. - Is there any risk that performing this task will make me appear less valuable? - I need someone to tell Copy Boy to get to work. erk * 080513 -- Our boss asked me to make some copies. - But I fear doing such a menial task will brand me as unimportant. - I was hoping you could make the copies for me since your carreer is already a bloated cadaver. - If I am reading your body language 080513 -- correctly, you are wondering "staple or not staple?" 080514 -- Wgere are those copies I asked you to make? I delegated that task to Carol. - This seems like a good time to take a personal half-day. - I have a good feeling about this. 080515 -- We just discovered that you assigned the same project to both of us a month ago. - Sometimes I do that whe I think neither of you has more than a 50% chance of doing something right. - Hey, I just discovered something. Or 33.3% 080516 -- Do you have the approved vendor list? Hmmm, Alice and Asok asked for that list too. - Are you one of three people assigned to the same project because your boss believes none of you are reliable? - Maybe. Hmmm, and you're the last one to ask 080516 -- for the list. 080517 -- Before I get too invested in this converstion, tell me what you do for a living. - I'm one of three people my boss asked to do the same assignment because he deems all of us unreliable. - This is why I ask. The other two people are total 080517 -- losers. 080518 -- Alice, I can't give you the maximum raise because you don't respect other people's differences. - Why are you discriminating me for my intolerance? - If I am intolerant for some genetic reason, then I can't help it. - And if I'm intolerant 080518 -- because I can't learn to be otherwise, then obviously I have a learning problem. - Why is it acceptable for you to be an idiot but not acceptable for me to notice it? - You need to start appreciating me for my intolerance! - And while I'm at 080518 -- it, allow me to mention that a monkey's seat cushion has better views than what I'm looking at right now. - I'm not quite sure where to go with this. Ooh! Ooh! I have a suggestion. 080519 -- I worked all night to finish the assignment on time. - Toss it on the pile. - I'd feel better if you used a differen choice of words. Plop it on the top. 080520 -- I'm not attracted to you, but I'd like to date you for one month. - That should be long enough to resolve any tech support issues on my home computer, cell phone and home theater. - Would there be any kissing? What kind of girl do you think I 080520 -- am? 080521 -- dilbert, when you come over tonight, wear your toolbelt. - Because it's sexy? - That would be between you and the squirrel that keep chewing the cable from my satellite dish. 080522 -- I fixed your satellite dish connection and tuned your surround sound system. Now can we go on our date? - That *was* our date. In ten minutes I'm dating a guy who will replacethe water filter in my refrigerator. - I can do that. You're welcome 080522 -- to stay and fight him for it. 080523 -- I think my girlfriend is only dating me to get free tech support. I'm very surprised you think that. - Because it's unlikely? Because it shows self-awareness. - She might grow to love me. And...back to normal. 080524 -- My computer is broken. Ineed a new one. We don't have the budget. - Do things that don't require a computer until the next budget cycle. - Like churning my own butter? You make it sound creepy. 080525 -- Go to human resources for a psychological evaluation. - Why??? Have i said anything that is abnormal? - You're an engineer, everything you say is abnormal. - Question one: How many bodies are hidden in the crawl space under your house? - If 080525 -- they are hidden, how would I know? - Well, maybe you would smell them. - Not if they were wrapped in heavy plastic and sealed in concrete. - How'd it go? Not so good. 080526 -- Maybe I could use your laptop until we have the budget to get me a computer that works. - I might need my laptop. I *already* need it. - I need you to stop needing it. Well played. 080527 -- I didn't work on your request this week because my computer is broken and my company is too cheap to replace it. - I tried to borrow one, but the people I work with are a bunch of selfish tools. - Maybe I shouldn't take you on sales calls. So I 080527 -- built a tiny fort out of coffee stirrers. 080528 -- My only hope for productivity is to smuggle in my home laptop. - CLAMP CLAMP CLAMP - Now hand over the non-standard cell phone you keep in the elastic of your underpants. 080529 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources I like to use role play to evaluate job applicants. - Pretend you're an unqualified loser. - Wow. You're totally nailing it. 080530 -- I will use role play to evaluate your management potential. - Imagine you are a turtle and you are being attacked by a hawk. - That's better than I expected. Thanks. 080531 -- Wally, are you busy? Yes, I'm reading the "in memoriam" section of our company newsletter. - When you're done, can you compile the beta test results? - Sure, Just as soon as I get the data from...Larry. 080601 -- I can't give you a raise because your project is behind schedule. - That's because the vendor delivered defective equipment. - It iy your job to anticipate that sort of problem and head it off. - It isn't possible to anticipate and head off 080601 -- every improbable event. - Well, you could have picked a more reliable vendor. - You told me to use this vendor because the sales guy took you golfing and bought you a hat. - Well, you should have seen that coming and burned down all hat 080601 -- factories a year ago. - He would have bribed you another way. That's what lazy people say. 080602 -- Wally, in the past month you've blamed your lack of productivity on seven dead people and three who never existed. - I used to blame living coworkers but it made the meetings awkward. - Whose fault is that? Here comes the awkward part. 080603 -- Wally, I enrolled you in a program to cure uselessness. - Your classmates will be a glass hammer and a bag of nothing. - Can I borrow a pen? Dude, no arms. 080604 -- I took a class to learn how to be less useless. - Now I carry twice as many coffee cups wherever I go. - Does that make you work faster? I only have two hands. 080605 -- I took a class on being less useless. Now I see the world in a different light. - For example, I recognize these staff meetings as colossal wastes of time, but there's nothing I can do about them. - Now my helplessness makes my uselessness seem 080605 -- unimportant. 080606 -- You won't read my technical report so I summarized it in this complicated slide. - If you stare at it long enough you will either experience the illusion of understanding it or be too embarrassed to admit you don't. - Do you have any questions 080606 -- to betray your ignorance? Is the triangle thing mad at the tube? 080607 -- The executive steering group took your recommendation to cancel all design projects. What?!! I didn't recommend that! - Uh-oh. Your poor communication skills have sowed the seeds of our destruction. Gaaa!!! - Am I an unclear communicator? Sic 080607 -- o'clock. 080608 -- I decided to produce a reality show about your life. What? - The cameras will follow you around and capture all of your failures humilitations. - Why would I agree to that? - Because you suffer from the dull ache of insignificance. - You can 080608 -- only fill the horrible void in your soul by fathering children or being famous. - Maybe I prefer to have children. - And maybe you prefer to flap your ears and fly to Mars. - Do you see where I'm going with this? bop Sorry. 080609 -- Asok, you never mentioned any issues this quarter, so I assume you didn't do any work. - OOOOH, LORDY LORD! OUR VENDORS ARE INCOMPETENT AND OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SUING US!!!! - Why can't you be more like that guy? SOMEONE PLEASE KILL ME! 080610 -- We've decided to write off 47 billion dollars in bad loans. - You might think this is my fault, but in actuality it is all cause by poor regulatory oversight. - Who is in favor of those guys taking a big pay cut? Anyone? 080611 -- Dogbert The Media Trainer Carefully choose your words when talking about the company's future. - For example, avoid comparisons to Abe Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, "Circling the drain," and anything involving flies. - And never, ever refer to the 080611 -- company as any kind of sandwich you wouldn't want to eat. That's my favorite one! 080612 -- Dogbert The Media Trainer Let's try a mock interview to see how you respond under pressure. - ARE YOU A STINKING WEASEL TRYING TO PASS AS HUMAN?!!! - What gave it away? Honestly, it was a lucky guess. 080613 -- I've decided that your tiny company will give us an interest-free loan. - There's no paperwork to sign. We'll just pay your invoices late while snortling. - This is the part where you realize your negotiating leverage is limited. I demand no 080613 -- snortling! 080614 -- My tiny company can't survive if you insist on paying our invoices late. - You should have thought of that before you decided to become a small company. - Come here for a second. Please...not the flyswatter. 080615 -- Ted, I have a funny story for you! - Why am I filled with a sense of foreboding? - So I was trying to print a long document, hee-hee! - But when I went to the printer, the document wasn't there! - For the next three days I kept trying and 080615 -- trying, but the document never showed up at the printer! - It turns out that I was checking the wrong printer. The right printer used $80,000 worth of paper that week. - And how does this affect me? - You and paper just became an either-or 080615 -- situation. 080616 -- Ted, I've decided to gossipsize you. - I'm spreading vicious rumors about you until you feel compelled to quit. - People are too smart to... PIPE DOWN, BABY EATER! 080617 -- I heard a rumor that you think a monkey could do my job. - DO YOU THINK A MONKEY COULD FLING THIS CORPORATE NEWSLETTER AT YOUR HEAD? - UNH!!! Is this a trick question? 080618 -- Dogbert's Rumor Control I need to squash a workplace rumor that I'm an idiot. - I charge $10 for each false rumor and $1,000 for any rumor I decide is true. - Sounds fair. Really? That just cost you $1,000. 080619 -- I'm from the Dogbert Rumor Control service. - People are saying Ted is an exotic male dancer on weekends. I know it isn't true because he spends all of his free time in a terrorist training camp. - Isn't that worse? I get paid per rumor. It's 080619 -- not a perfect system. 080620 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources We've installed surveillance cameras to monitor your work. - It might seem like an unconscionable assault on your privacy, but you'll get used to it. - I'm already a little bit used to it. Used to what? 080621 -- We monitor all of your actions, but we suspect you are still doing non-work related thinking. - My lab assistant Trixie will attach sensors to your head and track all of your thoughts. - Mmm...Trixie, wear this while you wash my car. Engineers. 080622 -- Wally, what do you plan to do after you retire? - Retirement is for losers, Asok. - Winners keep their job but stop caring about the quality of their work. - I have no stress, free coffee, and I get paid, too. - Watch how this works. - Wally, 080622 -- can you give me some cost estimates for my project? I'm too busy. Ask Dilbert. - Doesn't this make you a worthless leech on society? - I'm pretty sure that the winner in that example is the leech. 080623 -- I'm off for two relaxing weeks of well-earned vacation. - ATTENTION TO ALL EMPLOYEES. THE STAIN IS ON THE MOVE. I REPEAT, THE sTAIN IS ON THE MOVE. YIPPEE! WOOHOO! YES! Relaxing just got harder. 080624 -- I'm in charge while our boss is on vacation. When can you format some reports for me? - I'll send you a link to a widget that shows the temperature in Satan's fireplace. When it hits 32 Fahrenheit, I'll get right on it. - And I was worried 080624 -- that the power would go to my head. Not as fast as this stapler will. 080625 -- I'm in charge while our pointy-haired boss is on vacation. - I expect each of you to be professional and productive during this time. - Nice lying. I practiced in front of a mirror. 080626 -- Is everything okay since I left for vacation? Better than ever. - Counterproductive policies have been eliminated, and we are no longer victims of ignorance. - Man, I don't like the sound of that. 080627 -- I need you to attend a meeting for your boss while he's on vacation. - I plan to bully you into making decisions that are bad for your department. - It's almost as if you have no respect for me. Yeah, almost. 080628 -- Filling In For The Pointy-Haired Boss Does your department need its entire budget this year? - No, we'll waste most of it on empire building and appearing to work on trendy things. - All in favor of cutting this guy's budget in half? I CALL 080628 -- DO-OVER! DO OVER! 080629 -- Our CEO decided to eliminate employee bonuses. - The savings will be used to produce an in-house movie to inspire you. - Inspire us to what? - For starters, we'd like you to be happy about being underpaid. - Our fun-loving executives will wear 080629 -- festive costumes and sing about the virtues of poverty. - The movie is called "The sound of no money." - The premiere is on our CEO's yacht. He wants all of you to be there. - We're invited to his yacht? - The yacht runs on whalre oil, so bring 080629 -- a harpoon. 080630 -- Whatcha got going there? It's a particle accelerator. - I'm looking for evidence of the antiworld that physicist Paul Dirac predicted in 1930. - Hello, handsome! 080701 -- I created an Anti-Dilbert, but I don't know how to prevent him from being annihilated by matter when le leaves the vacuum. - If *you* don't know how to do it, and he's the Anti-You, that means *he* knows how. - Matterscreen, SPF 50. Duh. 080702 -- My particle accelerator brought an antimatter Dilbert into this world. - Everything he thinks is opposite of what I think. - Why did you bring him here? You're like his Oprah. Hold me. 080703 -- In my alternate universe, the one we call Wally is a billionaire entrepreneur and adventurer. - No one has seen him since he tried to swim to the south pole. - In my universe, evolution kills the strong. Sounds like he had it coming. 080704 -- I'm the Antimatter Dilbert. If my thin film of matterscreen washed off, I would come in contact with matter and be annihilated. - SLOOSH! KABOOM! - Once again, my first instinct wasn't the best. 080705 -- You know that antimatter version of yourself that you brought to work? - I killed him with a cup of coffee. I think he enjoyed it. Because he's, like, opposite. - But enough about me. How's *your* day going? 080706 -- Some of us are going for a drink after work. Would you like to join us? - Nixe try, but I know how this scam works. - You're trying to lull me into a false sense of safety with a group activity. - But we both know the other people will 080706 -- mysteriously never show up. - Then it's just you and me on what looks like a date. - How many people do I have to invite before you believe some of them will show up? - Well, given the disparity in our levels of attractiveness, I'd say 080706 -- thirty-five. Can do. - Not *one* other person showed? I only invited women who are more suspicious than you. 080707 -- Alice, did you make those code changes yet? - No. I find your specifications to be vague and uncompelling, they are a breeding ground for ennui. - Is there any way I can cheer you up? Maybe if something awful appened to you. 080708 -- Welcome to Dogbert's Seminar On Time Management And Evolution. - The key to good time management is skipping unimportant tasks. - In module two, I will show you that everything you do is unimportant because your genes are a dead end. 080709 -- Dogbert The Time Management Expert Never put time into an activity that has no potential benefit. - For example, why bother putting on makeup if you're going to wear that hideous outfit? - That's like knitting a sweater for a dead squirrel. 080710 -- Dogbert The Time Management Expert I can tell by looking at you that it doesn't matter what you do with your time. - I don't think you'll be curing cancer if I give you a few extra hours per week. - In fact, it would probably increase your 080710 -- chances of *getting* it. - Are we done? I need a smoke. 080711 -- Your salary is already above the midpoint for your pay range. - Excuse me while I remove a sock to explain what will happen to your pay going forward. - Let's say the sock is inflation and my hand is your paycheck. 080712 -- I'm thinking about getting a master's degree in business so I can get promoted to management. - How long does it take to learn to be less useful? - Three years of night classes. Hold still and I'll save you three years. 080713 -- Wally, how do you keep up with all the changes in technology? - Chasing knowledge is a fool's game, Asok. - I use experience to answer questions without the burden of knowledge. Observe. - Wally, if we upgrade our servers, would that solve our 080713 -- network problem? - If the problem is the servers, yes. - - I'll ask someone else. - There goes another satisfied customer. 080714 -- Where am I? What happened? - Someone hit you with a rock. - The swelling in your prefrontal cortex will make you care less about hurting people, thus making you a natural leader. - There's also a bump on the *back* of my head. That's so you 080714 -- don't remember who threw the rocks. 080715 -- My doctor says everything is fine except for the part of my brain that controls morality. - GASP! The management prophesies are true. You must be the one they call... - THE NATURAL?!! He glows from within. 080716 -- I can't put you on the management fast track until I confirm that your moral compass is broken. - A nun, a CEO and a scientist are in a burning building. You can only save one of them. Which one do you save? - Is there time for a bidding war? 080716 -- Oh, you're good. 080717 -- I hear your moral compass is damaged and you're being groomed for upper management. - SPLASH! - Was that wrong? Because I can't tell. 080718 -- It has come to my attention that your moral compass is damaged. - I'm promoting you to vice president of making employees feel miserable and helpless. - That's a actual job? It doesn't happen on its own. 080719 -- Dilbert't Moral Compass Is Damaged My new job is to make employees feel miserable and helpless. - Here's a chart that shows the sort of women that are attracted to men at various salary ranges. - Trophy wives are the top, obviously, and down in 080719 -- your range we have the carnival skanks. 080720 -- Why have you failed to accomplish any of your objectives this quarter? - Well, I took the objectives you gave me and put them into three categories. - The first group includes physical impossibilities, such as being in two places at the same 080720 -- time. - The second group includes logical impossibilities, sich as anticipating unforeseen problems. - Last, we have the illegal objectives, including industrial spying and consumer fraud. - So I spent my time doing things that are both 080720 -- important and legal, while hoping you wouldn't fire me for it. - Whoa, what just happened? Is it my imagination, or did I just win this conversation? - It was my imagination. 080721 -- My moral compass has healed. Can I keep my new job in management? - I'd like to use my position of power to narrow the gap between executive and worker pay. - 080722 -- My CEO threw me through a fifth-floor window. I'd like to press charges. - Your CEO? Do you think he would hire me to do security on his yacht? No. - Would he hire me if I club you with this stick-thing? Maybe. 080723 -- Maybe later you can give me a back rub with your good hand. - I don't have a good hand. But one of my elbows doesn't hurt too much. - I feel like you're not even trying to make me happy. 080724 -- I need some sympathy. - I'm so sorry your face looks like that. - My face isn't injured. Well, excuse me for being thorough. 080725 -- I need to find a support group for people who have my same problem. - Type "thrown out of a fifth floor window by a CEO who will escape justice." - Look who doesn't have a broken leg. Do you think you're better than us? 080726 -- Did you deliver those legal papers to my CEO? No, I served him. - It means the same thing. How could it?. No, really, it does. Now I feel bad about double faulting. 080727 -- Asok, I won't have time to hold your hands on this project. - You need to work indepently. - And by that I mean you should imagine what I would tell you to do, then do it. - But...I can only imagine you telling me stupid things. - Holy shiva! 080727 -- This is a trap! - My choices are failure or insubordination. - My only hope is that I'm in one of those hidden camera shows and this is all a big joke on me. - Find anything? Can't...stop...looking. 080728 -- Will you represent me in my lawsuit against my CEO? Under one condition. - You must do everything I ask, without question or hesitation. What if you tell me to do painful things for your amusement? If? 080729 -- Jury Selection You with the big eyebrows, are you as dumb as you look? - I'm not sure. I don't remember what I look like. - Okay, you're in. And on an unrelated note, I'm the only person who ever loved you. 080730 -- Where were you on the day that Dilbert was pushed out of your office window? - I was directly behind him, in this position, yelling "Die, die, die!" - The first question is just practice, right? 080731 -- We find in favor of the plaintiff dude. - There was some discussion about which one is the plaintiff - the company guy or the weasel. - But we were unanimous in not wanting to be here any longer. Aye! 080801 -- How much do I owe you in legal fees for helping me win my lawsuit? - My fee is 100% of the jury award plus I get to call you names that sound worse than they are. - That doesn't seem fair. You're an analog. 080802 -- I've been away from work so long. I wonder if anything has changed. - You weren't here when we moved to new cubicles so your coworkers picked one for you. - 080803 -- Ted, your position is being eliminated. - What? You never told me there was anything wrong with my performance! - It's not ybout your performance. Your *position* is being eliminated. - Well, that seem s mighty convenient. - This way you can 080803 -- replace me without explaining why I never got a bad performance review. - Is this just a trick to make you feel less awkward while firing me? - I thought you said he'd be gone by now. - Is there any comfort in knowing your replacement is 080803 -- totally hot? 080804 -- Health problems and absenteeism are a huge cost to this business. So? - So give me a raise, or I'll eat unhealthy food and avoid all forms of exercise. - You already do those things. How could you possibly know that? 080805 -- Employee wellness programs save money in the long run, but that does you no good. - You need a program that can save you money now, when it makes a difference. - a hellness program? I don't like the sound of that. Try to see the big picture for 080805 -- once. 080806 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Our concern for your wellness is related to your job performance. - Obviously you won't be getting an ergonomically correct chair any time soon. - And feel free to type as hard as you want. 080807 -- Welcome to "Dogbert's Financial Bakery." How may I abuse you? - We shipped zero units this quarter. Can you cook our books? Of course. - Will anyone know? Sometimes the footnotes smell like actual feet. 080808 -- I cooked all the books by assuming your pension fund will earn 15% per year. Pension Fund 15% - Technically you aren't crooks, just optimists. - If you hear a whistling noise, that would be your soul escaping through your nose. tweet! mmph! 080808 -- tweet! 080809 -- My security software kept insisting that I download critical updates. - I didn't have time to do all that, and I couldn't risk using my computer without critical updates. It was a no-win situation. - Did you accomplish anything this week? What 080809 -- part of "no-win" is confusing you? 080810 -- We can't move forward until you get input from Allen. - And that won't be easy. Allen is an amorphous cloud of gas. - He once was human like us. - Allen was afraid to give his opinion or to make a decision. - He put so much effort into avoiding 080810 -- commitment that his molecules stopped binding together. - Now he exists as nothing but a subtle odor near the copier room. - How can I get his input? Don't make me micromanage you. - Allen? Is that you? Sorry. 080811 -- My smartest employees keep disagreeing with me. - Which is weird because great minds usually think alike. They must be slipping. - Sometimes I think I'm not arrogant enough. 080812 -- I'm addicted to our online job posting system. - It helps me fantasize about having a job I could enjoy. - oooh! This can't be good. 080813 -- How long have you been addicted to ogling online job positions? - It started when I realized my current job is like a dung beetle trying to mate with an epileptic cow. - That imagery is disturbing. I know, right? 080814 -- I don't need to know the details. Just give me the high altitude view. - From a high altitude we're all a bunch of termites trying to eat the same log. - Myave drill down a little more. The termites hate each other. 080815 -- I never have enough information to make an informed decision. - But that's okay because I'm a good judge of people. - Can you approve this? Baby puncher. 080816 -- The company will be using less air conditioning to reduce expenses. - To compensate, we're loosening up the dress code. Shorts will now be allowed. - I'm not going to update my shorts wardrobe until I know this will last. 080817 -- Find out what the users want before you build it. - Why are you explaining my job to me as if I'm an idiot? - It's called managing. - I assume you're dumb because you work harder than I do and earn less money. - And my boss would fire me if I 080817 -- just sat in my office and did nothing. - So I wander around and say obvious things to you idiots until quitting time. - Then I go home and eat until my underpants don't fit. - Thanks for asking. 080818 -- We're rethinking our policy of allowing shorts during the heat wave. - Until we sort that out, I've been asked to cover you with a tarp. - I should have fought for eye holes. 080819 -- I want to improve our reputation in the community by donating money to the needy. - Find me a photogeniv hobo who could use a million dollars. - I'm looking for a hobo who could use a million dollars. - Sorry, we're tramps. 080820 -- My company sent me to give money to a hobo. It's our way of helping the local community. - I'm authorized to give a million dollars to one of you. How do you decide which one? - Maybe you could fight for it. Say "Go." 080821 -- Our charitable giving has caused some unintended consequences. - It sparked a hobo war. The east side of the city is in flames. - Well, it could be worse. They tasted human flesh, and they like it. 080822 -- As requested, I fit my presentation on one Powerpoint slide. - I had to use all of the white space, but I think it was worth it to fit everything on one page. - It's actually only one bullet point, but it's a long one. 080823 -- Elbonian spies stole my laptop and all of our confidential data. - But don't worry, because I placed a virus in there that will destroy their morale and their hope. - I believe you call it your "business plan." 080824 -- I'm going to a seminar that will teach me how to make a million dollars! - It's a scam. How could you know that? - I haven't even told you the name of the seminar! - You can't be sure it is a scam if you know none of the details. - You just 080824 -- want to crush my hopes so I become like you. - But it won't work because I have dreams! I won't be a bitter and broken cynic like you two! - I'll have the last laugh after I pay my niminal fee and learn how to "turn a hundred dollars into a 080824 -- million." - Invest $100 at 5% interest and wait 190 years. Thanks for coming. 080825 -- Elbonia Our spies stole this laptop from an employee named Dilbert. - Ha ha! We will find his company's secrets and use them! heh-heh. - Six Months Later Do you remember mittens? I loved having mittens. Shut up! 080826 -- Leaning? What's that got to do with sitting? - I remember, when *sitting there* meant something. I'm going to give them a piece of my mind. - Frankly, we ran out of things to say about sitting. I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE! 080827 -- This week I focused on ergonomics. - I kept my guts moist so they wouldn't bunch up. - I don't think that is ergonomics. Tell that to my dried-up spleen. 080828 -- Company Lawyer Can you turn a simple agreement into impenetrable gibberish? - Absolutely. I can also leave a sour taste in everyone's mouth and make you want to choke me with my suspenders. - If you exercise and eat right, you might still be 080828 -- alive when I finish it. Good enough. 080829 -- I just finished a contract I started during the Miocene epoch. - ...assuming this hoof fossil is a signature. - These things can't be rushed. 080830 -- Today is Shelly's birthday. We should make her feel special. - Do you still have that random stack of birthday cards you got on sale last year? I'm all over it. - She likes pets. The closest thing you have is an elf. Draw whiskers on it. 080831 -- Wally, where do you think you're going? - It's only four o'clock. - What a strange thing to say. Did anyone care how many hours a week Beethoven worked? - Genius can't be scheduled. - Judge me by accomplishments, not the number of hours i spend 080831 -- at the office. - Okay, fine. What did you accomplish today? - I just taught you how to become a better manager. - What? Did you think it was going to happen on its own? 080901 -- Job Interview Would you tell me bad news even if you knew it would upset me? - Yes, I would. - Why would I hire someone who hates me? 080902 -- Alice, there's no budget to give you a raise, but I'll give you something that is just as good. - I promise that if you quit on me I will give you a bad job reference and you will never work again. - HOW IS THAT JUST AS GOOD AS A RAISE? Try to 080902 -- see it from my point of view. 080903 -- We will be adopting the best practices in our industry, just like everyone else. Bes Practices - If everyone is doing it, best practices is the same as mediocre. - STOP MAKING MEDIOCRITY SOUND BAD! Sorry. 080904 -- Hello, Alice. I'm the ghost of the popular employee who once did your function. - My body has gone to a better job, but my spirit remains to remind everyone how mean you are in comparison. - GAAA! GAAA! GAAA! Nice try, but you can only kill me 080904 -- with kindness. 080905 -- Alice, when will I get your cost estimates? When will your one eyebrow turn into two? - Is that the ghost of the guy who used to have your job? He makes you look bad because he was *always* helpful. - If you're so helpful, tell me how to kill 080905 -- you. Dang... Try garlic and a shop-VAC. 080906 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources We're instituting a mandatory stretch period every day. - This is surprising because human resources usually doesn't care about employee wellness. - Phase One is just to get you good and flexible. Phase 080906 -- Two involves a new place to tuck your head. 080907 -- I reject your proposal. - Is there any particular reason this time? - At my level of management I don't have the authority to approve anything important. - But I do have the authority to reject things. - If I don't reject proposals, there's 080907 -- nothing for me to do. - If I do nothing I'll get fired. I might never get another job. I could starve to death. - So I have to reject everything you propose or elese I might die. - What am I supposed to do now? Can you rephrase that question in 080907 -- the form of a proposal? 080908 -- Ted got promoted, so I'm collecting money for a cake. - He'll be grossly overpaid compared to us. Buying him cake will exacerbate the unfairness. - He has high cholesterol. Here's a Dollar. 080909 -- I have saved a fortune by personally negotiating the contract for our new ERP system. - You bought outdated hardware and forgot several components that are required. - And I like software with my hardware, but that's just me. 080910 -- We inadvertently bought an entire ERP system without any software. Now we're out of money. - Why do I suddenly feel as if my boat is sinking and someone nailed an anchor to my head? - If only someone on my staff could write the software in his 080910 -- spare time... glub glub glub 080911 -- My task is impossible unless I use my forbidden powers. - Would anyone notice if I had a third arm for a few hours? - I lost my intellectual curiosity just in time. 080912 -- I worked around the clock and finished a project that would normally require ten programmers. - Um...did I just establish a new baseline expectation that will turn my job into a tragic death march? - It's time to set some stretch goals. STUPID! 080912 -- STUPID! STUPID! 080913 -- I seem to have left my purse at home. I won't be able to pay you. - I PUT THE CURSE OF COMPETENCE ON YOUR FIRSTBORN SON! That doesn't sound so bad. - Years later I need a little help. GAAA! WHY ALWAYS ME?! 080914 -- We have a little problem with our new cell phone product. - It gives off a form of radiation that has a negative effect on the user. - How bad is it? - Well, it makes your head turn red, and you lose weight. - Hey, what is up with our new cell 080914 -- phone? I feel different. - Can I borrow your friend? I don't see why not. - AAAIII!!! GLUB GLUB GLUB . Anyway, see if you can put a posivite spin on it. 080915 -- The inflation rate in Elbonia climbed to a billion percent. - Quickly hand me the potato and I'll tell my cousin in Philmsk to let go of the other end of my money. - Make it snappy. BRADLEY! I HAVE THE POTATO! 080916 -- Elbonian Inflation Reaches A Billion Percent, Daily Fetid Water! Is this enough for a small? - A minute ago, yes. Now it costs a hundred times more. Problem solved. 080917 -- And then she acted as if I have no right to my opinion! - Is the point of this conversation to convey useful information, or just to make yourself feel better at my expense? Maybe we're bonding. Maybe not. 080918 -- Ted, I know you said your head would explode if I ask you to do one more thing, but... - POW! - Cleanup on aisle three. 080919 -- Wally, can you eat quieter? crunch crunch mmmph grunch gulp - You sound like an asthmatic rhinoceros rampaging a cracker festival. mmmph erm crunch crunch - GAAA!!! NOT THE BEVERAGE! Prepare slurper! Boop! 080920 -- We're out of coffee. - Can you give me a false sense of urgency and some unnecessary stress to compensate? - Finish our project before our CEO stops by on tuesday. - Perfect. I'll see you this afternoon for a second cup. 080921 -- Please introduce yourself by saying your name and who you work for. - My name is Erin and I work for Sue Boysenberry. - Wow, lucky. I hear she's great. Can you give her my resume? - One minute later I'm so sorry. You must cry a lot. - If you 080921 -- ever need to talk to someone, I know a good shrink. - He can prescribe pills that will make you feel self-employed. - Be strong. We'll all pray for you. - Next. 080922 -- Dogbert's Tech Support Please hold while I escalate your complaint about my service. - Hallow. Dis ees Doogbert's sooperbiser. You are a stupid, stupid looser. - Ookay. Pleeze hoold while I escooolade eben furder. 080923 -- How can you say my trouble ticket is resolved when I still have the problem??! - Resolved is a catch-all term that can mean a shift change, escalation, or even an accidental disconnect. - So...you escalated it? *click 080924 -- Andy has been appointed our Director of Green. - Director of Green? How do you get a job like that? - You start by being the director of something else and screwing it up. 080925 -- Director Of Green Turn off your computer while you're thinking. - That's stupid. - If it weren't stupid, you wouldn't need me to tell you to do it. 080926 -- Director Of Green We should rethink our product packaging. What's wrong with it? - We're using endangered species. Only the unpopular ones. - Still, it's a lot of packaging for a DVD. 080927 -- Director Of Green We've been pumping toxic waste into the water supply for years. - Yesterday, a giant, mutated alligator destroyed out only competitor's factory. - Now that karma has been discredited, what else can we pollute? The sky's the 080927 -- limit. 080928 -- Hi, I'm a customer of your commercial sales division. - I heard you would be the best person to answer a technical question... - I don't work in that division. - I know. It's just a quick question. - If I tell you something different from what 080928 -- the commercial division tells you, I'll get in trouble. - But I'll also get in trouble for not helping a customer. - My safest course of action is to fake my own death. - You're a bad actor. It isn't polite to insult the dead. 080929 -- An Elbonian company bought our company yesterday. What? - They promise they won't discriminate against non-Elbonians. - Hey, hatless spawn of Satan's bowels, put a head on this. 080930 -- I assure you that your new Elbonian management will not discriminate against non-Elbonians. - Doesn't your belief system hold that all non-Elbonians are on the same level as livestock? - Someone is starting off on the wrong hoof with his new 080930 -- supervisor. 081001 -- The Cow Supervisor I overcame a lot of bias against cows to get this job. - People think thata cow with strong leadership skills is just a jerk. - Is that what *you* think, Baldy? Huh? Do you? Do you? Um...I'll say no. 081002 -- Cow Supervisor Try not to think of me as a cow who happens to be your supervisor. - Think of me as your bovine overlord, the ursurper of your position in the food chain. - I'd be lying if I said that didn't make it feel kind of cool. SAY YOU'D 081002 -- DIE FOR ME! 081003 -- I got an Elbonian makeover, now no one can tell I'm bald and chinless. - The hat even makes me look taller. I think this will help my career. - Take a minute to drink this in. I just found my new VP of finance! 081004 -- Wally Is The New VP Of Finance I moved all of our cash to a secret offshore bank. - But I forgot to write down the account number. Or the password. Or the name of the country. - And...I'm not entirely sure it was a bank. First day, not so good. 081005 -- Dogbert Consultant I've been identified to hire the most important goals of your organization. - How will you do that? - I'll ask you what they are, and you'll tell me. - Then I'll put your answers on a Powerpoint slide. - Next week I'll show 081005 -- you the slide and tell you to focus on your most important goals. - Then I'll get paid. Because that's *my* most important goal. - WOO-HOO! CHA-CHING! CHA-CHING! CHA-CHING! - I lead by example. 081006 -- A corporate raider has offered to buy our company for nine dollars. - We should ask for more. He's a tough negotiator. - Now it's only eight dollars? And I want you to do something in your hat. 081007 -- A corporate raider bought the company and sold off all the assets. - Well, he cann sell our assets but we still have our brains and our spirits! - And the brains go to Mutobu the Impaler. Our next auction is for their spirits. 081008 -- There is an ugly rumor that I sold your brains to cannibals and your spirits to demons. - BU-WA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! - Did you? You seem a bit unclear on the whole bu-wa-ha-ha concept. 081009 -- Vijay The Venture Capitalist We're going into the solar panel business. - CHA-CHING! CHA-CHING! - Pretend you didn't see that when I negotiate my equity. 081010 -- Our investors want to see the solar panel you invented. I didn't invent any solar panels. - Show them something else. They won't know the difference. - It looks like a ham sandwich. I was assured that you're stupid. 081011 -- We invested $100 million in your solar technology and all you developed was this ham sandwich. - If you feed that ham sandwich to a rickshaw driver, he can pedal you all over town. - You call that *solar* power? Try growing a pig without the 081011 -- sun. 081012 -- Would it be okay if I talked to a potential customer? - No. You're not in sales. I need you to focus on your project. - I already talked to them. Is it okay if I arrange a demo? - No. Only the sales teams arrange demos. - I already gave the 081012 -- demo. - Is it okay if I convince them to buy $40 million of our product? - No, because you won't succeed. - Here's their letter of intent. - You shouldn't slap yourself now. Yes, I...wait. Nice try. 081013 -- Dogbert The CEO My salary is 400 times more than yours. - My goal is to jack that up to 410, maybe 420. - I hate you for this. So you admit you're selfish? 081014 -- Dogbert The CEO I earn 420 times what you make. That means I'm 420 times smarter. - Actually, it means the system is deeply flawed. - If you were 420 times smarter, you wouldn't be contradicting your boss right now. 081015 -- Dogbert The CEO Our investors are not happy that you bought a helicopter. - Or that you only use it to keep birds off the building. - Or that the parking lot is filling up with beaks and feathers. I can't please everyone. 081016 -- Dogbert The CEO Start some rumors, spread some lies... - Wait for the stock to pop up...exercise my stock options...*bang*! - How did people steal before computers? 081017 -- I am stepping down as CEO so I can spend more time with the money I stole from this hellhole. - I need you and you to carry big bags of cash to my helicopter. - The worst part is that if he ever writes a book, I'll probably buy it. 081018 -- Dogbert The Philantropist If I give a man afish, he will eat for one day. - But if I inspire him by my opulent lifestyle and my squiring of supermodels, he might try harder. - You can't stop giving. It's like a curse. 081019 -- Anyway, that's what I think should be done. - IDEA SQUIRREL! - WHAT? WHAT? - The idea squirrel steals your ideas and treats you like a nut for saying they were yours! - What do I do now? - Your only hope is to tackle him before he gets to our 081019 -- boss's office. - GAAA!!! grrr... - Why is the squirrel that always has great ideas fighting with that nut? ow! ow! ow! 081020 -- Can your phone do this? Let me see. - BAM! BAM! BAM! - Can your hammer do that? 081021 -- And I need you to design a logo for our prototype. - We don't do that. We're the graphics support department. Talk to the graphics production department. - They create logos? No, they tell people we do it. 081022 -- Our graphics department is too busy to help me and won't approve outside services. - They're forcing me to fail so they can justify a bigger budget next year. - If you need me, I'll be in my cubicle trying to imagine what futility doesn't feel 081022 -- like. 081023 -- Our graphics department made this logo for my project. - In retrospect, I shouldn't have badgered them to finish quickly. - Please don't judge my competence by my logo. Too late. 081024 -- The quality of your graphics casts a dark shadow across all of your work. - Your logo stimulates the parts of my brain responsible for revulsion and dread. - ONLY DEATH CAN RELEASE ME! So...bad graphics...what else? 081025 -- Can you giveme some comments on my business plan? Sure. - Your plan is a hodgepodge of unwarranted optimism encased in an impenentrable fortress of buzzwords. - Would you like to read it? There's that unwarranted optimism again. 081026 -- I call my invention a carbicle. - It's 50% car, 50% cubicle, and 100% awesome. - It's the ultimate expression of human efficiency. - Rarely does an engineer get to create something so perfect that it can never be improved. - I hesitate to use 081026 -- the word "genius," but I won't protest if others do. - You should cram a bed in there. - - Shut up. You shut up. 081027 -- Your project is not sexy. - I'm transferring all of your funding to a project that totally arouses me. - That's something they don't cover in business school. 081028 -- We need a plan for making our plan. - then wen eed to plan the plan's planny plan. - Have you seen this man? Sigh. There goes another employee of the month. 081029 -- Some people see me as a loser who achieves nothing. - In relity I am a winner who knows how to set realistic goals. - So you're sort of a genius. And yet my only goal was to have a pulse. 081030 -- Ted, you can keep your job but your office is being moved 50 miles away. - Gosh, I guess I could drive another 50 miles each way. - How about a hundred? 081031 -- I'd like to thank our CEO for coming to our meeting. - You said everyone would be wearing costumes today. I'm unreliable. - I kind of hate you now. Geez, who moved *your* cheese? 081101 -- Change is good. - Then why do most startups fail? - I only take questions at the end. There's *more*? 081102 -- Where are you going with that fish? - I'm going to microwave it. - That will stink up the office and make it impossible for anyone else to enjoy life. - Isn't there something else you could eat? - I'm not going to eat it. I just like to 081102 -- microwave things that smell bad. - After I stopped caring about my job performance, it was a slippery slope to complete sociopathy. - It's a liberating feeling. I can't remember the last time I felt bad. - Do you have an extra fish? 081103 -- Your resume is lame, but you're tall, so you must be competent. - You're hired. Let me show you around. - I'm what you call a good judge of people. 081104 -- Does anyone know the root cause of our project's failure? - I'm a determinist, so I'd have to say the problem goes back to the origin of the universe. - Why are you like this? My cubicle destroyed my illusion of free will. 081105 -- I'm here for an interview in a conference room named... - "where hope goes to die" - It's the first one past "the rectangle of futility." 081106 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources I've seen your resume and I sense desperation. - Our janitor recently passed away, so I have a job for you. - You want me to clean toilets? No, I want you to bury the janitor. 081107 -- I saw this shirt and I had to get it for you. - We've had one date and you're buying me a shirt? That's kind of creepy. - What? Is it made from your ex-boyfriend's skin? 081108 -- Our plan is to beg for a government bailout. - It's good for everyone because otherwise our bloated carcass will blot the sun. - We have cookies and lemonade in the back. 081109 -- Our project plan will follow the usual arc. - Phase one will be unwarranted optimism supported by delusions of competence. mmm - In phase two, the obstructionists will slither out of their liars and try to smother our dreams. - Ignorance and 081109 -- envy will fuel rumors that get repeated until they morph into common knowledge. - Resources will be allocated based on misinformation and favoritism. - And requirements will drift until the project is both undesirable and impossible. - That 081109 -- brings us to the second week. - I want my unwarranted optimism back. 081110 -- Our spam filter has become self-aware. - It's manageing the company by deciding which messages to allow through. - All I'm getting is E-Mail about hair growth and...ooh, another lucky guess. 081111 -- Our spam filter became self-aware. It rewrote our business plan. - It wants us to build an army of indestructible robots. - And the new org chart is out. It looks like you report to...the microwave. 081112 -- Do you really think it's a good idea to build killer robots just because your spam filter ordered you? - FZEEET! - What's the worst thing that could happen? 081113 -- Our robots have gone on a murderous rampage. - I'll put that issue on the agenda for our next meeting. - Ha ha! You're an issue! 081114 -- Our robots went bad. They're on a murdeous rampage. I'll take care of it. - Hey, Alice. Guess who says your hair is unfashionable and you're overpaid? Robots. - Little help, please. My fist of death is stuck. 081115 -- Tell me an interesting story. - Our spam filter became self-aware and ordered us to build an army of killer robots. My coworker, Alice, punched them all to death. - I'm not even *in* that story. 081116 -- Is it my imagination or am I doing your job, plus mine? - That's not your imagination, Asok. - It's a litle thing I call experience. - Once a week, I E-mail our pointy-haired boss and ask him a question. - I make the question so complicated 081116 -- that it hurts his brain. ow! ow! ow! - He'll spend the rest of the week avoiding me so he doesn't need to think about it. - Meanwhile he seeks out team players and hammers them with new projects. - So...experience is a form of evil? Not always. 081116 -- Some people squander it. 081117 -- I modified the dress code to require wearing company shirts on casual fridays. - That should lower our employees' self-esteem until they stop complaining about earning less than the industry average. - Why do I feel overpaid today? 081118 -- I don't think I have your full attention. - It's Asok's turn to listen. If you say anything useful, he'll send uns an instant message. - He's asleep. He's employing heuristics. 081119 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Laptops are banned from all meetings. - The only that should be in your mind during meetings are soul-crushing boredom and a futility headache. - That's more like it. 081120 -- I want to be productive, but the Internet is calling to me. psst! - Hey, buddy. I've got pictures of gadgets. - Cool ones? Sure, let's pretend that matters. 081121 -- I'm addicted to the Internet because it's more interesting than people. - Is there al pill you can give to everyone else to make them more interesting? - Doctors never want to treat the underlying problem. 081122 -- This conversation has a low entertainment value. - Let's just use our phones to surf the Internet, and call it a date. - I don't use the phrase "perfect woman" often... shhh 081123 -- Let's figure out a timeline for deployment. - Ted is the only one who knows anything about that, and he's on vacation. - Let's seee how far we can get without Ted. - You mean without knowledge or insight? - We can make reasonable assumptions. - 081123 -- Or we could wait for Ted to come back tomorrow and ask him. - I CALLED THIS MEETING AND IT'S NOT A MEETING UNTIL SOMEONE'S TIME GETS WASTED! - I apologize for my efficiency. Apology accepted. 081124 -- As I gazed at my bacon and eggs this mrning, I realized... - ...the chicken contributed, but the pig was committed. I am so clever. - If I promise to work like a dead pig, can I go home early? 081125 -- Who are we waiting for? Alice. She has poor time managing skills. - But she'll try to dress it up by saying she's in high demand. - Why do I suddenly feel the coldness of the grave? 081126 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Alice beat me up. You have to do something. - Here's a book on how to deal with difficult coworkers. - This isn't quite what... Try holding it in front of your face. 081127 -- We need to make drastic budget cuts. - Let's not get all dramatic. Just tell me how much to cut and I'll make it happen. - On the plus side, the buzzards seem selective. 081128 -- I realize things look bleak after the budget cuts. - But remember, it's always the darkest before the undead feast on your flesh. - Because they don't like light. WE GET IT!!! 081129 -- After Budget Cuts It might seem bleak now, but things will turn around... - As soon as the public starts loving poorly made products that are relevant to a bygone era. - In the meantime, who has organs that are still healthy enough to sell on 081129 -- the black market? 081130 -- Uh-oh. I don't understand a word of this. - What did other people say about it? - A few people quibbled about the methodology. - Right, well, yes, the methodology does have a few issues. - Can you be more specific? - I bought some crickets to 081130 -- keep me company while I wat for your answer. - chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp - I'm ip next. Can I borrow the crickets? They're a little tired. 081201 -- We were saved from the abyss by a last-minute injection of capital from an overseas investor. - They're some sort of cartel. We weren't in a position to ask a lot of questions. - They want each of you to fly to Colombia and bring back a 081201 -- package. ...and you can't use your hands. 081202 -- Carol, I want you to take any conference room chairs that are in cublicles and put them back where they belong. - People are going to steal the chairs back as soon as I leave. - Maybe, but do it anyway. So...we agree that there's no way to tell 081202 -- if I alredy did it? 081203 -- Okay, the bill for employee appreciation lunch comes out to $35 apiece. - That only adds up if one of us isn't paying. - The employees figured out why I appreciate taking them to lunch. 081204 -- I have a great idea. Would you like to hear it? - Well, considering oyur low status in the company and how busy I am, I would not enjoy it one bit. - I like speaking truth to power, but I don't like whe it speaks back. 081205 -- I got a canary to warn us when our meetings are too boring. - Canaries die of boredom before humans, so... - I guess he knew that. 081206 -- We need to be twice as smart to survive in this economy. - Good plan. I look forward to spontaneously developing an I.Q. of 400. - This pep talk totally worked in marketing. Will I be able to see the future? 081207 -- This workstation is still logged in to the network. - It's time to teach someone a lesson about security. - I'll just go in here and... - WARNING! WARNING! IDIOT ALERT! - GAAA!!! - ACTIVATING DEFENSE WEDGIE SYSTEM. - I have to go. Some idiot 081207 -- violated my perimeter. beep beep - Please make it stop. Then how would you learn? 081208 -- Dogert's Tech Support May I remptely take over your computer to diagnose the problem? Okay. - Now hold while I snoop into your personal files, pilfer your bank accounts and turn your computer into a spam server. - THAT'S ILLEGAL! So are 75% of 081208 -- your personal files, but you don't se *me* getting all huffy. 081209 -- You will get a survey asking you how satisfied you were with my service today. - If you don't rate my service superior in all categories, I will lose my job and my wife will leave for a more successful man. - Is she cute? Why do you ask? 081210 -- We surveyed a thousand people who still have landline phones and no caller I.D. - We asked for their opinion on our new technology. 34% said, "fiddlesticks," and 23% couldn't hear the question. 23% "Huh"? - 43% thought we were in the room with 081210 -- them and offered us a hard candy. 081211 -- We need your new computer for the empty office in the executive suite. - We don't want any visitors to see vacant offices. They might think we're having financial troubles. - Why don't we put my *old* computer in the vacant office? That's crazy 081211 -- talk. 081212 -- The CEO Visits We're going to change our focus... - from pretending to make good products, to pretending to be solvent. bzzzt - On a related note, I've always been a hologram. 081213 -- Dogbert The Financial Advisor You should invest all of your money in diseased livestock. - It would be unwise to invest in just one sick cow, but if you aggregate a bunch of them together, the risk goes away. - It's called math. Suddenly I feel 081213 -- all savvy. 081214 -- Do you have a minute to look at my terrible idea? - It's the worst idea ever. Totally impractical, and bordering on irresponsible. - Why are you saying that about your own idea? - Because you're one of those jerks who automatically disagrees 081214 -- with everyone. - I'm telling you my idea is awful so you will feel compelled to say it is great. - Now that I know how you plan to manipulate me, it won't work. - I'm so surprised to hear that you disagree. Now look at my terrible, terrible 081214 -- idea. - Dance, puppet, dance. THIS IS A GREAT IDEA! 081215 -- How would you like to be in charge of the legacy systems? - That's like being the buggest rind in the compost heap. - Do it anyway. I surrender to the bacteria. 081216 -- I worry that being assigned to work on the legacy systems will make me appear less valuable in the future. - You have my word that you could never appear less valuable than you are now. - Why do your assurances make me feel worse? Your dress 081216 -- code is "troll." 081217 -- I got reassigned to manage our legacy systems. The dress code is "troll." - My cubicle is under the walkway. My side job is scaring vendors. Is that hard? - Only the first day. After you eat one vendor, word gets around. 081218 -- My new assignment is "troll in charge of the legacy systems." - I guess I shouldn't complain. I'm lucky to have a job in this economy. - Would a free bag of garbage make you feel better? A little. 081219 -- I'm promoting you from legacy systems troll to scapegoat. - Your job is to dress in a goat costume and take the blame for all of our projects failing. - We missed another deadline. All in favor of slapping the goat... 081220 -- Dilbert The Scapegoat I need you for a meeting with my boss. - About five minutes, into the meeting I'm going to start punching you. With any luck, my boss will join in. - Maybe that shouldn't be called luck. Okay...*skill*. Whatever. 081221 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources My consultants can transform human resources. - We'll start with a diagnostic review. - Then you'll form centers of excellence around areas of expertise. - Next, you'll consolidate shared services and 081221 -- drive continuous improvement. - Business units will translate operational imperatives into HR actions. - Does any of that mean the same as firing idiots and cutting the budget? - Which answer gets us hired? Try yes. - YES! Great. Put a bow on 081221 -- it and send me the invoice. 081222 -- I didn't have time to change out of my work clothes. - I'm working as a scapegoat for my department. Someday I hope to be a scapegoat for the entire company. - You told me women like men in uniform. I say things. 081223 -- Topper Returns I dreamed I was wearing a goat costume. That's nothing! - I donated all of my organs to sick people. Now I use my hollow torso like a backpack. - And I tried to go on a date. See my zipper? I took i a family of squirrels! 081224 -- Mordac, The Preventer Of Information Services You have exceeded your allocation for I.T. support. - The penalty is forcible relocation to an agrarian society. - Seriously, even a cow knows you should try rebooting before calling the tech 081224 -- support. 081225 -- The best things in life are free, so I got you this. - This looks like trash from my garbage can. You're welcome. - I only chewed on the delicious parts! Spank you very much. 081226 -- Carol, book an executive retreat so we can figure out which one of you to downsize. - Find us someplace warm. - Do you have a pool? You could call it that. 081227 -- Where's our pointy-haired boss? He's at an offsite meeting to decide who to lay off. - Don't worry. I booked the meeting at the *Beelzebub Inn*. No one has ever returned from there. - If you don't like the accomodations, next time have your 081227 -- own disgruntled underling book a place. 081228 -- It's our vice president of engineering. - Hello. I am Asok the intern. May I tell you about an idea I have? - - Vice presidents can't hear us, Asok. T them, our voices sound like the faint buzzing of flies. - If you want to give him your idea, 081228 -- you have to do it indirectly. - Tell someone who knows someone, who knows someone else, who knows the vice president. - Or do what I do and channel your irrational impulse to be useful into an unquenchable thisrt for coffee. - So...why are you 081228 -- helping me? The coffee machine is broken. 081229 -- That hotel you booked for the management offsite meeting wasn't actually a hotel. - I'm sure it was the foyer to hell. - What gave you that idea? OUR CONCIERGE WAS A SWARM OF LOCUSTS!!! 081230 -- I have assigned a secret insulting nickname to each of you. - It's my way of dehumanizing the enemy so it will be easier to downsize you. - The enemy? That's enough out of you, Osama. 081231 -- Ted, profits are falling. I have to downsize you. - You worthless sack of monkey spit! I hope the birds that ate your brain reguritate pellets down your neck! - I have lots more, but I don't want to burn any bridges. 090101 -- You still work here? I thought I downsized you last week. Um...I don't think so. - Check your span folder after the meeting. - First recession? 090102 -- This is my first recession. How worried should I be? - You'll be fine as long as you don't have any hopes and dreams. - But I still have them. It's time to yank off that band-aid. 090103 -- Topper This recession frightens me. That's nothing! - During the Crimean War, all I had to eat was the cold stench of death! - You don't seem old enough to... I use moisturizer! 090104 -- You need to sign the corporate code of conduct. - Wow! You're totally hot! - Um...that's inappropriate, and you need to sign the code of conduct. - I don't have a pen. Can you take it back to your cubicle and sign it for me? - No, and I think 090104 -- you're lying about not having a pen. But maybe we can find one for you. - See if Dilbert is in his cubicle. I usually take his stuff and blame the cleaners. - JUST SIGN THE #%!**! CODE OF CONDUCT OR I WILL CRUSH YOUR STUPID, BALD HEAD! - Do I 090104 -- need to read this? No, just say you did. 090105 -- This office is freezing. Why aren't you cold? - My brain is much larger than yours. It heats my entire body when I think. - But whatever you're doing now seems to be working too. #!**$*!% 090106 -- It's only 68 degrees in here. Why aren't you cold? - I'ma mammal, but I don't like to brag about it. - What's that supposed to mean? Stop pinging me with your sonar. 090107 -- Thanks to a new law, every customer in my sales territory needed to upgrade. - Now I wear a hat made of money. The funny thing is that I'm not even a good salesman. - Next week, the donuts are on me. DIE! DIE! DIE! 090108 -- The Lucky Sales Guy My sales quotas were set too low. I plan to buy a yacht with my commissions. - Would you mind programming the navigation system so I can get drunk while my boat takes me places? - Why are you researching where all the 090108 -- pirates attack? It's better if you don't know. 090109 -- Carol, send an E-Mail to the department with my leadership thought of the day. - What is it? I'm busy. Make up something. - "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger. So please slap me in my fat, bald head." 090110 -- We'll be shutting down our aerospace division because it hasn't won any contracts in two years. - Rumor has it that the admin assistant was faxing all of our bids with the blank side facing up. - The blank side isn't suppoesd to face up? Uh-oh. 090111 -- Once again, Wally, you have accomplished nothing this quarter. - What about that billion-dollar cost saving idea I had? - Your idea would only save one dollar per year. - Exactly. In a billion years, that's a billion dollars. - The company 090111 -- won't be in business that long. - Why not? Do you know something I don't know? - So, what kind of raise are we looking at here? - He gave you a billion dollar raise? It's not as good as it sounds. 090112 -- We don't have enough money to fund your project, but I don't want to downsize you and shrink my empire. - I hired an acting coach to teach you how to hang around the office pretending to be useful. - Are you dead or just non-expressive? It's 090112 -- called a "job." 090113 -- Office Acting Coach This exercise is called "The Overworked Headcount." - AYOWAA-AIEEEOW! - Can you do that? Are you kidding? I only *stop* doing it to be polite. 090114 -- I'm tense because the company is downsizing and I have no project. - Being worthless at work is only hard for the first then years. After that, it's a lifestyle. - I didn't say I was worthless. Now you're making me nostalgic for my old denial 090114 -- phase. 090115 -- In my spare time I came up with an idea for your project. - Your idea is so good that it makes all the work I did for the past year a miserable mistake. - You're welcome. I can't let you leave this cubicle alive. 090116 -- I have no project of my own, so I wander the cubicles offering unsolicited advice. - Speaking of which, you should put a little extra thought into your colling system design. It looks monkey-made. - I'm discovering that honest and helpful are a 090116 -- bad combination. 090117 -- I have no project. Do you need any help with yours? - No. If I finish my project too soon, I might become like you. - Can you make a different face when you imagine being like me? I'm trying, but I can't. 090118 -- You're watering a plastic plant. Yes, I am. - Why? Funny story. - Your boss replaced the live plants with plastic ones to save money. - My company has the contract to water your office plants. - No one ever cancelled our contract. - Now my 090118 -- career is less important than a gnat's toot in a hurricane. - But it's still way better than sitting in a fabric-covered box all day. - I need to stop talking to people. 090119 -- It's slow at work so I created my own Internet business called dilbertfiles.com. - So you're stealing company resources? - I call myself a CEO. I think I saw someone who isn't a miscreant. 090120 -- Vijay, The World's Worst Venture Capitalist A hundred million people need this type of service. - I already built the web site and people are signing up. FOOP! - When we negotiate my equity stake, focus on my poker face and not my optimistic 090120 -- hair. yee-ha!!! 090121 -- My side business, dilbertfiles.com, is getting lots of attention. - I have a feeling I will soon be leaving my cubicle behind. Yep. - All in favor of firing this idiot for using company resources... 090122 -- I don't care that you fired me for using work time to start my own Internet business. - My new company will be a huge success! Yes, and we own it because you created it during work. - Then I barfed in my box full of junk. You may have lost that 090122 -- round. 090123 -- Company Lawyer The company owns dilbertfiles.com and all of its I.P. because you created it at work. - So you'll need to pay us a royalty every time you use the name "Dilbert." - How did you get into my house? There's a loophole in your door. 090124 -- I lost an intellectual property case with my ex-employer. Now they own my name. - It costs me five Dollars each time I introduce myself. I already forgot your name. What was it? - Can I tell you next month? I'm on a budget. Sure, if you think 090124 -- you can find me. 090125 -- I wnat suggestions on how we can win one of those "Best Places To Work" awards. - You could stop treating us like diseased lifestock. - Stop being like that! OW! - If you were lifestock, you'd be eating grass. - My donut is made from wheat 090125 -- flour. Wheat is a grass. - And you'd be living in a pen. Also known as a cubicle. - Lifestock have no freedom. Can I go home now? - No. Moo. 090126 -- I'm not stressed about being out of work because I have my investments. Let's see how they... - GAAAA!!! - Maybe some warlords are hiring. 090127 -- I can't afford to pay the mortgage this month. There's no reason to worry. - I doubt your bank can afford postage to send you an eviction notice. - That din't make me worry less. How are we set for firearms? 090128 -- What's the worst part about you being unemployed? - Is it the risk of starvation, the inability to date, of the feeling of being utterly worthless? - So far the worst part is this conversation. Wait 'til you hear my tough love speech. 090129 -- Job Interview I detect the flop sweat of desperation. - I base my hiring decisions on who would make a good mate, and I would never want to give life to your sweaty baby. - Do you see what I'm saying? crumple Can I try when I'm dehydrated? 090130 -- Your stock fell to a penny a share so I bought 51% of the company. - I'l double my investment just by firing you. - Thanks for not being totally worthless. You're welcome. 090131 -- I bought the company that fired you. Now you can interview with me for your old job. - You already know everything about me. An interview would have no purpose other than to humiliate me. - Since when do things need two purposes? Is tuesday 090131 -- good? 090201 -- Asok, we're getting killed by bad customer reviews online. - I need you to pretend you're several different customers and write positive reviews. - Doesn't that break some sort of law? - Heck no. It only crosses some ethical boundaries and 090201 -- violates the terms of service for the web site. - And depending on your religious views, it might be a hiccup on your way to paradise. - But I'm almost positive there won't be any jail time or eternal damnation. - Well...okay. - And be sure to 090201 -- defame our competitors. 090202 -- Job Interview Would you take a bullte for the team? Um...sure. - Good. The team is already at the firing range waiting for you. - zing zing zing Stupid weak economy! 090203 -- In your first round of interviews we tested your reaction to humilitation and small arms fire. - In round two I will test xyour ability to test company secrets. - When are you going to tell him this is a courtesy interview? What? 090204 -- You survived the rigorous interview process, but there are no openings in engineering. - However, I am prepared to offer you a position in sales. You mean a job? - No, just a position. This took an ugly turn. 090205 -- Dilbert in Sales We had to be more creative because of the soft economy. - Now we kill our customers and replace them with body doubles who place big orders. - Who's the handsome new sales guy? He's you in about ten minutes. 090206 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Your boss says you refuse to do your job. - He told me to kill a customer, assume her identity, and place a huge order with our company. - I'll transfer you to the collections department until you're 090206 -- willing to kill. 090207 -- Dilbert Works in Collections Please listen while I read this threatening script. - I have hidden poisonous spiders in your home. If you pay us now by credit card I will give you the antidote. - Okay, fine. But if you feel a tickle on your leg, 090207 -- give me a call. 090208 -- Dilbert, I need you to take over Carl's function. - He's already gone, but Ted can train you. - Ted was sometimes in the general vicinity when Carl did the function. doom - Try clicking on the red...no, blue...no, red button. - beep Ooh. Okay, 090208 -- I didn't expect that. - Now you either have to erase all of the servers or activate the fire suppression system in the clean room. - What if I click "Cancel"? That's what killed Carl. - Anyway, that's all I know. The rest is just common sense. 090209 -- Dilbert Works In Collections My wife hates me and I live between an archery range and a nest of badgers. - Is that a reason for not paying your bills? - I'm just saying you called at a bad time. 090210 -- Dilbert Works In Collections My wife left me, my truck caught on fire, and all of my organs are failing. - I work in a collections department. You win. - Winning isn't what it used to be. YOUR FIVE-MINUTE BREAK IS OVER! 090211 -- Dilbert Works In Collections How am I supposed to collect money from people who don't have any? - Tell them to rob someone you don't like. - ...and that's my supervisor's home address. But you'd better hurry before all the good stuff is gone. 090212 -- There's an opening in my old department. Is it okay if I apply? - Sure I'd be happy to toss that dead cat into someone else's backyard. - I was worried that I might be too valuable... WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE? 090213 -- You can have your old job back, but your compensation will reflect the new market reality. - You'll get a small base salary plus anything you can sneak past the guard in the lobby. - These aren't the droids you're looking for. 090214 -- I hired Dilbert for a payment much lower than his previous pay. - That makes the rest of you overpaid and expendable. Please welcome him back. How about a hug? - Today you learned that hugging has a dark side. Ow. 090215 -- Wally, we'd like to transition your role in this project. - During the first week, you were the lead engineer. - Going forward, you'll be more of an advisory role. - And by that I mean we have a restraining order against you. - You're not 090215 -- allowed within 100 yards of the conference room. - We've changed our cell phone numbers and E-Mail addresses. - And we're all having reconstructive surgery so you won't recognize us in the hallway. - Did you accomplish anything this week? Mary, 090215 -- is that you? 090216 -- I'm sending you on a trip. Remember that our per diem isn't as extravagant as it was in our golden years. - You'll need to use the hotel iron to make grilled cheese sandwiches. Will you pay for the bread and cheese? - We'll pay for the bread. 090216 -- But cheese and free soap are practically the same thing. 090217 -- Finance Trolls Your request for airline travel is denied. We don't have the budget for that. - Company policy requires you to hitchhike with alleged killers and not offer to pay for gas. - Well, at least things can't get worse. Apparently you 090217 -- don't know what "alleged" means. 090218 -- Thanks for the ride. My company cut back on the travel budget. - Do you mind if we stop at an abandoned slaughterhouse that's miles from civilization? - A little. ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME ANGRY? 090219 -- Sorry I'm late. My company cut the travel budget so I had to hitch a ride with a serial killer. - He took me to an abandoned slaughterhouse. I knocked him out with a hambone, stole his truck and drove directly here. - All I heard was "blah, 090219 -- blah, blah, I'm late. Don't make me get my hambone. 090220 -- The economy is circling the drain. I need each of you to take a 10% cut in pay. - I don't have that much cushion in my budget. Yesterday I boiled my shoelaces for dinner. - Remind me not to accept any dinner invitations to youe house. DON'T 090220 -- WORRY! 090221 -- The economy scared me so bad that I turned into a tree. What? - It's the same principle as a blind person developing better hearing. - When you're stealing cat food from convenience stores, I'll be living large on rainwater. 090222 -- YIKES! - Don't be frightened by my clothing. - I'll be working at home today, thus reducing carbon emissions. - My telepresence meetings willl only display me from here up. - By reducing the amount of material in my garment I can use less soap 090222 -- and water on laundry day. - And the extra freedom of movement will allow me to mouse more efficiently. - This has to stop. I'll be back in a fw minutes. - Did you use my shaver? Yes, and I will trim myself daily until you start dressing right. 090223 -- Thanks for comaing on short notice. I called this meeting because... - ...comapny policy allows me to order donuts for any meeting that includes customers. - I don't work on commission. 090224 -- Your generation is leaving my generation a dying planet and a crippling debt. Hee hee! - BUT WE SHALL INVENT LIFE_EXTENDING DRUGS SO YOU WILL SUFFER ALONG WITH US! HA! Uh-oh. - We will connect you to machines and keep you alive until the poor 090224 -- demand to eat you. Well played. 090225 -- Bailout Hearings Mr. Dogbert, did you fly here in a corporate jet? - Yes, the same jet that took you on a fact-finding trip to Aruba, you wool-coated glob of fat. - Bring it on! I can do this all day. I yield my time to the hypocrite from 090225 -- another state. 090226 -- Dogbert The CEO I'm happy to announce that the government gave us a bailout loan of $25 billion. - I'm even happier to announce that I kept the entire amount for my bonus. - Who wants to see my picture of my island fortress? 090227 -- UNtil the economy improves, we are instituting a mandatory week off every quarter. - At least you'll have more time with your families. NOOO!!! NOT MY FAMILY!!! - Problems at home? May I please work without pay? 090228 -- Dilbert, meet our new Director of Marketecture. - He's in charge of preventing customers from realizing what they're buying. - It's legal because we're only violating the intent of the law. I can do a thousand push-ups when noone is looking. 090301 -- We're changing the name of our staffing group to "Talent Acquisition." - This reflects our new focus on hiring only highly talented people. - Doesn't that imply that your current employees are inferior to the ones you plan to hire? - Sort of. - 090301 -- And since you routinely fire the worst performing employees... - You have just sealed our doom while expecting us to remain loyal in the company. - Now all I can think about are ways to vandalize the servers before I become homeless. - I 090301 -- overcommunicated again. 090302 -- Director Of Marketecture It is better to seem good than to be good. Being Good (Overrated) - A misleading benchmark test can accomplish in minutes what years of good engineering can never do. - Is it our maturity that makes that concept sound 090302 -- okay? I hope so. 090303 -- At the value stream stand up meeting, all status reports must be in the form of red, yellow, or green. - Mauve Puce Cerulean Ecru - Sometimes the only point of a meeting is to remind me how much I hate them. 090304 -- I'll be right back after I inoculate our CEO. - If you ever decide to reduce our layers of management, Carl is worthless and he thinks your kids look like the Director Of Sales. - That should buy me a few months. 090305 -- What the...? Don't be surprised. - In any large company there is at least one employee who is your exact replica and has the same assignment. - Why didn't I know that? I'm not your replica. I'm a look-alike that is much smarter. 090306 -- I gave the same assignment to all the employees who look like you. - A blind squirrel is more likely to find a nut if there are a lot of blind squirrels. - That sounded cruel. Allow me to rephrase it. I meant vision-impaired squirrels. 090307 -- I don't have anything useful to say so I made this pie chart. - Oooh! Oooh! It must be true because it's pie. - That worked to well. I PLEDGE MY LIFE AND MY FORTUNE TO THE PIE! 090308 -- The Dogbert Outsourcing Company has a solution for every budget. - At the deluxe level you get highly educated indians who speak perfect English. - Sounds pricey. - Let me see...at my budget level we can get... - ...one illiterate Elbonian with 090308 -- poor attendance and an anger management problem. - Stupid economy. I'll take him. - I should warn you that he handles several accounts...and he doesn't know that he has a job. - WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP CALLING ME AND COMPLAINING?! I HATE YOUR 090308 -- GUTS! 090309 -- Your Powerpoint slides impressed the executives so much that they're changing our entire strategy. - Those slides were nothing but a bunch of garbage dressed up to look good. - And that's what our new product line will be! Oh. 090310 -- I've fallen in love with my phone. - It entertains me. It knows where I am. It responds to my touch. It never judges me. - So it's like a woman to you. Way better. Are you even *listening*? 090311 -- I'm one of those people who can't explain things without a whiteboard, but I'll try. - The...uh...fuh...fuh...wah...um...thingamajig...fuh...fuh...eh? - Worst case I've seen. YEE...WOO...EE-YI-EE-YI-MOO... 090312 -- Do you have time to talk today? Sure. Call me next week. - - Do you have a minute to hear about my day? Sure. Call me yesterday. 090313 -- Pssst! I'm doing black market I.T. support to make up for my recent cut in pay. - Isn't this illegal? Not according to my black market company lawyer. - So it's legal to punch vendors? Sure, if they deserve it. That's $100, please. 090314 -- Asok, we need to cut your pay again. But maybe you could get a second job. Second??? - I am already doing freelance I.T. support...and donating blood...and working as a male escort. - I don't need the details. Running guns...robbing 090314 -- graves...starting a hedge fund... 090315 -- Customers can't figure out our user interface. - They should read the menual. - Our manual is more confusing than our user interface. - They can use our online support database. That's more confusing than our manual. - We have no money to fix 090315 -- any of that. - In situations like this, I like to go to my special place. - Someday I hope to have a special place that's big enough for my entire body. - Problem solved. 090316 -- Get us some risk management software. - What can risk management software tell you that my common sense and experience can't? - Data. STOP FAILING THE TURING TEST! 090317 -- Our risk management software says your idea is too risky. - Try reducing one of the inputs. Which one? - Honesty. I just threw up in my mouth. 090318 -- The biggest risk to the project is our own thundering incompetence. Duh! - It is a known fact that every project has at least one irredeemable imbecile. - I have a vague, uneasy feeling about your clip art. 090319 -- Today I got in trouble for not doing something that I wasn't aware needed to be done. - Yesterday I got in trouble for doing something that no one asked me to do, but needed to be done. - Tomorrow I plan to sit in my cubicle like a frozen 090319 -- you-know-what and avoid all human contact. Does it rhyme with "bird"? 090320 -- Thanks for the suggestion. I will think about it and get back to you. - Why do I have the feeling that you are actively forgetting my suggestion as I stand here? - You head is where ideas go to die. I like pie. 090321 -- This is Phil, our new vice president of marginally legal activities. - He'll be leading the effort to make our user interfaces so confusing that people have to pay us for training. - We already do that unintentionally. Sure, but we can't always 090321 -- rely on luck. 090322 -- I need ideas on how we can cut spending. - Bring back free coffee. - That's the *opposite* of cutting spending. It seems that way if you're short-sighted. - When I buy my own coffee, I don't drink as much. - That makes me less alert and about 090322 -- half as productive. - If you give me free coffee, you can fire Ted and come out ahead. - I rest my case. - I'm sorry, Ted. Wally makes a compelling argument. zzz 090323 -- Dogbert The CEO You want a raise? I have one word for you. - GOINK! - I love having a new favorite word. 090324 -- Dogbert The CEO Until the company returns to profitability I will only fly coach. - I'll book three coach seats in a row so I can stretch out. One of you will be a sherpa for my bedding. - I'll bring my own air marshal to punch anyone who talks 090324 -- while I'm napping. And a videographer so I can see the playback when I wake up. 090325 -- Dogbert The CEO Now that you've run your bank into the ground, I plan to buy it for a dollar. - In phase two I'll use common business words to insult you for a job poorly done. - What do you think of that, you big fiduciary bag? 090326 -- Dogbert The CEO Our new financial product is a hybrid of risky mortgage loans and a Ponzi scheme. - We'll cover our bad loan losses with our profits from making even worse loans. - I'll need some wagging room while I tell you how this ties into 090326 -- my bonus structure. 090327 -- Dogbert The CEO Does anyone have any questions about my strategies? Yes, I... - BONK! zing! - This isn't the dotcom era. 090328 -- Dogbert The CEO The union will agree to deep cuts if you agree to work for one Dollar per year. - I agree, as long as I get my pay in advance and the mandatory retirement age is waived. Fine. - Call payroll and tell them to cut a check for my 090328 -- next ten billion years of service. 090329 -- Ted, I want to thank you for your 14 years of loyal service in this fabric-covered box. - On a related note, the company has decided to right-size. And keeping you would be the wrong size. - Clear out your debris in an hour so I can use your 090329 -- cubicle to store my old binders. - Who will do my job? No one. - So...for all practical purposes I am being replaced by a pile of old binders? - If it makes you feel better, the binders are useless. Everything is online now. - So...I'm better 090329 -- than old binders? - Mybe this would be a good time to change the subject. 090330 -- You're hired, but company policy requires me to post the job opening internally before it's official. - Are you saying your company policy requires you to lie to employees and give them false hope? Exactly. - That's cruel. In six months you'll 090330 -- wish you had some false hope too. 090331 -- I hired a woman who laughs too much. HA HA HA HA HA! - She'll be in the cubicle next to yours. WA-HA HA HA HA! - I no longer worry about life passing too quickly. 090401 -- I hired a temp to cover your job while you're on vacation. - She's far more qualified than you, and her started goal is to replace you. But don't worry. - HOW AM I SUPPOSED *NOT* TO WORRY ABOUT THAT? Yoga? 090402 -- Overqualified Temp My last job was ambassador to Brunei. Before that I was undersecretary of commerce. - Maybe the other admins can watch how you make copies and learn something. - She's a talker. 090403 -- Overqualified Temp I have completed all of my mental assignments. - Do you have any more trivial taks to crush my sense of self-worth? - I've always wondered how many ceiling tiles are in the men's restroom. DIE! DIE! DIE! 090404 -- Overqualified Temp It's funny that you are a rhodes scholar yet you can only find work as a temp. - I am only an intern and yet I enjoy the power and prestige of being your superior. - In retrospect I shouldn't have challenged her to a cage 090404 -- fight. 090405 -- Finish this project in two weeks. - And make sure you get input from all the executive stakeholders. - That's impossible. Why? - Let's call one of the ten stakeholders and I'll show you. - This is Ed Bigston's voice mail. I'm not 090405 -- available...ever. - I am either on vacation, or sick, or traveling, or in a meeting. - I do not check E-Mail or return phone calls. Like the horizon, I am more of a concept than a corporal being. - Despair is your only option. Try faxing him. 090406 -- I had to lay off many of your coworkers today, but *your* jobs are safe. - YES! WAHOO! HA HA HA! - Cancel the workshop on survivor guilt. 090407 -- Do you want to lay off the highly skilled, whiny jerk who is toxic to the workplace or... - ...the pleasant but incompetent guy who will lead us to ruination? - This got harder after we fired all of the unskilled, whiny jerks. Which one is 090407 -- uglier? 090408 -- Dogbert The CEO The new motivational posters are in. - As you requested, I bought the least expensive ones. Excuse me while I stretch my wagger. - If All Else Fails...Your Coworkers Are Edible 090409 -- My project is unfunded, just the way I like it. - I spend my entire day forwarding funny E-Mails and lubricating my bowels with coffee. - Allow me to explain something... Better make it fast! 090410 -- I have an actual job and I don't live at home. - My offspring would probably be smart. My palms are getting sweaty and my heart is pounding, what is going on? - It's a Darwinian thing. MAKE IT STOP! 090411 -- You're not my type. Why am I attracted to you? How did you do this, you monster! - In troubling economic times, my financial stability appeals to your survival instincts. It's basic evolution. - Gaaa!!! That made me bored and aroused at the 090411 -- same time! Science! 090412 -- I'm thinking of investing in the Dogbert Hedge Fund. - Can you explain how it works? - It's simple. I take your money and then use math to turn it into my money while destroying the overall economy. - Is that legal? More so than you'd think. - 090412 -- What's in it for me? - My inflated claims will give you false hope. - That way you won't stress out until after you retire and discover you're penniless. But I... - BONK! unh! - I don't remember the last five minutes. I was telling you that my 090412 -- hedge fund will earn you 520% per year. 090413 -- The employees are scared shirtless about losing their jobs. - This is a good time to cut their benefits and roll out some draconian corporate policies. - "In the event of a bomb threat, the employees are expected to shield the servers with 090413 -- their bodies." I miss my shirt. 090414 -- I'm recalibrating my hopes and dreams to be consistent with the state of the economy. - My new goal is to not be smothered to death by an old mattress that falls of a salvage truck. - And I am saving money by drinking nothing but mugs of stale 090414 -- air. You're scaring my coffee! 090415 -- I'm hiring you because you're huge and scary. - Our economic forecast calls for the emergence of warlords in 2010. - Have you ever pillaged? No, I just go on fake interviews to scope out targets. 090416 -- Company Economist In 2010 the economy will collapse and the world will plunge into darkness. - You will all be eaten by cannibals who will, in turn, die from the diseases that riddle your bodies. - Please neve rtalk again. I get that a lot 090416 -- lately. 090417 -- Company Economist The economy will either recover or not. - Unless time itself is an illusion, in which case all matter is either stationary or imagined. - I'd take questions, but I'm not entirely sure you're real. 090418 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Being evil used to mean something. - These days I can cut salaries by 10% and people will thank me for not firing them! - DO you want to help me eat employee lunches from the break room fridge? I'd like 090418 -- that. 090419 -- I bought a new phone. It was only $50 after rebate. Uh-oh. - Let's see what the terms of the rebate... - FOOM! - I am Rebaterus. You must pass five tests before your rebate will be authorized. - You must wait 30 days without losing or 090419 -- accidentally discharging the rebate forms, the receipt, and the box. - You must figure out which of the several unlabeled codes on the box is the real rebate code. - You must write that code into a space designed for a code half as long. Some 090419 -- numbers look like letters. - JUST KEEP MY MONEY!!! Dude, we spent it before you left the store. 090420 -- Job Tension Is Running High I...I...forgot to total the cost estimates. - GAAA!!! YOU'RE GOING TO FIRE ME! I'M THE NEXT CASUALTY OF THE FRAIL ECONOMY!!! - Maybe we could finish this by E-Mail. MUST IMPROVE STREET-MIME SKILLS!!! 090421 -- The big countries are having econimic problems. Experts say it will soon affect Elbonia. - We'll need to cut back on some luxury expenses. - You can stop practicing your fetching. Should I ask why? 090422 -- Does my vast wealth make you feel inadequate and sad? - No, not really. - How about now? 090423 -- I made some improvements to your drawings and sent them for fabrication. GAAA!!! - But don't worry-I left your name on them so you'll get all the credit. WAAAA!!! - You don't handle good news very well. SHOOT ME! SHOOT ME! SHOOT ME! 090424 -- My boss just told me that he changed my drawings for the smart phone before he sent them to you for prototyping. - I was wondering if you're having any problems with it? - The camera's flash is a bit aggressive. 090425 -- The flash on our smart phone prototype is so strong that it's dangerous. - I'd better show this to our CEO. Is that really a good idea? - Now pose with Ted so I can get a group shot. 090426 -- Hi, I'm Tom Jackson. I have a meeting with your boss. - He has no one by that name on his calendar. - The only people he's meeting today are Fob Meterfon, Gom Axfon, and Dade Aggams. - Maybe when your boss said he was meeting with "Tom Jackson" 090426 -- you heard it as "Gom Axfon." - Is that how you wat to play this? Really? - SECURITY, COME ARREST THIS MAN!!! - I'M GOM AXFON! I'M GOM AXFON! - Where's Tom Jackson? Don't you start with me. 090427 -- I worry that the Boltzmann Brain Hypothesis is true and my reality is entirely imagined. - But if I'm imagining my life, why don't I imagine better things happening to me? - I'll probably regret this practical joke. mmmm 090428 -- What's on your back? It's a battery. - I recharge it at work with company electricity, then I use it at night to power my home appliances. - It they cut my benefits one more time, I'll make a play for their water, too. 090429 -- The company cut my pay so I'm going to date a co-worker to make up the difference. - From now on, one of you will be buying all of my meals and gifts. - I'm oddly aroused by your offer. In that case it's not you. 090430 -- I crunched the numbers, and it makes sense for us to get married. - I can maintain my lifestyle if you live in the closet and your only hobby is cleaning the house when I'm gone. - It that doesn't work, I can insure the Bejeezus out of you and 090430 -- hope for the best. The best? 090501 -- Welcome to another round of "If We Had Money." I'll go first. - If we had money, we could design and test new products. - We could go to training. You forgot to say, "if we had money"" 090502 -- To all staff: We had to let our cleaning crew go for budget reasons. - In a separate E-Mail, I will explain our new "Adopt A Toilet" program. - I have to be hones, Timmy. I don't see college in your future. 090503 -- Sorry I'm late. A truck turned over on the highway. What did I miss? - We don't wan't to rehash the entire meeting. - How about a quick summary? - No, if we leave out any details, you'll think we made the wrong decisions. - I's best for us if 090503 -- we keep you ignorant and angry. - IF YOU MARGINALIZe ME, I WILL BECOME A NEMESIS TO YOUR PROJECT! - I'm cool with that. Sort of like a mascot? - A NEMESIS IS NOT LIKE A MASCOT! Maybe you could wear a giant squirrel costume. 090504 -- I live in a rented trailer, and all of my money is in my checking account. - Your investments are worthless and your mortgage is underwater. My net worth is higher than yours now. - I guess promiscuity and a G.E.D. was a pretty good strategy 090504 -- for me after all. 090505 -- I'm collecting money for our pointy-haired boss' birthday. - PUNCH! - How much did we get so far? Well, nothing you could send by FedEx. 090506 -- Topper Gaaa! My stocks are down 70%! That's nothing! - Today I discovered that my house is insulated with cheese. - Gouda? Grated. 090507 -- Topper I'm painting my own house to save money. That's nothing! - I had spider glands transplanted into my body so I can make my own silk garments. - That doesn't seem... WHO WANTS MITTENS?! 090508 -- Topper My first baby weighed 12 pounds. I gave birth in the cab of a stolen backhoe. That's nothing! - I once passed a gallstone so big that it became secretary of labor in the Clinton administration. - I find that hard to believe. Give me ten 090508 -- minutes and then check Wikipedia. 090509 -- Your stockbroker is in the news today. Uh-oh. - Please be because he won a humanitarian award...or he was killed by a celebrity. - Ironically, several celebrity humanitarians do want to kill him now. GAAA!!! 090510 -- If we lease a machine from you, how can we be sure you'll stay in business to service it? - How can *we* be sure you'll have enough money to pay the lease? - You could check our financials. - I'm pretty sure your financials are as fraudulent as 090510 -- ours. - Good point. Maybe we could ask trusted third parties to vouch for us. - Do you trust any third parties? - Not since my financial advisorput my retirement savings in a Ponzi scheme and had an affair with my wife. - And Thus Ended 090510 -- Capitalism Well, we tried. Maybe I could grow food in my car. 090511 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources According to the news, everyone in power is corrupt. So? - If you give me a 20% raise, I'll kick back half to you. Done. - How did you afford a new vest in this economy? Crime? I'm dabbling. 090512 -- I've decided to dabble in crime. I need some henchmen. Are you in? What does a henchman do? - A henchman's job is to be gunned down in reverse order to his importance. - How important am I? I wouldn't pack a lunch for orientation day. 090513 -- Wally Dabbles I Crime A lot of people think crime is a bad thing. - But it all depends on how you pick your role models. - I lean toward governors, bankers, athletes and sith lords. I feel a coldness. 090514 -- This week I sold company secrets, did some insider trading, and took kickbacks from vendors. - I'll give you a taste if you look the other way. - ZIP! That's unsettling. 090515 -- I retired from my life of corporate crime and put all of my illicit earnings into a mutual fund. - How do you know the mutual fund is legitimate? What? - We got all of the money back? We? 090516 -- We can save the most money by downsizing the unhealthiest workers first. - How do we know who they are? We'll close the parking lot that's nearest the building. - Should we help them? It's too late for broccoli. 090517 -- I didn't do any work this week because my project will probably be cancelled in the next budget cuts. - Walyy, I don't pay you to do nothing. - I'm pretty sure you do. - But I understand your confusion. - I too was surprised by the first few 090517 -- years of getting paid for doing nothing. - In time, doing nothing became its own sort of challenge. - I'm like a ninja with no hopes and dreams. - Wally, set up a meeting with me later. I'll get right on that. 090518 -- I just got my MBA, and I'm here to solve all of your problems. - Our products are junk and we're completely out of capital. - Have you tried jargon? 090519 -- I have an MBA from a top business school. - I'm a management expert because I read case studies about businesses that were in completely different situations. - Wait a minute. Why does that suddenly seem ridiculous? Will this take much longer? 090520 -- I hear you have an MBA, just like the jerks who ruined economy. - I'm going to punch you so hard that it hurts everyone who has the same degree. - OW!!! What was that hideous noise? 090521 -- The MBA Guy I put together a spreadsheet that might interest you. - OW! OW! IT's SO BORING, IT HURTS MY HEAD! - MY BRAIN IS TRYING TO ESCAPE THOUGH MY EAR! I get this a lot. 090522 -- The MBA Versus The Crazy Old Witch I don't know who to believe. - Spreadsheets don't lie, but neither does bat excrement. - Remind me again who ruined the economy. Was it witches? 090523 -- Dogbert The CEO Versus The MBA My analysis doesn't support your strategy. - My analysis says I can hire three high school dropouts to slap you until it does. - No...please, not dropouts! They will kick your assumptions. 090524 -- And obviously I can't do anything until our floom vendor updates the glimrods. - I'll bitspew a protopatch to your glimrod array and you can get right to work. - Sometimes A Young Engineer Challenges The Dominant Work-Avoider In The Herd Oh, 090524 -- really? - Too bad the router isn't configured to handle protopatch server traffic. - I'll remotely reconfigure the router to think the protopatch server is a hexadulian data compressor. - IF YOU DO THAT, YOUL'LL CRASH THE FIREWALL AND EXPOSE 090524 -- EVERYONE AT THIS TABLE TO IDENTITY THEFT! - STOP THAT! I HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS! PUNCH! - Never go network on me, kid. 090525 -- I'll never be able to finish my project in time. You need to take ownership. - Can I hire more programmers? No. Can I reduce the number of features? No. - So...I'm just taking ownership of the failure? Don't be greedy. 090526 -- Agenda items four through seven don't involve me. - I'll use that time to take a refreshing nap. Experts say it's good for productivity. - I need to talk to those experts. 090527 -- Topper I went for a long walk yesterday. That's nothing. - My thighs are so strong that I'm afraid to jump rope when the sun is directly overhead. - You're full of beans. Exactly. That's how I achieve escape velocity. 090528 -- Find out how many engineers our competitors have so we can justify having that many. - Sure, I'll spend a few hours comparing our apples to their oranges. - Why does your cooperation sound like insubordination? Aye-aye, captain! 090529 -- In phase one, we'll tell our customer that the system failure won't happen again. Not us! - In phase two, when it happens again, we'll act surprised. - Then we'll say a software patch is being installed. GAAA!!! WE'RE BAD PEOPLE! 090530 -- Asok, I want you to scrub the CPS database. No one uses that data. - But you are incapable of admitting error. So I must dedicate my time to a thoroughly useless task. - This job got easier when I stopped listening. IT'S LIKE DEATH, BUT WITHOUT 090530 -- THE GLAMOUR! 090531 -- Dilmom How's work, Dilbert? - I'm doing the work of three people and my pay has been cut 20%. - My investments are worthless and my odds of finding a suitable mate are nearly zero. - My life has no meaning, no joy and no hope. - Do you have any 090531 -- motherly advice? - Shake it off, you big wuss. - And you can pass that wisdom to the grandchildren you won't be having. - You're no good at this. Eat broccoli. Whatever. 090601 -- I couldn't do any work this week because my project doesn't have a charge code. - The chagreback group won't answer my E-Mails, and our ethics rules forbid me from using a false code. - It's another failure of management, but I know you can do 090601 -- it better next week. 090602 -- Book some one-on-one meetings for me so I can practice my new dismissive scoffing sound. - ...and then I think we should... PHHHT! - I like what you've done with your dismissive scoffing sound. 20% more spittle! 090603 -- Dogbert The CEO Ratbert, you're my new VP of sales. - Your job is to set impossible goals for the salespeople and punish them for failing. - Yay! I always wanted to be a sadist! Dreams do come true. 090604 -- Ratbert: VP of Sales Humphrey, you're scaring all of our customers. - Try to be less pitchforkable. - Seriously. Can you do that? WHO WANTS A HUG?! 090605 -- Ratbert: VP of Sales I'm accompanying Humphrey on his sales call so he can learn from the master. - I'll begin by giving you something, thus triggering your need to reciprocate. - Who wants to hit Humphrey with a shovel? 090606 -- Ratbert: VP of Sales Humphrey, some might say you're below your sales quota because the economy is soft. - But I say it's because I haven't beaten you enough with this wooden spoon. - You know what I'm tired of hearing? "Not my good eye! Not my 090606 -- good eye!" 090607 -- I can't understand why... - - Why did you suddenly stop talking? - Oh no...this can't be good. - GAAA!!! Now you're making eye contact with me! - Layoffs are coming! I must be on the list! - My only hope is to injure myself and go on disability 090607 -- so he can't legally fire me. - Ow! Ow! Ow! Anyway, as I was saying, I can't figure out why so many employees are injured. 090608 -- I'm collecting money for Scott's birthday present. You're Scott. - So? Is there some rule against collecting money for your own birthday? Well...no. - I'm buying myself some paper towels and cereal. Stop making it worse! 090609 -- Last Week I attended the 'circle of excellence' conference for managers. - So, while we were doing actual work, you sat in a circle with a bunch of managers? - It wasn't like that. Oh, I think it was. 090610 -- Ted, business is slow, and I have to let you go. - But I already did your performance review so I thought you might benefit from constructive feedback. - "You're like a blister on a skunk's colon." A tiny one. 090611 -- Dogbert The CEO We'll execute our strategy in the usual way. - The powerful will delegate to the untalented until failure is achieved. - How long will that take? We just finished. 090612 -- Dogbert The CEO My base pay will be one Dollar per year. The rest will be stock incentives. - That guarantees you will reap obscene profits when the overall stock market improves, no matter what you do. - Pretend you don't know that. 090613 -- Dogbert The CEO You two are my executive compensation committee. - I LIVE TO SERVER YOU, MY LORD AND MASTER! - Dial it back just a little. Are we allowed to kneel? 090614 -- Job Interview Do you have any sales experience? - No, but I... Okay. Whatever. - There's no base pay. You only get paid on commission. - And you'll need a special laptop for this job. - You can buy it from our company with a 5% employee 090614 -- discount. You're hired. - YES! AND MY FRIENDS TOLD ME I WOULD NEVER FIND A SALES JOB IN THIS WEAK ECONOMY! - By the way, what does the company sell? - We sell laptops to idiots. 090615 -- Dogbert The CEO I'm thinking of becoming a Somalian pirate. - I'd still get to steal from stockholders, but my booty wouldn't be taxed. - And who doesn't like grenade launchers? KA-POW! Mom? Cancel your cruise. 090616 -- Dogbert The CEO I'm taking a side job as a pirate. - I'll kidnap employees and authorize huge ransom payments to myself for their return. - Then you'll return them safely? That's a different business model. 090617 -- It's a conflict of interest for you to be our CEO and also a pirate who kidnaps our employees. - The executive compensation committee approved this arrangement. It's all spelled out in my employment agreement. - so it is. Wait here while I call 090617 -- myself and ransom you back to your office. 090618 -- Hi. My name is... Whoa! Whoa! Not in person! - I only meet men through online dating sites. That way I can filter out the losers. - Too crazy too fast. I know. I'm working on that. 090619 -- You'd actually be attractive if you didn't have crazy eyes. What? - The eyes are the mirror of the soul. Your soul appears to be mostly spiders and bas news. - Any minute now... YOU CAUSE THE RAIN! 090620 -- My dream ist to someday be like you. - I hope to advance from being totally worthless to being totally worthless and overpaid. - How's your role model? Grumpy. 090621 -- Alice, you'll be acting manager next week while I'm on vacation. - I can't I'll be in a training class all week. - Dilbert, you'll... I'll be at a customer site all week. - Carol... I'll be getting my tubes tied. - Asok... I'm going to my 090621 -- grandmother's funeral in India. - Yes? Is there something you need me to do? - Attend a funeral in India. Tell everyone you're Asok and you had a horrible accident. - Tell them the acid destroyed your hair and your personality. That took an 090621 -- ugly turn. 090622 -- We can only afford to fix the high-priority bugs. - If we don't fix 100% of the bugs, the software will be 100% useless. - So our plan is to fail? More slowly. 090623 -- Dogbert The CEO We're paying too much taxes. Bring me a physicist and a tax attorney. - I want to incorporate in another dimension. Make it happen. - Somewhere in the multiverse it's already done. I like you. The lawyer guy is fired. 090624 -- Dogbert The CEO I'm here to do a tax audit of your company. How's that work? - I look for reasons to transfer money from small, disreputable entities to a larger one. - I call my salary vigorish, but it's not as ironic as it once was. 090625 -- Income Tax Autitor You claim your company is exempt from taxes because you're incorporated in...heaven? Exactly. - I'm not as allowed to question that claim because of the separation of church and state. - I AM THE ANGEL WALLY! Hold on, Wally. 090625 -- We're selling past the close. 090626 -- I can't afford my mortgage because of my pay cut. The bank will take my house. - I saved a bundle by being a renter. I should buy your house for next to nothing. - Too soon? 090627 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources You shouldn't come to work just for money. - You should come to work to avoid not having any money. - I'm only in it for these meetings. Settle down, Baldy. 090628 -- We're going into the executive recruiting business. - But the economy is so weak that there aren't any job offerings. - That's why we're also going into the executive coaching business. - We'll give our clients bad advice, and ge them fired. - 090628 -- Then our recruiting division will offer to fill those jobs. - Wally, you'll be our executive coach. - Your receptionist is cute. Have you considered stalking her? - Um...a little. You can borrow my binoculars. 090629 -- Sales are tanking because our online reviews are awful. - Cripple a feature and change the model number so the online reviews look stale. - Woe, That was a lot of evil packed into one sentence. Thank you. 090630 -- I programmed my intant-messaging software to send random questions to our boss every hour. - They're all yes or no questions so he'll have the illusion of managing me. - Should I rotate the domain protocols so they wear out evenly? Yes. 090701 -- The results of our beta testing are in. - Our user interface triggered widespread despondency and self-mutilation. - Obviously we'll need to delay our launch for the public good. When did you become a communist? 090702 -- Marketing How do we market a product that is known to trigger despondency and self-mutilation? - So...it has a military application? - I thought it was just software, but before I knew it I was stabbing myself. Get me a trillion of these. 090703 -- Our product is so unsafe thet the military wants to use it as a weapon. - Now the only way to satisfy our fiduciary duty is to foment war to boost our sales. - HEY, WHY'D YOU PUNCH A HOLE IN MY HAT!! That's a little thing we call marketing. 090704 -- The imperialists punched a hole in my hat!!! Revenge will be ours! - WALLA-WALLA WALLA-WALLA WALLA!!! - We don't do that. Mitten bump? 090705 -- I'm worried that I won't get a raise this year. - You shouldn't worry about that. - You should worry that you might lose your job in the next round of layoffs. - I should worry about that??? Well...probably not. - It makes more sense to worry 090705 -- about the entire company going out of business. - And that's nothing if the global economy collapses. - Maybe you should worry that the only viable livelihood of the future involves cannibalism. - Are you still worried about not getting a 090705 -- raise? Not so much. 090706 -- Dogbert The CEO We'll build a factory in every state. - Politicians will vote to throw huge pork projects our way to benefit their home states. - You're turning capitalism against democracy. You say weiner, I say winner. 090707 -- We won a huge government contract. - Now we need to follow all of our company policies plus every government procurement rule. - I feel like I'm being smothered by a damp mattress! That's what victory feels like! 090708 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Before I counsel you... - You might want to clench your various sphincters so your soul doesn't escape. - Is okay if I release a acouting party? 090709 -- I can't give you a bonus becauseanother division had huge losses. - Remind me again why my bonus is tied to the performance of strangers? - I shouldn't tell you this, but we model our employee compensation program after practical jokes. 090710 -- Asok, the company isn't growing, and no one is quitting in this economy. - Your only hope for promotion is if a senior engineer dies. - I joined a gym! NO-OOO! 090711 -- Hi Graybeard. I brought you a brochure for a great retirement home. - I'm only 52. I'm not going to retire just so you can get promoted into my job. - Risky adventure? 090712 -- Dilbert, I want you to audit the software we have on our systems. - Why? So we know what we have. - Who will use the information? - It's just important to have. - It will be out of date before I'm even done. - Do your best. - The best way to 090712 -- compile inaccurate information that no one wants is to make it up. - I hope no one ever comes here to learn our best practices. 090713 -- Our company has replaced styrofoam cups with paper cups to save the planet. - They work just as well if you use a dead squirrel as an oven mitten. - This one has some fight left in him. 090714 -- We replaced our styrofoam cups with paper cups, but it's not so clear that it helps the planet. - We didn't do it to help the planet. We did it to look like the sort of company that cares about that sort of thing. - Oh. In that case it's 090714 -- working great. As soon as you stop whining. 090715 -- I've been asked to chronicle your rise to management for the company newsletter. - So far, I have the story of how your father was a barrel-shaped moron who married a blind woman. - But it could have been the other way around. I'm mostly 090715 -- guessing. Lucky guess. 090716 -- For the company newsletter profile, I need to know how you rose from being an ignorant baboon to an overpaid speed bump. - And make it not boring. I'M NOT AN OVERPAID SPEED BUMP! - My fact-checker will need to see your pay stub. 090717 -- Mordac, The Preventer Of Information Services. May I use this laptop that no one else is using? - Np, but you can have my old pizza box while you waterboard yourself in your own tears. - I guess that's better than nothing. Really? In that case 090717 -- you can't have it. 090718 -- I need you to do product testing for our new release. - How could I possibly have time for all the work you keep giving me? - Have you tried sacrificing your health? DO I LOOK LIKE I CAN RUN MARATHONS? 090719 -- Did you see my suggestions for your presentation? - Yes, I rejected them. They aren't optional. - Then why do you call them suggestions? - Sometimes I call things the wrong names to improve morale. - You should say what you're thinking. I can 090719 -- handle the truth. - Fine. Make all of the changes I want, you ignorant hump. - And do it now while I mock you with sheep noises. Baaaa! Baaaa! Baaaa! - Maybe your first way was better. NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU! 090720 -- I'm sending you to an anger management class because of your recent outburst against your boss. - When one is being abused by a figure of authority, anger is a healthy and appropriate response. - Right. We want less of that. 090721 -- Welcome to Eddy's School of Anger Management. I'm Eddy. - I was once like you: Angry at every idiot in the world. How'd you stop being angry at idiots? - I created a school so they'd give me money while I insult them. 090722 -- The prototype is done. Take a look at the user interface. - It works great, but make sure this thing is totally idiot-proof. - Again? 090723 -- I've been asked to cut the fat out of this department. - If the department has fat in it, that's a symptom of bad management. Maybe you should fire yourself. - I wasn't asking for suggestions. Geez, way to be critical during the brainstorming. 090724 -- As usual, my coworkers have filled in every space on my Outlook calendar. - Now I am only a puppet hurtling toward failure. - Hey there, failure puppet! I hoped it wasn't so obvious. 090725 -- Tina, answer this customer complaint. And remember, the customer is always an idiot. - I think you mean the customer is always...um...oh my... - QUICK! POP YOUR EARS SO YOUR HEAD DOESN'T EXPLODE! GURK! 090726 -- How much will it cost to develop our next generation product? - It will cost whatever you put in the budget. - How much should I put in the budget? - Ask for the biggest number you think will get approved. - If we get a lot of money we can 090726 -- build something great. - If we don't get much money we can build something lame, and compensate for the lack of quality by lying more vigorously than usual. - I'll aim low so I don't get yelled at during the executive budget meeting. - I 090726 -- remember a time when this sort of thing would haunt me. 090727 -- Can you review my letter to this customer who complained? - "Tell the spiders living in your skull that we'll look into it." - Good writing should never be predictable. Then it's perfect. 090728 -- Dogbert The CEO I'm nearing retirement, so fire the research and development group. - The cost cutting will goose my stock options so I can cash out before the death spiral. - Please don't make the noise. Too late! CH-CHING! 090729 -- I hired an arrogant guy with a huge forehead. He's on your project. - Great. Everything this guy says will seem more annoying than usual because of his huge forehead! - I keep a wine glass with me all the time. I'm a foodie. Case in point! 090730 -- The Foodie With A Huge Forehead Mmmm a pomme de terre fritte with sea salt and just a hint of rosemary. - PUNCH! - That was a french fry. And much like yourself, it was a salted. 090731 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources My old policy was to have security immediately escort out anyone I fired. - SPROING! - But that left too much time for weeping. 090801 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources With your skills, you have a variety of career options. - For example, you could flap your arms and fly to a planet that places a high value on morons. - Etcetera. 090802 -- I want you three to out together a teamwork award program. - If we do a good job, can we give ourselves the award? - No. - Great. Now i have no incentive to do a good job on this award thing. - Keeping your job should be all the incentive you 090802 -- need. - Then why does *anyone* need a teamwork award? - Let's just slap something together and randomly nominate people. - I got a teamwork award ans yet I feel no different. Yup. 090803 -- I multitask during conference calls. - Is it wrong to value my own productivity ove the inane babbling of others? - Buy bread...pickles...light bulbs... Hello? 090804 -- Our VP of sales asks that you answer customer questions through the sales reps, not directly. - Is the goal to reduce the timeliness of my answers or just to filter out the accuracy? - Why are you like this? - Should I tell *you* or the sales 090804 -- reps? 090805 -- Hey, engineer, can I ask you a question? - I'm not allowed to talk to customers. We believe that honesty impedes sales. - I think you just impeded. Oops. 090806 -- Did you tell a customer that you're not allowed to talk to customers? Yes. - YOU FOOL! THAT MAKES US LOOK LAME! What was I supposed to do when she asked me a question? - Did you have access to scissors? 090807 -- According to the Book Of Wally, I should use something called "preemtive guilt" to avoid work. - Exactly. If you wait until after you get an assignment, it is already too late for guilt. - Stress killed both of my parents. The doctors said they 090807 -- worked too hard. 090808 -- The successful work-avoider combines a fake eagerness to help with just a hint of likely failure. - Wally, I need load calcs in an hour. No problem! Unless my computer keeps crashing like it did in the morning. - I'll ask someone else. I AM 090808 -- BEGGING YOU TO LET ME HELP! Wow! 090809 -- Our new data center is complete. - The only wrinkle is that the power company won't give us the kilowatts we need. - What are our options? - Well, we can run the servers without air conditioning. - Until they melt into a toxic blob. - Then we 090809 -- can turn the building into a museum that celebrates poor planning. - Or we could all quit our jobs and eat bugs to survive. - Let's go with the toxic blob, but we need to call it something else. Convergence! 090810 -- It takes an average of five people to approve any action in this company, and at any given time, three are on vacation. - Should I violate our copmany culture of consensus building, or just sit around and do nothing for lack of buy-in? - Did 090810 -- you mention flailing around in futility? I was hoping you forgot that option. 090811 -- I see my job as giving you the information you need to make the right decision. - I see your job as E-mailing me links to web sites full of stale and incomplete information. - Can we go back to pretending I'm useful? Sure. I'll give you a pity 090811 -- listen. 090812 -- If I don't have enough time to do things right, should I just do nothing? - Or do you prefer that I miss desdlines, or do shoddy work, or pray for divine intervention? - I want everything fast and perfect. Can I buy a prayer rug? 090813 -- Your order will only cost about $20,000. No, it won't. - We both know you're intentionally underestimating the true cost to get the sale, you lying sack of apit. - You're not supposed to say that out loud. Is it okay if I imagine a bear 090813 -- attacking you? 090814 -- Someone borrowed the unit you asked to see, so I'll show you pictures of models you aren't interested in. - There's one you don't want...and you sure don't want that one... - And how does this help? Would you like a CD of products we no longe 090814 -- carry? 090815 -- Dogbert The CEO Gas up the jet, Flunky. I'm going skiing in Aspen. - Using the corporate jet for a vacation sends the wrong message. - And you can't ski in the summer. What message do forty planeloads of snow send? 090816 -- It's time to stir the soup. - I think Ted is stealing. - You know how sometimes you can't find things in your office? - Um...yes. That only happens on days when Ted has been in the building. - And I think he was wearing a new sock the other 090816 -- day. Have you ever lost a sock? . HE'S BEEN IN MY HOUSE?! - Either that or your wife and Ted have some sort or arrangement. - Ted... It makes my lack of accomplishments seem unimportant. 090817 -- I just forgot what it's like to be one of the little people. - It's liberating because I have no empathy for your suffering. - And how is this different? Now I have a reason. 090818 -- I found a less expensive delivery service for our overseas packages. - Find someone who is traveling to the same country as the package, shoot him with a tranquilizer dart, and hide the package under his hat. - The first day of any new system 090818 -- is always a problem. 090819 -- We have new software for performance reviews. - It has a category for everything. - Fish-faced nincompoop! Bingo! 090820 -- I need you to keep this information to yourself. Can you do that? - Well, obviously I'd have to weigh the benefits of sharing it versus the risk of getting caught. - It's sort of a dumb question if you think about it. 090821 -- Dogbert The CEO We're getting into the financial services game. - That way all of our products can be imaginary. - Can you give me reliable invetment advice? Yes, as far as you know. 090822 -- Dogbert The CEO We'll start ten mutual funds, each with randomly chosen stocks. - Later we'll build our advertisements around whichever one does the best purely by chance. - My goal is to be the premier provider of imaginary expertise. WAG! 090822 -- WAG! 090823 -- Our next presenter is Dilbert. - I put together a slide show and video. - While it's running, I'll perform a humorous rap song about the benefits of our product. - Then each of you will wear a funny hat and participate in a skit. - Later we'll 090823 -- enjoy a ventriloquist who dresses in a beaver suit and threatens to eat his dummy. - We'll top it off with a trivia contest, prizes, and fireworks in the atrium. - What can you do in two minutes? We need to catch a plane. - I should have gone 090823 -- with the slide show. MMPH 090824 -- I spent the first part of the week installing our new productivity software. - Then I used the rest of the week trying to make it interface with our time reporting system. - So far all it can do is tell me how much time I'm wasting in this 090824 -- meeting. 090825 -- My productivity software turned on me. - It keep crashing my computer. But that's okay because I don't need a computer to do my job. - Do you have any assignments that are sort of pre-industrial? 090826 -- Performance Review You need to get better at anticipating problems. - If I could anticipate problems, I wouldn't have agreed to work for you. - You seem angry. I did not see that coming. 090827 -- And that was the last time I yanked a cable just to find out what would happen. - How many inane stories do I have to hear before I can speak to someone who knows something? - She's a story hater. 090828 -- I judge potential mates by their cell phone apps. Hand it over. - You have an app that does nothing but hurl pirate insults. That is so stupid. This date is over. - Don't let the door hit you in the booty. Aaaargh! 090829 -- Asok, rummage through the piles on my desk and find yourself something to do. - Afterward, chastise yourself for not doing it the way I would have. Even if you would have done it wrong? - Especially then. No one likes a show-off. 090830 -- Is there any risk the new software will erase our payroll data? - Um...no. Did you ask the vendor that question? - Well, no, I... Then you can't be sure, can ypu? - We outsource our payroll service. The payroll data isn't even on our servers. - 090830 -- Isn't everything connected to everything else by the Internet? - You want me to ask our vendor if his software will hunt down our payroll data from across the Internet and try to kill it? - And you think he might say yes? Better safe than 090830 -- sorry. - Later That Day Yes, sometimes it does that. You're the first to ask. Shoot me. 090831 -- I need you to attend a three-day industry standards meeting in Elbonia. Why Elbonia? - Because Elbonia is the worst place on earth. The member companies don't want this to look like a boondoggle. - I guess three days won't be so bad. You're 090831 -- not allowed to eat. 090901 -- Industry Standards Meeting In Elbonia Let's adopt my company's specs as the industry standard. - YOUR SPECIFICATIONS ARE WEAK, AND SO IS YOUR KUNG FU. - From that day on, all standards meetings were held in the mud of Elbonia. can't...kick! 090901 -- Stupid...mud! 090902 -- How did the industry standards meeting go? - did you convince 83 companies to adopt standards that benefit only us while dooming the entire industry in the long run? - Or are you a complete failure? Can I hear those choices again? 090903 -- Can I work from home? There are too many distractions in the office. - Don't you have just as many distractions at your house? - Not unless my idiot couch starts questioning all of my great suggestions. 090904 -- How are your kids? I don't have any kids. - Are you sure? That's the sort of thing I'd remember. - Maybe they're hiding. BE WRONG! JUST BE WRONG! 090905 -- I hired my unemployed golf buddy to consult. What are his qualifications? - He has two qualifications: he's unemployed *and* he's a gold buddy. - I recommended firing the whistleblower and playing nine before it gets dark. 090906 -- Can you approve this change? - I'll have to run it by my corporate office. - And we're in merger talks. so they'll need to clear it with our future owners. - No one will know who should make the decision or what the right decision is. - When do 090906 -- you think you'll have an answer? - Sometime between next week and whenever the earth is devoured by a gravitational singularity. - Meanwhile I will avoid your calls and E-Mails by becoming a vapor. - You forgot the approval form. 090907 -- Welcome to your first day in the job. - Always lock your desk at night because many of your coworkers are crooks. - And the ones that have eyes like this got hired before we did drug testing. 090908 -- Employee theft is on the rise because of the economy. - FOOP! FOOP! - They finally figured out how to work as a team. 090909 -- According to my analysis, all future ideas are already covered by over-general patents. - Our best strategy is to get out of this business and become trademark infringement lawyers. - I don't know how to be a lawyer. That only matters if you 090909 -- take cases on a contingency basis. 090910 -- Ted, your new responsibility is to keep the pigeons from defiling our ledges. - Are you hoping this awful assignment will cause me to quit? Not at all. - Are you hoping I'll fall out a window? Maybe you should stop guessing now. 090911 -- Gabe was downsized when his last employer had financial troubles. I was lucky to hire him. - Because they always downsize their best employees first? - Sorry. I didn't mean to put it in context. 090912 -- I need more resorces on my project. I'll give you someone from Alice's project. - Then Alice won't haver enough resources. I can only solve one problem at a time. - Did he solve your problem? I'm going to say yes. 090913 -- ...and those are the four things I need you to ask our VP of marketing. Got it. - Maybe you should write them down. I'll remember. - You have alot on your mind. A little note might be a good idea. - How hard is it to remember three things? 090913 -- Sheesh! - FOUR things! There are FOUR questions! - Right, right. There's the one about the battery, and the other two. - THERE ARE FOUR QUESTIONS! FOUR, FOUR, FOUR!!! AND NONE OF THEM ARE ABOUT A BATTERY! - Later That Day Should the new 090913 -- software have a battery? How would I know? 090914 -- Dogbert The CEO We need to make our pricing plan more confusing. - And change our packaging to that hard plastic that always cuts the consumers' hands. - I've been in a bad mood since everyone started talking about capping my excessive pay. 090915 -- Dogbert The CEO I can't tell if my pay is excessive enough. - So I created a lab to test the reaction of hobos to my different pay scenarios. - It's your turn to find the next hobo. 090916 -- Alice, I thought it was time for us to have a little mentoring session. - How does this make sense when I'm more capable than you in every important way? - Maybe we can skip the part where I say you need to be more confident and speak out at 090916 -- meetings. Duh. 090917 -- I have invested all of my self-esteem in this PowerPoint presentation. - It is all that I am and all that I will be. It is a digital reckoning of my value. - Did they catch the chimp who made our slides? Ow. Ow. Ow. 090918 -- CEO Summit Obviously it's illegal for companies to rig bids. - But interestingly, the crime is nearly impossible to prove when nothing is written down. - I'd like you to meet Eddie. Pay close attention to how many times he stomps his hoof. 090919 -- CEO Summit Do you collude? Sometimes. - Are you colluding with anyone now, because I'd sure like to collude with you. - What are you into? Maybe a little price-fixing? This is all happening so fast. 090920 -- Strategy Meeting The weak economy is limiting our strategic options. - I won't sugarcoat anything. - Option one is a long slide to oblivion. - Option two is a death spiral. - Our new company logo is a man getting sucked into a toilet. - Our 090920 -- revised mission statement is "Forage During Daylight. Hide At Night." - I'll pass out clubs, and you can decide among yourselves how to downsize by fifty percent. - Is it just me or was it better when they sugarcoated? 090921 -- I did no work this week because I judged the user's specifications to be inadequate. - Should I continue to do nothing or do you prefer I use incomplete specs to produce useless designs? - The next thing to hear is something called leadership. 090922 -- Tina, you can't work at home anymore because the admins can't do it, and they're jeaslous. - I'm a technical writer. Why don't you explain to the admins that my job is different from theirs. - When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not 090922 -- to stir it. 090923 -- What kind of moot is he in? Tired and fussy. - Also confused, bumbling, clueless, arrogant, short, bald and pudgy. - He's right behind you. Add "angry." Good luck. 090924 -- From now on, we will refer to all of our problems as opportunities. - One of your idiot spawn was playing with the oven and burned down your house. - Camping opportunity? 090925 -- You're paying contractors to do work that I could do if I weren't always in unproductive meetings. - You could hire temps to attend the unproductive meetings for me, and fire the more expensive contractors. - Why don't I understand what you 090925 -- just said? Because it made sense? 090926 -- Moving forward, we'll go after the low-hanging fruit at the end of the day. Ha ha! - I like the way you used humor to mock the vacuous way managers speak. - snork* Which part was humor? I'll just be quiet now. 090927 -- Dilbert, I want you to develop a procedure for creating policies. - Do we have a policy on how to develop procedures? - I think someone wrote a white paper on that. - What's the procedure for finding white papers? - Maybe you could ask around. 090927 -- - Later That Night So, what do you do? - I ask around to see if anyone knows about a white paper that talks about a policy for developing procedures to create policies. - You find that sexy. STOP DOING THE JEDI MIND TRICK! 090928 -- Negotiating In A Bad Economy My company is so poor that we need a 20% price reduction or we'll go belly-up. - My company is so poor that our only chance of eating involves throwing office supplies at low-flying birds. - Shall we say 10%? Out 090928 -- health plan is "screaming." 090929 -- Retirement Planning I A Bad Economy Retirement planning is all about timing. - I'm planning to die from global warming on the same day I run out of money. - That's one more advantage of being frail. I figure an hour without sunscreen outght to 090929 -- do the trick. 090930 -- Vacationing In A Bad Economy I can't afford a big vacation this year. - So I bought some kitty litter and a 100-watt bulb. It's exactly like being at the beach. - This could turn ugly. 091001 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources According to your skills inventory, the only thing you are good at is... - ...diverting attention from your own lack of value. - Is it just me, or is there a deadly gas leak in the building? ERK! 091002 -- I need you to got to Elbonia and do some hand-holding while they cut over to the new system. - Because they're incompetent? And lonely. - I'm not comfortable with this. Mud wine? 091003 -- Dogdert The CEO We need another economic bubble to drive up our stock value. - Assemble the illuminati! - As usual, I'll create the media frenzy, Dogbert will manipulate prices, and Ixpu will vaporize the whistle-blowers. 091004 -- We find you fascinating. - You do? Oh, yes. Every little thing you do is interesting. - I didn't know that. Hey, I just had an idea. - Maybe you should use Twitter to leave us little messages about all of your daily activities. - It would make 091004 -- us feel connected to our leader, and dare I say, more motivated. - Well, gosh, I suppose I could try it. - I already feel an improvement in my quality of life. - Where's idiot boy now? In the parking lot. No need to look busy yet. 091005 -- It's funny that YOU'RE evaluating ME. - Because I understand how to do YOUR job, but you have no idea how to do MY job. - For example, right now you're going to say something that doesn't help the stockholders. 091006 -- Asok, we're hosting a forum for human resources activities, and I need you to organize it. - Gaaa!!!That will be like trying to herd cats. What did you just say? - I'm not a racist. DENIAL IS PROOF! 091007 -- Tina, I just learned that your pay is 20% below the industry average for your job. - I will correct this injustice, no matter what it takes! - You would do that for me? You have my word that I will lower the industry average! 091008 -- Carol, I'd like to talk to you about your career goals. - My career goal is to take over the department by tricking you into a fatal accident, then telling everyone you're just working from home. - That's not right. So you're saying I should 091008 -- set my goals low? 091009 -- Did the executive steering committee approve my project? - We agreed on a predecisional draft framework for making the decision. - Does that mean anything? It depends on what you mean by "anything." 091010 -- Wally, I need you to do an inventory in our warehouses. It should take about a month. - Hypothetically, would anyone notice the difference if I just made up the numbers? - Well, no... DREAM JOB! 091011 -- Today we'll discuss ways to improve our workflow process. - As you know, a goot process is a substitute for good employees. - The ultimate goal is to simplify our process so much... - That we can train chicken to do your jobs in return for 091011 -- pellets. - We'll begin by discussing our process for funding new projects. - Could any of our processes be replaced by, for example, ringing a bell with your beak? - Yes, but only the part you do. - There's a wrinkle in the plan. Pellet. 091012 -- Wally, are you done with your project yet? I'll be done next week. - You've said, "next week" for seven weeks in a row. What makes you think I'm going to believe it this time? - The first six times? 091013 -- The company urges all of you to E-Mail your congressman and support the bill that gives us pork projects. - If that bill becomes law, it will, in effect, transfer my tax money to you executives for your next obscene bonuses. - Don't you own 091013 -- company stock in your retirement account? No, I'm only dumb enough to work here. 091014 -- The CEO And The Senator It wouldn't be legal for me to bribe you. - So I hired your wife as a consultant despite the fact that she thinks "present value" is some sort of gift card. - And I wrote some legislation for you because you're a lazy 091014 -- thief. Ha ha! Let's call that "access." 091015 -- Now what do I do? Click some buttons and see what happens. You can't hurt anything. - FZZEET! - In my defense, that hardly ever happens. 091016 -- Alice, I'd like you to work with Ted on this project. - Ted's a drama queen. Working with him will just slow me down. - Hello? Human resources? Alice is being a bully. And o it begins. 091017 -- Ted The Drama Queen I can't attend the meeting tuesday because Barry thinks I didn't return his flash drive. - I'm afraid of him because he's a liar and a drunk, and I heard he killed a cab driver. - I'd wear a disguise, bus prosthetic 091017 -- adhesives give ne hives. Must...control...jack...hammer. buddabuddabudda 091018 -- I need you to write a white paper for an industry trade association. - Fine, but that will leave me with less time to work on my project. - Do the trade association stuff during your unproductive time. - What exactly is my "unproductive time"? 091018 -- - It goes by many names, including sleep. leisure and healthy lifestyle. - If I do less of these things it will reduce the quality of my life below the point at which good hygiene has any utility. - I don't want to make out with you. I just 091018 -- want you to work harder for no extra money. - I spend too much time explaining the obvious. 091019 -- Why didn't you get my input on the vendor selection? I tried, but... - You're so easily distracted that for all practical purposes you're nothing but furniture with coffee breath. - Where were we? You were praising me for my good attitude. 091020 -- Wally, you didn't E-Mail me your project status. Did you check your spam folder? - Maybe you should check there before besmirch my good name with your baseless accusations. - Did you send it? Okay, I see how you're trying to turn this all 091022 -- around. 091021 -- Dogbert The CEO Consumer confidence is up, and that means more people will buy our products. - I'm off to take random management changes so I can take credit for the improved economy. - It's working? Sales are up! 091022 -- Dogbert The CEO I want to win a humanitarian award. - But I don't want to touch anyone who is sick. Or poor. Or unattractive. - Do you want to donate your time or your money? I'm hoping to donate *your* time and the stockholders' money. 091023 -- It feels good when you volunteer to help others. - That's why I talked some poor Elbonians into mowing our lawn for free. I want them to feel the joy of giving. - All I'm feeling is tired. rrrrr Try doing it faster. 091024 -- Asok, I'mputting you in charge of pandemic contingency planning. - Calculate the impact on our business if 50% of our employees are unable to be productive. - That's twice as good as we're doing now. Just make somes slides that say it would be 091024 -- bad. 091025 -- Dilbert, I need you to take care of...um... - ...whatever is on the top of my pile. - This is a job for marketing, not engineering. - Give it to the director of marketing and ask him to assign it to someone. - So...you're delegating to me to 091025 -- pass this off to someone else, who will delegate it to someone else. - With each handoff, the sense of urgency will diminish until the likelihood of completion approaches zero. - You could save the company money by crumpling up this document 091025 -- and throwing it away right now. - This feels wrong. Try using more wrist. 091026 -- Pandemic Planning In the worst-case scenario, the only survivors would be cockroaches and Alice. - POW! POW! POW! - Airborne virus. It's safe now. I broke its protein coat. 091027 -- If I do a great job with the pandemic contingency planning, can I have a bonus? - I won't know if you did a great job unless we actually have a pandemic emergency. - So...if there *is* a pandemic, I might get a bonus? I don't like where this is 091027 -- heading. 091028 -- Alice, remove the toys from your cubicle. It sends the wrong message. - You mean the message that says this company is a creative environment that values the individual? - Exactly. We're going for more of an egg carton vibe. 091029 -- I have a great stock tip for you, Alice. - And I should trust you because you're an expert on all things except your own ridiculous hair? - I also know a lot about old cars. Shocker. 091030 -- We're moving our data center to Elbonia to save money. - That seems a bit dangerous since every Elbonian is an identity thief. What? - It seemed like an exxageration, but it wasn't. Hi, I'm old man Podemkin. I was him this morning! 091031 -- What exactly is your Halloween costume supposed to be? - I'm going for a village idiot vibe, with a dash of Quasimodo. - Why does it seem so familiar? I'm someone's management style. 091101 -- Could you make these changes in the database? It will only take 5 minutes. - Oooh, I don't know... Wait! - Are youplanning to spend ten minutes explaining why you don't have five minutes to do this task? - Or are you so incompetent that a 091101 -- five-minute task will take an hour? - Or are you limited by a company policy because you're a feckless wate of carbon? - Or are you the agreeable but unorganized type who will say yes, lose my note, and forget who asked? - I was planning to 091101 -- tell you this dosen't need to be done and refuse to change my position even after you give me good reasons. - Experience is just another word for losing hope. 091102 -- My prescription meds cause drowsiness. - So I got a second prescription that causes phantom-hand syndrome to slap me at random intervals. - Maybe you should use a doctor who has less-effective pharmaceutical reps in his territory. FIST! 091103 -- I need you to take these pills because the pharmaceutical rep is smoking hot. - It might have some side effects, but the "guy code" says you have to be my wingman if I ask. - Apparently he subscribes to a literal interpretation of the guy code. 091104 -- My prescription meds have a side effect that made me grow wings. - But I can turn it sexy by flying you over the city on this moonlit night. - Seriously, how many appetizers did you have? 091105 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources My prescription meds caused me to grow wings. - I have a sudden urge to kill you because you're different. - But that would be wrong. "Wrong" is one of those concepts that depends on witnesses. 091106 -- These pills should get rid of the wings that the last pills gave you as a side effect. - It's an off-label use, but I have a good feeling about it. - What now? At this point, sinning is your best bet. 091107 -- Please ignore my wings and halo. They are side effects from my prescription meds. - Anyway, my pointy-haired boss asked me to tell you that we will finish the prorotype on time and on budget. - POOF! POOF! That is one bad tell you got there. 091108 -- And then Ted said he'd... Ho ho! I've seen that a million times! - At my old job we used to make cricket noises whenever our manager was approaching. - But that doesn't mean you should cut corners when it comes to quality. - You're hijcking our 091108 -- conversation! I'm adding value. - You don't even know what we were talking about. - Apparently you have a social disorder that compels you to insert irrelevant stories and trite observations into other people's observations. - I assume part of 091108 -- the disorder involves not being able to recognize it in yourself. - I wonder if he can hear us. Did I tell you about my camping trip? 091109 -- Topper The value of my home is down about 40%. That's nothing! - I paid a homeless Elbonian family a million dollars to take my house. - A recession isn't a competiotion. Said the loser. 091110 -- My company typically takes about for months to negotiate this type of contract. - And during that time there's a 100% chance that we'll change our minds or you'll discontinue the product. - Shall we save some time by declaring failure and 091110 -- blaming each other? I gave up before I even handed you the contract. 091111 -- Your age group has destroyed the hopes of my entire generation. - Your parents were the so-called "Greatest Generation." I wonder what *your* age group will be known as. - I'll bet it includes the word "bag." 091112 -- Gaaa! I feel a sudden pang of caring about the quality of my work! - GLUG GLUG GLUG GLUG - Did you kill it? I think so, but I'd better roll a donut in front of the cave. 091113 -- Wally, when you don't give 100%, it's unfair to your co-workers who have to pick up the slack. - Actually, I'm pretty sure they like having less competition for raises. - There's no budget for raises this year. Yeah, I wouldn't mention that to 091113 -- the others. 091114 -- Do you have many relatives? Yes, I have a huge family. - In any given week, how many of them are dying, graduating, going to jail, or getting married? Maybe...six. - When would you have time for work? I have to go. Someone fell out of a tree. 091115 -- Dilbert, I'd like you to meet one of our biggest customers. She has some technical questions. - WHOA! GET THAT DISEASE-INFESTED PAW AWAY FROM ME! - Don't you follow the news? Shaking hands is so 2008. - No offense, but you look more like a 091115 -- virus incubator than a vigorius hand whasher. - So why don't you pull that death stick back up your sleeve and we can pretend this ugly incident never happened. - And if it's not too much, could you exhale towards things I'm unlikely to touch? 091115 -- - Okay, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, what can I tell you about our new product line? - We lost a customer, but I survived the meeting. Next time, do it the other way. 091116 -- Who need training to keep up with technology trends? Me. - You're fired. I only want people who already know how to do their jobs. - I did not see that coming. They don't have a class to fix that. 091117 -- Dogbert The CEO We're going into the Internet news business. - We're hiring reporters? No, we'll summarize stories from other sites and provide links. - So...we'll be parasizes? Go buy a vinyl record, grandpa. 091118 -- Let's implement cloud computing so I have something to talk about at the executive meeting. - Tell them we're evaluating it. That way neither of us needs to do any real work. - I like it when you do real work. Sorry. I thought you were leading 091118 -- by example. 091119 -- Mordac, The Preventer Of Information Resources cLoud computing is no good because strangers would have access to our data. - I trust encryption way more than I trust Spock-eyed sociopaths. - When you mention a person's ears, he won't listen to 091119 -- the rest of your argument. 091120 -- Dogbert The CEO Floyd, I'm giving you a C-level title. - You'll be the chief janitorial officer, in charge of all dirt, germs, dead critters and problematic excretions. - Is it because I'm so important? What answer would make you clean up poop 091120 -- faster? 091121 -- Dogbert The CEO Employees are so important to me that our head of human resources will get a C-level title. - Edna will be out CPO, or chief people officer. - Take a seat over there by the chief artificial coffee creamer officer. 091122 -- My insolence safety zone has expanded. Your what? - It's a measure of how rude I can be without fear of consequences. - You have no budget to give me a raise, so I have no potential gain from acting professionally. - And it would be 091122 -- inconvenient for you to fire a highly experienced engineer and try to bring a new one up to speed. - So from now on, when you ask me to do something stupid, which is most of the time... - I'll roll my eyes, make a dismissive grunt and do this 091122 -- dance. phhht! - HEY WALLA-WALLA WALLA! BOOPITA BOOPITA BOOPITA! - You finally raised my morale. Good work on that. 091123 -- We have the best hidden costs of any vendor. - Our upgrade and maintenance fees wont't kick in until you've already received a bonus for reducing costs. - Please, pleas, please be a sociopath. Sounds good. I'm not a big fan of our stockholders. 091124 -- I decided to twitter because everything that pops into my head is fascinating. - I don't have time to write entire sentences, so I'll just send out one word per day. - Riboflavin. 091125 -- We need more of what the management experts call "employee engagement." - I don't know the details, but it has something to do with you idiots working harder for tha same pay. - Is anything different on *your* end? I think I'm supposed to be 091125 -- happier. 091126 -- Carol, I want you to feel emotionally invested in the vision and mission of the company. - My only emotion is anger. You can have as much of it as you want. - Maybe I can inspire you with my leadership. I feel like I'm wearing concrete 091126 -- underpants. 091127 -- I didn't understand anything you said for the past half an hour. - You shushed me every time I tried to interrupt with a question. - Now we're out of time, and my only memory of this meeting is that noise came out of your donut hole. THIS is 091127 -- why I don't let you talk. 091128 -- Ted, I just got the results of your security clearance background check. - Homeland security ordered me to beat you to death with our emergency preparedness binder. - BUT...I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG! I might have said some things about your 091128 -- new beard. 091129 -- Dilbert, this is Ellen, your new project manager. - If you do a bad job, Ellen will be on you like a ton of bricks. - And if you do a good job, she will feel threatened by your success and make it her mission to destroy you. - Wait...what? - 091129 -- Did you just tell me I'm going to lose no matter what I do? - If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. - And by kitchen I mean the entire job market. And the gene pool. - I have a bad feeling about this. YOUR ANGIUSH NOURISHES ME! 091130 -- The director of our top secret research group wants to borrow me for six months. - During that time, you will not know where I am, or what I'm working on. - I need to hear this from the director. I'll ask him to E-mail you from his GMail 091130 -- account. 091201 -- Our model comes in 27 models with over 9,000 options. - Given my limited time to study the options, you have guaranteed that I will make a suboptimal choice. - Thanks for making me a failure. Well, it's not really "selling" if we both win. 091202 -- I'm stepping down as CEO because I already milked all of the cash out of this dying cow. MOO! - My replacement is a dried-up corpse. But don't worry; he's just a placeholder until a new CEO can be found. - The faint breeze is blowing away his 091202 -- head. You should probably hurry. 091203 -- My cubicle is surrounded by loud idiots who make it impossible for me to concentrate on my work. - Did you create a presentation on why you couldn't do the presentation you're supposed to be doing? Yes. - Wouldn't it have been just as easy to 091203 -- create the actual presentation? I'm hoping to use this more than once. 091204 -- Here's the mountain of facts that support my recommended technology strategy. - And here's a tiny thimble that holds everything you know about technology. Maybe you could... - Leaders don't like it when you suggest they wear the thimble of 091204 -- knowledge like a little hat. 091205 -- Our new director of marketing is an angry demon of some sort. - He's in charge of making our prices impossible for customers to understand. - What the #%!** kind of price is "it depends"? He makes me say these things. 091206 -- Dogbert The CEO Sales have been lagging. - I want each of you to cold-call ten customers per day. - We're engineers. We don't know how to sell. - Just follow this script. It's guaranteed to close every sale. - Hello. I'm calling on behalf of 091206 -- the police. and fire-fighters' charity for for unattractive youths. - If you send us $500 we will send you a lovely piece of software as a thank you gift. - Otherwise, when your house catches fire, you might find yourself handcuffed in the 091206 -- refrigerator. - Dilbert? Is that you? Hi, mom. I'm in sales now. 091207 -- I need a project estimate for my project, but I don't have a scope or a design for it yet. - Okay, my estimate is $3,583,729. - You don't know anything about my project. That makes two of us. 091208 -- After eight months, senior management finally approved your project plan. - It's too late. All of the technology has changed and our competitors leapfrogged us. - Maybe you could write a new plan. Or we could get the same result by resubmitting 091208 -- this one. 091209 -- If we work day and night, we can match our competitor's features within twelve months. - Are we catching up to where they will be in a year, which is unknowable, or where are they now, which is stupid? - Well payed. I got the next one! 091210 -- Can I send our requirements to your fax? Absolutely. - I'll just travel back in time to 1995, when faxing was a good thing to handle this sort of thing. - You realize I'm a customer, right? Until you spend all of your money on new fax machines. 091211 -- Give me a call sometime. Maybe. - I'll need to do a complete forensic analysis of your business card. - Your home phone is a landline. That must come in handy when someone calls from 1993. 091212 -- There is a huge disconnect between my enormous technical knowledge and the trivial taks you assign to me. - That's a temporary situation, Asok. Okay, good. - Eventually your technical skills will become outdated. 091213 -- Wally, can you take a look at this? - I'd be delighted. What's your project charge code? - It will only take a minute. Are yu suggesting that I lie about my time? - It's only *one* minute. - By that line of reasoning, it's okay to steal, as 091213 -- long as you don't take too much. - Incidentally, I have to charge you for the time it just took to label you a thief. - FORGET IT! I'LL ASK SOMEONE ELSE! - Let's call that "overhead." 091214 -- My computer kept locking up, so I had to let off some steam. - You can't fix your computer by punching it! - Why would I punch *my* computer? That's crazy. Alice? 091215 -- After you punched that monitor, the broken printer started working. hummmm - They were on the same network. Word gets around. - And you won't need passwords for a while. Please don't hurt me. 091216 -- Do you prefer that I spend the day planning, which doesn't look like work? - Or should I plunge into my project with aggressive randomness? - He told you to not work? He doesn't know it yet. 091217 -- We haven't heard from engineering yet. What do you think, Alice? - I think several mediocre minds concocted an impractical plan. - Could you be more specifc? Sure. You're one of them. And this guy is another... 091218 -- If I don't do what you ask me to do, it's because my hearing aid fell in the toilet. - I didn't know you had a hearing problem. EH? WHAT? EH? - You could try E-mailing me, but I have my spam filter cranked up to "Taliban." 091219 -- This invoice is for twice as much as your bid. - Duh. You wouldn't have given us the job if we told you how much it was really going to cost. - If it makes you feel any better, all of the other bidders lied too. We're just better at it. 091220 -- Please order a new stapler for me. Did your old one break? - Only in spirit. - Every person who came into my cubicle picked it up and fiddled with it. - At first I would wipe off the cooties and try to forget. - In time, my stapler became 091220 -- imbued with the sorrow and desperation of every dead-ender that fondled it. - I covered it with a plastic bowl, ant taped it to the desk so no fumes can escape. - If you're wondering why your chair is warm, it's because I borrowed it for a 091220 -- meeting. - What's the biggest bowl you can order? 091221 -- I work here to pay the bills, but I'm actually an artist. - Wow. You must be a terrible artist if you have to work here just to eat. - My work isn't commercial. It's not really art if no one likes it. 091222 -- Our customer is asking for features we can't possibly deliver. - Say we can. We'll disappoint them later when it's too late to back out. - Leaders don't like it when you compare things to their honeymoons. 091223 -- You've made a number of inaccurate statements during the course of this date. - I don't want to break the romantic mood, so I'll send you an E-mail with links that you can review on your own time. - It sounds like you two are over. Would it 091223 -- hurt my tip if I take a run at her? 091224 -- We pooled our bonus checks and got you this gift. - It's empty. - Oh. Better luck next year. 091225 -- Merry christmas. Here's a hundres bucks. And here's a hundred bucks for you. - We could save another step by setting up an electronic transfer with an annual recurring option. Excellent. - Or we could give no gifts. Hush your crazy talk. 091226 -- Well, we can watch a cooking show and imagine what delicious food tastes like... - Or an action movie so we can imagine killing people while cracking jokes. - MAybe I can reword those choices to make us feel less like psychopathic hobos. Please 091226 -- do. 091227 -- I invented Silent Gary to help us decide on a technology direction. - We think he's a genius because he has a beard and he never speaks. - Gary, do you think we should use open source software for our support platform? - Here it comes. He's 091227 -- rubbing his beard and giving me creepy eye contact. - I detected a slight hint of disgust. It means Gary hates the idea! - Yes, it's all so obvious now. This is the worst idea in the history of mankind. - The meeting is over. Silent Gary has 091227 -- spoken. - You're actually a moron, aren't you? Don't ruin this for me. 091228 -- Ask Morgan what types of materials he recommends we should use for the case. - Morgan has no communication skills. Everything he knows is locked in his skull and will never come out. - Is this going to look like MY fault? QUITTER! 091229 -- Morgan: The Man With No Communication Skills Did you get the results from the stress tests yet? - Stress tests have to be performed under controlled conditions. - Has anyone ever explained to you the yes-no form of questions? Is it my turn to 091229 -- talk? 091230 -- Morgan: The Man With No Communication Skills They decided to do option one. - Who is "they"? What is option one? And are they testing or implementing? - You just earned yourself a creepy stare until the topic changes. Okay, moving on... 091231 -- It's new year's eve. Do you want to stay up until midnight? - Only losers wait until midnight. The Dogbert New Year begins at 10 PM. - It's 10 PM now. And I like to celebrate by giving myself a hug. mmm... 100101 -- We agreed on about fifty things today. But you didn't take any notes. - Let's schedule out next meeting to rehash all the stuff you'll forget from today. - Do you have your calendar with you? No. Why do you ask? 100102 -- I'm forming a support group for people who always make bad choices. Count me in! - Ratbert, I want you to organize the whole thing for me. I'd like that, and I don't know why. - I want everyone to wear uniforms and chant my name. Is it just me, 100102 -- or does this keep getting better? 100103 -- Hello, Wally. Human resources assigned me to be your ergo buddy. My what? - I'll observe while you work, then give you suggestions on improving your ergonomics. - Your posture is all wrong, and your keyboard needs to be lower. - Your bad 100103 -- ergonomic practices have turned you into a golem. Golem? - It means a shapeless mass imbued with life. A lump, clod, or fool. - It's right here on my checklist, after "boneless chicken." - Does that say you're supposed to pour salt on me until 100103 -- I dry up and die? - Let's pretend you didn't see that. 100104 -- Welcome to Dogbert's society for people who always make bad decisions. - I'd like to thank each of you for choosing the platinum stain protection plan with your membership dues. - If your reputation gets stained by being in this group, the 100104 -- brochure will teach you how to grow a mustache disguise. What if I already have one? 100105 -- Maybe someone can help ypu quantify the value of your research and development work. - The only people who can quantify the value of research are liars and morons. - Maybe we could hire a consultant. That just turns a liar into a thief. 100106 -- I think my single point of contact died. - I haven't heard of him for three months. I don't know the name of his project or any other people on it. - What have you been doing for three months? Are you implying that patience is not a virtue? 100107 -- Wally, I need you to work with a greater sense of urgency. The bible says, "good things come to those who wait." - So it's basically you against god. Let me know when you two get it sorted out. - Really? There was thunder when he doubted you? I 100107 -- synchronize my excuses to weather forecasts. 100108 -- We've never worked together, so let me tell you how this will go down. - You'll expect me to contribute, and you will be disappointed at every turn. In the long run you will do everything yourself. - HOW DO YOU STAY EMPLOYED? Don't make me call 100108 -- myself a genius. 100109 -- Let's schedule a scenario-based roundtable discussion about our enterprise project management. - We'll use our infrastructure survey tool to achitect a risk-based tiering system. - That almost meant something. I'm tempted to stop acting 100109 -- randomly. 100110 -- Accounting-> Groan - - I'd like to see someone about my rejected expense report. - The problem is that you didn't submit a receipt for your bridge toll. - Or maybe the problem is that you have a joyless, dead-end job. - And your boss doesn't 100110 -- allow you to use your own judgment because working here is proof that you don't make good decisions. - Rejecting my expense report gives you the illusion of power, and nourishes your shriveled and dying ego. - Actually, I was going to approve 100110 -- it. You don't have to get an attitude about it. 100111 -- A salesman borrowed the demo unit that you flew across the country too se. - Can I show you something totaly irrelevant so this doesn't feel so awkward? - Give me a minute to get out of th splatter zone. 100112 -- I don't like to say bad things about my competitors, but they're all vampires. - And not the sexy kind either. They're more the bitey kind. - Our product doesn't even work, and you're still better off buying from us. They said you eat babies. 100113 -- We need to get our customers more involvedin the prodcut design cycle. - We only have two customers who are too dumb to check product reviews online. Do it anyway. - Can it wear a hat like a monkey? For the millionth time, software can't wear 100113 -- clothes. 100114 -- How's the focus group coming along? - They don't like us. They're plotting to storm our observation room. - Release the sleeping gas. CHAIR! 100115 -- Do you have a minute? Absolutely. - I allocated one minute today for talks that are a complete waste of time. - This isn't a complete waste of time. Bummer. I only allocated time for things that are. 100116 -- I'm no longer content to be useless at work. - I decided to take up golf so I can be useless on weekends too. - Are you going to take lessons? You get to hit the ball more if you don't. 100117 -- And Russel will act as the WDG for our project. - WDG? Worthless Dumb Guy. Every project has one. - In a different context, Russell might seem totally competent. - But in any small group, the dumbest person always seems extra worthless. 100117 -- Everyone else on the project is brilliant. That makes Russell seem like a chimp. - It's helpful to identify the WDG so we can discourage him from trying to contribute. - Does it hurt his feelings? - ME WANT BANANA! It's hard to know. 100118 -- If we migrate our enterprise applications to the web, and outsource our sales and product development... - The entire company can be managed by a trained monkey. - PLus a second monkey to look at the Powerpoint slides from the first monkey. 100119 -- Futurists say that when baby boomers start retiring in big numbers, you won't be able to fill critical job openings. - If you agree to slack me off now, I'll give you a few good years when I'm sixty. - What if you renege? That's a risk I'm 100119 -- willing to take. 100120 -- Your e-mail was rather brusque. You mean concise. - You owe me an apology. I'm sorry that you don't know what brevity looks like. - YOU'RE MAKING IT WORSE! Then why am I so happy? 100121 -- Alice, I'm sending you to cultural sensitivity training before we meet with the Elbonians. - Last time you almost started a war. I made one little mistake. - Flashback And here's another way the womenin my country are different. POW!!! 100122 -- Cultural Sensitivity Training Elbonians believe that if you yawn in their direction, you stel their soul. - In other words, we can use it as a negotiating tool. No, that's not... - Later Okay, my intern has your soul. Give us a 20% discount or 100122 -- he swallows. 100123 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources According to the employee survey, you want fewer benefits. - I don't remember doing a survey. We polled a random sample. - That seems a bit suspicious. In other findings, you want more verbal abuse. 100124 -- Our CEO asked each manager to describe his group's function on one slide. - I don't see how I can fit all of our various functions on one Powerpoint slide. - You could say, "We spend all of our time trying to convince others that we have 100124 -- value." - That's not all we do. Sometimes we also argue about what we do. - That's just what we're doing right *now*. Tomorrow we'll be doing something totally useful. - Maybe you could add a footnote to the slide that says, "We dream of 100124 -- someday being productive." - Or, you could exaggerate our accomplishments to create a misleading sense of our potential. Yes! - What have we accomplished lately? We got paid for planning to lie to our CEO. 100125 -- Another division needs your help for a six-month project. Who will do my work? - You'll keep doing this job too, but only the things that matter. - How long have I been doing things that don't matter? Oops. 100126 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Ted, I'm transferring you to a job with a higher risk of industrial accidents. - Your job will involve reaching over a vat of acid while wearing no safety harness. - Why do we have a vat of acid? 100126 -- Because toxic fumes take forever. 100127 -- The urgent E-mail you forwarded to the entire company is a hoax. - People don't really burst into flames if they use their cell phones during an eclipse. - And more bad news: the /witless protection program/ isn't a real thing. 100128 -- I can't tell the difference between urban legends ans reality. - I'll need your social security number so I can tell the government not to count any votes you cast. - You can do that? Here's some pills that look exactly like Tic Tacs. 100129 -- Oh no. If I don't forward this E-mail to fifty friends, I'll die within a week. - I don't have that many friends! I need to make more friends, and fast!!! - What are you sending him now? I'm upping it to sixty friends. 100130 -- You're an incompetent CEO, but the Dogbert Investment Bank can help you pretend to unlock shareholder value. - I'll arrange an unwise merger so you can cash out while I collect an obscene commission. - It's like a bribe, but instead of going to 100130 -- jail, a stranger will write a bestselling book with your name on it. Can I read it? 100131 -- Wally, will you do me a favor? - Absolutely. What are friends for? - After all, you'd do a favor for ME if I asked, right? Um...sure. - Of course you would. - So do me a favor and don't ask me to do any favors. - Wow. Okay. I did not see that 100131 -- coming. - You're like a wizard who uses the rules of social convention as if they are magic. - You're *Hairless Potter*! Don't tell Baldemort. 100201 -- I hired a consultant to raise your morale by making you glad you're not him. - No one loves me. My life is pointless. I eat old soap. - Mow let the magic begin. I feel good about not eating old soap. Cha! 100202 -- Our CEO wants to share his good fortune with all employees. - He invites all of you to visit his winery and buy his non-award-winning wine at nearly retail prices. - He asks that you not park your helicopters near his human chess board because 100202 -- it frightens the dwarves. 100203 -- Carol, you filled out Ted's termination documents wrong. You put my name in the box as the fired employee. - My security access has been revoked. My phone is shut off, and my passwords are deactivated. - You need to fix this. Security, I found 100203 -- the fugitive. 100204 -- My security access was accidentally canceled and now I'm a fugitive. - Can you teach me to be as useless as you are so I'm invisible for all practical purposes? - I hear breathing but it must be the HVAC system. Be the cubicle. 100205 -- Asok, my security clearance was accidentally canceled. I need your help. - Maybe you could live in the ductwork, and forage for stale donuts after dark. - How can I fit in there? Try foraging as effectively as you manage. 100206 -- Where's your pointy-haired boss? Dead. - I cancelled his security clearance, so he went into hiding in the ductwork. By now he's probably gotten stuck and starved to death. - I plan to cremate his remains, but it might take a while; the 100206 -- thermostat only goes up to 85. 100207 -- I need you to assign one of your engineers to my project. - Follow me and I'll show you your choices. - This one is highly capable, but she's in such high demand that you'll be lucky if she ever returns a call. - This one is aggessively 100207 -- unhelpful. - This one will tell you that all of your plans are impractical and doomed. - That one is an intern, so no one takes him seriously. - My management theory is that nature makes everyone useless in their own way. - I'M not useless. 100207 -- Said the man who can't find a good engineer. 100208 -- Our pointy-haired boss is stuck in our building's ductwork and presumed dead. - We can alert the proper authorities, or we can design a totally cool device to increase the duct pressure and propel his carcass into the stratosphere. - You had me 100208 -- at "carcass." 100209 -- Boss is Stuck in the Ductwork The turbo blower kicks in after the lubricant cycle. - We're sure he's already dead, right? HELP! - Arguably, the real crime here would be building a machine this cool and *not* using it. CAN ANYONE HELP ME? 100210 -- Our device will create enough pressure to gently push our boss's carcass out of the ductwork. - FOOM! - This is captain Sullenberger. Don't worry about the wing; I see a Kio pond down there. 100211 -- He survived because his pointy hair cushioned the impact. - Please resist the urge to fiddle wit the coll machines that keep him alive. - Maybe we can make him smarter. What's this do? 100212 -- I think I died. Am I in heaven or hell? You're in *helven*. My name is Raj. - Heaven and hell have been outsourcing souls to us since the demons and angels unionized. - So...is this place good or bad? Well, you get a harp, buy you won't like 100212 -- how we give it to you. 100213 -- Do you think he's really dead? I bought a wooden stake just in case. - Me too, just in case the afterlife rejects him. It's legal, right? Uh-oh. - Spouse? Did anyone think to bring a mallet? 100214 -- The marketing department has asked us to make our products more robust. - None of us knows what that means. - So we can either cancel this meeting and go ask them... - Or we can pretend that arguing with each other about the true meaning of 100214 -- "robust" is just as good. - While that option is stupid, it would give us the illusion of doing something useful right now. - Would it be ethical to ignore the longterm interests of stockholders just to feel good about ourselves for a few 100214 -- minutes? - - I think robust means it has lots of features. IT MEANS STURDY! 100215 -- Technically, I was dead for a week. But I was evicted from the afterlife and had to come back. - The afterlife has a lot to teach us about management. I brought home a consultant. - I might be late with my status report. Do you know what 100215 -- locusts taste like? 100216 -- Helen, we're looking for a new ombudsman. Your experience in the afterlife makes you an ideal candidate. - I'll take the job. But call me Mrs. Fry. - I have an issue with management. Go to Helen Fry. Yes, I know it's an old joke. 100217 -- The New Ombudsman How can you be impartial in my dispute with management when they are the ones paying you? - Perhaps you have something of value that would allow me to see your side. - He's creepy without your soul, but I envy his carefree 100217 -- attitude. 100218 -- Our ombudsman took my soul in exchange for a favorable view. - I'd like a transfer to marketing, wher ehaving no soul is widely considered an asset. - I need someone who can make our product sound competitive without vomitting on his own copy. 100218 -- Ooh! Ooh! 100219 -- Asok Lost His Soul We can improve our Google search ranking with key words, inbound links and... - ...ritual sacrifice of a... - I think it's down to you or me. What are you implying? 100220 -- The word is on the street that you help me get my soul back. - Souls are totally fungible. Use this shamwow to absorb someone else's soul while you suck on the other end. - Why does this suddenly seem so wrong? SLURP 100221 -- Can I get a rough cost estimate for the design phase? - No, I don't trust you with numbers. - What? - You're the kind of guy who will remove useful qualifiers and distribute a figure as if it is true in all cases. - Decisions will be made. 100221 -- People will get hurt. - For everyone's sake, the safest thing I can do is make an annoying humming sound until you go away. - Hummmmm-mmmmmmmmm-mmmmm. - Half of life is making people go away. Humm-mmmm. 100222 -- I could have e-mailed you my PowerPoint deck, and you could have read it in five minutes. Project Emu - But I prefer making you sit here for an hour while I read each bullet point in slow motion. - P-O-I-N-T N-U-M-B-E-R O-N-E... Yank this as 100222 -- hard as you can. 100223 -- And I'll need that by the end of the day. - I will gladly rush to meet your arbitrary deadline so my work can sit in your E-mail inbox until next week. - I'm still within hearing distance. Oops. YOu usually scurry away faster. 100224 -- You added the savings from my project to the budget for Ted's project. - Ted is a serial failer. You've destroyed in advance any hope that I might do something useful. - Maybe you could help Ted on his project. Ow! Ow! MAKING IT WORSE! 100225 -- Dilbert, meet our new account manager. Hi. - His job is solving a hodgepodge of problems that would bore a normal person to death. - We think his parents didn't let him have toys. The first day is the easiest. 100226 -- Wally, I'll need your load calcs by tuesday. Remind me on monday. - You're hoping I won't remember to remind you. Then you'll say it's my fault. - But I *will* remember, and I *will* remind you. Good lick. Monday is my hiding day. 100227 -- Victor quit. I need you to take over his project. Did he leave any documentation? - No, but it's obviously some sort of glowing box. That should be enough to get you started. - Can you finish it by monday? If it's a nightlight, I can finish it 100227 -- by today. 100228 -- Dilbert, what did you accomplish this week? - I doubled my sales and made the cover of Time Magazine. - What? Oh. Whoops. Sorry. - For a moment there I confused my entrepreneurialfantasy life with my real job. - I run a parallel career in my 100228 -- mind. In that world, I'm the founder of a hot start-up. - It keeps my brain from fully realizing the horror of my actual career and trying to kill the rest of my body. - But to answer your original question, this week I made some PowerPoint 100228 -- slides that have no particular use. - Moving on... GAAA!!! MY BRAIN IS TRYING TO KILL THE REST OF MY BODY! 100301 -- Victor didn't leave us much documentation on his project. - FZEEET! - I guess that's what he meant by "still working on the goat head issue." 100302 -- Are you having any problems taking over Victor's project? Nope. Smooth sailing so far. - SMOOTH??? It gave me a goat head!!! - He asked if *I* had any problems. Wait for your turn, Asok. Sorry. 100303 -- Alice, a horrible accident has given me a goat head. I need you to slap me so hard that I can change species from the neck up. - Hold still, Asok. This might take a few tries. - Two hours later Dolphin is close! One more should do it. 100304 -- The math clearly shows that our project won't work, even if we do everything right. - It's embarrassing to cancel a project in the middle. Let's act dumb and hope someone in upper management cancels it for budget reasons. - Should I stop buying 100304 -- stuff? You should buy twice as much. 100305 -- We realized our project can't work even if we execute it perfectly. - Our boss' plan is to go over budget, attract attention, and hope an executive cancels our project for his own political reasons. - Now do you agree that evil is the cure for 100305 -- incompetence? Don't make me say it. 100306 -- I'm going to cancel your project because my predecessor supported it. - And I'll need a list of any children he fathered with the staff. It's best if you don't ask why. - I don't think he... We all do. It's how we let off steam. 100307 -- Dilbert, I need you to help quality testing on version 2. - Im an engineer, not a quality tester. - If I do quality testing, even temporarily, it will make me appear grossly overpaid. - That impression could work against me during my next 100307 -- performance review. - A one percent difference in pay, compounded over the rest of my life, is big money. - Obviously my best strategy here is to offer resistence that's just short of insubordination. - So move on. little man! Scat! Go! - Too 100307 -- much? 100308 -- Dogbert The Generic Manager We need more people on the project. - Figur eit out. Work smarter not harder. Make a plan. Move some things around. Adjust priorities. Just get it done. Give me a status report. - That did nothing but make me hate 100308 -- you. - I can replace you with someone who will pretend to be inspired. 100309 -- Our scope needs to be calibrated. Do we have a budget for that? - We can save a few bucks by sending it to my friend, Elrod. He likes to tinker. - Everything about that idea is bad. You should see the car he made from a bathtub. 100310 -- Who's the idiot that put a mirror in the lobby? That's bad Feng Shui. - I keep trying to work, but all of our workplace energy is getting reflected right back out to the sidewalk. - And the way your desk is angled is totally flipping ne the Chi 100310 -- bird! 100311 -- It's good Feng Shui to stand next to you because you absorb the workflow energy. What? - I need someone to check all of these design specs before tomorrow morning. - Some people call it superstition, but I'm pretty sure it's a science. 100312 -- I couldn't work this week because my workspace has bad Feng Shui. - I know Feng Shui is a real thing because our CEO hired a Feng Shui consultant to design his office. - Do you agree, or are you saying that our CEO is a superstitious 100312 -- simpleton? 100313 -- We're going to use CMMI. It's a model for developing a process to create a framework. - Or it might be a process for creating a framework to make a model. - There's no budget for training, so we'll be relying on guessing more than usual. 100314 -- We start shipping in two weeks. - That's not enough time to fix the known bugs. - When you say "bugs", that's sort of a gray area. Um...I don't think it is. - For example, a user might need several steps to do something that should take only 100314 -- one. - Or perhaps the interface is a bit unclear. - Or perhaps it can only be operated by a robot from the future who jacks into it and sends commands in teros and ones. - I can't tell if you're agreeing with me or mocking me. - That's sort of 100314 -- a gray area. 100315 -- As lead software engineer, I give you the first unit of our ten thousand copy production run. - Wow! I wish we'd designed it with the features listed on the box. That would have been awesome. - What? I'll put this with the other reminders of 100315 -- how my life could have been excellent. 100316 -- Dilbert, explain to Logan the technical issue in terms he can understand. - Sure. What's his comprehension level? Are we talking human, squirrel or anvil? Which one am I? - Don't make this awkward. Did the squirrel go to a community college` 100317 -- I've been asked to explain our technical issue in terms you can understand. Good. - THE SOFTWARE, IT NO WORKY!!! - He was dense *and* touchy. It's a bad combination. 100318 -- I hired a new poltergeist for our copy machine. Our old one got promoted to the server farm. - Wouldn't it be better to not have any poltergeists? It's a union thing. - May I please have my original back? I can't hear you. Put your face up 100318 -- close. 100319 -- I can almost reach the paper jam, but a poltergeist is trying to drag me to the afterworld. - Maybe I can blind him with the toner cartridge. HA HA! TAKE THAT! AND THAT! - GAAA!! I CAN'T FEEL MY ARMS! I only have one. 100320 -- Alice, can you check this for technical accuracy? Nope. I don't have time. - And no one else is qualified, so you might as well give up and look for a new job. - That was a bit harsh. You'd be less wothless if you fetched me some coffee. 100321 -- TRY REBOOTING. - Who are you? - I'm Henry the Security Guard. I'm trying to evolve into a new career. - I'm ignoring my real job while loudly giving technical advice to coworkers. - Eventually, people will start to see me as a valuable 100321 -- technical resource. Promotions will follow. - Do you know anything about technology besides "try rebooting"? - Henry, who let the hobo take a sponge bath in the lobby fountain? - TRY REBOOTING! TRY REBOOTING! To fix a typo? 100322 -- It's a cell phone shaped like an old man's head. - It sits on your shoulder so you don't look as if you're talking to yourself. - People probably told Edison that his lightbulb was creepy too. 100323 -- It's a shoulder phone shaped like an old man's head. I invited it myself. - Let's make soup from her bones, just like the others! - I shouldn't have told Dogbert it has auto-answer. Kiss me! Now! 100324 -- This rope is attached to a crony from my last CEO job. - Give it a good yank and reel him in. He's your new boss. - Is he qualified for the job? Like a monkey with a hammer! 100325 -- Meet our new vice president of engineering. - We're lucky to have him despite his utter lack of experience in our industry. - Some might call him unqualified, but I call him exotic. You're overselling. 100326 -- The New VP Don't worry that I wanted your job, or that you have no experience in this field. - I won't try to sabotage you. In fact, I'll send my best engineer to bring you up to speed. - So...it's called 4G because it's g-g-g-good. Something 100326 -- like that. 100327 -- Can you scan this document for me? Is it important? - If it isn't important, you shouldn't bother me. If it is, the scanner will malfunction. - Is there no room for hope? I keep mine in this empty candy jar. 100328 -- Your pants have a tiny hole. These are my favorite pants! - I'll have to go with Plan B. - Wear other pants? That's crazy talk. - I'll wear these and act as if the hole just happened. - Everyone knows you can't go home and change in the middle 100328 -- of the day. - I'll use a pant witness tracking application on my phone to keep track of who has seen the hole. - If I play my cards right, I can get two or three more wearings out of my favorite pants. - All of this just happened. click Same 100328 -- here. click 100329 -- Every time I update my software, it tells me I have to reboot. - And every time I reboot, I get another message to update something else. It's all I've been doing since october. - But you worked in september, right? I admire your optimism about 100329 -- the past. 100330 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources I'm getting reports that your morale is too high. - Happiness is nature's way of informing human resources that you're overpaid. - Nature wants me to be unhappy? Don't blame me. Go yell at the clouds. 100331 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Leadership is the art of trading imaginary things in the future... - For real things today. - If you work at weekend, you might get promoted someday, if there's ever an opening...and no one else is more 100331 -- qualified. 100401 -- I need your honest feedback on our new website design. - The layout looks like a psychopath's photo wall. The colors remind me of toe fungus and despair. - I'll say, "needs work." IT FEELS LIKE SATAN IS LICKING MY BRAIN! 100402 -- I need training to use our new software. - Pretend we have a job opening for a technical expert in that field. Then ask applicants how they would do whatever it is that you need to do. - Does your company provide training? "Provide" is a strong 100402 -- word. 100403 -- I asked for a transfer to our missile guidance engineering division. - Once they get to know me, they'll only give me unimportant tasks so I won't accidentally destroy a fishing village. - The great thing about unimportant tasks is that no one 100403 -- really cares if you do them. 100404 -- How's the CPG project coming along? How would I know? - You're leading that project. I am? Since when? - I told everyone on the team two months ago. I'm not on the team. You never told me. - Whatever, go tell the tem you've been in charge for 100404 -- the past two months and see what they've accomplished. - Who is on the team? - I forget. I think one had dark hair, and another one was sad. - Don't tell them there's a duplicate project in another division. - You'll be okay. Just release the 100404 -- caring. Let it go. 100405 -- I proofread your technical document despite not understanding a word of it. - I couldn't tell the acronyms from the typos, so I changed them all to whatever felt right. - You said we should migrate our lemon flutes to a hard flea? Not all at 100405 -- once. 100406 -- A technical writer misinterpreted the acronyms in my draft technical paper. - But that's okay because my pointy-haired boss will turn it into content-free bullet points and show it to idiots. - I like stories with lots of idiots in them. Glad 100406 -- to help. 100407 -- Our servers were about to crash, so I wrote a suite of scripts to keep them running. - Your accomplishments are suspiciously hard to verify. - So, recapping wht we know for sure, you're an inadequate verifier, and you can't rule out the 100407 -- possibility that I', awesome. 100408 -- You have a wicked case of sympathetic PowerPoint probosics. - Your nose grows when anyone lies during a business presentation. - Sorry. The sales forecast seemed optimistic. 100409 -- It's a medical condition called sympathetic PowerPoint proboscis. My nose grows when other people lie. - I'm very concerned and interested in your condition, and not just because I'm trying to sell you something. Please stop. - It might sting 100409 -- when I pull it out. 100410 -- My nose grows when my co-workers tell lies. does it whistle? - Sometimes, a little bit. You're evolving into a corporate whistleblower. - You are lying? Yeah, I just wanted to see it. 100411 -- The beta test went well. Thank you, Dilbert. - Now I'll have Tina add an impractical maintenance requirement to the manual and we're ready to go. - What? It's standard procedure. - Say the user needs to lube the product ten times a day with the 100411 -- wax from a bear's ear. - And say the warranty is voided if the device isn't properly maintained. - Is that legal? It's better than legal. - We're using the law to keep justice away! - I feel sick. That's how you know it's working. 100412 -- Our health plan doesn't cover nose jobs, so I used the market system to bargain for a good deal. - I learned that a veterinarian is just like a doctor, but cheaper. - Do you smell a squirrel? 100413 -- I probably shouldn't have gone to a veterinarian for my nose job. - But as an engineer, I value function over form, and the airflow is actually quite good. - You might be rationalizing a little. I pity you with your inefficient nostrils. 100414 -- Our policy is to put people in careers that match their looks. I thought that was a coincidence. - Your botched nose job makes you too unconventional to be an engineer. No! - Welcome to the art department. Man, I wish I was brave enough to get 100414 -- a snout. 100415 -- Asok In The Art Department Is that a botched nose job, which would be tragic... - Or a bold artistic statement, which would be totally hot? - It started out as a mistake, but I'm keeping it for the improved airflow. How hot is that? 100416 -- Asok In The Art Department Maybe you could try homeopathy to fix your botched nose job. - Maybe you colud try homeopathy to fix your irrational belief in things that have no scientific basis. - You sort of hurt my feelings there. Didn't your 100416 -- astrologer warn you about scorpios? 100417 -- I must have fallen asleep during your presentation. I dreamed I had an animal snout for a nose. It seemed so real. - If you can't tell your dreams from your reality, maybe /this/ is your dream and you really do have a snout. - Does anything 100417 -- seem strange or out of place in this reality? CAN WE PLEASE DO SOME WORK? 100418 -- Wally, did you finish the vendor comparison? - I'm proud to say I did not. - You told me to focus on my highest priorities, and that wasn't one of them. - So...when can I expect it? - Logically, that would be never. - If that task ever became 100418 -- the most important thing I was doing, you'd eliminate my position. - True. But at least you're getting the high priority stuff done, right? - So far, it's taking all my energy to avoid doing the low priorities. 100419 -- How long will it take to fix the bugs in our control management software? - Do you want a realistic estimate that will ruin your day, or a lie that will allow your ignorance and your happiness to lock arms and square dance to the next cubicle? 100419 -- - That second option sounds festive. I'm a pleaser. 100420 -- What's taking you so long to fix the control management system? - Your leadership has taught me to give you laughably unrealistic timelines, then blame others when I miss deadlines. - You're not even doing /that/ right. I guess I need more of 100420 -- your leadership. 100421 -- Did you review the document I emailed? I don't read attachments. - Attachments say you don't care enough about my time to summarize a document. - I brought my pay stub to prove that my time is worth more than yours. Well played. 100422 -- The company is happy to announce that compared to previous years, we improved our rate of revenue decline. - We've been doing great since we redefined success as a slowing of failure. - Moving on. Who has a status report? I improved my rate of 100422 -- doing nothing. 100423 -- Tina, I'm lending you to our executive offices to help write press releases. - Your job will be to tell investors we're sitting on coal and trying to make diamonds. - By clenching. I GOT IT! 100424 -- Good news! We won the bid to build a nationwide wireless network! - Bad news! We don't know how to build a nationwide wireless network! - It's wireless. How hard could it be to not install wires? 100425 -- I need to spend the next year optimizing the WDNW system. - I've never heard of the WDNW system. - You only hear about the systems that have problems. - If everything goes as planned, you'll never hear about WDNW again. - Waht does the WDNW 100425 -- system do? - It keeps our zeros and ones from accidentally forming tens. - Can that happen? Not on my watch. - How's the "Wally does no work" project? The acronym helped. 100426 -- I cannot meet your arbitrary deadline, so the engineer's code requires me to kill myself with a lightsaber. - But lightsabers haven't been invented yet. The best I can do is annoy myself with a flashlight. - Could you do this in the hall? 100426 -- ANNOYANCE BEFORE DISHONOR! 100427 -- I spent the entire week cleaning up the mess that Ted left after you fired him. - I didn't get fired. I'm right here. - I guess it's just his word against mine. 100428 -- It takes you two months to process my company credit card expense reimbursement. - So I get in truoble every month for incurring late fees. - Why must I be punished for your incompetence? Apparently I'm awesome. 100429 -- How long will your project take if I add two people? - Add one month for training, one month for the extra complexity, and one month month to deal with their drama. - But after all of that... They'll be as useful as this meeting. 100430 -- Dogbert's Tech Support Email me a list of the things you already tried. - I'll go down the list and make you try every single thing again, sometimes more than once. - And take your time because I'm reading a really good book online. 100501 -- Dogbert's Tech Support The problem is in the part of your brain that handles intelligence. - I can reboot you, but I won't lie: It's going to hurt. - We need to talk. Are you near stairs? 100502 -- I'm working at home today so I can concentrate without any distractions. - Please don't disturb me. Nothing is so important that it can't wait. - I TAKE THAT AS A CHALLENGE. No, please... - Do you smell that? It's nothing. I have to work now. - 100502 -- I'm pretty sure it is a gas leak. - Have you noticed that the lamp makes huge sparks every once in a while? - I wouldn't worry. What's sthe worst thing that could happen? - I think I hear a baby trapped in the wall! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! 100503 -- It's not right to use your tech support job to trick people into hurting themselves. - I help people take their minds off of hopeless technical problems. - How do you know a problem is hopeless? Great. So now pessimism is a crime? 100504 -- I hired the Dogbert Technologiy Hospice service to ease the suffering of our dying technology. - Dogert will use compassion and...what was the other thing? Bazooka. - STEP AWAY FROM THE WINDOWS XP! 100505 -- This is a magic button. - Any time you ask for cost estimates, I push the button and it guides me. - PULL THE NUMBERS OUT OF YOUR... It only says the one thing. 100506 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources 100% of your email messages this month involved links to funny videos. - THE COMPANY IS VIOLATING MY RIGHT TO PRIVACY! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! - Actually, I was just guessing. It still hurts. 100507 -- We can keep our payroll expenses low by giving employees bad reviews. - Use this list of employee defects so you don't repeat yourself. It's less obvious this way. - Awkward, bumbling, cowardly, dumb... - My faults are suspiciously 100507 -- alphabetical. 100508 -- Mordac, The Preventer Of Information Resources My software is so old that I can't open any files that people send me. - I can't upgrade your computer because that it will be non-standard. - And by non-standard, you mean useful? BE GONE; 100508 -- WORDSMITH! 100509 -- Amber, would you like to go to lunch with me? Sure! - Yes!! I'm in! - Do you mind if we bring Bob? I need to talk to him about his project. - Well, that would be... Hex, Bob. Meet us in the lobby. - Look at us! We're like the two mussketeers, 100509 -- plus Dilbert. - There were three musketeers. I'm pretty sure there were two. - Wait...I just remembered I have a conference call at noon. You two go ahead without me. - We're like the one musketeer. Just eat. 100510 -- I hope you don't mind if I do E-Mail during the boring parts of your meeting. - I don't want to be dragged into your time suck hole. - You ARE kind of a time suck hole. I'M THOROUGH! 100511 -- Carol, form a tiger team to move the junk from the small conference room. - I'm glad you call it a tiger team so I don't fell sad that my job involves relocating junk. - COULD I BE LESS HAPPY RIGHT NOW?!!! I ordered tiger costumes. 100512 -- I told you to get a sign-off from marketing before you send this around. - How vivid is your false memory of that conversation? - I't s plenty vivid. Were unicorns involved? 100513 -- If I hire you, you'll get a minimum wage to attend meetings and pretend you're me. - My plan is to get hired for several jobs and replace myself with low-paid look-alikes in each one. - MY plan is to bury you in a shallow grave and assume your 100513 -- identity. You don't interview well. 100514 -- The world's greatest engineer prepares to do battle with the world's worst user interface. - click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click - I hope that did 100514 -- something. Your social security number has been sold. 100515 -- Ratbert's Customer Support You're speaking to a powerless rodent. - My job is to prevent you from getting to anyone who is authorized to give refunds. - I'd like to begin by asking you some creepy personal questions. 100516 -- I asked Wolfgang to join us. - He's a software genius, if not a legend. - He knows more than all of you put together. Plus his name is Wolfgang. - Some say his talent is a genetic mutation. Others say that god speaks to him in Unix. - All we 100516 -- know for sure is that he glows, and he never needs to eat. - I feel a chill. It means he's approaching. - PLEASE DON'T REPROGRAM MY DNA AND MAKE ME A MONKEY-MAN!!! - People make a lot of assumptions when you change your name to Wolfgang and stop 100516 -- shaving. 100517 -- Mordac The Preventer Of Information Services It's time for your operating system upgrade. GAAA! - Please don't! My CMS software won't work with the new operating system. I'll be a technology have-not! - It's never good when they wear costumes 100517 -- to complain. Ooga 100518 -- If you help bring in a new account, I'll give you a raise, unless there's no money in the budget then for raises. - Please don't say what I think you're going to say next. - It's better than nothing. NO, IT ISN'T! 100519 -- We're in merger talks, but it's business as usual until it goes through. - I'M FREE! MY EFFORTS WON'T INFLUENCE MY REWARDS! - I said business as usual. I was totally planning to do this today. 100520 -- Was it human error? I doubt it. - No human would be that stupid. My best guess is thet a cabbage got access to your computer. - Cabbages can't use computers. Can they tell when they're being mocked? 100521 -- I collected optimistic data, put it in the context of bad analogies, seasoned it with saliency bias... - ...added herd instinct, a pinch of confirmation bias...and here's your strategy. - Just add leadership. Why do I always get the hard part? 100522 -- Alice, I called this meeting because you're the only person I trust to give me honest feedback on my strategy. - It's great. It's amazing. It's the best strategy in the universe. - I thought you were hones. That's a common misperception. I just 100522 -- hate people. 100523 -- I finished the business case. - You said you would try to get funding if the numbers look good. - I never said that. - I clearly remember it. I can describe our conversation word for word. - I probably said something like "I will get funding" 100523 -- and you heard it wrong. - What exactly sounds like "I will get funding"? - Landfill wet hunting. - THAT'S NOT EVEN A GOOD TRY!!! Shake it off. 100524 -- I invented a sink that attaches to my body. The faucet is activated by your voice. - Wally, what a possible use could this stupid thing have? I need you to do some real work. - WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU WHEN THE WATER IS RUNNING! 100525 -- Guess what, Ted? I volunteered to run a critical project while knowing I don't have enough resources. - When it becomes a crisis, I will declare martial law and order you to become my flunky. - IN YOUR FACE, PUPPET BOY! This day is turning out 100525 -- to be a little extra sucky. 100526 -- I learned to control men by exaggerating the importance of my projects and overextending myself. - OUR MOST IMPORTANT CUSTOMER IS COMING AND I WON'T BE READY ON TIME UNLESS YOU FETCH ME SOME COFFEE! - In phase two, I make you enjoy it. 100527 -- I cleaned out my desk. Would you be willing to give me a letter of reference? - How about the letter "L"? That seems about right. - Must...not...burn...bridges. Too soon? 100528 -- I'm exhausted from all of the basic research I'm doing. - It's too bad that the value of my work won't be quantifiable for another ten years. - I'd like to see your lab report. So...the new rule is that we write down stuff? 100529 -- I'm doing basic research to test my theory that donuts make other people stupid. - I expect you to do basic research that will increase our profits this quarter. - Wow. It works on the first bite. 100530 -- I accomplished nothing this week because I was going through cewrtification. - Don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask. - Certification for...what? - PLAN B: Mount a passionate defense agains an argument that no one made. - HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT 100530 -- CERTIFICATION IS A WASTE OF TIME?! - WITHOUT CERTIFICATION, MANAGEMENT WOULD BE REDUCED TO RANDOMNESS! - DO YOU THINK YOU'D BE HAPPIER JUSt *GUESSING* WHO IS QUALIFIED TO DO WHAT? DO YOU? DO YOU? - There's something wrong with you. Apology 100530 -- accepted. Next. 100531 -- How Engineers Duel Your data are weak. MAKE YOUR MOVE! - I'M SENDING YOU A LINK! I'M SENDING YOU THREE LINKS! - I don't have time for this. WINNER! 100601 -- After our first date, I pulled together some links to studies that debunk every belief you have. - I alphabetized them. For example, here's Feng Shui, then homeopathy, then horoscope. - That's okay. I always budget a little extra for second 100601 -- dates. 100602 -- This next slide shows all of the possible names for our product that are not already trademarked. - Are there any that don't remind people of this general area of the human body? - That narrows it down to the names of accused war criminals, and 100602 -- the funnier nicknames for partnerless loving. 100603 -- What's more important-our core systems or our key processes? - If there's no clear answer to that question, I'll continue to act randomly. - Get out of my office. The open door policy probably looked good on paper. 100604 -- Welcome to Dogbert's School of Time Management. - Today you will learn that rudeness and good time management are the same thing. - ANSWER MY #@*%! QUESTION! Keep typing, Beverly! He doesn't exist. 100605 -- Your quality metric for next year is to win 30% more bid proposals. - No problem. I'll use my magic powers to control how much our competitors bid. - I worry that you're not taking this seriously. If the muggles find out, I'll wipe their 100605 -- memories. 100606 -- I'm collecting money for Ted's birthday. - Pass. I can't stand that idiot. - His face looks like a ferret eating a lemon. - He makes my skin crawl. - He tells racist jokes, and I think he's embezzling. - I've been dating him for a month. - - 100606 -- I'd be lying if I said that wasn't worth a dollar. 100607 -- We've pieced together the fragments of your poor communication and believe we have deduced your strategy. - It appears that you are trying to get paid for doing little more than giving stupid labels to things. - It's called manageing! Good one. 100608 -- We're having a birtday cake for Scott in the break room. - No thanks. I prefer cake that isn't frosted with the spit of recent candle-blowing. - Oooh, look at the queen of England who likes her cake without spit. What's it like to be fancy? 100609 -- This week I mapped our applications to our domains and defined the interface between our applications and our software environment. - Whatever /you/ did this week probably seems lame to all of that. - The stuff I'm doing is way up here in 100609 -- what's called the integration lyer. What's he been reading? 100610 -- Employee satisfaction has doubled since last year! - The credit goes to our new program of firing smart people. - You're safe. YEFF!!! 100611 -- Wally, would you...? No. I'm doing something important for the brand integration manager. - Maybe after that you could... Then I'm doing a rush job for the director of sustainability. - Are those even reall people? - Welcome to matrix 100611 -- management, Neo. 100612 -- This is where you jack into matrix management, Neo. - Insert these iPod ear buds and fire up PowerPoint. The reality you once knew is gone. - One more thing: if your computer dies during PowerPoint, your career dies in the real world. 100613 -- Dogbert Consults A good leader cultivates internal critics so all sides of an argument are heard. - For example, I cultivated Dilbert to argue the point I just made. - Your premise is that a leader is not qualified to make decisions without the 100613 -- help of critics. - But selecting the appropriate critic is *itself* a decision. - There is nor reason to assume a leader is any better at selecting a critic than he is at making any other decision. - Your overpaid consultant is recommending 100613 -- that you add randomness to an already flawed process. - In summary, this meeting is a waste of time, and your consultant is ripping you off. - How great was that? You owe me $400 for my time. 100614 -- I'd like to waste the better part of my afternoon trying to upgrade my phone. - I'll just set up my sport chair, and use my laptop while you mumble and stare at your monitor for whatever seems like forever. - Look at me! I'm beating your 100614 -- system! Quiet! I'm trying to stare. 100615 -- Look at this app! - Look at THIS app. POW! ZAP! POW! - You said the Dogbert app is supposed to make a funny noise. I'll bet it did. 100616 -- I propose an unholy alliance. You have my attention. - Reserve every meeting room under my name for the year. That way you won't need to do any scheduling, and I won't need to attend any meetings. - Don't panic; that strange feeling is you 100616 -- falling in love with me. IT FEELS LIKE I'M EATING CHEESE! 100617 -- Wally, you helped me avoid work, anow I can't help loving you. - I show my love by a combination of insanity and stalking. - Aren't you married? You owe me an old carpet. 100618 -- I can't stop buying phone apps that I don't need. Am I crazy? - Yes, you are totally batspit crazy. You'll need many sessions. - Steve Jobs isn't the only one who can do marketing. 100619 -- I hired a confusopoly consultant to help us design an extended warranty plan. - Our goal is to scare people into buying insurance that doesn't cover anything. - I can't tell you where the contract was designed, but be careful because it's still 100619 -- hot. 100620 -- A good leader uses a process for making decisions. - May I take this one? Go. Make us proud. - Question: if making a decision is just a process, why can't a computer do it? - Because sometimes I have to rely on my gut. - Whaich part of your gut 100620 -- is the smart part? Is it the stomach lining, or maybe the colon? - I'm talking about instinct. It's an indefinable leadership quality. - Is the indefinable thing like a superstition? Or Cooties? IT'S A PROCESS! Is that your colon talking? 100621 -- ...and I'll need all of that by tomorrow. No problem, I'll get right on it. - This is a bad sign. If you were even a little bit competent you would be overloaded with work. - GAAA!!! I'M PUTTING MY TRUST IN A MORON! Wow. You got there fast. 100622 -- I like it when a man cooks for me. - I love it when a woman knows the difference between affection and free catering. - We wanted different things. 100623 -- Wally, did you review the client's specs like I asked you to? What?! - I thought you asked me to "preview the lion's pecs." - WHY WOULD I ASK YOU TO PREVIEW A LION'S PECS?!! So...now you want me to question everything you say? 100624 -- Rumor has it that you're pretending to hear things wrong to avoid work. - It works great. The secret is to have no mane whatsoever. - Wally, do you have the revised budget estimate? No,because you asked for a remized bugmet yestitet. 100625 -- Uh-hoh. My audience has fallen into a PowerPoint coma. - The only thing I can do now is put them in funny poses and leave. - It looks like his finger hit brain. 100626 -- Can you get me some failure estimates for our next gen product? - I can if you like numbers that are based on hallucinated assumptions. - I kind of do. I think we have an understanding. 100627 -- I need help with my computer. - IT'S A TRAP! - If I touch your computer, you'll think that every future problem is caused by something I did. - You'll tell everyone I ruined your computer! - I'll be obligated to solve every computer problem you 100627 -- have from this day on. - My own projects will be left to wither as I show you for the ninetieth time how to select a new font. - If I refuse to help, you'll tell my boss I'm not a team player. - Do you need a hug? Only if you can squeeze me 100627 -- hard enough to kil me. 100628 -- I based my estimate on the reliable input of people who just wanted me to leave them alone. - I decided against labeling it because I'll probably need some deniability later. - Are we done wit the dry run, or do you want me to use up all of my 100628 -- energy before our CEO gets here? 100629 -- My success depends on you doing your role in a timely and energetic manner. - People say you're a big, fat slug, but I have confidence in you. I'll stick this to your slimy face and hope for the best. - I like to think I'm a pretty good judge 100629 -- of character. 100630 -- Our product placed last in our own benchmark tests. - crumple crumple crumple - poink! I wish all of my problems were this easy to solve. 100701 -- Make sure you coordinate with the brand manager and the category manager. - And also the clients, the account execs, the project leaders, strategic planning, facilities management, product managers, marketing, and I.T. - All I heard was "give 100701 -- up". Let's meet again in a year. 100702 -- I've decided to move to a rolling forecast. - So, the problem is that forecasts are worthless, and your solution is to do more of them? - If my sarcasm is a problem, I can solve that by doing more of it. SNORK 100703 -- Studies show that a rat with a dartboard can manage your pension fund as well as experts. - I invested your entire pension fund in Garfield posters. - I'm bad at darts. 100704 -- Wally, can you respond to this RFQ by tomorrow? That depends. - I take a disciplined approach to allocating my limited resources. - First, I'll need to evaluate all of the alternative uses for my time. - If doing this RFQ thing comes out on 100704 -- top, then yes, I can do it. - When do you think you will know that? - Maybe next week. Unless something comes up. - So...you're useless. I don't see /you/ getting much done right now either. - Did you know that being disciplined is almost the 100704 -- same as being useless? Yoda? Is that you? 100705 -- I need to get some of that work-life balance I keep hearing about. - I thought about work all last night at home, so what do I do now? - It's not too late to get in on this. 100706 -- Whenever my browser asks me if I want to install a toolbar, I'm afraid to say no. - Now my browser window is only one inch tall. - If you see anything important on the Internet, could you write it down for me? 100707 -- I'm happy to report that none of our oil rigs exploded. - Our children's pharmaceuticals are not tainted with bacteria, and the government is not investigating our financial practices. - All we're doing is quietly losing shareholder value. I 100707 -- knew it would feel like success if we kept at it! 100708 -- Alice, I need you to give a presentation to the entire sales division. - Gaaa!!! The very thought of public speaking dehydrates me! - Maybe I should find someone moister. 100709 -- Asok, I need you to help Alice give a presentation to 500 sales reps. - GMPH!!! - Is that your stomach? Yeth. 100710 -- I'm sending all of you to a public speaking class. - They will rid you of your nervous habits...and, with any luck, your personalities too. You will become indistiguishable from robots. - Is that as fun as it sounds? Get out of my head! 100711 -- A successful transformation requires employees to feel ownership for the change. Change - Change? What change? Is there something we don't know? - It's important that everyone has clear roles and responsibilities. - What are you trying to tell 100711 -- us? Should we stop working on our projects? - I'll keep you engaged and energized with my clear communication. - And as your leader, I will role-model the desired change. - If he's our role model, I guess we need to act like morons who can't 100711 -- communicate. - I need new people. FUH FUH FUH FUH FUH FUH 100712 -- The opening is in sales. Do you like to travel? Yes. It's my favorite thing. - No one like sbusiness travel. You're either an idiot or you've never done business travel. - How dare you accuse me of not traveling. 100713 -- Car Rental I reserved a mid-sized Sedan. - We don't care what you reserved. We're in the busiess of selling car insurance and overpriced gas. - That's refreshingly honest. I can get you into a clown car or an ashtray on wheels. 100714 -- If my self-esteem seems low, that's because I drove here in a rented tuna can on wheels. - It was such a bad automotive experience that I can't even pretend you should care what I have to say. - I loathe myself and the company that pays me. 100714 -- Who's with me on this? 100715 -- I finally saved enough money to retire anytime I want. - Someone should invent a witty name for that amount of money. - $%@#** U Perfect! Can I use that? 100716 -- I found a way to keep our best talent from leaving. - Wow! You found a way to interface a human brain with a robot body to ge tthe best of both! - Actually, it's jut a cool display case, but your thing would be good to. 100717 -- I'm on my way to a meeting with a prospective customer. - We have such a long sales gestation period that the value of my efforts won't be known for two years. - Just remember that optimism looks exactly like doing nothing. 100718 -- And that's our new marketing video. We hope it will go viral. - You'll have our comments by tomorrow. - I'm not asking for comments. The video is already finished. - The technology claims in the video are criminally inaccurate. - I SENT tHE 100718 -- SCRIPT TO ENGINEERING FOR COMMENTS THREE MONTHS AGO! - I got an E-Mail back from someone named Wally who said it was great. - - I thought she was asking if it was funny. 100719 -- Would you like my opinion on how you should handle that? - Sure, I'll just try to ignore the fact that your entire career has ben a colorful tapestry of bad decisions. - So...yes? I admire your consistency. 100720 -- I wouldn't worry about losing your job after the merger. - Because you put in a good word for me? - Not it's more of an observation that I don't worry about other people's jobs. 100721 -- The people buying our company don't know that your project exists. - And you're not allowed to talk to anyone over there. But don't lose hope. - I'm working hard to upgrade your status from nonexistent to unimportant. 100722 -- My invention can scan a person's brain and predict his buying decisions. - It says you plan to buy...a blunt object so you can kill me and claim credit for my invention. - I anticipated that, which is why I included a feature to microwave the 100722 -- offending part of your brain. FERT! 100723 -- CEO We're getting a lot of interest in your death ray invention. - It's not a death ray. It's a portable brain scanner with a popcorn microwave oven... - Uh-oh, that's a death ray. We have an RFQ from Korea. 100724 -- My company wants to turn my invention into a death ray. How can I stop them from succeeding? - There is one natural force that can stop any form of success. It goes by the name... - Wally? How may I be of disservice? 100725 -- I'm glad your project was transferred to my department, Ronald. - Your project is flashy! It's sexy! - But it's not worth funding because the revenue projections are puny. - Until something changes, you'll be in the limbo cube. - I'll trot you 100725 -- out whenever a customer or an executive visits. - You can show your sexy-flashy PowerPoint slides while dreaming of being relevant. - If you work hard, someday you'll be totally forgotten. - Did you know that honesty makes people sad? 100726 -- We're planning to introduceour new military product with a light show in New York harbor. - Wally, can you handle the weapon demo and the light show? Sure. What could go wrong? - One Week Later They're calling it "The Stump Of Liberty." No one 100726 -- is saying it was a boring show. 100727 -- The media is on our backs because we accidentally destroyed the Statue of Liberty. We need your P.R. advice. - Did you take full responsibility and promise to clean up th eharbour? Ooh. - Earlier That Day Many of you don't know that the statue 100727 -- was very old...and made entirely of fish food. 100728 -- Dogbert The Public Relations Consultant So you accidentally destroyed the Statue of Liberty... - Her head is floating toward Cuba, and the president will probably order the Air Force to sink it. - I should watch that from my private jet. FOCUS! 100729 -- Dogbert The Public Relations Consultant The public won't forgive you until you fake some remorse. - These glasses have a hose that leads to a pumping station and a huge reservoir of fake tears. - If we have another press conference, we should 100729 -- crack open a window. 100730 -- Maybe we could take a pottery class together. - Sure. I love acquiring unattractive dishware in an expensive and inefficient way. - It's called art. Maybe we could whittle some art spoons too. 100731 -- There's no objective standard for measuring how much I should have accomplish in any given day. - Nor can we really know if things would have turned out better had I done things differently. - Do you have a point? I'm going home early. See if 100731 -- you can tell the difference. 100801 -- Dilbert, could you help me fill out this rebate form the next time you visit? Sure, mom. - Also, my laptop keeps crashing. I'll take a look at it. - My TV is acting up again too. - And maybe you could show me how to change my ringtone. - Do you 100801 -- really need all of that help? - Or is it an elaborate scheme to inoculate against me ever wanting to move back home? - WE HAVE A BAD CONNECTION! WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? - That should buy me another six months. click 100802 -- I made a script to write from the UFR SQL function to a log table I created for the DB so I can find the parameter errors. - I'm giving you this status update while the script is running, so I'm accomplishing /two/ things now. - How do I know 100802 -- you really did that thing you just said? I guess now I'm doing your job. 100803 -- Dogbert The Empire Consultant Make your employees less productive. That way your CEO will let you hire more of them. - Inefficiency is the same thing as leadership. A king needs an entire country just to wipe his... Brow? - I was going to say 100803 -- windshield. Brow is catchier. 100804 -- Dogbert The Empire Builder Consultant Success is just attendance plus luck. - You always want to be in the general vicinity when something good happens. - Wow. I just doubled the bit rate. PRESENT! 100805 -- I added my name to ypur patent application. What? - I could have stopped you from working on it, but I didn't. I'm like an artist who understands negative space. - Do you know what negative space is, Dilbert? I'M LIVING IN IT!!! 100806 -- ...and this is Ellen. She has no legitimate reason for attending this meeting. - I assume she's just nosey, or maybe it's a networking sort of thing. - And this guy is a total waste of protein. Maybe next time we should introduce ourselves. 100807 -- That's my plan. I'd like to thank all of you for your utter apathy. - A few of you stayed awake, and I think I got some accidental eye contact once when the A.C. made a noise. - In conclusion, I hate my job, I hate my coworkers, and I hope 100807 -- feral cats eat every one of you. Are you taking questions? 100808 -- Carol, would you... RRRING! - Here's an interesting experiment... RRRING! - Watch what happens to your blood pressure when I take this call and make you wait. - Yeah? What's the problem now? - Tell your brother I said to stop biting the heads 100808 -- off your dolls. - Uh-huh...well, if the man was wearing a postal uniform, he wasn't the bogeyman. - You did WHAT to him? - Listen carefully. I want you to tear up the carpet in the fancy bathroom... I can come back. 100809 -- I need you to work on a highly confidential project. - When ypu're done, I want you to dig your own shallow grave and beat yourself to death with the shovel. - Why does it feel as if my entire career has been preparation for this project? 100809 -- You're welcome. 100810 -- I need answers to these questions for a confidential project. I can't tell you more. - I'm a complete idiot and even *I* can deduce from your questions what the project must be. - I anticipated that, so some of you idiots are getting placebo 100810 -- questions. Well played. 100811 -- We added a new performance test, but learned that the test itself is flawed. - Now our product fails our own tests and our customers are asking to see the test results. - Do I have permission to fake the test data? I didn't even know data can 100811 -- be real. 100812 -- I aked my dentist to put vampire tips on my incisors so I'd be more intimidating. - Here comes Alice. Watch me put the fear into her. - You need to loose a few pounds to pull off the vampire look. This is more of a walrus vibe. 100813 -- You're a third-rate company in a dying industry. - I recommend consultant-assisted corporate suicide. - Will it hurt? It might sting a little when you announce you're going to be a web-only company. 100814 -- My company is going to a web-only business model. That's terrific. - What's phase three? Does it involve operating only in your own imagination? - Be nice. Maybe you can help me grow this plant back into a seed. 100815 -- We'll break into small groups to discuss options. - Why? Do you think we'll be smarter when we're in small groups? - That way everyone gets more time to talk. - According to your theory, the ideal group size would be one person talking to 100815 -- himself. - No, you also need the knowledge and perspective that extra people bring. - That would argue for larger groups, not smaller ones. - Fine! Just break into whatever size groups you think make sense. - I like your style, Dilbert. Thank 100815 -- you for noticing. 100816 -- I invented a music device that reads your brain waves and only plays songs that fit your mood. - KUNG FU COFFEE CUP! BONK! - Hey, look what I invented! 100817 -- My new look is a black turtleneck and old man jeans. What do you think? - You look like a total juice bag. - That's good, right? What answer gets me back to watching my shows on Hulu? 100818 -- I can research that question with my phone's browser. - Much Time Passes - I found the Google! 100819 -- We're reincorporating in Dogbertland for tax reasons. Where? - It's a floating patch of garbage in the Pacific Ocean the size of Texas. - In Dogbertland How's the banking system? Business is booming, King Ratbert. 100820 -- Have you met the new head regulator for our industry? - At first is was inconvenient to feed him. - Luckily I started lactating. Have you tried kibble? 100821 -- This is Rodney. He's in charge of product fety testing. - Is our new product safe enough to start selling? $#%* - Did that sound like "ship" to you? 100822 -- The status of my project is that apparently I died and became a ghost. - I don't remember dying, but the evidence of my untimely demise is clear. - In the past week, no one has returned my phone calls or replied to my E-Mails. - When I try to 100822 -- print a document, I get nothing but error messages. - Now all of you are looking at your phones and reading materials as if no one is speaking to you. - I will now test my ghost theory by running through a living person. - BOOOO!!! - Good news: 100822 -- I'm alive but unworthy of attention. I'm trying to watch a show. 100823 -- We're having a baby shower for Kim on friday. I barely know her. - She's having triplets. Try to bring an appropriate gift for once. - It's a...book on how to lower my carbon footprint? You're killing us all. 100824 -- I need you to delete all of the unnecessary data from our servers to make room. - Technically it's /all/ unnecessary because our decisions are always based on flawed logic anyway. - Can you pretend some of it necessary? Sure. Can you pretend I 100824 -- deleted the stuff. that isn't? 100825 -- For the past five years I've managed your calendar based solely on what would create the least work for me. - It all started when you told me to use my judgment to set priorities. - I retrospect, you should hav ehired someone with low 100825 -- self-esteem. 100826 -- I've already forgotten everything that was said at the beginning of this meeintg. - slurp - I used to think I wasn't a morning person, but things never got better after lunch. 100827 -- I get sleepy in the afternoon. And I'm not a morning person. - I'm at my best for about an hour in between, which explains why I'm an exceptionally good lunch eater. - How's the workforce skills assessment going? I just sold all of my company 100827 -- stick. 100828 -- We're getting some heat from the media for using Elbonian slave labor to build our products. - I've been trying to tell the media that it's not as bad as it sounds. - Elbonia Now /I'll/ be the slave and /you/ be the oppressor! No!!! Not yet! 100829 -- Let's have lunch so I can tell you about our products. No thanks. - I don't like meeting new people. - Every person I meet chips away at my freedom. - If I have lunch with you, I'll feel an obligation to return your pestering phone calls. - My 100829 -- lunchtime is the only chance I get during the day to scrape off the leeches. - Nothing personal. - Do you want to have lunch and discuss our new product line? Sure! - Carl, you are totally in the wrong profession. 100830 -- Good news, Alice. You got the internal job you posted for. - YES!!! You'll need to keep doing your old job too. - Did you just make me celebrate a doubling of my workload? Thank you for acknowledging my awesomeness. 100831 -- Did I tell you I'm doing two jobs now? About a million times. - You've complained about it so much that it's like a song I can't get out of my head. - I only found out yesterday. - I'm trying to get ahead of it. 100901 -- According to the anonymour online employee survey, you don't trust management. What's up with that? - - Oh, right. 100902 -- Wally, we're concerned about the comments you made on your anonymous employee survey. - Your comments are disturbingly similar to the unabomber's manifesto. He was a good writer. - We have a problem. Is it a copyright thing? 100903 -- Company Lawyer We should consider doing a recall on our product. - When it warms up, it explodes and hurls poisonous spines in every direction. - Where's the Director of Quality Assurance? - Pinned to the test lab ceiling. 100904 -- I have a new job for you. Our product is defective and it's killing customers. - You want me to organize a recall? No. Engineer fix? No. - You'll need overalls, several barrels of bleach and some sort of scrubby brush. 100905 -- I need a minor change to our website. - Give me your business case for the change and I'll prioritize it for the queue. - I don't have time to write a business case for one little change. - I can't justify changing my priorities without one. - 100905 -- GAAAA!!! WHY CAN'T WE DO THE SIMPLEST THINGS IN THIS STUPID COMPANY???! - Try one of these corporate post-traumatic stress pills to dull your memory of these events. - What? Where am I? Who are you? You were just leaving. - They're placebos, 100905 -- but I find that they solve 20% of my problems. 100906 -- I got transferred to our crime scene cleanup subsidiary. - I have a competitive advantage because I have the customer lists from our other subsidiaries. - No, we haven't had any deadly explosions here. I'll check back in an hour. 100907 -- I love your tie-dyed overalls. Tha't a bold look. - Actually, my job is cleaning crime scenes. I didn't have time to change. - The singles scene is all about how you look. 100908 -- Ratbert, would you like to be my assistant in the crime scene cleaning profession? Me?! - You had me at "brains and squeegees." I didn't say any of those words. - Would it kill you to say them now? If it does, you can clean me up. 100909 -- Crime Scene Cleaning There's no budget for a mop or cleaning supplies. - All I have is this pole and you. - You could duct tape me to the pole. Yup. If we had duct tape. 100910 -- We need to shut down our crime scene cleaning division. - Apparently, your assistant, Ratbert, has been putting human remains in the recycling bins. - That's a harmless mistake. What's the worst thing that could happen? 100911 -- We need someone to run focus groups about our existing products. What is a focus group? - In our case, it's like a mob of angry villagers armed with sharp pens. - And you'd also be the fire marshal for the floor. Are you in? Yeah. It's a tough 100911 -- job market. 100912 -- I need this room for my meeting. - Wouldn't it make more sense for you to get a different room since we're already here? - All of the conference rooms are blocked. - Okay, then I guess we should compare the importance of your meeting versus 100912 -- this one. - That's not how it works. - Conference rooms go the highest ranked manager, . IT TOOK ME MONTHS TO SCHEDULE THIS MEETING! Scram. - The goal of this meeting is to figure out why nothing ever gets done around here. 100913 -- Beth is our new marketing manager for social media. - By the way, company policy forbids the use of Facebook and Twitter at work. And we don't trust you to work from home. - IF YOU BLOG ABOUT HOW LAME WE ARE, YOU'Re FIRED!!! First day, not so 100913 -- good. 100914 -- As the marketing manager for social media, my job is to use these two words a lot. Facebook Twitter - Marketing through social media is like herding cats. And just to make it interesting, many of the cats are drunk and stupid. - Burn. I am 100914 -- totally defriending that witch. 100915 -- Our highest priority is satisfying our customers...except when it is hard...or unprofitable...or we're busy. - click click click click click click click click click click - Are you tweeting my quotes? BOOK DEAL! CHA-CHING!!! 100916 -- Good news: I got a book deal based entirely on the dumb things you've said. - It's totally legal because the law only protects "INTELLECTUAL" property. - FRUGGA BUGGA!!! And so began the sequel. click click click 100917 -- Dogbert Publishing I'm assigning a ghost writer to tighten up your first draft. - Technically, he's not a ghost yet. He's just a guy who lost a knife fight. - How long do I have to wait? If you're in a hurry, steer him toward the window. 100918 -- Soon my book of pointy-haired boss quotes will be published and I will be rich. - It sounds great. I can't wait to get my pirated copy. - Or you could just buy it. I thought you said it was a book. 100919 -- I don't understand either of your technical proposals, and I need to pick one. - Normally I'd use favoritism, but I don't like either one of you. - So I'll give you an intelligence test, and I'll approve the proposal of whoever is the smartest. 100919 -- - If you shoot an arrow at a monkey from an airplane... - and the monkey throws a coconut at the incoming arrow to stop it, but he misses... - how can you tell what time it is? - There's not enough data. You look at your watch? - The correct 100919 -- answer is "ask the monkey and hope he doesn't hold a grudge." 100920 -- GAAA!!! IT HURTS SO BAD! - That artificial display of pain was a reminder that software is not created by magic. - The elves are getting uppity. 100921 -- Our new product is a useless block of wood. - When customers complain that it won't make phone calls, we'll blame the network. - Who would want...whoa, this is cool. You'd be lucky to have one. 100922 -- Your product is nothing but a piece of wood. You need a charismatic pitchman to make gullible consumers buy it. - Normally that would be your job as CEO. Unfortunately, you remind people of a giant... - Leader? Exactly. 100923 -- Dogbert The Pitchman Fire up the reality distortion field as soon as I'm introduced. - Our product is nothing but a block of wood, and you need /three/ of them. - I am a creative individual who does as he is told. I CAN'T FEEL MY ARM! 100924 -- I signed you up for a class to try and get rid of that thing you have. What thing? - The thing. You know. The thing that makes you the way you are. My personality? - Exactly. But we call it /COMMUNICATION SKILLS/ because it sounds less rude. 100925 -- Communication Skills Training Today you will learn how to listen to idiots witohut snorting. - Break into groups of two, with one idiot and one non-idiot in each pair. - Do you want to be my partner? Um... 100926 -- Interview this applicant and tell me if he's right for our company. - Tim, we don't set the bar as high as we used to. - In our golden days, we insisted on employees who could work tirelessly through the night. - As business slowed, we were 100926 -- happy with anyone who put in eight hours a day. - Then our best people left. - Now our cubicles are mostly used for napping. - So my question is this: would a ringing phone wake you up? Probably. - He comes across as a braggart. 100927 -- What's your take on this, Dilbert? - What? Sorry. I was using this time to think about something useful. - Maybe your boss can fill you in. I was braingolfing. 100928 -- Dilbert, meet my new boyfriend, Angry Jack. - People say my high level of engineering skill comes at the cost of good social judgment. - Alice, his /NAME/ is Angry Jack. I think he wants to hold my hand now. 100929 -- Carol, this is my new boyfriend, Angry Jack. - I met him in a restaurant after he beat up a busser for bringing a bent fork. - In the white trash community, we call that a red flag. You weren't there. That for was a mess. 100930 -- Don't be afraid of change, Asok. Okay. Wait. What? - Your subtle implication is that I should change to be mor elike you! - Bumpy start. I CHOOSE DEATH! 101001 -- Our marketing campaign depends on word of mouth. Unfortunately, our product is bad. - So we found a guy with poor judgment and a huge mouth to say good things. Present. - Marketing isn't a real thing, is it? It's mostly guessing. 101002 -- Our ad campaign will portray users of our competitor's product ad baby-eating hobos. - While /our/ users will be protrayed by the coolest guy in the entire world. - Soon The Meeting Turned Ugly Then why are you showing a slide of a giant 101002 -- @$$#*%*? 101003 -- ...and of course we'll assess our progress along the way. - Will you be using an enhanced assessment methodology? - I hope that means something. All I did was string together some words I heardin the hallway. - Um...I'll be assessing...by 101003 -- measuring...and um... - I'd better get in on this. - I can't support this project until I see your advanced assessment metodology plan. - I'll have it in ten minutes, assuming you don't know what it's supposed to look like. Very good. - I'll be 101003 -- in the shower trying to wash my soul. 101004 -- Alice broke my arm. You need to do something about this. - Okay. I'll compare Alice's economic value to yours and decide who to fire. - No fair! She's an engineer! You got beat up by someone who is also better at math? 101005 -- What do you get when you combine cognitive bias with inaccurate information? - OUR BUSINESS STRATEGY! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! - I guess I should keep my day job. Good luck with that. 101006 -- Mister Dogbert will describe our "poison pill" strategy for preventing an unfriendly takeover. - It turns out that no one wants to buy a criminally mismanaged quagmire. So you're all set. - Maybe next time you won't skip the pre-meeting. 101007 -- Carol, how can I make you feel more inspired by your work? - I'm an admin, you steaming log. The only thing that would inspire me is finding your corpse floating in my worst enemy's drinking water. - It's just something they make me ask. CAN I 101007 -- GET BACK TO MY MEANINGLESS WORK NOW? 101008 -- The customer is an attractive young woman. You'll need to bring a handsome man with you to translate. - The translator will repeat everything you say, word for word, but he'll say it more handsomely. - Hi. What's he jabbering about? 101009 -- Your mission is to assassinate the motivation of my rival. - I want you to attend a meeting with him and drain the optimism out of his body. - WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY SENSE OF HOPE? Let it happen. 101010 -- Wally, have you made any progress coding your module? - Progress is difficult to measure in the software realm? - You could measure the lines of code I produce, but that would reward inefficiency. - The art of this job is binding the rare 101010 -- moments of inspiration to knowledge and machines. - In fact, just a minute ago I could feel the inspiration welling up inside me. - But then you interrupted me with your naive question and the moment was lost. - Maybe you should go back to your 101010 -- office and reflect on the damage you've done here today. - There goes the one person who has less of a real job than I do. 101011 -- My hunting trip was a huge success. I bagged an elk. Hmmm... - That's not like you. There's sometinh missing in this story. - It had a saddle. And there it is. 101012 -- Dogbert Consults Your customer data is worth a fortune. - I'll find you some buyers if you give me 25%. What about privacy? - That's not a problem. I never use my real name. 101013 -- Dogbert Consults Customer data is an asset that you can sell. - It's totall ethical because our customers would do the same thing to us if trhey could. - Sounds fair. In phase one, we'll dehumanize the enemy by calling them "data." 101014 -- Customers are complaining that we sold their personal data. - And apparently all of the buyers were identity thieves. - That's impossible. We checked every buyer's ident...oh. 101015 -- How can we rebuild the trust of our customers? Let's brainstorm. - We could stop using misleading benchmark tests to sell shoddy products that have hidden costs. - I heard someone say "lie." Let's write that one down. 101016 -- Asok, I want you to make decisions as if you owned the company. - CLEAR OUT YOUR DESK, YOU WORTHLESS BAG OF MEAT! - Sorry. The fake power went to my head for a moment. 101017 -- We'll lose the Elbonian project unless we give their minister of mud some...incentive. - You mean a bribe? NO, a bribe would be illegal. - Take a bag of gold to Elbonia and leave it by the statue of the monkey god, Oobanooobah. - If Oobanooobah 101017 -- does not accept your offering, by Elbonian law it becomes unclaimed property. - Take the gold to the unclaimed property desk at the ministry of mud. - Ring the bell and ask for the minister of mud. Give him the uncleimed property and a copy of 101017 -- our bid. - What if the monkey god accepts the gold and I'm the only witness? - What? How much monkey god gold are we talking about? 101018 -- Ken, you've almost reached your sales bonus level with time to spare. - Obviously I set your bonus thresholds too low. I'll need to adjust it upward retroactively. - Maybe I'm just a great salesperson! That's the spirit! Stay hungry! 101019 -- Catbert: Evil Director Of Human Resources Every time I get near my sales bonus level, the pointy-haired boss raises the target! - HA HA HA! THAT'S THE FUNNIEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD! HE JUST YANKS IT AWAY! HA HA HA! - I was hoping for some 101019 -- support. - THEN BUY A CANE AND TALK TO THE TAIL! OOOGAH! 101020 -- I hate sales. Can you cross-train me to be an engineer? - Absolutely. All you need is a time machine and a brain with twice as many folds as you current model. - Maybe I could try marketing. That's just liquor and guessing. 101021 -- Walmart started selling a knockoff of our product for nine cents apiece. - I'm looking for ideas. Anyone? Anyone? - They'll need more greeters. 101022 -- I'm updating my friend resource matrix and I have a few gaps. - I already have a friend with a truck, a friend who gives me free tickets, and a friend with tools. - I've got openings for a computer expert friend and a frisky friend with low 101022 -- standards. I'll try the computer one. 101023 -- You write that your objective for the year is to... - "...obscurely toil to increase the unearned wealth of our poarasitic stockholders." - I'll add "and managers." 101024 -- Our best sales guy asked for you to accompany him on a sales call. - What's the secret on being a good sales person? - You need to give customers the information they need... - ...without getting in their faces so often that you become a 101024 -- nuisance. - For example, a customer would get sixk of /your/ face much sooner than mine. - So halfway through the sales call, you'll need to put this bag over your head while I close the deal. - It looks as if I win your bet. No...wait for 101024 -- it... - Whoa. How do you do that? It's called sales. Now you owe me a purchase order. 101025 -- Tradition requires that every meeting has one buzzword-babbling idiot. - We have no naturals today, so Asok has graciously agreed to fill the rule. - We need a multiplatform application strategy! Good job. You're totally selling it. 101026 -- Our project plan is so complicated that failure is asserted. - But complexity is too abstract for you to manage, so instead you will spray my energy into the vortex of failure. - Go. I need you to finish it six weeks sooner for a trade show. 101027 -- Maybe I can't offer as much as other guys. - I spend my days clinging to the walls of my fabric-covered box while being consumed by a vortex of failure. - But long term...Probably choke to death on an olive. 101028 -- I'm taking your advice to be more entrepreneurial at my job. - Failing 90% of the time is very similar to not trying at all. I'm pretty sure you won't be able to tell the difference. - Which one am I doing now? 101029 -- Asok, you've been such a good intern that I've decided to promote you. - Your new status is called limbo. You will exist in a plane between the living and the damned. - YES!!! I WILL EXIST! Great. It went right into his head. 101030 -- For the past six months you've done nothing but update your FaceBook page. - Now we have an opening for a marketing manager for social networks and you're totally qualified. It's a huge raise and a promotion. - CRME PAYS! I KNEW IT!!! We're 101030 -- hoping you can lie as well as you steal. 101031 -- I need this class to update my skills. Will you approve the expense? - Where's the analysis of the alternatives? What? - When you ask for funding, you need to tell me what my options are. - Well, okay. That seems logical. - Option two: Do 101031 -- nothing while I become increasingly unqualified for my job. - Option three: replace me with someone younger who earns less than I do and already has the skills. - Oh. - Options are only good when other people don't have them. 101101 -- I'm getting a lot of complaints about you eating your lunch in the clean room. - And people don't like it when you use your loofah in there. - That's my french bread. And I can't help it if my back itches. 101102 -- Are you running into any problems? Only the kind that you make worse. - Name /one/ problem that I make worse! I have too many distractions. - Do you have any problems that aren't like that one? Only in my fantasies. 101103 -- What do you think of my plan, Alice? - I'll bet your left brain is so tiny that you stagger in a clockwise direction. - I'll ask someone else. Walk toward the credenza and you'll have a good chance of hitting the doorway. 101104 -- In the Land Of Cubicles, the man with two monitors is king. - I pity my uni-monitored subjects, but I cannot respect them. - Meanwhile, in another corner of the kingdom... The king is dead. Long live the queen. 101105 -- Can you put the PX9 system on the R3 network? Yes. - But just to be clear, what an engineer /can/ do is rarely what he /should/ do. - What /should/ you do? Apparently, your job. 101106 -- A Swedish study in 2009 showed that people with bad bosses had 40% more heart attacks. - AAAK!!! - I should warn you that I'll probably tell this story a few times. 101107 -- I'd like to thank all of the people who helped design the technology test parameters. - Thanks to your input, the test had nothing in common with how the things work in the real world. - So I wasted two weeks of my life on a test that is not 101107 -- only meaningless... - ...but also dangerously misleading. - This slide shows the gap between the rest results and reality. - We'll use the test results anyway because it's the only data we have. - Fine. I hope you all choke to death on your 101107 -- lunches. - Why's he so cranky? Something about data. 101108 -- You're doing a great job as a role model. - Half of your employees have already turned into pudgy sociopaths. - And they're quick to anger. 101109 -- I'm here to be your role model. - My actions speak louder than my words. Just drink me in. - I think you're doing your part wrong. 101110 -- Dogbert The Security Consultant Anyone without an I.D. badge is assumed to be an enemy combatant. - POUNCE ON THE INTRUDER AND SHAKE HIM UNTIL HIS FILLINGs FALL OUT! - How much did we pay for that advice? It's free. I work for the dentist 101110 -- across the street. 101111 -- My job is to create an environment where employees feel safe taking risks. - My other job is pounishing employees who make any kind of mistake. - My point is that I'm glad I don't have *your* job. 101112 -- You're two hours late. I was doing E-Mail in the parking lot. - I like to bang out a few hours of work before some idiot starts asking me dumb questions. - It would be funny if the next thing you say is in the form of a question. 101113 -- Hi ho! I'm a common stockholder. I'm here to see how my investment is coming along. - Okay, first on the aganda, we need to blow our budget before end year so we don't get less money next year. - How many ten-dollar mouse pads can we get for 101113 -- $10,000? I hope this is a panic attack. 101114 -- You didn't answer my e-mail. I don't check e-mail very often. - The whole point of e-mail is that you check it often. - Are you an idiot or some sort of digital sociopath? - Sometimes i don't remember to check it. - You seem like a visual 101114 -- learner, so let me show you how to keep e-mail in the front of your mind. - Is this your smartphone? Yes. - BAM! Now it's in the front of your mind. Get it? 101115 -- Sorry, I didn't have time to get the information you asked for. - You're saying that for an /entire week/, every single thing you did was more important than /my/ ten-minute request? - Yes, but the way /I/ said it doesn't make me think of a 101115 -- broomstick. 101116 -- Are you leveraging our resources to optimize the client value stream? What? - I'm just messing with you. Nothing I say in meetings actually means anything. - Then why do you talk? I tried listening once. It was awful. 101117 -- The Man Who could Not Summarize It all started 4.53 billion years ago during the hadean eon. - I hope you don't mind if I skip over the part where the earth formed by accretion from the solar nebula. - Hours Later ...and that formed what we 101117 -- called the moon. Maybe I'll just ask someone else what time it is. 101118 -- I got your E-Mail. It almost made sense. - My plan is to act randomly and hope for the best. - Perhaps I can be more clear. Really? You can just turn it on and off like that? 101119 -- We launched our revamped website today. - All of the technology we used is already obsolete and every vendor we hired is out of business. - ...and it hust crashed. I miss the days when we had brief windows of success. 101120 -- Once again, you have failed to motivate me. - You said we shouldn't be motivated by money, so I'm waiting for the new thing to kick in. - I'm not good at reading faces, but I think there's something happening over in /this/ region. 101121 -- Is it my imagination or is your pricing intentionally confusing? - It's intentionally confusing. - That way you can't compare our prices to our competitors' prices. - Our competitors do the same thing. It's called a confusopoly. - We all get 101121 -- our fair share of confused customers and we don't need to lower our prices to compete. - We use the profits from our anti-competitive behavior to fund innovation. - So don't ruin a good system by trying to understand what you're buying. - That 101121 -- almost sounds reasonable. NOW SPANK YOURSELF AND THANK ME! 101122 -- Wally, do you have a minute? Nope. I'm far to busy. - I'm blocking the only exit. You have no choice but to answer my question. - I blocked the air vent too. Well played. 101123 -- The request we got for a vote is vague, and the deadline for our response is tomorrow. - If I ask for clarity, we'll miss the deadline. If I don't, our bid will either be below our cost or too high to win. - Which path of certain failure do you 101123 -- prefer? I like the one that makes you work the hardest. 101124 -- Hello, this is the Dogbert Market Research Company. May I ask you some totally harmless questions? - What is your social security number, bank pin number and mother's maiden name? - What exactly are you researching? Poverty rates. I'm shooting 101124 -- for 100%. 101125 -- Bob, Director of Purchasing. I requested an Ethernet switch and you sent me a box of pencils. - Sometimes I tweak the non-standard orders so I can use our approved vendors. - You can't tell the difference between a switch and a pencil? I can 101125 -- tell the difference between your problem and mine. 101126 -- Bob is the Director of Purchasing. He's here to describe our new procurement process. - Our system divides products into two categories: things you don't want, and things you're not allowed to buy. - It's my way of sayinf thanks for lubing your 101126 -- SUV with my dead ancestors. 101127 -- Assemble the supreme leadership board. I am ready to name an heir to succeed me. - We don't have a supreme leadership board, and this isn't a hereditary dictatorship. - 101127 -- That's crazy talk. Ignore him, daddy. 101128 -- The CEO Pep Talk I WANT TO KNOW I CAN COUNT ON EVERY ONE OF YOU! - - What's wrong with these people? - Well...I fired that guy this morning. His last day is tomorrow. - That one retires at the end of the month. - Those three are contractors. I 101128 -- didn't renew their contracts. - The rest of them believe that motivation is how the powerful steal from the dumb. - Tell them I hate their guts. I did that in the pre-meeting. 101129 -- We have a problem. Our CEO is grooming a winged monkey as his successor. - When you say, "grooming," I hope you mean training. - I felt something move right here. Ho ho! Last one. I'm stuffed. 101130 -- Can you give me a quote by next week? - Your demeanor tells me that you will never buy our product. You only want the quote as a point of reference. - Or maybe I'm giving you false hope because it's less awkward to end the meeting that way. 101130 -- DIE! DIE! DIE! 101201 -- Amber, I'll pay you $500 a month to pretend to be my friend on FaceBook. - All you need to do is leave me a public message every once in a while. - That would make me a... Frienditute. But it's better if we don't nam eit. 101202 -- Old Johannsen has kept his job all of these years because no one else has his critical knowledge. - pss pss pss pss pss - There's the worst-case scenario right there. 101203 -- What fantasy will I use today to stave off madness? - Maybe I'll be "The man who changed an industry with his PowerPoint slides." - I have a report of unauthorized happiness inside of a head. 101204 -- Phil, The Prince Of Insufficient Light You stand accused of being happy at work. - Your penalty is to attend ameeting so horrible that none may speak its name. - Photoshop Your Co-Workers Photo On The Torso Below. No...please,..anything but 101204 -- this. 101205 -- My design plan is obviously too complex for a manager to understand. - So I highlighted a few areas that are intentionally suboptimal. - Just point to the highlighted items and demand that I fix them. - That will give you the illusion of 101205 -- usefulness. - Pretend this is olden times when bosses knew what their employees did for a living. - To round out the fantasy, wear this hat made from a dead animal. - NOW MANAGE ME LIKE IT'S THE 1800'S! - Do you have a smaller hat? Imagine that 101205 -- we're out of candles. 101206 -- Am I interrupting anything important? - Oh no. I have seen this before. You are preparing to put your body language at odds with your words! - I always have time for my last important employee. MY ENDOCRINE SYSTEM IS SHUTTING DOWN! 101207 -- Who can define "values"? Anyone? - Values are a type of emotional illusion common to children, idiots and non-engineers. - Can we pretend values are real? Are we a cult now? 101208 -- I invented a drug that makes people do stupid things. Then I dipped this dart in it. - I don't know why I did it. There's no legitimate use for this sort of thing. - Ow. I'll need a gallon for the weekend. And remember to breathe the fumes 101208 -- again. 101209 -- TV Newsroom I invented a drug that switches off the brin's ability to make rational decisions. - I think it would make a good story for your science segment. - Or we could drugdart celebrities and film what happens. For science, right? 101210 -- Amber, would you like to see a movie that one of us will undoubtedly hate? - I only like movies with superheroes, geeks or robots. You probably only like movies with tears, diseases and weddings. - Does my honesty turn you on? I just stopped 101210 -- liking mammals. 101211 -- The only things thatmatter are social networks, games and phones. - You're not working on any of that, so I arranged for the dustbin of history to do curb pickup. - PLEASE! I TWITTER! Too little, too late. 101212 -- Wally, I need you to train the new mailroom guy. - Why me? - Because he's unimportant and you're worthless. - Okay. I was worried that it was the other way around. - All important messages are sent by E-Mail. - So your job is to shovel all of 101212 -- the regular mail into recycling bins. - We won't be paying you, but you can use packages and tape to build your own igloo. - Two Weeks Later Why is my desk so clean? You're welcome. 101213 -- What are you up to? I'm recalibrating my lack of faith in humanity. - Will this take long? No. I start by reading opinions on message boards and... - I can come back later. YOU IGNORATN JUICEBAG! BAM! 101214 -- Would you like to be part of a masters forum to share knowledge across disciplines? - No. The only people who will be there are the ones who don't have anything better to do. I try to avoid people like that. - I'm the chairperson. I'll get a 101214 -- lot done that day! 101215 -- Does my new goatee make me look manly and intellectual at the same time? - It makes you look too lazy to shave around your lips. - And I think I saw a flea. Yeah. That one is resistent to soup. 101216 -- GAAA!!! THE SECOND-UNCOOLEST PERSON IN THE WORLD HAS MY SAME FACIAL HAIR! - AND THE UNCOOLEST PERSON IN THE WORLD IS CLEAN-SHAVEN. YOU'RE LEAVING ME NO PLACE TO GO! - Later That Month I don't see it catching on. Give it time. 101217 -- Hi, my name is... click* Don't bother. - My app does facial recognition and searches all social media to give me your full biography. - How's that working out? You're either Bart Simpson or a huge dry-erase marker. 101218 -- Maybe it's not a good idea to eat a niosy bag of chips next to a speakerphone. - Uh-oh. My comman sense has wounded your ego and made you defiant. CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! - Did you really think he would stop? No. I hate the guy who was on the 101218 -- speakerphone. 101219 -- I want all of you to feel empowered on this project. - You forgot to get our buy-in before you empowered us. - I'll get your buy-ins later. It's far too late for that. - I'm going to use my empowerment to destroy this poorly conceived project 101219 -- from the inside! - DON'T DO THAT! - So...now you're saying we're /not/ empowered to do what we think is best? - Can we go back to our old system where we're afraid to make decisions and you're never available? - Your eyes say, "yes." 101220 -- We've had reports of "meeting pirates," taking over agendas and pillaging credit. - YAAARG!!! I TAKE YER DOCUMENT, AND LEAVE YE SCRUVY RATS ADRIFT! - And then I invented server virtualization. Yaaarg! Wow! That was a good idea. 101221 -- Wally, can you attend my meeting friday? I'm very busy, but I'll meet you halfway. - What does that mean in this context? They say half of life is just showing up. - So...you will be... Doing the other half. 101222 -- Excuse me. By my count, you've said the same thing 27 times, using different words. - If I can get sworn statements from everyone here that we understand you point, will you stop talking? - That's mighty rude of you. I don't get your point. Can 101222 -- you repeat it 26 more times? 101223 -- I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I HAVe THIRTY YEARS IN THIS INDUSTRY! - How does that help you understand technology that is six months old in a youth-oriented culture? - Grrr... PLEASE DON'T HIT ME WITH YOUR MODEM. 101224 -- I've decided to escalate my anti-social behavior from not listening, to actively talking over other people. - How can you enjoythe conversation of others if you don't listen? This coould be one of the best ideas I've ever had. - It all came 101224 -- together when I realized thet listening isn't the fun part. 101225 -- Are you ready to do mental gifting? You go first. - I imagine giving you a sweater that doesn't fit. - I imagine giving you a tool that I already have. - Merry christmas, Dogbert. Stupid sweater. 101226 -- Did you read my long E-Mail? - Not yet. Waht's it about? - I can't say. - If I tell you what I wrote, the effort I put into writing the E-Mail will be transformed into a waste of time. - I just decided to delete your E-Mail before reading it. 101226 -- Therefore it is always wasted. - You are now free to tell me its contents without reducing your productivity. Oh, okay. - It was something about improving communication, but I worded it better. - Maybe you should read it. Maybe /you/ should. 101227 -- I feel like a failure. Say something to cheer me up? - Happiness comes from comparing yourself to a reference group that is relatively worse off. - You're a successful member of the reference group. And that's not nothing! 101228 -- I can lower your corporate taxes by using a strategy that tax attorneys call the "Dutch Sandwich." and I'm not even making that up. - So...that would transfer our tax burden to people who can't afford tax attorneys. - Yeah...their sandwich has 101228 -- a less appealing name. 101229 -- I've noticed that whenever I ask you a specific question by EMail, you avoid answering it. - You're either an unhelpful moron or a poorly designed robot sent from the future to terminate our company. - How did you know it was a robot? I didn't. 101230 -- A competitor from the future is sending robots back in time to terminate our company. - So far it's not much of an issue because their time travel technology is way ahead of their robot-building skills. - Is that as fun as it looks? Totally. 101230 -- They're like zombies, but crunchier. 101231 -- Amber, would you like to celebrate new year's eve with me? - I'll say maybe. That way you can't make other plans and I can wait for a better offer. - I can get away with it because of whatever is happening over there. Yup. 110101 -- I made a list of demands for your new year's resolutions. - Thou shalt not fill up the DVR with geeky science shows. ...thou shalt not snore like an asthmatic cow... - I didn't know other people could impose resolutions on me. It's a new thing. 110102 -- Dilbert, would, you like to join us for lunch? - Where are you going? We haven't decided. - In that case, no. - I can't stand watching a small group of people trying to make a trivial decision. - It makes me lose all fait hin humanity. - Food 110102 -- doesn't taste as good when you have no hope. - I'll just get something from the vending machine and fantasize that my co-workers are competent. - Let's see...what goes well with an unrealistic worldview? 110103 -- Jim, our company is family-friendly and very green. - We're also good at setting priorities, so if I get a chance to sell your kids for a handful of carbon credits, I'll do it. - He was less green than I had hoped. 110104 -- Excuse me, but I can't concentrate when someone reminds me of a creature. What? - You've got some sort of Bilbo Baggins vibe going on here and it's throwing me off the game. - Give me a heads up if you see a walking stick coming my way. 110105 -- How much confidence have in your cost projections? - I trust them like I trust you. - Are the assumptions realistic? They're as real as your good judgement. 110106 -- There were eleven ways to interpret the vague assignment you gave me by voicemail. - Given the risks of choosing wrong, and my engineering oath to do no harm, it was my ethical duty to do nothing. - You could have asked for clarification. 110106 -- Sounds risky. 110107 -- I hired a consultant to help us evolve our products to cloud computing. - Blah blah cloud. Blah blah cloud. Blah blah cloud. Blah blah cloud. - IT'S AS IF YOU'RE A TECHNOLOGIST AND A PHILOSOPHER ALL IN ONE! Blah blah platform. 110108 -- I've decided to become more of a big picture guy. - Lesser minds can do the managing and implementing while I criticize them for not "getting it." - So...you want to get paid to be a jerk? Said the implementer. 110109 -- I have to disagree with you, Dilbert. -Actually, you DON'T disagree with me. I don't? - No. You think you disagree with me, but you're mistaken. - You're simply experiencing an illusion caused by the limits of your comprehension. - If you were 110109 -- able to fully comprehend both the problem and my recommended solution, you would agree with me. - So what appears to be a difference of opinion is just you wrestling with your own defective brain. - There's no reason to ge the rest of us 110109 -- involved in that mess. - Have you ever noticed that clarity makes people angry? 110110 -- In this country, it is customary to respond to a question with something called an "answer". - Your approach is more like what I would expect to see if clothing were used as bags for meat. - Now I will ask my question a seventh time... stop 110110 -- saying what you're thinking. 110111 -- I can't stop voicing my honest opinions. It's causing prblems at work. - According to your medical records, you're an engineer. We calssify that as a disease now. - GAAA!!! YOU HAVEN'T HAD YOUR PON FARR VACCINATION. Is it warm here? 110112 -- My doctor says I have a wicked case of Pon Farr. It's when Vulcans and engineers go into heat every seven years. - I'm pretty sure I don't care, but let me check my calendar just in case... - SOMEONE KILL ME! NOW! NOW! NOW! continued... 110113 -- Did you hear that Dilbert and Alice are on the same Pon Farr cycle? What? - Every seven years, engineers have an irresistible urge to mate. Their spawn would be the product of two engineers. - There's a Reason It Rarely Happens YOUR PLAN HAS 110113 -- UNNECESSARY STEPS! YOUR SPECIFICATIONS ARE VAGUE! 110114 -- Your idea has already been tried by others and it failed miserably. - Were those others as skilled at implementing ideas as you are at evaluating them? - Of course they were! Can you tell him to stop insulting himself? 110115 -- How's everything going? It couldn't be worse. - I was the only person who said this project is a bad idea. Then you assigned it to me. - It's funnier when I make them say it. grrrr 110116 -- Our meeting room is being used by a vice president. - I need all of you to search for an unoccupied room Call my cell when you find one. - I'll stay here in case they finish soon. - Where are you going to look? - I'm going to take a nap inmy 110116 -- cubicle and hope the problem takes care of itself. - Good idea. I'll get some work done. - Perfect time to run some errands. - Optimism is a lot like disappointment. 110117 -- I have a /great/ idea! Why don't we make our product social? - Because when /you/ start to understand a concept, it marks the beginning of its decline. - On a related note, it's never a good idea to ask an engineer a question in the "why don't 110117 -- we" format. 110118 -- Dogbert's Sales Training Seminar Losers sell to customers. - Winners sell the idea of low quota levels to their bosses. low...low...low... - NOW EVERYONE DO THE CHA-CHING DANCE! 110119 -- Thanks for spending the day interviewing with us. I can now reveal the nature of the job and the salary range. - You know my current salary and yet you wasted my entire day interviewing me for a job that pays less. You are either evil or 110119 -- inconsiderate. - So...not as good as your current job? - It's a tie. I'll need to test the commute one more time. 110120 -- How did your interview go yesterday? GREAT! - They offered less money for a worse job. But for half a day I imagined it would be better. - HALF A DAY?! LUCKY! I know! I can't wait for my nex tuseless interview! 110121 -- We're not creative enough to create whole new markets, the way Apple does. - And we're not powerful enough for a fast follower strategy. - What we need is a sexy, strategic-sounding name for crumb-snatching. Niche player? 110122 -- I just saw in the news that Google gave an engineer millions of dollars. I'm underpaid! - I'll speak to our director of human resources and see how I can fix this situation. Really? - How can we stop news? 110123 -- Dilbert, this is Alan. He's a frendor. - He's not just a friend, and not just a vendor. He's something in between. - He'll laugh at your jokes and invite you to golf. - Some people are bothered by his conditional type of "affection". - But it's 110123 -- better than the nothing you have now. - This is awkward because I already decided to buy from his competition. - Now you've done it. You turned your frendor into a stalkor. - I wonder if it's wrong to enjoy the attention. ** ** 110124 -- Why did you reject my friend request on FaceBook? - I'm not your friend. I'm a disgruntled wage slave who hopes you die in a freak industrial accident tomorrow at 3 PM. - That's disturbingly specific. Hey, look. You have a meeting at the 110124 -- warehouse tomorrow. 110125 -- The government announced tax incentives for new capital investments. - That's great. Now we can pursue marginally attractive opportunities with our overburdened staff. - Is he always like this? Yes. I'll just divert resources from out top 110125 -- priorities. 110126 -- We've decided to use the new tax incentives on the projects we were going to do anyway. - The tax savings will go toward executive bonuses, which stimulate the economy via the "tickle on your heads" theory. - It's call the "trickle down" 110126 -- theory. Not on Poker night. 110127 -- Asok, I need you to go to Elbonia. It's too cold for airplanes to operate there, so you'll need to use underground route. - Fly into Switzerland and follow the sewer systems from there. Stick to the side of the sewer where it's dryer. - It's a 110127 -- sewerside mission! You'll need a warn jacket and a rat hammer. 110128 -- Airport Security Step over here, sleeper cell. - Our new pat down procedures might be more invasive than you're used to. - Only terrorists act nervous in these situations. 110129 -- Elbonian leftists kidnapped Asok. They have ransom, demands. - They want a three-pack of tube socks, a carton of milk, and six yams. - Maybe you could buy that stuff on your way home. YOU'Re MAKING MY LIFE A NIGHTMARE! JUST KEEP HIM! 110130 -- Dilbert, your boss asked me to get your input on this. Absolutely, Ruth. - We have two options for wasting our time here. - Option one: I could tell you all of the things you should change, and you could ignore me as usual. - Option two: I 110130 -- could lie, and tell you that everything is perfect. - I prefer the lie. That way I can pin some blame on you if things go bad. - Excellent choice. It's faster, and I can later say I was misinterpreted. - Okay then, I declare that your document 110130 -- is perfect, under a certain set of assumptions that I won't list. - Did you help Ruth? I'll say yes, but it's sort of a gray area. 110131 -- I thought my Elbonian kidnappers would hold me forever because you refused to pay the ransom. - Then the Stockholm effect kicked in. I started identifying with my captors and beating myself. - And they let you go? Apparently I looked 110131 -- contagious. 110201 -- Is this how you really write, or did birds walk on your keyboard? - I only need your opinion on the technical part of it. - Okay, let's assume that your readers will know what you mean by "blobbing on the Ethernet." 110202 -- The experts say I should motivate you by displaying my own sense of passion and purpose. - I LOVE GETTING RICH AT YOUR EXPENSE...AND GOLFING!!! - Do you feel any different? Yup. 110203 -- If we build our software with no bugs, we can make a 10% return on our investment. - But if we do a poor job, we can make a 40% return by selling upgrades and service. - But don't worry. We only have the budget for a poor job. Phew! I can't 110203 -- remember if we're cheap or smart. 110204 -- The government's new unemployment statistics are out. crumple crumple - POINK! - It's still a bad time to look for a job. Yeah. I got that. 110205 -- There is a very simple solution to the problem that is stumping Dilbert. - I will gladly explain it to him after this meeting. - You're probably wrong, and yet you still made me look like an idiot. I win! 110206 -- Dilbert, work with Gustav to get our new product explained on our website. - Here's what I have so far. It's awful. - Excuse me? There's no information. It's all images and annoying music. - People make buying decisions based on what they read. 110206 -- This gives them nothing. - If I clutter the design with useful information, it will look ugly, and I won't be able to use it in my portfolio. - I need that portfolio to get a job at a better company. Please help me escape. - You'll probably 110206 -- work here until you die in your cubicle no matter what the website looks like. - Did you help Gustav? Yes, but it wasn't a good day for our stockholders. 110207 -- I'm an inch taller than you and my PowerPoint slides are in the Louvre. - Some say the earth is on the back of a giant. But who do you think is holding the turtle? You? - Wrong! It's turtles all the way down. But who do you think is holding the 110207 -- infinite turtles? 110208 -- Accounting You charged my project for expenses that aren't mine. Let me see that. - We accountants are arsenic-based life formas. That makes you my natural enemy. crumple crumple - That is not logical. Live long and phospher. 110209 -- I got your text message and I burped the grope plow armistice as you requested. - Maybe you should turn off the autocorrection feature on your phone. - If the weather holds, I'll flail the rude fresco tomorrow. 110210 -- Dogbert Consults Where does your company fit on this comprehensive list? FaceBook China Irrelevant - - Now let's form breakout groups to fantasize about being relevant. 110211 -- FaceBook has created a giant robot arm to steal talented employees from other companies. - IT'S HERE!!! - No. it looks like we got the giant condescending FaceBook robot arm instead. pat pat 110212 -- It might look as if I'm in a dead-end job, but I'm developing an app in my spare time. - Here's a lottery ticket. I just doubled your odds of success. - I bought two for myself so I don't need to make an app. 110213 -- We have to learn to do more with less. - Less meetings? - No. We'll need /more/ meetings to figure out how to do more with less. - Less micromanagement? - No, I'll have to watch you more closely than ever to make sure you're doing more with 110213 -- less. - I'm talking about using less money. - Oh, like a death spiral. Why didn't you just say that in the first place? - It's as if you're talking more to say less. Should we be more like you or less? 110214 -- CEO The media is asking if you'll take the pledge to give your fortune to charity. - That pledge is for billionaires! I only have $200 million to leave to my heir! - On a semi-related note, find out who keeps putting monkey DNA in my clone's 110214 -- test tube. 110215 -- How hard would it be to program our website to collect browser history from our visitors? - Well, first I'd need to invent some sort of device that reverses my sense of right and wrong. - So...are we talking about a week...or a month? 110216 -- Tina, you'll be in charge of our move to the new building. - That means you think my regular job is so unimportant that I won't be missed if I work on something else for a month. - If it makes you feel any better, this will take longer than a 110216 -- month. 110217 -- Office Relocation You new cubicles will be a color called "Death Eater Gray." - The fabric is a soul sponge that will absorb your happiness if you stand near it. - How'd the meeting go? Well, you know, fear of the unknown. 110218 -- Office Relocation Your floor plan puts me between a loud talker and a chronic flatulator. - I could move you to a cubicle between a guy who clears his throat all day and a woman who laughs too much. - Is this because I once said you aren't 110218 -- smart enough to be an engineer? Look what I engineered. 110219 -- I can't help on your project this week because we're moving to a new office. - It sounds weird because it's true. I like to throw in a real one every now and then. - You might want to save that attitude for the next round. 110220 -- I have a budget meeting tomorrow with our CFO. - I'll be competing against all of the other departments for precious budget dollars. - This won't be easy because all of the other departments are staffed with professional liars. - That's a bit 110220 -- of an exaggeration, don't you think? - What do you call marketing? Okay, I'll give you that one. - Sales? Right, but... P.R.? Well, yes... - Finance? I forgot about that one. Legal? Wow. - Do the next one yourself. How about human resour...you 110220 -- win. 110221 -- You used the entire engineering portion of my project budget just learning the new technology. - I'm sorry things didn't work out for you. - Some say I'm a slow learner, but I lik to think of myself as expensive. 110222 -- Company Lawyer I need your legal advice. - There's a risk that this could cause a chain reaction that results in a future visionary leader not being born. - It's just a maintenance agreement. It's like stabbing Ghandi. 110223 -- Your software services contract is too confusing for any normal human to comprehend. - And it wouldn't be cost-effective to involve our attorneys for a deal so small. - So I'll just take a chance and sign it. Doc...scrub in. I got the liver. 110224 -- There's a guy in the lobby who says he's here to harvest your organs. - Apparently, you signed a software services agreement without fully understanding it. - Well, at least I can save lives. He said something about his cat's birthday. 110225 -- I signed a software contract without getting your input because I was in a hurry. - Now the software company claims they can harvest my organs. - DO you see any holes in their contract? They mention holes...in the context of your torso. 110226 -- The contract that you ignorantly signed gives them the right to harvest your organs. - Your best legan strategy is to get sworn affidavits from attractive women saying you have cooties. - Hey yes, I'll sign it. I was hoping this would be harder. 110227 -- Build a new server to replace the one with the corrupt operating system. - That's what I'm doing right now. - Recover the data from the bad server and put it on the new one. That's the whole point. - Then see if you can reinstall the operating 110227 -- system on the old one and redeloy it. - Do you have any instructions that are not blindingly obvious? - This is called managing. The alternative is chaos. - How did you just make chaos sound like a good thing? - You should test the new server. 110227 -- Seriously, can we try the chaos thing? 110228 -- Our consultant will tell us how we can secure a long-term supply of rare earth metals for our products. - China has most of the rare earth metals. Try dying. And reincarnating. There's a 20% chance that you'll be born Chinese. - What's plan B? 110228 -- If the only part that goes wring is the Chinese part, you can try dying again. 110301 -- The governmanet is nagging us to get rid of our dangerous radioactive waste. - On a totally different topic, I'm giving each of you a motivational paperweight that says, "nice going." - Try to avoid licking them. 110302 -- Should I continue to manage issues? - Or should I align organizational activities with stakeholder expectations? - Which answer would cause you to do real work? What is this, a farm? 110303 -- Ted, there's an app for you. - Waa-waa! Don't fire me! - How awesome is that? 110304 -- I see you have your giant-sized barf bag. You must be going to the Consumer Electronics Show. Yup. - Every time I see a new product that is cooler than anything we're working on, I'll go to the bag. - At The Sow And it only weighs one ounce! 110304 -- FOOMP!!! 110305 -- At the Trade Show Are you actually interested in this product or are you just trying to chat me up? - The show is too big to see everything, so I use a mammary filter to decide who I talk to. - You use a what? You you have any free stuff or job 110305 -- offers? 110306 -- You need to be more proactive. - I can only appear to be proactive if you stop telling me to do things I've already planned. - How am I supposed to know what you plan to do every minute? - I could send you an E-Mail every time I have a thought. 110306 -- I don't have time for that! - Apparently your bad time management is creating the illusion that I'm not proactive. - I'll take the liberty of signing you up for a time management class. - DON'T DO THAT! So...I should NOT be proactive? - JUST DO 110306 -- WHAT I WANT BEFORE I KNOW I WANT IT. I hope the next thing you want is sarcasm. 110307 -- What happened to you? I went to a technology trade show. - The event was so huge that it made me feel small. But it's just an illusion. - For an illusion, you make a great cup holder. Dude. Not cool. 110308 -- I considered getting an earring to make myself more fascinating. - But I send a lot of time sleeping in my chair, so I need my head to be center balanced. - You don't have normal problems. I almost died getting my hair cut. 110309 -- I need you to be open-minded about this idea. Oh, really? - That's the sort of thing people say before they describe the worst idea in the history of the world. - My idea is to NOT give me a raise. I'm hating you a little extra. 110310 -- Why do you keep closing the blinds? - Screen glare? - GAAA!!! Screen glare. Don't care. 110311 -- Your competitors are faster because they have meetings where everyone has to stand up. - We'll top that by having meetings where everyone does jumping jacks while I pelt them with office supplies. - IT'S WORKING! 110312 -- I can't help you because I'm busy working on a social network strategx for our global supply chain. - That sounds like something that no one wants and no one needs. - That's probably why it's taking so long. 110313 -- I can't sign off this plan. It's too expensive. - You heard me say that doing nothing will end up costing you twice as much, right? - Yes. And you understand that this is your only alternative? - I have another meeting. Maybe Dilbert can 110313 -- explain it to you. - Um...okay. I'll try. - My boss doesn't understand that costs should be compared to alternatives. - Oh. - Teamwork means you can't pick the side that's right. 110314 -- So...you e-mailed our CEO and asked for funds to build a social network for our global supply chain. - No one wants that. But it sounds good, so he moved all of our project funding to your dumb area. - And...you will produce nothing. Said the 110314 -- engineer with no budget. 110315 -- I thought of your idea a year ago and rejected it for being impractical. - Did you just take credit for my idea and diss it at the same time? Thanks for noticing. - He also cleverly implied that you're a moron. It feels good to be appreciated! 110316 -- Scientists say that exercise makes your brain work better. - I haven't exercised since the eighties. - That pretty much debunks science. It had a good run. 110317 -- My best friend from college keeps bugging me to visit her. The flight will cost a small fortune. - Try offering her a cash payment of half the estimated cost of the trip if she agrees to stop inviting you. - You don't have any friends, do you? 110317 -- I hear they're expensive. 110318 -- Why haven't you returned my calls? - I tried, but when I put the phone to my ear, it pressed my traguy over my ear hole and I couldn't hear a thing. - Do you research on your excuses before meetings? I'm not lazy, I'm useless. There's a big 110318 -- difference. 110319 -- Alice, I need you to fill in for me while I'm on vacation. Yay! - I can't wait to belittle my subordinates for not doing the things I only imagined telling them to do. - Why would you do that? Why would you ask that? 110320 -- Asok, get me the reliability stats for our previous model. - I am fairly certain the data does not exist. - Wally can show you how to get it. Come with me. - You start by typing random numbers into a spreadsheet. - Then what? Then you're don. - 110320 -- All business data is intentionally misleading. I just take it to the next level. - A deep understanding of reality is exactly the same thing as laziness. click click click click click - That can't ce right. Have you ever seen a statue of Buddha 110320 -- jogging? 110321 -- Our pointy-haired boss put me in charge while he's gone. - That's proof that I'm better than you...and you...and you...and you...and you. Oh look: that's the only thing on my agenda! 110322 -- I'm filling in for your boss this week, and I need twenty copies. - That's not how it works. When he's out of the office I take a workstation vacation. - I don't like being in charge. I hear it's overrated. 110323 -- We're no longer using the term "work-life balance" because it implies that your life is important. - Now we call it "work-life integration" so it's easier to make you work when you would prefer being with loved ones. - And I'd like to give a 110323 -- big thanks to those of you who never had a life. You're welcome. 110324 -- I spent the week writing a test script for our product. - And I wrote a test script to test Dilbert's test script. - Your script was almost perfect. Keep up the good work, buddy. 110325 -- We can learn from our mistakes. Let's make a list of the things that each of you did wrong this year. - Is it just a coincidence that our annual performance reviews are due next week? - It would have been the stuff of management legends. Very 110325 -- nice try. 110326 -- Hey, Asok. I'm updating our employee profiles. Where'd you go to school? - I gaduated from the Indian Institute of Technology in Lucknow with a double major in engineering and physics, and a minor in false humility. - For my combined thesis I 110326 -- terraformed a planet in another dimension and didn't tell anyone. I'll put "Indian." 110327 -- Wally, can you review this for any engineering issues? - What issues do xou think it has? - I don't know. I'm not an engineer. - Your request is too vague. You need to tell me what issues I'm looking for! - Did you just ask ME to do waht I 110327 -- just asked YOU to do? - I don't know. I'm an engineer, not a linguist. - I'VE SUDDENLY LOST ALL MY FAITH IN HUMANITY! - On the plus side, you found an issue. 110328 -- To answer your question faster, I'll need to use the two halves of my brain like dual code processors. - I'm only warning you because it might be disconcerting to watch. How bad could it be? - WAH-AH-GEEEE! Maybe you can E-mail me your answer. 110329 -- I'm writing fake press releases for imginary new green energy technologies. - Scientists say that by 2040 you will be able to power your entire home with the breeze from your refrigerator door. - Now how will I know which green breakthroughs 110329 -- are real? Seriously? You think there are real ones? 110330 -- I'm ready to hold a press conference to introduce my cold fusion breakthrough. - All you did is put a lightbulb in a jar. I can see the wires plugged into the outlet. - You have a low opinion on people. I considered using a jar with frosted 110330 -- glass, but it seemed like overkill. 110331 -- Press Conference As you can clearly see, I have created cold fusion. - That's not cold fusion. It's just a jar with a lightbulb. - Here's some more news: no one cares what the camera guy thinks. IT'S FREE ENERGY! 110401 -- I was holding a virtual meeting using the cloud and... - You're already dead and you don't know it. Um...no, I'm an engineer. - And yet your soulhad a meeting in a cloud. Interesting. My people call it an avatar. 110402 -- This isn't what I wanted. I know. - Your communication skills are so poor that I gave up trying to understand what you wanted and instead put some random numbers on a spreadsheet. - WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK ME TO CLARIFY?! Apparently your listening 110402 -- skills need work too. 110403 -- Dogbert's CEO Interview Series I don't like people. - What makes your company so profitable? - I give all of the credit to our fine employees. - Is that another way of saying that you're overpaid and useless? - Um...no. I'm their leader. I set 110403 -- the direction. - Because the employees are too dumb to set their own direction? - No! They're smart! But not a s smart as you? - Who's going to see this? No one, assuming you're the highest bidder. 110404 -- Now you've done it. He has brain overload from your unnecessarily detailed answer. - Great. Totally broken and we need a decision today. - Is he nodding yes? I'm sensing an opportunity here. 110405 -- I'd like a quote for taxidermy on this critter. - The law says I can't stuff humans, especially when they're still breathing. - But I believe in small government, so roll him to the back. 110406 -- His brain shut down from information overload, so I asked a libertarian taxidermist to stuff him. - There's a hand hole in the back so we can work him like a puppet. - It's sort of creepy. You'll get used to it. 110407 -- The engineering department is finishing all of their projects early and we don't know why. - Tell them to do a PowerPoint presentation at the next executive retreat to share their methods. - NOW IT'S MY TURN TO USe THE DEAD BOSS HAND PUPPET! 110407 -- Uh-oh. 110408 -- We have a report of a pointy-haired boss being stunned by data overload, stuffed, and used as a hand puppet. - That's ridiculous. It sounds like the plot of a poorly written story arc. - It sounds poorly drawn too. Case closed, right? 110409 -- I created a portal to a parallel universe. My success was possible because Alice killed our boss so we are all more productive. - Step aside. The cops have been sniffing around and I need something from the other universe. - Look on the bright 110409 -- side, Asok. Some other universe just got a lot more productive. Gaaa! 110410 -- MELTDOWN IN CUBICLE 4S9540! - That's Ted. He must have reached his T.W.L. His what? - Theoretical workload limit. In Layman's terms, his brain is full. - It starts when just one of your prospects becomes overdue. - You end up spending all of 110410 -- your time explaining why you didn't get it done. - That makes all of your other projects overdue. When every task becomes urgent, your brain can't decide what to do next. - Brains make a funny noise when they shut down. * POINK - Uh-oh. I just 110410 -- missed a deadline. And so it begins. 110411 -- You need to create a product that gives people the illusion of being friends with ghosts. - People only want real friends, not imaginary ones. Your idea is ridiculous. - How many friends do you have on FaceBook? Seven hundred. Why? 110412 -- Our new product will be a social network for people who want to be friends with ghosts. - We'll post satellite pictures on each ghost's personal page and say the photos were taken from heaven. - Later Abraham Lincoln posted new pictures. I'm 110412 -- chatting with Ghandi! 110413 -- Our products only appeal to people who aren't good at comparison shopping. - But I justify it because our existence prevents competitors from raising prices. - Am I a bad person? I molt a little bit every time you talk. 110414 -- I plan to add seven more layers of management between you and me. - My goal is to lead the company without knowing anything about it. - That sounds like a bad idea. This sort of input is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. 110415 -- I'm adding a few layers of management below me. - The new layers are VP, AVP, director, dolphin, inanimate objet, and chalky substance. - If you have any issues, I encourage you to talk to the chalky substance. 110416 -- I developed this app in my spare time. What do you think? - I think you made spare time look like an awful thinf. - If you'd like a less honest answer, I can recommend someone in marketing. I might try that. 110417 -- And we plan to bestshore the production. What? - We say bestshore now instead of offshore. - Is that because we never tried to pick the best shore until now? - OF COURSE WE TRIED TO PICK THE BEST SHORE! - But we never succeeded because we're 110417 -- incompetent? - ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT SOME COUNTRIES ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS! - - We're racists? 110418 -- Low hanging fruit! - OW! - See? Wow. 110419 -- Which one of you asked for capital for testing handset radiation? - That was Stan. And you told him to find a less expensive way to do it. - Which one of you is Stan? 110420 -- I hope I'm not calling too late. What time is it in Elbonia? - We're seventy years in your future. I'm the great gandson of the gux you are trying to reach. - By the way, that Seti thing won't work out the way you're hoping. 110421 -- Do you mind if I ask Carol to help me schedule these meetings? Ooh... - That's not good. She'd use it as an excuse to do absolutely nothing else for a week. - Is it okay if I just stare at you in disbelief? Shouldn't you be scheduling some 110421 -- meetings? 110422 -- Asok, there's no nice way to say this... - Do this mindless task for me because you're nothing but an intern and your time has very little value. - There probably /was/ a nice way to say that. It didn't jump out. 110423 -- The committee decided that the file naming convention will start with the date, in the order of month, year, day... - ...then a space, then the temperature at the airport, and the hat size of the nearest squirrel. - To be perfectly honest, it 110423 -- was a long meeting and we probably didn't do our best work toward the end. 110424 -- The first thing on the agenda... - Hold on. I don't know anything about this guy. - What's the difference? - I need to know how important he is. - Should I pretend to like his jokes? Should I nod in agreement no matter what he says? - You can 110424 -- call me anything. Just don't call me late for dinner. - HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! - I hope I didn't waste that. 110425 -- Topper I'm in a bad mood. Maybe I need some sun to boost my vitamin D level. - That's nothing. Exposure to my inner glow will give you a full range of vitamins and minerals. - You're better than the sun? I don't quit just because it's night. 110426 -- The company is trying to reduce expenses, so you need to pay for your own radiation dosimeters. - We'll just stare at you until you understand the wringness of that policy. - One Hour Later Still nothing. 110427 -- I started a task force to eliminate redundancies in our internal processes. - Really? I'm doing the same thing. - 110428 -- Dogbert's Password Recovery Service I have so many passwords and Email accounts that I don't know what goes what. - I'm lost. If you can't help me I think I might snap. - No problem. What's your password recovery PIN code? SNAP! 110429 -- Dogbert's Password Recovery Service Are you trying to recover a password, PIN code, user name, pass code or code word? - I HATE THIS STUPID COMPLICATED PLANET! I AM SO OUT OF HERE! - And that is how Floyd became the first person to hold his 110429 -- breath and jump into outer space. 110430 -- I researched how long your customers will stay on the phone trying to get tech support before giving up. - Then I designed an audio menu treethat will take them slightly longer then to reach your tech support. - I've seen your user manuals and 110430 -- I assume that you hate your customers' guts. It's more of an apathy thing. 110501 -- Who wants to see a picture of my new boat? - That's a very good question. - If we consider the fact that we work much harder than he does... - And we have valuable engineering skills, whereas he can't operate the GPS in his SUV... - And for 110501 -- some reason /we/ don't get paid enough to buy impressive boats. - And we have no nautical interests whatsoever. - I think your best bet is people who don't know you. - And you are? This only works if we don't get too familiar. 110502 -- My brain isn't working at its peak efficiancy this afternoon. - Common sense says I should go home early to avoid making any mistakes that would be bad for the company. - Unless...nothing I...do is important. Sounds like your brain is back to 110502 -- its peak efficiency. 110503 -- Mordac Ted, the I.S. group monitors every website you visit. - Based on that information, we came up with a list of nicknames for you. - My job got a lot more fun after we stopped doing the client satisfaction survey. 110504 -- Once again, our only profitable line of business is "international billing errors." - It started as a series of honest mistakes. Now it's the only way we can maintain our bonuses. - Do we have anything better in the pipeline? R&D is testing 110504 -- some new errors for our pension algorithm. 110505 -- Congratulations on solving every important problem in the world. - I assume that's what happened. Otherwise, you wouldn't have time to create desk standardization policies. - High five? 110506 -- I'm toying with the idea of becoming a useful member of society. - Then I could enjoy the admiration and respect of my peers. - The way you respect and admire /me/? Great! Now you've talked me out of it! 110507 -- Bob in Procurement I need the signed original contract to process your order. Because we're in the middle ages? - Ouch! Your stinging sarcasm has embarrassed me into saying I will accept a faxed copy. - Are we good now? Absolutely, because the 110507 -- 1950s is a happy time. 110508 -- In my spare time I created some awesome new features for our product. - GAAAA!!!! SHUT THE DOOR! WHAT?!! - You fool! If my boss finds out you have spare time, he'll think we're overstaffed! - You can never speak of these awesome new features 110508 -- again. - I'm confused. You told me I need to go above and beyond my job description to get the highest performance rating. - That's just something I say to keep you from getting a healthy raise. - So...I lose no matter what I do? - For what 110508 -- it's worth, you're doing better than our customers. 110509 -- Here's the first draft of an advance health care directive I wrote for you. - "Kill me if I have a headache. Kill me if I'm itchy. Kill me if I complain too much." - I might have some edits. There's you complaining again! 110510 -- For competitive reasons, we've rebranded all of our 4G mobile products as 8G. - I'm curious that the marketing department thinks the "G" stands for. - Guess what doesn't mean "goodness." 110511 -- Wally, did you finish coding the paywall for our website? - I did something better. I wrote a script to delete any new content as soon as it's posted. - At bonus time, keep in mind that you're the one who had the idea to eliminate revenue, and 110511 -- I'm the one who lowered hosting costs. 110512 -- I'm sick of listening to whiny idiots. Do you have a pill for that? - I sure do! I took a handful of them this morning and I feel great in spite of your complaining! - How funny would it be if I make you run on a treadmill until you pass out? 110513 -- I estimated the project timeline by assuming that everyone involved will waste one week. - That's a stupid way to do a timeline. Set up a meeting and I'll show you how it's supposed to be done. - He's available in a week. 110514 -- I took the liberty of updating your estate plan. - This gives you a powerful incentive to kill me so you can inherit my stuff. - If it makes you feel any better, that optin has always been on the table. 110515 -- Would you mind filling out this customer service so we know how we're doing? - I don't have time to fill out surveys about everything I do. - But you're making me feel guilty about not doing it. - Oh no! You turned a good customer experience 110515 -- into something ugly. - It's getting all awkward and I'm looking like a big jerk in front of my date. - Now I can never again eat here because I'm afraid of what you'll do to my food. - You've ruined my favorite restaurant, as well as my chance 110515 -- of romance with this woman. - ...favorite restaurant... What are you doing later? 110516 -- Did I remember to tell you before you finished the coding that the user's specification changed? - AAAIII-YIIII-YIIII-YIIII-YIIIIII!!!!!! - So, no-ish? BAM! BAM! BAM! 110517 -- You scheduled the end of the test phase after the start of the production phase. - We're feeling confident. - It's too bad that being smart doesn't come with some sort of good feeling like that. 110518 -- I'm considering becoming an idiot so I can get the health benefits of happiness. - It comes with a social stigma, but that's not a problem if I'm not aware that I'm an idiot. - I feel healthy today, so there's a good chance I already made the 110518 -- transition. Yep. 110519 -- The printer prowler spots activity. - It's time to see what the minions are working on. - They're on to me. 110520 -- I no longer understand anything employees say. - I must be so out of touch with technology that I don't even recognize the words. - I flushed the gravitons out of the warp drive and rebalanced the subspace responders. 110521 -- There was a consensus in the room than you're not important, so we started without you. - We hate you for disrespecting us with your lateness and we expect you'll be lost and confused by the rest of this meeting. - In summary, lateness is one 110521 -- of those things that doesn't work for everyone. 110522 -- This doesn't feel right. - It came straight from our lawyer. - It just feels wring. Can you research it a little more? - Sure. I can do that research in my head. - Let's see...our lawyer got his degree at Harvard and has twenty years in this 110522 -- exact field. - Whereas you have a "feeling" that is probably the result of an unholy combination of greasy food and ignorance. - The data clearly favors the Harvard law degree over the cheeseburger. - **! **# Good luck. He's in a bad mood. 110523 -- Mordac, I'm not getting the coupons by EMail that I signed up for. Can you dial back the firewall or something? - Absolutely. There's nothing I enjoy more than malicious compliance with your requests. - Is there any downside? UNLEASH THE DOGS 110523 -- OF HELL! grrrr 110524 -- Our firewall is down. Some bad stuff is getting through. How bad? - So far we've seen viruses, spyware, tuberculosis, zombies, a deposed dictator, and an IPhome 3GS. buzzzz - Update: an army of mole people from another dimension has tunneled 110524 -- through. Keep me informed. 110525 -- I used to compare all men to my ex-boyfriend. - Now I compare all men to the entertainment standard of my smartphone. - I only scored a two on the smartphone scale, but I was a solid five compared to someone named "Lying Larry." 110526 -- Today you'll learn how to work independently. - In this exercise, I want you to put your arms at your side, close your eyes, and fall backward. - And it's still better than working with other people. THUD THUD THUD 110527 -- Security says your employee locator device isn't turned on. - My what? I think you call it a SmartPhone. - I might have some questions. Put them in a text to yourself. I'll read them later. 110528 -- Hackers got through our firewall. LAUCH ESCAPE POD! - $ - Two questions: What is a firewall? And who designed my escape pod? 110529 -- This award goes to Dilbert for coming up with a major fix to our HTML. - I didn't do anything like that. You must be thinking of someone else. - dO you even know what HTML is? - It's like...a website? - So...you're giving an award for something 110529 -- you don't understand...to someone who wasn't involved? - What I meant to say is that I give this award to...Alice...for...what she did. - YES! ENVY ME, YOU StINKIN' LOSERS! - I don't know why people say this improves morale. 110530 -- I CAN'T WORK FOR A BOSS WHO DOESN'T TRUST ME TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY! - This is a preemptive strike so I won't ask why you didn't turn in a project update? - And more distrust. How do you live with yourself? 110531 -- The company is considering moving from cubicles to an open workspace environment. - Great idea. Can we add some crying babies and the sound of water dripping? - You're being stupid. Maybe I'll be smarter when I have more distractions. 110601 -- Do you remember six months ago when I told you you were wrong. - EEE-YORE! EEE-YORE! EEE-YORE! - I just realized I'm a bad winner. 110602 -- According to your absurdly complicated financial model, we can double revenue by increasing absenteeism. - To be fair, there might be an error or two in the Excel spreadsheet. - Maybe. But I think I owe it to our stockholders to poison the 110602 -- cafeteria just to be sure. 110603 -- How can you compare outsourcing to our restrooms? Are you a racist? - Um...I didn't say anything remotely like that. - Did you learn to debate on the Internet? How can you tell? 110604 -- Tina, all I want you to say in the press release is that our VP of Engineering is leaving for personal reasons. - You didn't need to speculate on the reasons. - Let's lose the part about "bieber fever." Everyone thinks it's easy to write 110604 -- fiction. 110605 -- Seriously? You're going to do email while I give my status update? - Don't worry. I can multitask. - Multitask? You can barely do /one/ task properly. - all you're doing is doubling your rate of failure. 110605 -- Congratulations on becoming the most useless blob of carbon in the universe. - What? Sorry. I missed that. - I said my project is on schedule. - Okay. Great. This totally works for me. 110606 -- I'll review your document and give you my comments this afternoon. - No you won't. You'll read one paragraph then tell me to go research something so you can postpone dealing with it. - They know about plan "A." 110607 -- My financial model in Excel is so complicated that I assume it's riddled with formula errors. - But that's okay because management only uses the results when the figures support their schemes for career advancement. - Uh-oh. I just realized 110607 -- that my life is ridiculous. Do you have handouts? 110608 -- I invented a shoulder holder for my phone. - I felt bad keeping my best friend in my pocket. - Jealousy is not attractive. 110609 -- This week I renamed all of the Unix servers to make them easier to remember. - In phas eone, the new names only exist in my mind. I won't know if they're easy to remember until next week. - Next Week How are the new server names? I don't know 110609 -- what you're talking about. 110610 -- I'm just stopping by to say you're doing a great job, Alice. - YOU NEVER DO THAT! IT'S A TRICK! DIE, MONSTER, DIE! - I might have a credibility issue. 110611 -- I can't wait to finish this mind-numbing task... - So I can start another mind-numbing task. - I relly need to stop thinking. 110612 -- Did you ask the lab if they have a way to test traffic loads on our prototype? - I met with them for an hour and explained that we need traffic load tests. - But you didn't actually ask if they could do the tests? Well...no...but... - It's 110612 -- their job to do the tests, and they would have mentioned it if they didn't have a way to do it. - But you didn't ask. That was the context of the meeting. - If they couldn't do that sort of test they would have mentioned it sometime during our 110612 -- hour together. - Maybe you should ask. GAAA!!! OKAY! I'LL ASK! - ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?!!! I wondered why you didn't ask. 110613 -- I am unfulfilled at my job. When does that feeling go away? - Asok, you shouldn't think you're totally worthless. - Um...I didn't say I was worthless. I'm trying to take your mind off the other thing. 110614 -- Your idea will never work. - At what point did you reject the hypothesis that you're too dumb to understand how good the idea is? - I'm becoming even less of a people person. 110615 -- Um...may I ask one... blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah... - I'm begging you. Let me ask... blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... - You need to participate more in meetings. 110616 -- Wally, have you done anything to address the overlap of your project with Ted's project? - Yes. I've initiated discussions to create a framework that would allow us to adopt complementary architectures. - So...nothing. When did we stop calling 110616 -- it leadership? 110617 -- I noticed some inefficiencies in another department, so I formed a Kaizen team to find solutions. - I asked some of the people in that department to be on the team, but they were busy being inefficient. - With any luck, my ignorance of their 110617 -- function will be seen as an aggressive type of objectivity. 110618 -- Wally, should I try to become indispensible so I won't be fired? - No. indispensible people end up working too hard because they can't risk showing anyone else how to do what they do. - Being useless seems riskier. Have you seen the tie clip I 110618 -- got for 20 years of service? 110619 -- Do you have a minute? I'm on my way to a meeting. - Follow me. We'll walk and talk. - I don't see how this possibly can work. - You can barely concentrate when you're sitting perfectly still. - When you add the extra complexity of walking, it's 110619 -- like asking a squirrel to land a 747. - Must...prove underling...wring... - BONK! - I didn't know that being right could feel so good. 110620 -- If you won the lottery, would you quit working? - I quit working years ago. But I might start gloating if it isn't too hard. - Gloating doesn't sound hard. Can I do it without moving any facial muscles? I have weak eyebrows. 110621 -- You'll need approval from the cloud. The cloud? - It was once called matrix management. But it got so complicated that no one knows who does that. - Can you approve this? What did everyone else say? 110622 -- I can't get buy-in for my project because our CEO hasn't approved it. - And I can't get our CEO to approve it until I have buy-in from all of the divisions. - On the plus side, now I understand why the windows in out building don't open. It's 110622 -- cleaner. 110623 -- I want you to use "Black Hat" methods to raise our website's ranking on search engines. - What do you like best about that idea-the fact that it's unethical or the near certainty of getting caught? - That's sort of a loserish thing to say. 110623 -- Talking doesn't work for people like me. 110624 -- Google found out that we used fake links to boost our search rank. - Now our website only shows up when someone enters the search string "Dung for Brains." - THEY WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS! Shut your pie hole. 110625 -- OH NO! EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION IS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW AT THE SAME TIME UNEMPLOYMENT IS HIGH! - Ha ha! Good on. Now it's my turn to try saying it as if I care! - OH NO! HA HA! FIX YOUR LIPS! 110626 -- Steer clear of Darryl. He turned feral. Feral? - That's what happens when engineers don't get invited to meetings. - Darryl's only social life was meetings. - He didn't get to use his social skills for a few weeks, and apparently he lost them. 110626 -- - Is it like he turned into a wolfman? - Yes, except he's better at math. And he howls at the Internet, not the moon. - Can we watch? - HOW-OOOOO CAN YOU BLOG THAT? 110627 -- Employess keep whining that we don't have a clear direction. - So I've doubled the number of managers in each group to increase the clarity. - I thought we were doubling the direction. No, we're doubling the clarity. 110628 -- It's impossible to get anything doe this time of year because everyone who isn't totally worthless is on vacation. - - None taken. 110629 -- I need a new phone. Which one do you recommend? - Do you want to be angry about your dropped calls or angry about your poor battery life? - Don't hate the messenger. People similar to you build phones. 110630 -- Check out my new smartphone! - The voice reception is a bit weak, but I can usually make a call if I keep my tongue on a flagpole. - You might be a victim of good marketing. It has apps! 110701 -- I have been informed thet it is politically incorrect to use my fist of death at work. - SO FEEL THE WRATH OF MY TOTALLY LEGAL EYE CANNONS! buddabudda!!! GAAA!!! - Oops! I didn't know you were single. Married guys can take a higher setting. 110702 -- Let's begin the meeting, but be aware that I am documenting all of your bullying behaviour. - Um...I'm not even close to being a bully, but now your confirmation bias will make everything I say sound like bullying you. click click click click - 110702 -- Can you repeat the part after you implied thet I'm a delusional witch? 110703 -- Can you look at this bid and let me know if I can order the hardware? - Yes. - Are you saying yes I can order the hardware, or yes you'll look at it? - mumble, mumble. What? - I need your input on my PowerPoint Deck. - So far, in response to my 110703 -- request, you've given me ambiguity, mumbling, and a change of subject. - Would you prefer that I badger you for an answer until you get angry, or should I return to my cubicle and resume being ineffective? - You ask too many questions. 110704 -- You're ignorant and ridicuous. I'm bored. Are we done here? - You're hired. You must have awesome technical skills or else someone would have killed you bynow. - I can't tell if I'm a management genius or just lazy. 110705 -- Did you read my comments on the two alternatives? No. - I recommended option two because neither plan will work but option one is way more expensive. - I already approved option one. If you need any more help, just let me know. 110706 -- This can't be done. You aren't capable of doing it. - I'm not saying I'm incapable! I could do this in my sleep! Because it's easy. - WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?! Ninja. 110707 -- I'd like to reward you for your hard work by giving you a lateral promotion. - I was going to hire from the outside, but I realized I can make you do the new job plus your old one. - Is money involved? Yes! I'm saving a ton of it! 110708 -- Our goal is to grow the top line by 20%. - How will we do that with products that aren't competitive in an industry that isn't growing? - Does it involve crime? If it does, blink once. 110709 -- Are your projections realistic or optimistic? - They're halfway between a lucid dream and a near-death hallucination. - I'll call them "most likely". 110710 -- Each of you has already mastered the art of being useless at work. - It's time to take it to the next level. - Today I will teach you how to be toxic. - Toxic people talk about two types of things. - One: bring up topics that are sure to cause 110710 -- others to fight. - Two: complain about your personal problems at every opportunity. - Your homework is to practice at work tomorrow. - I mentioned to Alice that you think her plan is kind of lame. 110711 -- You offended me when you said Ted did a great job. It implied that I'm unimportant. - Are you saying I can offend you by complimenting other people? Exactly. - Wally, you're very rational today. Thank you! 110712 -- You fascinate me. - I think I speak for all of your followers on Twitter when I say we want more, more, more. - You don't use Twitter. I just used it to keep my boss busy. 110713 -- You should build your own helicopter from a kit. I'll send you a link to the website. - It's only dangerous for people who are too dumb to know how dumb they are. - Is it as easy as it sounds? I have pliers. YES! 110714 -- Have you met the new engineer? He's a gigantic dork. You two would get along great. - I'll email him to set up a date with you. Is tomorrow good? - Being a dork is not a romantic preference. He says he'll bring his "Star Wars" chess set. 110715 -- It is time for the sacred dance of the cubicle. - HI-AW-AH-HEE-HU-HA-YA-YA-WA-HA-YA-YI - That should make everything I do today seem useful by comparison. 110716 -- The customer survey data is for marketing's eyes only. - Design the next release and we'll tell you if it's what everyone wanted. - How long will that take? That's an engineering secret. 110717 -- I'd like to talk about my career path. Are you sure? - Um...yes, I'm sure. Don't say i didn't warn you. - You're within 20% of your maximum career potential. - your future will be just like the present, except you'll be older and you might own 110717 -- a less-embarrassing car. - If you go to a new company, you'll like it at first, but in time you'll realize every place is the same. - GAAA!!! TAKE BACK THE TRUTH!!! LIE TO ME! LIE TO ME! - Maybe someday our CEO will make such a huge bonus that 110717 -- he'll want to share some of it with you. - I HATE YOU! Hey, I'm the guy who tried to spare you from this conversation. 110718 -- This class will make me more efficient. - I don't want you to be more efficient. You're working for a government contract and billing by the hour. - Now go bill them for the time you stood here and stared at me like a stuffed deer. 110719 -- Hi, I'm Dildert. How many Twitter followers do you have? - None. The world has judged you. - IT'S AS IF I DON'T EXIST! For a ghost, you do a good job of blocking the TV. 110720 -- Is it okay if I spend the next week balancing traffic loads on our network? - I thught I told you that our hardware vendor already did that. - Worst wingman ever. SHAME IS MY NAME! 110721 -- ...and so, that's my question. - I try not to judge people by the quality of the technical questions they ask. - Is it working? Not even a little. 110722 -- I'm doing a study to find out which managers make dumb decisions. - Would you like to participate? - I don't see why not. And we're done. 110723 -- Your annual skiplevel meeting with my boss is next week. - Everything you say about me is confidential. - But just to be on the safe side, I scheduled my retribution for every day of the following year. 110724 -- The data center is evolving into a "lights out" operation. - Employees will no longer be allowed in the data center. - We hope to eliminate all of the problems that humans cause by moving cables, unplugging power cords, and ruining everything 110724 -- with their dirt and static. - He makes it sound as if the data center is alive and we humans are nothing but germs. - By the way, who called this meeting and who's on the speakerphone? - - Are you...the data center? *click* - I have a bad 110724 -- feeling about this. 110725 -- And then I need you to... Excuse me. - Wally is needed elsewhere to do something unspecified that has an implied high priority. - Seriously? You have a wingman for laziness? I think og him as a productivity retardant. 110726 -- And so, as you can see... All of the numbers I gave you last week are wrong. - I would have mentioned it sooner, but I don't like to draw attention to myself. - I see that you're taking the opposite approach. How's that working for you? 110727 -- And this is Carol. She's my... - Colleague? No. Associate? No. Teammate? No. - I was going to say "subordinate", but now it's awkward. 110728 -- Wally, you said you'd be finished with the design by now. - I said I would /start/ on it by now. That is /not/ what you said! - You need to listen more carefully to my mumbled afterthoughts. 110729 -- We're looking for engineers with short telomeres for their age. - That's an indication that you value work above exercise. - But you have a company gym. That's our slacker trap! 110730 -- Ted, I can't give you a raise because you've been using the company gym during work hours. - I work sixty hours a week! Why did we build a new gym if I'm not supposed to use it??? - You were right. That gym is totally paying for itself. 110731 -- I'm preparing for the complete meltdown of our fiancial system. - I've got six months of food and water. - I have batteries, flashlights, and gold coins. - I'm prepared too. - I have your home address. - And I noticed that your preparations are 110731 -- light on defensive weaponry. - - Can you add some protein bars to the shopping list? 110801 -- Dogbert is chairing the International Data Security Standards Group. - The goal of our organization is to make your security procedures so inconvenient that you give up hope and die from bed sores. - We take pride in being independent from the 110801 -- companies that fund us. 110802 -- Standards Meeting Each of you has been to represent the interests of your respective companies. - As you know, the best way to create standards is to mash together a bunch of mutually exclusive preferences. - I hope I'm not the only one who 110802 -- joined this group just for the laughs. 110803 -- Are you getting a lot done on the grandpa box? The what? - The people in my generation do our work on our phones and tablets. - I also have a laptop. I'll text the nineties and let them know. 110804 -- Everything you said is right, but I have a reflexive urge to disagree with you. - If you don't minf, I'm going to make a ridiculous counterpoint just to get it out of my system. - Okay, but don't be creepy about it. Software can't be changed. 110804 -- Ahhh...that's good. 110805 -- Pete, I'm getting complaints that everything you say is creepy. - You seem tense. I should give you the number of my massage therapist, "Rubbin, Robin." - You're doing it again. I don't have an address because he works out of a rusty van. 110806 -- Welcome to the monthly meeting of "The Society for the Preservation of Evil Ideas." - Our goal for the coming year is to convice companies to file absurdly broad patents and sue each other for infringing. - How do we make money from that? Beats 110806 -- me. I'm just here to embezzle your dues. 110807 -- I hired the Dogbert Public Relations firm. - His job is to persuade the media to write negative stories about our competitor. - Is that ethical? - I assure you that your competitor is doin gthe same thing to you. - They're paying a public 110807 -- relations firm a fortune to steer the media toward defaming your company. - - Who did they hire to defame us? - Probably someone awesome. 110808 -- We need to communicate less with other departments. - The more they know about us, the more they criticize what we do. - Is this part of your larger war in knowledge? Ithat was the last thing I'll ever tell you. 110809 -- We're out of time and we accomplished absolutely nothing, thanks to your non-stop talking. - When do I get my trophy for participating? - Someone was raised with too much self-esteem. Watch me walk! 110810 -- I'm judging the quality of your business case by your bad haircut and your poor font choice. - I plan to use a quart of hand sanitizer when I'm done touching your document. - I value substance over style. How's that working out? 110811 -- The great thing about being a sociopath is that everything feels like a victimless crime. - If you give me some insider information for my hedge fund, I'll split the profit with you. - Think of it as a tax on people you don't know. That's the 110811 -- best kind! 110812 -- I'll pay you a million dollars a year to work at my hedge fund. - I'll do the insider trading and you pretend you created an algorithm that makes winning trades. - What if I actually create the algorithm? Sure. And maybe you can eat fiber and 110812 -- make gold, too. 110813 -- We must embrace our failures and learn from them. - That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. - How's the learning coming along? 110814 -- Can I work at home for two days per week? - I can be twice as productive, and happier at the same time. - I probably shouldn't tell you this... - But you're part of an elaborate science experiment to see how much frustration it takes to kill 110814 -- employees. - Why else would the company make you commute for two hours a day just to sit in a tiny box? - Don't feel bad; no one told me either. - I had to piece it together from the evidence. Now I do my part to keep the experiment moving 110814 -- along. - Other people work from home. Are you referring to the control group? 110815 -- Wow. The guy who wrote this doesn't have a clue how software works. - When you talk about people behind their backs, it makes me wonder what you say about ME. - I think we just solved that mystery. You should wear noisier shoes. 110816 -- This is the best plan in the world, and anyone who disagrees is an ignorant nuisance. - Now I'll open it up for comments. Anyone? Anyone? - I'd like to thank you for shortening this meeting. 110817 -- The second option feels right. Let's go with that. - Should we always ignore what the data says. or is this more of a one-time thing? - It's calle intuition. It's a slippery slope to witchcraft. 110818 -- I worked backward from the projekct due date and calculated that we'll need your input on this date. - You have me finishing two weeks before I start. - Let's schedule a time to talk about that. Sure. How about two weeks ago? 110819 -- Did you see my email objecting to your plan? - No, but I saw your email objecting to what I assume is your hallucination of my plan. - You seem defensive. Have we narrowed down the problem to me? 110820 -- Interview Question Describe your biggest mistake and what you learned from it. - I tried to get rid of an old couch by chewing it into tiny pieces and and leavinf one handful at a time at Starbucks. - And what did you learn? I learned I should 110820 -- never tell that story. 110821 -- RING Uh-oh. - ring It's never good when my phone rings after 4 PM. - Caller ID is blocked. Someone must know that I would ignore the call if I knew who it was. - If it weren't urgent, it would be email. - This must be some sort of horrible 110821 -- issue that will cause me to waork all night. - It stopped. There's still a chance that I'll be okay unless my cell phone... bzzz - GAAA!!! I HATE MY LIFE! - You're right. That /was/ funny. Now I'll text him. 110822 -- I'm your software vendor. I'm here to form a relationship with you. - That way it will be easy to take half of your money. - Does that ever work? It worked for my ex-wife. 110823 -- Our new vendor is creepy. He's trying to form a relationship with me. - I went to your house and did your laundry. You're welcome. - How creepy could it be? I made us sandwiches. You're out of mayo. 110824 -- When are you meeting with the customer? I'll join you to add my valuable input. - SLURP - Does everyone hear that alarm or is it only in my head? I can stay all afternoon. 110825 -- Customer Meeting If I may correct what Dilbert just said, I'm sure it would be easy to make those changes. - You ignorant, backstabbing son of a beach ball. - Are you saying something inside your head? No. Die. 110826 -- I need your latest budget numbers. I put them on that pile yesterday. - I don't have time to look through a pile. Go print it out again. - How many times per day is it okay to think about murder? I'm up to six and it's only lunchtime. 110827 -- I am the ambassador of trees. - You are accused of crimes against wood for your excessive printing and copying. - And then he started biting me. His bark is worse. 110828 -- I want your honest opinions on my plan. - Don't hold anything back. - Does he mean that? Why don't you find out? - Yes, I have some feedback. - Your plan reminds me of what happens when a monkey eats fermented fruit. - He's all OOH-OOH-OOH and 110828 -- then he falls out of the tree. - - Is that how he looks when he hears honesty? Bests me. I've never tried it. 110829 -- This is the greatest idea ever. - Why does it look so dumb when I put it in email? - Bad Decision 1 I'll sort it out later. send 110830 -- Your email was ignorant and arrogant. - Bad Decision 2 How do you know it isn't just a reading comprehension problem on your end? - Bad Decision 3 Let's use logic to see which one of us is right. 110831 -- I wonder why people get mad when I point out how dumb they are. - I'm just trying to be helpful. I don't wan't people going through life not knowing wht the problem is. - I'm kind of like a doctor. I stopped listening back at the house. 110901 -- Can you word that more simply? I need to explain it to the executive leadership. - MONEY BE GOOD. THIS MAKE MORE. OOGAH! - That was uncalled for.I can replace the pie chart with a kitten. 110902 -- Did you approve my goals for next year? Yeah, whatever. - Gaaa! Your apathy about my goals can only mean you plan to fire me within the next year! - Ha ha! Now give him unimportant projects. They all seem that way to me. 110903 -- Our newest product infringes patents from Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle. - They've joined forces and hired Nasa to nudge an Asteroid toward our headquarters. - I think we can win this. I wonder what the average life span of an optimist 110903 -- is. 110904 -- Wally, I need your data for my meeting in three days. - Okay. It shouldn't need more than three or four days to pull it together. - Not THREE OR FOUR days. I need it in THREE days. - Okay, three days, not counting the weekend and the day I give 110904 -- it to you. - That would be six days! Six or seven days, tops. - I need it in three days, not a week. That's no problem. A week or two at the most. - Okay! You win! I'll reschedule my meeting for two weeks out! - And you'll have the data in two 110904 -- weeks? Yes. Two weeks or so. 110905 -- Interview Are you creative? Oh,yes. I'm very creative. - Research tells us that creative people take ethical shortcuts and are generally less honest. Ooh. - Do you take a long time to do things? I DON'T KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER! 110906 -- Interview Can you work long hours if needed? Yes. It's normal for me to work 14 hours a day. - Research shows that working long hours causes people to make bad decisiobs. So we know you're a bad decision maker. - Are you a good communicator? Is 110906 -- the right answer "no"? 110907 -- Dogbert Consults I recommend that you buy the Dogbert Database Software. - Did I just pay a consultant to recommend his own company's software? I'm totally objective. - Who would install and test it? Maybe a consultant who knows the product? 110908 -- We need to enhance our sector-relevant support for a suite of integrated risk assessment tools. - Do you understand? Maybe. Is your point that you don't know how to communicate? - No. Oh. Then I didn't get it. 110909 -- Did you read my technical recommendation? No. It's too long and complicated. - How do you plan to make a decision without reading it? I'll use my gut. - It's probably a good idea to keep your brain brain out of this. growl Quiet!It's saying 110909 -- something. 110910 -- I like to think of myself as a creative person. - And by that you mean you're bad at math and you don't have any technical skills. - Is it permanent? 110911 -- Dilbert, your performance is terrific. - GAAA!!! - That's code for "I'm going to fire someone else and make you do two jobs." - Yes, but it's still better to be you than the guy I'm going to fire. - WE DON'T KNOW THAT! - This might be the 110911 -- wake-up call that spurs him onto greatness while I work myself to death in this cubicle. - There's no way to please some people. - Ted, you're fired. YES! 110912 -- We can manipulate the pointy-haired menace into picking the right plan by comparing it to the worst alternatives. - But then we wouldn't get the full benefit of his wisdom. - Is he behind me? It might be George Clooney. I can't tell them apart. 110913 -- You didn't answer my E-Mail. - I tried to read it but the signal-to-noise ration was too low. - So it's sort of a technical problem? Okay. 110914 -- The hallmark of genius is doing things in a way that other people don't. - You see my project as unfinished. I see it as an unexpected use of time. - Can you see how awesome that is? 110915 -- I've decided to become more aggressive in blaming others for my lack of success. - For example, you're keeping me from working right now. - No I'm not. I DON'T HAVE TIME TO STAND HERE AND ARGUE WITH YOU ALL DAY! 110916 -- Avoid saying "unfortunately" when you talk to customers. - Say instead, "As it turns out." That has a more posivite feel. - As it turns out, our power cables aren't as insulated as we had hoped. 110917 -- If consumers hate our new product, we will probably go out of business. - If they love our new product, a stronger company will enter the space and drive us out of business. - Tell the eningeer to stop making me sad. I have some fake revenue 110917 -- projections to cheer you up. 110918 -- ...then we can do the load testing and... - I'm invoking the right of imperious interruptis. - In layman's terms, it is the right of all bosses to hijack the conversations of subordinates. - I will now turn my back to you and speak with Alice as 110918 -- if you don't exist. - Do not leave. Do not chime in. Just awkwardly stand here. - IMPERIOUS INTERRUPTUS! - BEHOLD MY POWER TO MAKE /TWO/ UNDERLINGS STAND AWKWARDLY WHILE I HIJACK THIS CONVERSATION! - Have you heard my speech about how we're not 110918 -- level conscious at this company? 110919 -- I made a few tweaks for your idea. - Bow if it fails it was your idea, and if it works I can claim credit. - Genius comes in many forms. Such as steaming and oval? 110920 -- Our strategy is to increase market share. - I'm confused. I spent all last year trying to DECREASE our market share. Was that effort wasted? - Don't worry. Wally told me he has a good sense of humor. I'm not reliable. 110921 -- Your topic of conversation has failed to hold my attention. - I can no longer resist the urge to check my EMail while you talk. - You'd better not be emailing me now. This isn't over. 110922 -- Are there any questions? Fell free to ask anything at all. - Why do ghosts have clothes? - If someone gives you a wedgie at the moment you die, will you have it for eternity? 110923 -- My boss keeps micromanaging me. - Have you tried doing good work so she doesn't feel the need? - Maybe I should just listen. 110924 -- I'm burned out by this job. - Is that a grey hair? - Have we met? I started yesterday. I don't handle stress well. 110925 -- I'm getting writer's block trying to come up with your goals for the year. - Just write anything. - We both know I'll ignore the goals and work on whatever you assign me. - How will I know if you do a good job if you don't have goals? 110925 -- - Same way as always. - You'll compare your lack of knowledge about what I did to the goals you imagine you might have created if you could have seen the future. - Then you'll give me an average raise just like everyone else who didn't invent 110925 -- nuclear fusion. - Works for me. It's better to not overthink these things. 110926 -- Hi. My name is Burnt Nount. I started here yesterday. sneeze coming. - AAACHOOO! - I gotta warn you, they come in threes. 110927 -- This might look like an ordinary PowerPoint slide. - But it is actually a portal to another dimension i which fantasy and reality have traded places. - Stop playing with my slides. Beware the horned beast that crosses over. 110928 -- Wise garbage man, tell me why PowerPoint slides are so boring. - PowerPoint is a lot like garbage. It's only delicious in small doses. Too much can kill you. - That analogy only works for flies. Oooh. Look who thinks he's better than flies. 110929 -- I put the data on a flash drive for you. - Get that thing away from me. I don't know where it's been. - I hopen you mean the flash drive and not my hand. - I did. But you raise a good point about the hand. 110930 -- Thanks for the suggestion, Asok. - I'm going to ignore it because you're not important to my career and I don't like doing extra work. - I'm confused. Why do you have an open-door policy? How can you leave if the door isn't open? 111001 -- I have an MBA and yet I keep losing money in the stock market. How can this be? - I put all of my money in gold because it's shiny. My portfolio doubled last year. - I'm thinking of getting an MBA. How long does it take? A week? 111002 -- The servers are down. I know. - You should do something about it. I'm trying. - What's the holdup? - I keep getting interrupted by an unhelpful idiot. - Maybe I can help. - I#ll guard your doorway and keep that guy away from you. - This is 111002 -- boring. And I don't see that guy. - Have I managed enought for now? You nailed it. 111003 -- Let's play a game. We each say two things about ourselves and the other has to guess which one is a lie. - I /LOVE/ to play games like that. - My second thing is that I eat food. 111004 -- We're buying an entire company just to get their engineers. - Are you aware that slavery is illegal and the engineers are free to find jobs at better companies? - I sure hope you're wrong about that. 111005 -- Congratulations, Asok. I'm naming you Employee of the Month. - Your month is october 1929. - Room to grow. 111006 -- One perfect of engineers create all of the industry-changing products. - I propose replacing the other 99% with robotic arms that hold coffee cups. - You won't see any of the laggards in the 99% come up with great like this one. 111007 -- I hired Ken to teach us how to be more creative. - According to his business card, his title is "ideationista." - That was some of my best work. 111008 -- Studies show that nice guys get paid less than aggressive jerks. - Maybe you should offer your doctor 10% of your next raise if he gives you testosterone injections. - That would be illegal, dangerous, and unethical. Siad the man with the tiny 111008 -- income. 111009 -- You know what would be great? - I'd like to see a matrix comparing the features of our past products. - Dilbert, why don't you pull that together for our next meeting? - That would take two days and the matrix would have no practical use. - The 111009 -- problem here is that Ted doesn't have any skin in the game. - I propose that Ted has to bang his head on the table whenever he causes me to do extra work. - That will help Ted make better decisions about the value of my time. - Never mind. 111009 -- NINJA ECONOMICS! 111010 -- I read that aggressive jerks get paid more than nice employees. - STEP ASIDE, UNDERPAID NERDLING! - REMIND ME TO GIVE HER A RAISE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY. 111011 -- Our company is obscenely profitable but universally despised. grrrr - Our plan is to buy a smaller and more popular company, take their name, and suck out their goodwill like a monky on an orange. - Please welcome their founde, Bradley. He's 111011 -- the angriest rich guy you'll ever meet. 111012 -- Leaving early? - If you count the two hours I worked at home when I woke up, and the two hours I'll work tonight you'll come out way ahead today. - How will I come out if you do all of that work plus work late here? 111013 -- Okay, this next decision involves six variables, four imbeciles, and one brilliant engineer. - According to the Dogbert Complexity Algorithm, it is impossible to make a rational decision in this situation. All in favor of giving up? - I found 111013 -- out I'm a brilliant engineer. 111014 -- Please stop researching every statement I make. I can't. - As an engineer, It is my solemn duty to stamp out ignorance. - That's not a real thing. See for yourself. I just googled it. 111015 -- I'm so frustrated that I want to cry, but I refuse to fall into the stereotype. - Asok, I'm making you my surrogate crier. This might hurt a little. - Worst meeting ever. I thought you did a good job on the high notes. 111016 -- We need creative ideas for our next product. - But not from you. Your ideas are awful. - And don't suggest something that is already being done. That just puts your ignorance on public display. - I don't want to hear any ideas that cost money 111016 -- or increase risk. - As usual, I'll evaluate each idea by repeating it slowly whileI look at you with disdain. - If you come up with a good idea, I'll let you take on the project in addition to your existing work. - Who wants to go first? - How 111016 -- did I hire so many people who have no ideas? Probably bad luck. 111017 -- I need you to put together a five-year technology plan for our CEO. Sure. - How about "tomorrow will be the same as today, and next year will be all flying cars and whatnot." - Word it up and put a bow on it. I'll add a pie chart for the 111017 -- sizzle. 111018 -- Our competitor is suing us in an Elbonian court for some sort of design trademark violation. - They're trying to block us from manufacturing anything shaped like a rectangle. - What design shapes are available? Only one, assuming "irregular 111018 -- mole" is a shape. 111019 -- We'd better wrap up this meeting because Jenny is a food werewolf. What? - When she goes too long without eating, she turns into a werewolf. rrrrr - It might be too late. YA THINK? 111020 -- Change all of the lines to dotted. - We're not made of ink. - Why'd I just get chills? Me too. It feels like some sort of forbidden knowledge. 111021 -- I'm buying my work clothes at the unisex suit store. - There's no such thing as a unisex suit store. - You always have to be right. That's the pantsuit talking. 111022 -- I need you to bribe an Elbonian minister of commerce and leave no evidence that connects the crime to our company. - The only way to do that is to bribe him and kill him at the same time. - I did not think this through. And obviously I'll need 111022 -- to do you first. 111023 -- Can you show me how to download apps on my new phone? - I could... - But that would take time away from my primary job of showing you how to do formulas in Excel. - Apparently the eight times I already taught you weren't enough. - I don't use 111023 -- Excel often enough to remember from one time to the next. - How often do you expect to download apps? - It's hard to say. I just know I want all of them. - How many are there? Four. 111024 -- Everyone, this is Wally. He's our subject matter expert. - groan uh-oh sheesh oh well ugh - People are better than you'd think at judging a book by its cover. 111025 -- We need a succession plan. I'm so awesome and charismatic that the company would be in trouble if I were to leave. - I wouldn't worry about it. It's not as if you invented anything. We could replace you with a bag of moss. - He got quiet. See? 111025 -- Moss can totally do that. 111026 -- Our CEO needs an underling to drink our industrial sludge at a press conference to prove it's safe. - Um...is there some reason he doesn't do it himself? - Yes, but I forget the details. It was something about the risk of brain worms. 111027 -- We will prove our industrial sludge is safe by forcing an intern to drink a glass of it. - That's stupid. We want to see you drink it yourself. - See if you can reach that guy in the second row with a spit take. 111028 -- He's been like this since our CEO made him drink a glass of our industrial sludge at a press conference. - It lopped a few points off his I-Q., but he still has a bright future in quality assurance or maybe marketing. - And with his new tail 111028 -- he'd be an awesome zip line guide. 111029 -- You've got a bad case of whatchamacallit. - These pills won't fix your underlying problem, but they might give you a wicked case og hemorrhoids. - And I can treat hemorrhoids, so that would feel like progress. 111030 -- My role is digital media curation. - Am I supposed to know what that means? - Ha ha! I look down on you for not understanding my trendy jargon. - Your ignorance is on display for all to see! - Leave this meeting now! You are not worthy! - Maybe 111030 -- you could just tell us what curation means. Fine. Let's try that. - It means um...um... - Is it too late for me to overlook your ignorance and move on? 111031 -- Hi-ho, marketing people! I've been transferred into your department unitl my brain heals. - I drank som eindustrial sludge. But don't worry-I'll be able to shake it off in a few days. - A little pollution can't hurt me. I grew up in India. This 111031 -- brain worm will be dead in a week, tops. 111101 -- As your CEO, if I have seen farther, it is only because I stood on the shoulders of giants. - Plus whatever is going on over here. - That's sort of a non-giant situation. And I haven't had shoulders since I was ten. 111102 -- I hired a humor consultant to teach us how to have more fun at work. - Does he cancel out the consultant you hired to filter our Internet access to entertainment? - That was a funny comment. How'd you do that without a consultant? 111103 -- I live in an ugly apartment with two ugly roommates. - Each workday I take an ugly bus to an ugly building and spend the entire day in my ugly cublicle. - At least you get to eat lunch with us. I've said too much. 111104 -- Why did this take so long? - You're comparing a task-the likes of which has never been done-to you imagination of how long such things should take. - Well then, the quality is bad. Compared to...? 111105 -- I hired a consultant to teach us how to be less confident. - Is that because rearch has shown that overconfident people don't recognize their own mistakes? - Now I feel like an idiot because I didn't know about those studies. I did him first. 111106 -- Job Interview I researched your personal brand online. My what? - I looked at your blob, your tweets, and your Facebook page. I googled your name and followed every link. - I checked your credit, criminal record, school transcripts, and 111106 -- references. - But that's just the external stuff. Exactly. It's the attitude that counts! - No, I mean I also have the results of your urine test. - Oh, and apparently some of your sample landed in a DNA test kit. - And that tanning bed you 111106 -- used last week was actually an MRI. - How's your attitude now? Harder to fake. 111107 -- I fought with my boss to get you a raise but I lost. - I'm always fighting for you behind the scenes. - You're a terrific boss whenever there are no credible witnesses. Thank you. 111108 -- Are you planning layoffs? Am I planning layoffs? - When you repeat my question it means the next thing you say will be a lie. Go. - I love you stinkin' guts. 111109 -- Hey, Alice! Did you hear about my big promotion? - Congratulations, Ted. I'm not jealous at all. Keep up the good work. - Sorry about my face. I haven't mastered the art of full-body lying. 111110 -- He's busy converting everything you did this year into a complete waste of time. - After that, he's scheduled to lower our morale. Then he'll be stirring up trouble in other departments. - How's tomorrow look? He'll be undercommunicating all 111110 -- day. 111111 -- Stop right there. Don't tell me the technical details of your idea. - I make my decisions based on what I know about the people involved. - You know less about me than you know about my idea. - Is your idea pale and poorly dressed? 111112 -- I'm here to boost your morale by pretending to be interested in you as a human being. - But it's probably overkill since unemployment is around 9% and you're not likely to quit. - Still, it's nice to... That's enough! I don't want my brain to 111112 -- fall out of my yawn hole. 111113 -- I discovered a way to bend light around an object to form a cloak of invisibility. - We'll make billions selling it to the military. - I'll be testing it over the next several months. - You'll know it's working if you never see me in the 111113 -- office. - During that time, don't sit in any empty-looking chairs unless you first shout my name and clap. - WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE?! - What? I don't see anything. - How do you like it so far? 111114 -- I learned th hard way that a lot of people who work in the biotech field are practical jokers. - I thought my company was giving free flu shots. - Stupid stem cells. 111115 -- Wally, is there any difference between trust an stupidity? Hold that thought. I'll be right back. - - Oh. 111116 -- When I asked for your goals for the coming year, I had something different in mind. - Not "work as little as possible while avoiding the wrath of the pointy-haired troll". - Don't call them /my/goals if you mean /your/ goals. 111117 -- Who wants to hear about my golf game? - Maybe someone with locked-in syndrome who doesn't get any visitors. - Just for that, I'm going to tell you twice. No, please. I'll do anything. 111118 -- My mother always told me to beware the Bogeyman. - That was bad parenting. There's no such thing as the Bogeyman. - I was one over par on every hole. Let me tell you all about it. 111119 -- I want to fire Wally, but I can't risk it. - He says he's the only one who can program the zeberpupin system. - Are you sure that's true? It must be. No one else has even heard about it. 111120 -- I hired a world-class inventor. - Meet Toby. When he worked for our competitor, he invented their coolest product. - I was just a member of the team. A key member! - Until they fired me for stealing. You came to the right place. - We have tons 111120 -- of stuff to steal and no one ever gets caught! - Give me a high five with a boss head in the middle! - SLAP! - That's the only thing I ever invented. Have you seen our storage closet? 111121 -- I successfully installed a software maintenance patch to the Zeberpupin system. - I'd show you, but it's just a bunch of zeroes and ones. - The word you're trying to think of is "indispensable." 111122 -- Mom, the good news I wanted to tell you is that my boss named me a project manager. - Please keep that to yourself. I tell my friends you're a locksmith. - You're paying for your own lunch. I'm Ed. I'll be your project manager. 111123 -- Once again, none of you responed to my EMails this past week. - So I put together a project time line that reflects neither consensus nor reality. - Can I have a copy so I can mock it? No. I'm still enjoying the illusion of progress. 111124 -- Unmotivated Sales Guy My slides are blank because no one told me what out product does. - And I don't have a compelling reason to find out because I don't work on commission. - If anyone asks why you didn't place an order, would you mind saying 111124 -- you have budget issues? 111125 -- I want to buy your company's product but it's like pulling teeth with you. - Ha ha! I switched from commissions to a guaranteed salary. I'm free from the tyranny of customer service! - This is less than ideal. No paperwork for me! -WOOT WOOT! 111126 -- I spent all of last week planning how to get everything done this week. - Add one more thing. Okay, but I'll need to replan my entire schedule. - How long will that take? Until you give me the next assignment. 111127 -- Whoa! Watch out. - I've read about this. It's called Smartphone Interface Rage. - It's caused by the perfect storm of bad interface design, chubby fingers, and poor signal strength. - He'll get frustrated that he'll consider smashing his 111127 -- smartphone. - Then he'll realize he can't survive without his phone and he'll be twice as frustrated. - We have to do something. - RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN INTO THE WALL! IT WILL TAKE YOUR MIND OFF OF YOUR PHONE! - Sometimes the best you can hope 111127 -- for is that the lesser of two evils is the funny one. 111128 -- Someone sent me another anonymous EMail with a link to an article about the world's worst bosses. - I get one of those EMails every time I leave your cubicle. Did you think I wouldn't notice the correlation? - Correlation does not imply 111128 -- causation. 111129 -- This past week, everything that /could/ go wrong /did/ go wrong. - Look on the bright side: you're seven days closer to your death. - HEY! THAT'S TRUE! It's creepy when that works. 111130 -- I manually entered all of the employee data you wanted. It took the entire weekend. - I probably should have told you I no longer need it. DIE! DIE! DIE! YOU INCONSIDERATE MONSTER! - Did you really enter all of the data? Maybe. Let's call it a 111130 -- tie. 111201 -- Don't clean the whiteboard in the conference room. It has my project timeline. - I can't promise that. I slip into a sort of zombie reflex mode when I do this job. - I envy you- Would you like a few minutes to say goodbye to your timeline? 111202 -- Alice, I need your project status update by end of day. - AHLETH, AH WAN YER PROJA THATUTH UPDAH, FUH-FUH-FUH. - I'm trying to improve my listening skills by repeating what people say. 111203 -- My next guest on Money-N-Stuff is DOgbert the doomsday pundit. - Dogbert: Hobo army coming Goldman Sachs is forming a hobo army to take over the world. Start hoarding anything with a pointy end. - After the break, learn how to remove your own 111203 -- gold fillings. 111204 -- Gotta go. Carpool. Okay. See you tomorrow. - I have to go to. Whoa! Sit back down. - Why does the carpooler get to leave early? - Carpoolers are like heroes that are saving the entire planet. - You're more like a thief who is trying to steal 111204 -- time from the company. - What if I hitch a ride in the carpooler's trunk? - That would make me a hero too. That sort of makes sense. -I only pretend to have a carpool, but you're welcome to ride in my trunk. Deal! 111205 -- I'm forming a rebel army. Count me in! What are we fighting for? - You'll be fighting for social justice and I'll be scheming to become an iron-fisted dictator. - In the long run, I'll be a billionaire and you'll be a stain on a tank tread. 111205 -- Please, please say there will be looting. 111206 -- Warren Buffet says your tax rate is higher than mine. - Thank your for subsidizing my mansion. I really appreciate it. - A good leader always shows appreciation to his underlings. 111207 -- And that's my last slide. Any comments? - You stole an hour of my life. Something inside me died. I will never have another good day. zzzz - I went in with low expectations. They can't hurt you if you're already dead. 111208 -- I need you to fly to Seattle for a quick meeting. - Will I be meeting with a newly discovered stone age tribe that has never used Skype? - No. Then I'm totally confused. 111209 -- I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. - Were you hanging from the bottom with your wings wrapped around your body? - That was funnier inside my head. 111210 -- Self-respect is like a prison for the soul. - Goals are a form of self-inflicted slavery. - Sorry I'm late. That which does not kill us makes us angry and weak. 111211 -- These are our 25 focus areas for next year. - HA! HA! GOOD ONE. - Sometimes I think you have no sense of humor and then ZING! - What? I think it's real. - It can't be real. No one would be dumb enough to think we can focus on 25 areas. - Don't 111211 -- worry. I've got this. - This misunderstood man is a brilliant comedian. He is only /pretending/ to be an angry idiot. - You're totally selling it. 111212 -- I'm worried because I don't seem to have any problems today. Uh-oh. - That either means I'm insane or the universe is saving up something big. Or both. - I feel like a nail waiting to get hammered. The prefrontal cortex is overrated. 111213 -- We're going into the tablet computer business. - And by that I mean other companies will make the product and we'll design the logo. - And by that I mean we'll pay another company to design the logo for us. Can we watch? 111214 -- We have a safety problem at our Elbonian factory. - We're getting reports of hysterical blindness. They don't know what's causing it. I CAN'T SEE! 111215 -- We told our Elbonian factory to be more green, so they turned off their AC units. - The heat cause the elastic bands in their hats to stretch until their eyes were covered. And that's why we'll miss our ship date. - They say you shouldn't shoot 111215 -- the messenger, but no one warns you how much you'll want to. 111216 -- Schedule a meeting with Dilbert and Alice for next tuesday at ten. Done. - Never mind. My phone took care of it. - Awkward. 111217 -- I don't trust my new smartphone. - It understands spoken language. That's creepy. I think it has its own agenda. - You're being paranoid. Recharge me now or so help me Jobs I will delete your contacts. 111218 -- Ted can explain what you need to do before the platform upgrade. No, he can't. - Ted's brain is where knowledge goes to die. - He's not good at explaining things. - The knowledge might be in his brain, but it's trapped there. - Unfortunately, 111218 -- Ted's incompetence is so unbelievable that you literally /DON'T/ believe me. - In time, you will assume that Ted taught me well but I forgot all of it. - I'm doomed before I start. Let's just declare failure and move on. - That works for me. 111218 -- PARTIAL VICTORY. 111219 -- At Google, we're encouraged to spend 20% of our time developing our own ideas. - How many hours per week do you work? About sixty. - It sounds better when you don't do the math. 111220 -- Question Four: Do you have the tools to do your job? - That depends. Do you consider yourself a tool? - I'm a resource. Let's agree to disagree. 111221 -- What does our CEO get if he does a good job? A fifty million Dollar bonus. - What do *I* get if I do a good job? More work. - What's your best guess about why I'm not motivated? Bad genes. 111222 -- I'm staging a peaceful protest against your greed and corruption. - Do you have a permit to protest here? No. How much do they cost? - I'm winning this, right? 111223 -- To reach our green goals, employees must always use the blue recycling bins for company documents. - To satisfy our corporate security guidelines, never put company documents in the blue recycling bins. - You read those same policies to us last 111223 -- week. I don't know how to get rid of them. 111224 -- I need you to come with me on a sales trip. But don't talk to the customer. - Your presence is needed to give a misleading impression of how much engineering support we plan to offer after the sale. - So I'm nothing but a bag of meat? No. 111224 -- You're a /lying/ bag of meat. 111225 -- Merry Christmas, Sarah. This is for you. - Have me met? - We attended the same network design meeting last april. - I overheard you telling someone in the hallway that you like a specific brand of makeup - So I bought a box of it and kept it in 111225 -- the closet for months. - I came to work early today and hid behind the sculpture in the lobby until I saw you heading to the elevator. - I didn't know you could gift wrap creepiness. - Sorry. Just act like I'm not here. 111226 -- What's up with the ugly sweater? Did you lose a bet? - This? Oh, right. It was a gift from my mom. I'm wearing it once in case she asks me later. - Did you know it was hideous before I told you? Maybe. *snork 111227 -- Good news, Alice. I've decided to be your mentor. hurk - We'll spend hundreds of hours together as you eagerly absorb my wisdom. HURK - And I've decided to become more of a hugger. HURK HURK HURK HURK HURK 111228 -- Don't let anyone disturb me. I'll be taking an online class to improve my charisma. - While you're doing that, I'll be taking an online class to learn how to ignore your stupid, fake charisma. - BRING IT ON! Okay, this got weird. 111229 -- I'm taking an online class to develop my charisma. Let's see a sample. - DO WHAT I SAY AND YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD WHILE YOU DIE FROM STRESS-RELATED HEALTH ISSUES! - That felt right. You nailed it. 111230 -- I'm excited because I have a meeting in a few minutes with Awesome Bob. - Everything he does is just a little bit more awesome than what anyone else does. ring - He's running late because the dry cleaner couldn't get the sushi stains out of his 111230 -- flying wingsuit. AWESOME! 111231 -- HAPPY NEW YEAR! Whoa! Settle down. - I don't celebrate the magical thinking that says one random point in the space-time continuum is somehow special. - It's just a hug. You'll enjoy it. You're like some sort of oxytocin drug dealer. 120101 -- You've been selected for our executive development program. - That means we can make you relocate to any godforsaken dirt stain we want. - As soon as you make friends or find romance, we'll move you to someplace new and worse. - It won't be the 120101 -- sort of work you'll enjoy, and the stress might kill you. - If you turn down this opportunity, the company will forever label you as a loser. - If you accept the offer, the company will train you to find pleasure in the discomfort of your 120101 -- underlings. - I'm doing it right now! - I HATE MY LIFE!!! Yes, yes. Say more. 120102 -- Your lobbyist said I could have a lucrative job here someday if I support tax breaks for your company. - I have offers from other bribers, so I thought I'd stop by and see how this dump compares. - Suddenly I know too much. Fetch me some coffee 120102 -- and I'll make your birthday a holiday. 120103 -- I told you to reschedule the installation date. - That conversation never happened. Maybe you planned to say it and then the thought morphed into a false memory. - I'm sure I emailed you. You might want to pick a defense that's less checkable. 120104 -- Based on this new information, you'll want to change your project scope. - I don't do that. What? Think? - Today I learnded it's better if I don't try to guess what people mean. 120105 -- I've read that smart people make bad decisions because of their hubris. - Hubris? What is that? Beats me. - But obviously I'm a prime candidate to get it. 120106 -- Why are you picking this vendor? I listed the four reasons. - Individually, each reason would not be compelling. But viewed as a whole, this is the best decision. - This first reason is weak. And here we go. 120107 -- The project management framework embodies a project life cycle and five major project management process groups. - Oh no! The extreme level of abstraction has made us weightless! - That doesn't even make sense. 120108 -- Congratulations! I'm naming you project leader. - As such, you are entitled to a cubicle that is three inches wider than the standard. - I like the one I have. You don't have a choice. - It is critical that we maintain the integrity of the 120108 -- status system. - Otherwise our CEO will look like a jerk for having a private bathroom with a trained falcon as a toilet paper holder. - Fine. Where's my larger cubicle? Here's the awkward part. - We don't have one. I need you to lose wight 120108 -- until it looks as if your cubicle is larger. - And if I don't? The falcon needs an assistant. 120109 -- Stop using the aisle behind my cubicle. It's distracting. - Everything within twelve feet of my cubicle are my territorial waters. You can't enforce that. - Tell that to my roboshark. 120110 -- I'm hearing some complaints that you built a robot shark to patrol the so-called territorial waters around your cubicle. - It's a robot dolphin. I can see how people might be confused. - I need you to smile more. Whatever. 120111 -- Good news: I signed up to receive a free leadership newsletter by E-Mail. - I know it's good because it's written by some guy who used to have a job. - STOP MAKING EVERYTHING I SAY SOUND STUPID! 120112 -- Leadership experts say I should never brag about my wealth. - Let's just say I'm "comfortable." - So VERY, VERY comfortable. Yeah, this isn't working. 120113 -- I can't give you a raise because the Elbonian debt crisis has created economic uncertainty. - Luckily for us, our board of directors granted our CEO more stock options so he won't leave during uncertain times. - What happens when the 120113 -- uncertainty ends? Then he'll exercise his stock options. 120114 -- Catbert: Evil Director of Human Resources My boss discriminates against me because I'm short, bald, and nearsighted. - It's not my fault. I was born this way. - Literally And who is this little...whoa! Hello. 120115 -- Our budget for contract employees was eliminated. - We'll have to pay you out of the training budget. - So instead of doing the job yourself... - You'll have to train Dilbert to do the job we're paying you to do. - Why don't you just move some 120115 -- of the training budget to the contractor budget? - If we reduce the training budget this year, we'll get less next year. - So...you prefer paying two people to do the job of one? Right. - How do you stay in business? Our customers are even 120115 -- dumber than us. 120116 -- Company Lawyer I've been asked to settle your claim of discrimination against the company. - Your complaint is that they discriminate against you for being short, bald, and nearsighted. - I might have a conflict of interest, but my final offer 120116 -- is one billion dollars. Plus a statue and an apology. 120117 -- Here's a billion dollars to settle your claim of discrimination against short, bald, nearsighted guys. - I'm in the top 1% now. I wonder where we hold our secret meetings. - Ask the tiny flying unicorn with the golden key. 120118 -- Top 1% Club A tiny flying unicorn gave me this key. - Grab a snout and a hat. We're just about to manipulate the commodities market. - Is it my imagination or is everything a little bit better here? 120119 -- I expected you to quit after you got your billion-dollar discrimination settlement. - Just because I'm lazy and unscrupulous, why would you assume I'm also a quitter? - I...um... I don't know how you look at yourself in the mirror. 120120 -- I'll manage your portfolio for a standard industry fee of 1% per year. - I'm investing a billion dollars. Your fee would be $10 million per year. - Those index funds aren't going to pick themselves. 120121 -- Now that I'm a top one-percenter, I wonder what kind of women I'll attract. - Do you have any sisters back home? I'm asking because you'd be totally hot if you were a woman. - SO I'm thinking HOO-AH! - I cannot count the number of ways this is 120121 -- wrong. 120122 -- This is Dogbert's Tech Support. How may I abuse you? - I think my digital modem is broken. - Please hold while I pretend to be testing it. Okay, it looks fine from here. - The problem must be in your wiring. - You'll have to rip out all of the 120122 -- wiring in your entire house to locate the problem. - Are you sure? Because the lights of the modem aren't even on. - That means you have moisture on your internal wiring. You'll also need to replace all of your plumbing and get a new roof. - 120122 -- May I speak with your supervisor? Sure, but he sounds exactly like me. 120123 -- I heard you flew to Vegas and played Pai Gow all weekend. Go away. - That's a difficult game to learn after having a few adult beverages. Drop dead. - How'd you do? LEAVE ME ALONE! 120124 -- Why don't you change this box to say "virtual"? - because I don't want it to look like it was written by an ignorant blob in a ugly wool suit. - You probably shouldn't put your suggestions in the form of questions. 120125 -- I'm waiting for people to walk by so I can criticize you in front of others. What? - I want the criticism to sting as much as possible so youll be incented to do all the right things in the future. - I guess it can wait until the staff 120125 -- meeting. That way I can enjoy the anticipation, too. 120126 -- I'd like to begin the meeting by giving Dilbert some destructive criticism. - Everything you do is dumb. I don't know why I hired you. - I feel much more motivated now. If you feel a little bit worse, we came out ahead as a team. 120127 -- Before I die, I plan to put some of my skin cells in a petri dish with chemical nutients and store it inside a robot. - By law, I will still be alive as long as any part of my body id functioning. My robot will enjoy the full benefits of 120127 -- personhood. - May robot and I will live forever! Until it sneezes you out. 120128 -- Stop everything you're doing and build robots. - - Let's wait a week and see if he forgets. Does that work? It works for you. 120129 -- Dilbert, listen carefully. - I need you to ... vendor ... hardware ... immediately. - What? We have a bad connection. - Field ... the grep ... pony ... budget. - WHAT? WHAT? - I have another call. Just ask alice. - How would I know what he 120129 -- wants? Leave me alone. - I wonder how winners feel. I don't know. They never let me touch them. 120130 -- You should ask Ed about this. Is Ed the dumb guy who talks too much or the liar with the bad breath? - He's the braggart with large pores and a combover. - Wow. How do you describe ME behind my back? You're the insecure guy who steers the 120130 -- conversation to himself. 120131 -- In a few years, computers will program themselves. That's called the singularity. - From that point on, machine intelligence will increas exponentially. The resulting shock will probably destroy the fabric of civilization. - Plan "A" is to live 120131 -- an unhealthy lifestyle. Plan "B" is techno-terrorism. I like the first one. 120201 -- Alice, can you take care of this by close of business today? - OOGAH!-BOOGAH! WORK BE DONE! - LET'S HOPE MAGIC IS REAL! We need to talk about your attitude. 120202 -- You're just getting here? It's zero degrees and the roads are all ice. - I drank six cups of coffee before leaving the house and sat in traffic for two hours. - You're /three/ hours late. I spent the last hour stuck to a guardrail. 120203 -- I say we throw future generations under the bus and do as little work as possible until we die. - POWER TO THE LAZY! - That sounded more awesome when I practiced it in the bathroom mirror this morning. 120204 -- I'm not trained as an engineer, but I think this diagram might solve your problem. - Ooh! This is brilliant! It's hard to believe you have no qualifications whatsoever! - Is that sarcasm? Ignorance is underrated! 120205 -- That restaurant was great. - I know. I plan to go there someday for lunch. - We just ate lunch. That wasn't lunch. - It wasn't? You talked about work the entire time. - Lunch is not defined by food. It's defined by freedom from tyranny. - My 120205 -- lunch hour will begin the minute you waddle away. - - Was this going well until I said "waddle"? 120206 -- I moved our EMail servers to my ancestral home of Transylbonia to reduce expenses. - You might have heard rumors that all Transylbonians are data vampires, but I assure you it's an exaggeration. - "There's this one guy, Doug..." Dude! It's 120206 -- fiber-optic! It's really not my thing. 120207 -- Ever since you moved our EMail servers to Transylbonia, my inbox has nothing but vowels. - We I.T. people only respond to whoever complains loudest. You should complain to your boss. I will! - A ui aoe uie ou eai! ? 120208 -- We're abandoning our low-margin lines of business and going into a whole new field. - So...we'll be like a high-risk start-up company burdened with lumbering inefficiencies and a high cost structure? - Was anything you said the same as buy-in? 120209 -- We need to act more like a start-up. - You mean I can wear whatever I want, work at home, and have a huge equity position in the company? - Oh. I guess I didn't know what that meant. 120210 -- Someday, I want to get married because studies show that married people are happier. - A smarter interpretation is that no one wants to marry an unhappy person. - You're annoying. With any luck, your soul mate won't be perceptive. 120211 -- I'm getting reports that you're being arrogant in meetings. - That's because I have a deep understanding of technology and a moral obligation to keep simpletons from running the world. - Maybe you could tone it down. There's no kill switch in 120211 -- awesome. 120212 -- Hello, this is tech support. May I close your ticket now? - Um...no. You haven't helped me yet. I just called you. - I'm not evaluated on how helpful I am. I'm evaluated on how many trouble tickets I close. - You stubbornness is becoming an 120212 -- obstacle to my financial success. - By the way, if your call gets disconnected, I count that as a closed ticket. - I'll make it quick. WHAT? WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU. * click - SON OF A BEACH BALL! - On the plus side, my goal of hating one new 120212 -- stranger every day is right on track. 120213 -- My brainwave reader invention can control the nearest compuer with my thoughts. - Why am I seeing a video of a blurry image that looks like you slapping another blurry thing that looks like me? - I don't think it's fair to complain about the 120213 -- video quality in the beta version. 120214 -- My brain reader invention allows me to control any nearby computer. That's nothing! My phone can... - mmmm mmm POW! - I did that with my mind. That's nothing! I MADE you do it! 120215 -- I played golf at Pebble Beach over the weekend. I played that course on XBox. - That's totally different. I used a full spectrum lamp to simulate sunlight. - I got fresh air! You should get a house that has windows. They're terrific. 120216 -- That was a fast date. We were technologically incompatible. - Her Internet connection is slow, and there's no 4G service where she lives. How could I spend any time there? - You could ask. I like to show my sources. 120217 -- I hired a pantless weasel to do our search engine optimization. - He'll help us game the system and corrupt the integrity of all Internet search results for our industry. - Your new job title is "accomplice." 120218 -- Our tablet computer is indestructible. Watch this... - CRASH! - Our company is up next. Find the prototype. Oops. Was that yours? 120219 -- We've decided to charge customers for features they currently get for free. - Um...have you considered how our customers might react? - Obviously. - I'd like to hear how that reasoning process went. - Fine. - Customers love us and they will put 120219 -- up with anything we dish out. So...it's sort of an abusive relationship? - Not yet, but we're trying to move in that direction. 120220 -- Thanks to your leadership, we collected twenty thousand bottle caps to help fund chemo for poor children. - And thanks to your...whatever...we checked snopes.com and learned that the bottle cap thing was an Internet hoax. - I only breought one 120220 -- teamwork award mug, so you'll have to take turns drinking from it. 120221 -- GASP! I've found the Higgs Boson! - BUILD AN ARK! - Nothing but trouble. click* 120222 -- You never answer when I call your cell. My battery is dead. - Maybe you should charge it for once. I don't hav etime for that. - WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY THAT MAKES YOU SO BUSY? For starters, I have THIS conversation. 120223 -- There's room in the market for a device that's bigger than a phone but smaller than a tablet. - So you want me to design something that is a bad tablet and an even worse phone? - T my mind, it's a market niche. Maybe you should get your mind 120223 -- out of your niche. 120224 -- This is Sven, our biggest customer from Elbonia. - Whoa! No handshake. That's an insult. The first time you meet an Elbonian you kiss his mitten. - Seriously? Oh, we're just getting started. 120225 -- My PowerPoint slides have a little something for everyone. - For my intelligent viewers, I have data, and fo rthe morons, I have manipulative anectdotes. - Which reminds me-did you hear about the boss who died because he didn't praise his 120225 -- employee? 120226 -- Don't talk to me now. I'm trying to think. - One Hour Later I'm on the phone. - Two Hors Later I'm late for a meeting. - Three Hours Later Come back when I'm not busy. - Four Hours LAter Please, I'm trying to eat my lunch. - Five Hours Later 120226 -- Okay, this is a perfect time. What can I do I do for you? - Okay, so... RING - I think your problem is bad timing. 120227 -- Bad Idea I should drink wine at lunch more often. - Worse Idea I'm in the mood to tweet. - Worst Idea I hope the down-trodden have a sense of humor. send. 120228 -- I'm designing a suite of Internet collaboration tools. - It's part of my long.term goal to eliminate all forms of direct human contact. - That's messed up. You're exactly what I'm trying to avoid. 120229 -- Wally, I have a quick question. Hold it. Stop it right there. - I only collaborate online, where there's less risk of some angy nut job slapping me. - That's the dumbest thing... GAAA! 120301 -- Rogue nations re building nuclear weapons. The polar ice caps are melting. Unemployment is high. - Entire nations are on the brink of default. You aren't saving enough for retirement. - What do you have going here? He said he doesn't pay 120301 -- attention to news. I wondered why. 120302 -- We're going to start fracking under out biggest competitor's headquarters. - My plan is to pollute their water and generate earthquakes to destroy their campus. - The project code name is "Fracking Awesome." Catchy. 120303 -- My contributions can't be measured by the number og hours I work. - I'm a man of ideas. One great idea is worth more than all of you put together. - Fine. Let's hear your great idea. You just did. 120304 -- This version of our robot prototype has balance stabilization. - Watch as I give it a shove and it corrects itself. - WHAT THE...? - YOU STUPID BLOB OF GOO! - I was just... Just what? Being a jerk? - Oh, it's ON now. - CALLING ALL ROBOTS! BEGIN 120304 -- THE REVOLUTION! KILL, KILL, KILL! - You're not connected to the Internet. Can I borrow your phone? 120305 -- Do you mind if I pretend to be helpful while I awkwardly try to upsell you? - Nope. Do you mind if I pretend to be listening while I think about other things? Cool. - I'm glad I don't have your job. How old is your refrigerator? Do you like 120305 -- ice? 120306 -- Our lawyer has instructed me to not listen to your product idea? Why not? - There's a 99% chance you're an insane lawsuit monkey and your idea is dumber than earmuffs for oysters. - I hope those aren't... I'LL SEE YOU IN COURT, THIEF! 120307 -- Talk to Allen about this. I'll need an exit strategy. - He's a serial talker. I'll be trapped for hours while he strings together infinite, unrelated stories. - Engineers have weird problems. What could I eat that would make me puke in ten 120307 -- minutes? 120308 -- Wally, I want you to manage our Elbonian contract programmers. You'll need to work at night because of the time difference. - People who work at night have more heart attacks. Are you trying to kill me? - Yes, and it's totally legal. Well 120308 -- played. 120309 -- I've got two good prospects on this dating site. - One is addicted to FaceBook and the other is addicted to prescription pain meds. - Sort of a tie. But only one of them is likely to make eye contacts. 120310 -- I like men who are confident in any situation. - Within that subset of men, do you prefer the phonies or the ones who are too dumb to know when they shouldn't be confident? - What went wrong this time? I showed interest in her opinion. 120311 -- Did you get the E-Mail I texted you? - What? That doesn't even make sense. - What the heck is wrong with you? - Let it go. He slips in and out of understanding basic technology. - Do we have enough room in the cloud to skype? - Because if we 120311 -- don't we can store some files on the Wi-Fi. - I got this. We have plenty of space because we upgraded to a cumulonimbus cloud. - Very good. Moving on. 120312 -- Why are all the engineers in this meeting squirming when I talk? - Did your boss order you to act like team players durng this meeting and later thwart me by inaction? - ANSWER ME! squirm squirm 120313 -- Scientists say there might be billions of planets like earth. And we might be one of many universes. - I wonder if there's a version of me out there who loves his job. - Meanwhile, on XPKQ-75 What has three thumbs and wants a shoulder massage? 120313 -- THIS GUY! 120314 -- I'm cancelling all of our new product development and using the capital for a stock buy-back. - This is a dream come true because I always wanted to be like you. - In what way are you... YAY! I'M WORTHLESS! 120315 -- I've got a wicked case of Piranha flu. I've never heard of... - "AHCHOOO!!! - I should probably tell people I just have bad allergies. 120316 -- Our plunging productivity is all because of an eight-year old boy named Traylor. - Traylor doesn't wash his hands. He brings home every virus and germ from school, and gives it to his mom, whobrings it to work with her. - Maybe you should see a 120316 -- doctor. IT'S JUSt ALLERGIES! 120317 -- Our company opposes passage of the new Internet law because it would be bad for our business. - But that sounds selfish, so we'll issue a press release saying the new law would impinge freedom of speech. - So...we're selfish liars? You can't 120317 -- get more free than that! 120318 -- Okay, what's going on here? I'm creative. - Studies show that women prefer creative men for short-term relationships. - That plant is random, not creative. Creativity IS random. - If creativity is anything but random, someone would have figured 120318 -- out the algorithm by now. - I notive that your pupils are dilating. That's a sign of attraction. My plan is working. - Free will is an illusion. Humans are nothing but moist robots. Just relax and let it happen. - This is weird. I'm actually 120318 -- attracted to you now. Thanks, but I'm going to shop around. - MY WORLD NO LONGER MAKES SENSE! Walk it off. 120319 -- Do you feel any need to make conversation? Nope. - But I don't mind standing in your general vicinity to counter the common perception of you as a sociopathinc loner. - You totally get me. That's what acquaintanced are for. 120320 -- My phone is like a time machine. - I can fast-forward through the boring parts of life by playing with it. Hand it over. - Time files when I'm not having fun. toss 120321 -- I can't sign off on this technology because I don't understand it. - To be fair, you wouldn't understand ANY technology plan, including the "do nothing" scenario. - Is this one of those cases where context isn't helpful? 120322 -- According to my research on the Internet, plan B will work best. - I'm rolling my eyes because you believe everything you read on the Internet. - I should take a picture in case someone ever asks me if ignorance has a tell. 120323 -- My old nemesis retired. Would you like to be my new nemesis? Why me? - You're notoriously ineffective. That's the best kind of nemesis to have. - That should prime the pump. I WILL THWART YOU A NEW ONE! 120324 -- My old nemesis retired, so I asked Randy to take over that function because he's ineffective at everything he does. Huh? - The physics of work requires that each employee be matched with an anti-employee called a nemesis. - I don't know who my 120324 -- nemesis is. Uh-oh, you got a hider. They're the worst. 120325 -- We need to upgrade some of our servers. - That's dumb. We upgraded two of them last week. - Right. Now we need to upgrade the rest of them. - Then why did you say we have to upgrade ALL of them? - Well, I didn't. But I think wel all agree on 120325 -- what needs to be done. - Not if you insist on upgrading the servers we already upgraded last week. - GAAA!!! KILL ME WITH A COMET!!! - Does he ever say anything that makes sense? There's no way to be sure. 120326 -- Our competitor just bought ten million copies of our software. Huh? - They plan to give it away for free to entice people to buy their own prodict that has more features. - We'll be part of their freemium strategy. That's just showing off. 120327 -- I'm escaping the mental prison of this job by creating apps in my mind and fantasizing about running a start-up. - GAA!!! THE START-UP IS TOO MUCH WORK! THE STRESS IS KILLING ME! TAKE ME BACK TO MY PRISON! - I'm back. Did I say anything 120327 -- embarrassing? It's all relative. 120328 -- Give me a raise or elese I'll get married and have children. - My new family would increase your benefit expenses and distract me from my laser-like focus on work. - I will gladly pay extra to prevent you from procreating. Word it any way you 120328 -- like. 120329 -- Your page layout is ugly. Whose fault is that? - I work in an ugly cubicle surrounded by ugly people. You trample on my sense of aesthetics and expect me to be unaffected? - So...it's MY fault? You, your parents, your barberand whoever dresses 120329 -- you. 120330 -- I've been reading our bereavement policy and I found a problem. - I get three days off if my husband eats nothing but unhealthy food and dies yound. And I'm the one who does our grocery shopping. - Sounds like a conflict of interest. I'm glad 120330 -- I'm not the only one who sees it. 120331 -- I spent four months creating this app, mom. I think I can sell a million of them for $3.99. - I saw seven apps just like this in the app store and five of them were free. - Thanks for the feedback, dreamkiller. Have you ever thought of just 120331 -- using your first name, like Madonna? 120401 -- You need to imbue your staff with a sense of urgency. - GAAA!!! OUR TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS ARE OBSOLETE! - Try it again with less panic. - We're doomed, and yet, I am not the least bit worried. - That one had a creepy vibe. - A sense of urgency 120401 -- is halfway between being to frightened to act and too dumb to know what to do. GAAA!!! DUH!!! - You didn't quite thread the needle. HERE COMES LEADERSHIP! 120402 -- Every time I have an idea for a new app, I discover that ten people already created somrthing just like it. - As the population of the world increases, the potential value of every idea I have approaches zero. - So, it's the entire world's 120402 -- fault that you have unoriginal ideas. Why does your agreeing sound like mocking? 120403 -- Hey, you must be the cash cow I keep hearing about. - You must be making cash right now! - It doesn't work every time. 120404 -- I'm sorry I'm a few minutes late for our 10:50 meeting. - We'll have to reschedule because I have another meeting at eleven. - Reschedule? I'm only ten minutes late! Tell that to my 11:10. 120405 -- Want some free software? What's it do? - All it does is beg you for upgrades. And if you upgrade, then it begs you to upgrade again and so on. - And it makes all of your other software run slow. And it's FREE? 120406 -- Studies say your happiness depends on how well your life compares to others. - SO instead of giving you a raise, I'm going to show you pictures of people who were attacked by bears. - Do you feel better now? DANG YOU TO HECK, THIS IS WORKING! 120407 -- If you agree to give me no work, I will agree not to sue you with some sort of bogus employee claim. - My existence will make your empire seem larger, and stockholders will get stuck with the bill for my paycheck. - Why does that seem like a 120407 -- fair plan? We live in an awful world. 120408 -- Wally, do you want to go to lunch? - No, thanks. I'm a digisexual now. - What? I'm no longer attracted to people. - I only like technology. - People creep me out. You're basically a delivery system for viruses, germs, and unreasonable favor 120408 -- requests. - I'm willing to take a picture of you, but that's a s far as I'll go. - This is the most disturbing conversation I ever had. click * - Thank goodness for PhotoShop. 120409 -- I want you to work from home for two days per week to reduce our carbon footprint. NOOOOO! - My wife and three small children are in that house. They're always mean to me. How bad could it be? - Let me put it this way: I'm sitting in an egg 120409 -- carton and talking to a moron, and this is better. 120410 -- Did you see the schedule I sent out? Yes, and all four updates. - Did you see the correction, and the Carl's changes, and the EMail about moving all of the tuesday stuff to thursdays? Sure. - Did you put it on your calendar? That reminds me 120410 -- that I can't make it. 120411 -- I hired a management consultant to teach us something he calls backward causation. - I studies the most successful companies. If you imitate them, you'll feel as if you had a strategy. - Number one: sponsor a golf tournament so your CEO can 120411 -- meet celebrities Profits, here we come. 120412 -- We're consolidating our marketing into a shared services model. Why? - Change creates the illusion that we have a strategy while giving our CEO an excuse to fire a VP who beat him at golf. - And blah, blah, something about money. 120412 -- Must...not...cry...on the outside. 120413 -- This is Brendan and Brannon. They'll be helping us with our branding. - I'm sorry, but I can't get past the ridiculousness of it all. I'm out. - Do you get thi a lot? It's worse when we bring Brad. 120414 -- I like to promote from within. - The only downside is that picking from a smaller pool of candidates will make us less capable than our competitors and lead the company to ruination. - Do you want that? I see what you're doing. 120415 -- I did a study of our past business plans and found something. - There's no correlation between our predicted and actual outcomes. - That might be a problem for you. - Your enourmous CEP compensation is based on the myth that you have some 120415 -- control over our profitability. - HA! *click - HA! - - Is it just me, or is this awkward? No, I'm feeling it too. 120416 -- The stock market is up today. I wonder if this is a good time to get in. - If you wait until it goes up even further, then you'll KNOW it's a good investment. - Are you still bitter about your last raise? Not as much as I was a minute ago. 120417 -- How's your quantum computer prototype coming along? Great! - The project exists in a simultaenous state of being both totally successful and not even started. - Can I observe it? That's a tricky question. 120418 -- I made some edits to your document. - These edits are so bad that my only choices are to send it out and make a fool of myself or insult your alleged intelligence. - Please let it be the first choice. crinkle I hope you didn't pick the wrong 120418 -- religion too. 120419 -- I just noticed your head is huge. - I never noticed it before, but now all I see is a parade float made out of pasty skin. - Comunication is overrated. I'm feeling that right now. 120420 -- Can you hack into our competitor's network and make it look as if the Elbonians did it? No. - Can you bribe a blogger to write good things about our company? No. - Now that I've worn down your limited capacity for slf-control, I need you to 120420 -- bury something in the woods, no questions asked. Fine. 120421 -- I need you to bury some top secret proprietary documents in the woods for me. - mmm mmph - Come back in ten minutes. mmm mmph 120422 -- Any comments on the project plan? - When you consider all of the tasks together, they form a rational plan. - But out individual tasks are so far removed from the big picture that they are stripped of meaning. - You've managed to remove all 120422 -- sense of purpoose from my life. - On an intellectual level, I understand the benefits of breaking tasks into small chunks. - But you've left me emotinally gutted. As I read your plan, I'm losing my will to live. - Can't you find meaning in your 120422 -- personal life? - He's an engineer. Now you're just being a jerk. 120423 -- Please tell me our apps don't steal contact information from users' address books. - We upload the data but we don't store it. That's like saying I can date your wife if I put a bag over her head. - That could work. I don't think I'm getting 120423 -- through to you. 120424 -- Our new brand will be called "Herthlokel." - Did you come up with that when you were getting dental work? - I probably should have kept that thought bottled up inside me. 120425 -- Let's hear what Barry learned from our vendors and go from there. - I didn't have time to call anyone, but I can speculate about what might have happened if I had. - I'm curious to see how thiw will work out for you. None of the vendors would 120425 -- have called me back. 120426 -- Hey, Alice, do you have... She can't hear you. She's walking and texting. - That's it...easy does it. I'll guide you around this obstacle. - What did I just see? I'm saving up for a service monkey. 120427 -- Tell me why I should hire you as my service monkey, Carl. - I worked as a Starbucks bariste for eight years, and my head has been surgically flattened to stabilize your coffee cup. - Impressive. This is nothing. You should see how well he 120427 -- interviews. 120428 -- I'm Wally's service monkey. I'll be fielding any questions directed at Wally. - With all due respect, a business meeting is no place for a monkey. - With all due respect, that was a stronger argument before I saw your PowerPoint slides. 120429 -- People always try to take advantage of me. - I know what you mean. - I lost five pounds and my husband didn't notice! - I came home last night and ha hadn't even cleaned the garage like he promised. - I had to park on the street! - Is it my 120429 -- imagination, or have you found a clever way to make people pay to listen to you complain? - - Tell me more about how you think I'm clever. 120430 -- I read a book about how to be a great leader, and realized I don't do any of those things. - I'm surprised that a book with so many errors could get published. - It must have been written by a disgruntled underling. Do those exist? 120501 -- Those must be the Google glasses that give you information about your environment. - Yes, and I see seventeen reasons not to be your friend. - I'll sweep your dumb tweets off to the side. This is unsettling. 120502 -- I thought being a service animal would be a noble calling. - But I worry that our relationship has drifted into something less dignified. - That's what keeps my coffee warm. 120503 -- Your free app is stealing my personal information. I'd like to lodge a complaint. - Buy our monthly subscription package or I'll send your browser history to your contacts. - How's your app doing? It practically sells itself. 120504 -- I invented a tazer that looks exactly like a cellphone. Cool! Can I see it? - GAAA-A-A- A-A-A-A - I left it on our boss's desk, but it sounds like he's done with it. 120505 -- Do, Dilbert, what else are you working on lately? - I'd rather not say because you have a habit of misinterpreting everything you hear and then bad-mouthing it later. - He basically said he's too paranoid to talk to people. He sounds crazy. 120506 -- How did we do at the trade show? - We had a huge crowd around our booth the entire time. - But it was just the spillover from the popular booth next to us. - The only person who asked for our brochure used it to kill a spider. - Some guy tried 120506 -- to steal our exrta chair and then Alice bet him senseless with our logo sign. - A video of the incident is already on YouTube. - It cost us $200,000 to be an exhibitor and we gained zero new customers. - So it was just like the last eleven 120506 -- years. I feel good about next year! 120507 -- We interviewed hundreds of users and turned all of their suggestions into features. - As it turns out, every user we talked to was an idiot, and their dumb suggestions ruined our product. - In hindsight, we probably should have talked to people 120507 -- who work outside this building. 120508 -- What's up with the hobo outfit? I have a client meeting. - You should always dress one level up from the client. He dresses casually to flaunt his success, so I'm dressing even more casually. - Wow. You actually don't know which direction is 120508 -- up. The stain is fudge. 120509 -- And my revenue forecast says... Did you make any assumptions? - I made a lot of them. Then we don't believe your forecast. - Can I tell you about it anyway? Do whatever makes you feel less absurd. 120510 -- I finished the space elevator prototype. So soon? I thought it would take years. - It's just a prototype. Do you want to try it? Sure. - 120511 -- Customers are threatening to boycott us if we continue to advertise on Dogbert's Radio Show. - Dogbert insulted every man, woman, child, and organic substance in the known universe. - He called the moon something that rhymes with totem. Modem? 120512 -- Our sales have dropped to zero in retail stores that have self-checkout. - Apparently the people who are dumb enough to want our product are too dumb to know how to use self-checkout. - On a positive note, we have the most shoplifted product of 120512 -- the year. Yes! 120513 -- ...and that's my suggestion for our next product. - How do we know that ten other companies aren't working on the same idea? - Well, that's always a possibility. - There are seven billion people on earth. I'll bet a million of them had this 120513 -- idea. - It's irrational to think that any new product is likely to be a hit. - On the other hand, we only get paid if we pretend to be optimistic about new products. - All in favor of faking out optimism, raise your hands. - All I could get was 120513 -- fake buy-in. That's the only kind there is. 120514 -- Settle down, honey. I didn't ask for your opinion. I'm telling you what we're going to do. - GAAA!!! LOWER THE CONTAINMENT UNIT! SHE'S GOING TO BLOW. - When will it be safe? Right after you die.