Ok ladies, I’m sure you’ll agree with me on this one—there are cowboys, and then there are wanna-be cowboys. The real cowboys are the ones that know how to handle their rifle (pun intended), own a pick up truck that they love only slightly less than their woman, and would never, ever dream of ordering a cosmopolitan at a bar. In fact, they most likely wouldn’t be caught dead in a bar that serves cosmos in the first place.
Then there the wanna be cowboys. The ones that blare their country music just a little too loud, and wear designer jeans instead of worn out wranglers. Unfortunately, my office is home to one of these wishful thinking cowboys. Don’t get me wrong, I am a city slicker who loves herself some Rascal Flatts. But I would never try and convince people that I was an Iowa farm girl. Alas, he is not as aware as I am.
And that’s what makes the prank that the boys from accounting pulled on him so hilarious. Now, if anyone out there is thinking of pulling this stunt in their own place of work they should make sure to get permission from the boss man beforehand, lest they find themselves shoveling manure for a week in repentance for their sins.
First, they threw down a sheet of plastic on his cubicle floor, and they put a couple of squares of sod down over the plastic sheeting. Then they pinned up a huge cartoon farm on the cube wall, just to make him feel at home. A couple of bales of hay and a basket or two of eggs later, and the newly designed space was ready for its final touch:
They removed the unsuspecting entrepreneur’s desk chair and replaced it with a fuzzy miniature horse. Welcome home, cowpolk!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Happy Prank-Tober!
The leaves on the trees around my apartment are bursting with color and there's beginning to be a bit of a chill in the air. Birds are heading south, farmers are harvesting and the pumpkin patch is ripe for the picking. All of these signs can only mean one thing. It's Prank-tober and time to check out some of the goulishly funnies found on Youtube.
Halloween Pranks by PrankedUpon-
Want to scare the devil out of some random folks? Pull up a bench and take a look at one way to send them off running.
Kids scare the hell out of there Dad by gabehicks-Several Australian kids set up a staged crime scene to scare Dad. They provide some down and dirty instructions on how to pull off this prank before setting their trap. Would make a great Halloween gag!
Funny Halloween Prank by irishqueen208-
What looked like a rather benign youtube video turned into something pretty funny. I would love to see this prank pulled off. You'll want to bone up on your anatomy and physiology for this one. Would be the perfect Halloween prank to use at a nightclub. It would fit wonderfully in the ladies room.
Funny scary pranks part 2 by robertjan93-
This is a minute long collection of Halloween pranks aired on what appears to be an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos. The link does provide some pretty good ideas for scarying the socks off of your friends and family.
Momma meets Dracula scared to death Halloween prank by maxshannon-This short and sweet video is just the right thing for the novice prankster. Requires minimal setup and achieves maximum fright in just a few short seconds. I am going to try this one on my room mate. Warning: if your room mate is a big scaredy cat like mine you may want to have puppy pads on hand.
Happy Halloween my fellow pranksters!
Halloween Pranks by PrankedUpon-
Want to scare the devil out of some random folks? Pull up a bench and take a look at one way to send them off running.
Kids scare the hell out of there Dad by gabehicks-Several Australian kids set up a staged crime scene to scare Dad. They provide some down and dirty instructions on how to pull off this prank before setting their trap. Would make a great Halloween gag!
Funny Halloween Prank by irishqueen208-
What looked like a rather benign youtube video turned into something pretty funny. I would love to see this prank pulled off. You'll want to bone up on your anatomy and physiology for this one. Would be the perfect Halloween prank to use at a nightclub. It would fit wonderfully in the ladies room.
Funny scary pranks part 2 by robertjan93-
This is a minute long collection of Halloween pranks aired on what appears to be an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos. The link does provide some pretty good ideas for scarying the socks off of your friends and family.
Momma meets Dracula scared to death Halloween prank by maxshannon-This short and sweet video is just the right thing for the novice prankster. Requires minimal setup and achieves maximum fright in just a few short seconds. I am going to try this one on my room mate. Warning: if your room mate is a big scaredy cat like mine you may want to have puppy pads on hand.
Happy Halloween my fellow pranksters!
Prank of the Month: I Wanna Sex you Up
Hey everyone. Ok, this month’s prankster extraordinare is Kelly, from Houston, Texas. I could not stop laughing when I read this email, and I had to send her a note asking for more details about what happened once she and her pals actually pulled off this nefarious little ploy. Hopefully she’s still employed and will us all in on what happened:
”Often, as I sit with my compadres at lunch, we talk about ways we'd like to get back at our boss (well, either him or the building custodian who never seems to be able to refill the toilet paper). Our plans for revenge run the gamut.
We've discussed everything from having a secret camera installed in his office (kind of afraid to see what he does in there late at night) to getting a group of the brawny boys and picking up his car and hiding it behind the building.
Yet nothing seemed to peak our interest until...
Graham, our resident computer tech, suggested something of the unsavory variety and all of our ears perked up like a pack of dogs sensing the hunt.
Phone sex prank call.
This will take cunning, advanced scouting and a level of deception unseen since I wielded a similarly artful manipulation upon a former boyfriend I suspected of cheating.
The high jinx was on!
First, we round up a sweet sultry sounding college girl from campus and offered her a $20 iTunes card to play the roll of the naughty operator. We gave her a script full of things a madam would blush upon hearing and told her we would call her when we were ready for the prank call.
Next we paid off his office assistant with lunch at the swank restaurant down the block from the office. Free eats at cool digs gets them every time. She would be in charge of getting the call to the boss.
Finally, we got some really cheesy porn flick music recorded and ready for airing over the office intercom system.
The pump was primed and ready to go.
Let's just hope the boss doesn't explode!”
”Often, as I sit with my compadres at lunch, we talk about ways we'd like to get back at our boss (well, either him or the building custodian who never seems to be able to refill the toilet paper). Our plans for revenge run the gamut.
We've discussed everything from having a secret camera installed in his office (kind of afraid to see what he does in there late at night) to getting a group of the brawny boys and picking up his car and hiding it behind the building.
Yet nothing seemed to peak our interest until...
Graham, our resident computer tech, suggested something of the unsavory variety and all of our ears perked up like a pack of dogs sensing the hunt.
Phone sex prank call.
This will take cunning, advanced scouting and a level of deception unseen since I wielded a similarly artful manipulation upon a former boyfriend I suspected of cheating.
The high jinx was on!
First, we round up a sweet sultry sounding college girl from campus and offered her a $20 iTunes card to play the roll of the naughty operator. We gave her a script full of things a madam would blush upon hearing and told her we would call her when we were ready for the prank call.
Next we paid off his office assistant with lunch at the swank restaurant down the block from the office. Free eats at cool digs gets them every time. She would be in charge of getting the call to the boss.
Finally, we got some really cheesy porn flick music recorded and ready for airing over the office intercom system.
The pump was primed and ready to go.
Let's just hope the boss doesn't explode!”
Prank ‘Em Until they Smile
It's been a hectic day around the office. People are all sorts of cranky because of the new processes institued last week involving taking sick days and scheduling vacations. While most of my office buds are busy sounding the "I hate this place" alarm, I was holed up in my cubby little cubicle planning my shenanigans. I can’t stand to see people bummed so it is now, after much planning (ok not really "much" but hopefully enough) that I begin to spring my plans into action. Hey, if nothing else, I’m hoping to elicit a few chuckles from my cranky fellow employees.
I began by switching the laces in my running shoes and then coloring the white laces hot pink. Everytime I catch someone starring down at them as I walk by I tell them I haven't misplaced them since I made this subtle change.
This little mixer upper gets me a few glares (from management), a few stares (from the hoity toity girls in new accounts) and one genuine belly laugh from Ezmerelda the cleaning lady.
But I was not spreading nearly the amount of joy I anticipated, so I moved on to phase two of my plan.
I wrote a very well thought out email detailing my support for Elmo versus Oscar the Grouch in the Battle of the Childrens Television Network. I pose intelligent arguments for why Elmo should reign supreme and why his second in command should be the number 9. I forward this email throughout the office's global email listings and wait patiently for replies.
This gag gets plenty of returns. Most of the email replies are in support of Elmo with less than 10 percent decenting and in favor of Oscar the Grouch (from, you guessed it, the management).
My last and final prank is pretty low budget and low maintenance according to the prank standards of my humorous peers.
I paged myself over the office intercom and wait to see how long it takes anyone to stroll by my cubicle and inform me that I am looking for me.
A day that began cranky and full of contempt morphed into one filled with a few laughs. Hopefully, I have inspired a few of my fellow coworkers to spread the cheer, as well.
I began by switching the laces in my running shoes and then coloring the white laces hot pink. Everytime I catch someone starring down at them as I walk by I tell them I haven't misplaced them since I made this subtle change.
This little mixer upper gets me a few glares (from management), a few stares (from the hoity toity girls in new accounts) and one genuine belly laugh from Ezmerelda the cleaning lady.
But I was not spreading nearly the amount of joy I anticipated, so I moved on to phase two of my plan.
I wrote a very well thought out email detailing my support for Elmo versus Oscar the Grouch in the Battle of the Childrens Television Network. I pose intelligent arguments for why Elmo should reign supreme and why his second in command should be the number 9. I forward this email throughout the office's global email listings and wait patiently for replies.
This gag gets plenty of returns. Most of the email replies are in support of Elmo with less than 10 percent decenting and in favor of Oscar the Grouch (from, you guessed it, the management).
My last and final prank is pretty low budget and low maintenance according to the prank standards of my humorous peers.
I paged myself over the office intercom and wait to see how long it takes anyone to stroll by my cubicle and inform me that I am looking for me.
A day that began cranky and full of contempt morphed into one filled with a few laughs. Hopefully, I have inspired a few of my fellow coworkers to spread the cheer, as well.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Office Prank No-No’s
I love a good laugh at someone elses expense just as much as the next girl, but there are a few pranks that should never, ever, under any circumstances be pulled at the office.
I know the office makes the perfect stage to display your comedic prowess, but, unless you want to make a living doing stand-up in dive bars here, are a couple of pranks you should steer clear of the office:
Plastic wrap on the toilet: This prank may work well at your childrens scouting camps, but in the corporate world it's grounds for dismissal. Imagine the expression on your boss’ face as he or she feels the warm wet sensation of their own urine on their now dirty bottom. I'd be willing to bet that once the boss finds out it was your little trick, the promotion you've worked so hard to get will have gotten flushed down the toilet.
Another prank I've seen pulled on office staff involved a similar outcome.
The gag was to replace the sugar in the office breakroom with Miralax. If you have ever seen Miralax you'll know it's white and could be easily confused with sugar if you aren't looking for it. Once the switch was made the coffee drinkers in the office were in for a long afternoon.
What would be doubly hilarious (but I would never advise) is combining the two previous office pranks into one. Can you imagine the chaos such a prank would create? The office bathrooms would be jammed full of staff all afternoon. In addition, I'd be willing to bet half of the staff would call off of work the next day!
You should never bust out either of these two office pranks unless you are never planning to return to the office. I would, however, suggest this as the perfect parting gift for a bad boss… but hey, you didn’t hear that from me
I know the office makes the perfect stage to display your comedic prowess, but, unless you want to make a living doing stand-up in dive bars here, are a couple of pranks you should steer clear of the office:
Plastic wrap on the toilet: This prank may work well at your childrens scouting camps, but in the corporate world it's grounds for dismissal. Imagine the expression on your boss’ face as he or she feels the warm wet sensation of their own urine on their now dirty bottom. I'd be willing to bet that once the boss finds out it was your little trick, the promotion you've worked so hard to get will have gotten flushed down the toilet.
Another prank I've seen pulled on office staff involved a similar outcome.
The gag was to replace the sugar in the office breakroom with Miralax. If you have ever seen Miralax you'll know it's white and could be easily confused with sugar if you aren't looking for it. Once the switch was made the coffee drinkers in the office were in for a long afternoon.
What would be doubly hilarious (but I would never advise) is combining the two previous office pranks into one. Can you imagine the chaos such a prank would create? The office bathrooms would be jammed full of staff all afternoon. In addition, I'd be willing to bet half of the staff would call off of work the next day!
You should never bust out either of these two office pranks unless you are never planning to return to the office. I would, however, suggest this as the perfect parting gift for a bad boss… but hey, you didn’t hear that from me
Wrap it Up
Did you know the plastic wrap taking up space in your kitchen cabinet can be a great office prank accessory?
Check out these prank ideas for the best way to get the most mileage out of your rolls of Saran Wrap:
The Invisible Force Field-
Once your unsuspecting prey has left work for the day (or if you choose to you can always get to the office early) and the coast is clear it's time to spring into action. You'll need to have on hand about five packages of Saran Wrap to pull this off.
Start by stapling the initial piece of wrap from the spool to the cubicle. You'll want to staple either low or high on the cubicle, just not in the middle. Once you've done this begin walking circles around the cube. You'll create your force field in no time! Let's just hope your victim isn't carrying a cup of piping hot coffee as he hits your force field. (Anyone smell lawsuit?)
Johnny on the Pot-
This one is a little more sinister and relatively easy to accomplish. You'll need only one box of Saran Wrap to pull it off successfully. Start by lifting the toilet seat up and placing several strips of the wrap over the top of the the bowl. Then, after you have them affixed, wrap the roll around the bowl and over the strips you placed on the bowl. Don't over wrap because doing so may give the prank away to any would-be Johnny's. Now, I must advise… as hilarious as this prank is, you probably should relegate it to your friends, overnight stays, and camping trips. Keep this one out of the office, unless you’re looking to spend some time in the unemployment office.
The Dead Mouse-
You'll drive your mark batty with this little gag. All you need is a square of Saran Wrap big enough to cover the laser track device on the bottom of the computer mouse. Once you've secured the wrap the result will be an intermittently working mouse. The jig may be up quickly but it's well worth the look of frustration written all over your coworkers face.
Check out these prank ideas for the best way to get the most mileage out of your rolls of Saran Wrap:
The Invisible Force Field-
Once your unsuspecting prey has left work for the day (or if you choose to you can always get to the office early) and the coast is clear it's time to spring into action. You'll need to have on hand about five packages of Saran Wrap to pull this off.
Start by stapling the initial piece of wrap from the spool to the cubicle. You'll want to staple either low or high on the cubicle, just not in the middle. Once you've done this begin walking circles around the cube. You'll create your force field in no time! Let's just hope your victim isn't carrying a cup of piping hot coffee as he hits your force field. (Anyone smell lawsuit?)
Johnny on the Pot-
This one is a little more sinister and relatively easy to accomplish. You'll need only one box of Saran Wrap to pull it off successfully. Start by lifting the toilet seat up and placing several strips of the wrap over the top of the the bowl. Then, after you have them affixed, wrap the roll around the bowl and over the strips you placed on the bowl. Don't over wrap because doing so may give the prank away to any would-be Johnny's. Now, I must advise… as hilarious as this prank is, you probably should relegate it to your friends, overnight stays, and camping trips. Keep this one out of the office, unless you’re looking to spend some time in the unemployment office.
The Dead Mouse-
You'll drive your mark batty with this little gag. All you need is a square of Saran Wrap big enough to cover the laser track device on the bottom of the computer mouse. Once you've secured the wrap the result will be an intermittently working mouse. The jig may be up quickly but it's well worth the look of frustration written all over your coworkers face.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Playtime at the Copier
So, it’s been far too quiet around my office lately. You know what that means: time to stir things up a bit!
I decided to focus my efforts on the communal office space that houses the office equipment that we all use on a daily basis. To be honest, I first got the idea while my company was going through a remodeling job not to long ago-- putting in computer flooring and a bunch of other cool techie types of things. I dreamed up the idea of having a voice recognition program installed on the office copier.
Of course the real beauty of this particular program is that it doesn’t exist. I had to let the office receptionist in on it, but it was completely worth it.
First, I called on a friend of mine who used to do office repair work. I had him come to the office and pretend to install this new "software" on the copier. It went over pretty well. I had him use the office receptionist to "test it out" in full view of the cube farm, and all seemed to go well. No one in the office even seemed to notice. Then I had the secretary send out an email to the office announcing the new change and attach some instructions I made up.
This prank was aimed at the guy in the cubicle three down from me who’s always acting like he is “Mr. Technology”. My detailed (and completely fake) instructions called for using the swipe card we use to enter the building to log onto the new and improved copier. When swiping for the first time, the instructions called for each employee to loudly state their name in order to activate the program.
This is where the fun began.
It was as if each employee was announcing they had been duped each time they did it. Even better was that the three that did it before everyone caught on actually yelled their names quite loudly (much to my delight)!
The icing on the cake for me was that my pal stuck a little gadget on the side of the copier that was voice activated. When people went up and shouted their names it said something like back like "you're a real idiot" or "did you shower this morning?"
Success!
I decided to focus my efforts on the communal office space that houses the office equipment that we all use on a daily basis. To be honest, I first got the idea while my company was going through a remodeling job not to long ago-- putting in computer flooring and a bunch of other cool techie types of things. I dreamed up the idea of having a voice recognition program installed on the office copier.
Of course the real beauty of this particular program is that it doesn’t exist. I had to let the office receptionist in on it, but it was completely worth it.
First, I called on a friend of mine who used to do office repair work. I had him come to the office and pretend to install this new "software" on the copier. It went over pretty well. I had him use the office receptionist to "test it out" in full view of the cube farm, and all seemed to go well. No one in the office even seemed to notice. Then I had the secretary send out an email to the office announcing the new change and attach some instructions I made up.
This prank was aimed at the guy in the cubicle three down from me who’s always acting like he is “Mr. Technology”. My detailed (and completely fake) instructions called for using the swipe card we use to enter the building to log onto the new and improved copier. When swiping for the first time, the instructions called for each employee to loudly state their name in order to activate the program.
This is where the fun began.
It was as if each employee was announcing they had been duped each time they did it. Even better was that the three that did it before everyone caught on actually yelled their names quite loudly (much to my delight)!
The icing on the cake for me was that my pal stuck a little gadget on the side of the copier that was voice activated. When people went up and shouted their names it said something like back like "you're a real idiot" or "did you shower this morning?"
Success!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Three Computer Pranks to Try
Ah, computers. They keep the office running smoothly. And, with a little creativity, they can be the basis of a hilarious (and easy to pull) prank, as well. Here’s a look at three computer pranks to pull on your office nemesis:
The Add/Remove Programs gag
There are programs to be found online or at serious prank stores that, once installed, will make the person using their computer think that all the programs on their computer are being uninstalled. The look on your cube mate’s face is usually priceless. This prank is double priceless if the poor sap you prank is one of those really uptight fellows (or ladies) who are over protective of their computers. (Triple bonus points if you get someone on the verge of tears!)
Auto correction confusion
If the person you want to prank is a “power user” of word processing programs like Word, this one will drive them crazy. By going into the internal settings of your victim’s computer you can set the system to switch very common words for whatever you want. You can, for example, take the word "The" and turn it into something like "fart bomb.” This little gag will drive a person crazy until they figure out why it's happening, if they are able to figure it out at all.
The ole switch-a-roo the mouse trick
For a good laugh hit the office a little early one morning and play this neat little game on an office partner. Go into the control panel (as long as it's not a Mac) on his computer and find the settings for the mouse. What you do is you swap the buttons of the mouse. As in ... make a right click a left click, a left click a right click and voilà you will have just confounded the bejeezus out of him. It'll drive him crazy for a few minutes before he falls to his knees begging for help. I like it when they beg
The Add/Remove Programs gag
There are programs to be found online or at serious prank stores that, once installed, will make the person using their computer think that all the programs on their computer are being uninstalled. The look on your cube mate’s face is usually priceless. This prank is double priceless if the poor sap you prank is one of those really uptight fellows (or ladies) who are over protective of their computers. (Triple bonus points if you get someone on the verge of tears!)
Auto correction confusion
If the person you want to prank is a “power user” of word processing programs like Word, this one will drive them crazy. By going into the internal settings of your victim’s computer you can set the system to switch very common words for whatever you want. You can, for example, take the word "The" and turn it into something like "fart bomb.” This little gag will drive a person crazy until they figure out why it's happening, if they are able to figure it out at all.
The ole switch-a-roo the mouse trick
For a good laugh hit the office a little early one morning and play this neat little game on an office partner. Go into the control panel (as long as it's not a Mac) on his computer and find the settings for the mouse. What you do is you swap the buttons of the mouse. As in ... make a right click a left click, a left click a right click and voilà you will have just confounded the bejeezus out of him. It'll drive him crazy for a few minutes before he falls to his knees begging for help. I like it when they beg
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Pranking Perfected
At work the other day, a coworker of mine tried to pull a prank on our boss. Alas, he ended up getting caught red handed with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.
Needless to say, the boss man wasn't very happy about finding him alone in his office, either. I told the newly minted office hall monitor that unless he plans on a change of careers he should plan his next prank a little more carefully.
Just between you and I, he told me he didn't really plan at all. Go figure.
So, for those of you who aspire to become a legendary office prankster here are a few tips to help you prepare to prank:
Less is more
The more people who know you are planning a prank, the less likely it is to ever get off the ground. Only tell people who have a real need to know. Don't get over excited and spill the beans early. No prank has ever achieved maximum effectiveness by having an early coming out party.
Patience is indeed a virtue
This is one time you'll need to wait for the prefect environment to develop. Think of yourself as a tiger. No self respecting tiger would announce he was about to pounce, he'd just pounce. Say it with me, "Wait for it ... Wait for it ... Maul it!!" In the world of pranking timing really is everything.
Don't show up empty handed
Nothing worse than having your plan together, going on you way to execute it and then BAM! You discover you left half your prank supplies behind. Think like a boy scout and be prepared.
Follow these three basic guidelines and you'll increase your chances of success threefold. You'll also reduce your risk of getting caught with you pants down then next prank you pull.
Needless to say, the boss man wasn't very happy about finding him alone in his office, either. I told the newly minted office hall monitor that unless he plans on a change of careers he should plan his next prank a little more carefully.
Just between you and I, he told me he didn't really plan at all. Go figure.
So, for those of you who aspire to become a legendary office prankster here are a few tips to help you prepare to prank:
Less is more
The more people who know you are planning a prank, the less likely it is to ever get off the ground. Only tell people who have a real need to know. Don't get over excited and spill the beans early. No prank has ever achieved maximum effectiveness by having an early coming out party.
Patience is indeed a virtue
This is one time you'll need to wait for the prefect environment to develop. Think of yourself as a tiger. No self respecting tiger would announce he was about to pounce, he'd just pounce. Say it with me, "Wait for it ... Wait for it ... Maul it!!" In the world of pranking timing really is everything.
Don't show up empty handed
Nothing worse than having your plan together, going on you way to execute it and then BAM! You discover you left half your prank supplies behind. Think like a boy scout and be prepared.
Follow these three basic guidelines and you'll increase your chances of success threefold. You'll also reduce your risk of getting caught with you pants down then next prank you pull.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Pranking 101: Pick Your Victim Wisely
I remember the day (it would be around the third grade or so) when I discovered the wonders of the spitball. Being a girl made spitballing all the more fun as I sat in math class.
See the boys never expected to get plunked by me and the teachers lived in denial that my cute innocent face was capable of such a despicable act. So I flew under the spitball radar for much of elementary school. My spitballing actually served to prepare me for life. It was through spitballs I learned who to prank at work and who to stay away from.
Here is a short list of three types of people NOT to prank unless you want to get spanked (and not in the fun way many of you are thinking).
First up is a guy I liked to call Stinky McStinkface.
You’ll recognize Mr. McStinkface by the way his shoulders sag and his mouth has that permanent upside down look to it. He’s the guy with the polyester pants, a sleek comb over, and no sense of style or joy because he learned long ago the world hates him. Prank Stinky McStinkface and you may wind up dialing 9-1-1. (Or the nearest unemployment office)
Then we have Nancy the Narc.
Seems no one likes a tattle-tale as an adult, either. But, alas, they have managed to slither their way into offices the world over. You may want to bask in the glory of your slickest prank yet, but inviting Miss Nancy is sure to get you called to the boss’s office for … you guessed it … a spanking. So prank this candy ass at your own peril.
Finally we are left with the quasi nerd slash minister’s son I like to call Dave the Do-gooder.
Dave’s the kind of guy who’ll smile as you pull your prank and then once you gone, he’ll pray for your deliverance from sin and slip a note to the boss. This ultimately wins you… that’s right… another spanking.
The bottom line here? If you are going to prank at the office do what I did. Start small with spitballs and work your way up.
See the boys never expected to get plunked by me and the teachers lived in denial that my cute innocent face was capable of such a despicable act. So I flew under the spitball radar for much of elementary school. My spitballing actually served to prepare me for life. It was through spitballs I learned who to prank at work and who to stay away from.
Here is a short list of three types of people NOT to prank unless you want to get spanked (and not in the fun way many of you are thinking).
First up is a guy I liked to call Stinky McStinkface.
You’ll recognize Mr. McStinkface by the way his shoulders sag and his mouth has that permanent upside down look to it. He’s the guy with the polyester pants, a sleek comb over, and no sense of style or joy because he learned long ago the world hates him. Prank Stinky McStinkface and you may wind up dialing 9-1-1. (Or the nearest unemployment office)
Then we have Nancy the Narc.
Seems no one likes a tattle-tale as an adult, either. But, alas, they have managed to slither their way into offices the world over. You may want to bask in the glory of your slickest prank yet, but inviting Miss Nancy is sure to get you called to the boss’s office for … you guessed it … a spanking. So prank this candy ass at your own peril.
Finally we are left with the quasi nerd slash minister’s son I like to call Dave the Do-gooder.
Dave’s the kind of guy who’ll smile as you pull your prank and then once you gone, he’ll pray for your deliverance from sin and slip a note to the boss. This ultimately wins you… that’s right… another spanking.
The bottom line here? If you are going to prank at the office do what I did. Start small with spitballs and work your way up.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Before You Try this At Home
I’m sure this goes without saying, but I figured I’d offer up a little warning to all you faithful readers out there. (I’m operating under the assumption that there are faithful readers out there…)
I know yesterday’s post, with it’s You Tube links probably had you scrambling to see if you could pull off a mega stunt in your own workplace—I know I was chuckilng at the thought all afternoon. But before you go all out, make sure you take careful note of what’s going on in your office.
It’s no secret that we’re in a bit of an economic crunch right now, and yes, even the big corporation you work for is probably feeling the sting. So now would NOT be the best time to avail yourself of a ton of company resources for a large scale prank. Covering your buddy’s office in yellow post it notes may seem hilarious, but it might just have your boss seeing red at the wasted sticky notes.
Also, make sure you plan your pranking according to what’s going on in the office. Popping out of the toilet stall at 4:45 on a lazy Friday afternoon to scare your buddy when the boss has gone home for the day is awesome.
Popping out of that same stall on a Monday morning and scaring the daylights out of a new or potential client? Not so much.
I know yesterday’s post, with it’s You Tube links probably had you scrambling to see if you could pull off a mega stunt in your own workplace—I know I was chuckilng at the thought all afternoon. But before you go all out, make sure you take careful note of what’s going on in your office.
It’s no secret that we’re in a bit of an economic crunch right now, and yes, even the big corporation you work for is probably feeling the sting. So now would NOT be the best time to avail yourself of a ton of company resources for a large scale prank. Covering your buddy’s office in yellow post it notes may seem hilarious, but it might just have your boss seeing red at the wasted sticky notes.
Also, make sure you plan your pranking according to what’s going on in the office. Popping out of the toilet stall at 4:45 on a lazy Friday afternoon to scare your buddy when the boss has gone home for the day is awesome.
Popping out of that same stall on a Monday morning and scaring the daylights out of a new or potential client? Not so much.
Poor Ol' Jeff
Needless to say, I have seen quite a few pranks pulled around my office and have even pulled one or two myself.
There was this time when Jeff (he is the office manager who does he best to keep us all on the straight and narrow) took a week off for vacation with this wife. First off I want to say that it was kind of his fault we pranked him while he was gone. I mean come on, you can’t be the office manager and NOT expect nefarious activities taking place in your absence can you?
So the first day he was on vacation we began taking prank ideas. Now something to point out here is to really get someone good you have to try and get inside their head. See, the more you personalize the prank the more effective it is. With Jeff this came a lot easier to us than we thought it would. We tossed out the usual ideas, stuff like putting super glue on his pens or covering his office in Post-it Notes.
See Jeff is rather Monkish and is a walking hand sanitizer most days, everything must me symmetrical and all that. So what we decided to do was almost devilish considering his phobias.
We decided to wait until the day before he came back and plastic wrap his desk. But we weren’t just wrapping the desk. We decided to wrap things up in the desk. We wrapped up toilet tissue (dipped in chocolate pudding), a hot beef sandwich left smeared on his desk top, tapioca pudding flung on the wrapping to look like the residue of someone’s sneezing. All of the files in his cabinet were turned around backwards and tabs switched around on the folders.
When Jeff came back from vacation we all thought the poor guy was going to cry. He stood there, hands folded across his stomach as if he was about to vomit. It took him nearly three hours to clean the mess and he had to use breathing masks while cleaning. He was so freaked out about the germs.
It wasn’t the prettiest prank we ever pulled but it sure got Jeff better than anything we had ever done before or since.
There was this time when Jeff (he is the office manager who does he best to keep us all on the straight and narrow) took a week off for vacation with this wife. First off I want to say that it was kind of his fault we pranked him while he was gone. I mean come on, you can’t be the office manager and NOT expect nefarious activities taking place in your absence can you?
So the first day he was on vacation we began taking prank ideas. Now something to point out here is to really get someone good you have to try and get inside their head. See, the more you personalize the prank the more effective it is. With Jeff this came a lot easier to us than we thought it would. We tossed out the usual ideas, stuff like putting super glue on his pens or covering his office in Post-it Notes.
See Jeff is rather Monkish and is a walking hand sanitizer most days, everything must me symmetrical and all that. So what we decided to do was almost devilish considering his phobias.
We decided to wait until the day before he came back and plastic wrap his desk. But we weren’t just wrapping the desk. We decided to wrap things up in the desk. We wrapped up toilet tissue (dipped in chocolate pudding), a hot beef sandwich left smeared on his desk top, tapioca pudding flung on the wrapping to look like the residue of someone’s sneezing. All of the files in his cabinet were turned around backwards and tabs switched around on the folders.
When Jeff came back from vacation we all thought the poor guy was going to cry. He stood there, hands folded across his stomach as if he was about to vomit. It took him nearly three hours to clean the mess and he had to use breathing masks while cleaning. He was so freaked out about the germs.
It wasn’t the prettiest prank we ever pulled but it sure got Jeff better than anything we had ever done before or since.
Three Awesome Pranks
I love me some good old fashioned office pranks, just like the next person. But sometimes, I need a little help planning my next prank attack. When I am running low on ideas all I have to do is jump online and head to You Tube.
I thought it only fair of me to share some of the pranks that are on their way to an office near mine.
This first one is called “Toilet Prank”. The name was a bit miss leading at first. I was expecting something that would nasty up the office a bit. What I did find was the perfect prank to pull on someone when a port-a-potty is available. It’s a little resource heavy, but would be a lot of fun to pull off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cm1r3d2Qw4&feature=related
I know I wrote a recent blog about the ten reasons you shouldn’t prank your boss but this next video was fall off my chair funny.If you have an office like this guy, you should be able to pull this one off with relative ease.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb2tztSqCHY&feature=related
There are pranks and then there are pranks. The more elaborate the prank the better it seems it is for effect. This one looks as if a couple of employees have finally found a way to prank Mr. Cranky Pants. No one should ever have to work for a sissy boss like this guy.If you ever do I’ve found the perfect way to get back at him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F8qs3Z_v-8
I know there are a lot more funny office prank videos on You Tube but those three really had my busting a gut laughing. I think part of me was living vicariously through a few of the pranksters. Sometimes it’s best if you let others test drive the prank before you “try it at home”.
I thought it only fair of me to share some of the pranks that are on their way to an office near mine.
This first one is called “Toilet Prank”. The name was a bit miss leading at first. I was expecting something that would nasty up the office a bit. What I did find was the perfect prank to pull on someone when a port-a-potty is available. It’s a little resource heavy, but would be a lot of fun to pull off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cm1r3d2Qw4&feature=related
I know I wrote a recent blog about the ten reasons you shouldn’t prank your boss but this next video was fall off my chair funny.If you have an office like this guy, you should be able to pull this one off with relative ease.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb2tztSqCHY&feature=related
There are pranks and then there are pranks. The more elaborate the prank the better it seems it is for effect. This one looks as if a couple of employees have finally found a way to prank Mr. Cranky Pants. No one should ever have to work for a sissy boss like this guy.If you ever do I’ve found the perfect way to get back at him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F8qs3Z_v-8
I know there are a lot more funny office prank videos on You Tube but those three really had my busting a gut laughing. I think part of me was living vicariously through a few of the pranksters. Sometimes it’s best if you let others test drive the prank before you “try it at home”.
10 Reasons to NEVER Prank the Boss
Having a laugh at the office is always a great way to start the day (or end a really long one). We all enjoy a good prank now and again … or do we? Just as the Surgeon General is mandated to warm us of the dangers of cigarette smoking, so to should there be a warning written into every new hire checklist. Beware of pulling off the ole office prank on the boss.
Ten Reasons you should NOT prank your boss:
10. Fancy moving your desk to Storage Room B?
9. Do you really want to work the weekends?
8. He has no sense of humor what so ever and will make you his permanent lunch time pet.
7. You’ll be forced to scrub the office toilets with a toothbrush while listening to endless duets by Barry Manilow and Michael Bolton.
6. Ramen noodles really aren’t as good as you made them out to be in college.
5. Because staying up partying with the new hot twins in 6D then sleeping in until noon won’t get you paid.
4. He just finished getting his black belt in “Prank me and I’ll fire your ass”.
3. Because if pranking him is wrong, you don’t want to be right.
2. He may like it and make you the office Designated Humor Homer. Talk about pressure!
And the number one reason why you should never EVER under any circumstances pull an office prank on your boss is…
1. He may make you dress up like Julia Child and serve jelly rolls and orange juice at the next quarterly sales meeting.
Now before you make your move and fall victim to one of the ten previously listed reasons not to do what you are about to, take a moment to reflect. Then, if you must…
PRANK YOUR BOSS WITH RECKLESS ABANDON!!
Ten Reasons you should NOT prank your boss:
10. Fancy moving your desk to Storage Room B?
9. Do you really want to work the weekends?
8. He has no sense of humor what so ever and will make you his permanent lunch time pet.
7. You’ll be forced to scrub the office toilets with a toothbrush while listening to endless duets by Barry Manilow and Michael Bolton.
6. Ramen noodles really aren’t as good as you made them out to be in college.
5. Because staying up partying with the new hot twins in 6D then sleeping in until noon won’t get you paid.
4. He just finished getting his black belt in “Prank me and I’ll fire your ass”.
3. Because if pranking him is wrong, you don’t want to be right.
2. He may like it and make you the office Designated Humor Homer. Talk about pressure!
And the number one reason why you should never EVER under any circumstances pull an office prank on your boss is…
1. He may make you dress up like Julia Child and serve jelly rolls and orange juice at the next quarterly sales meeting.
Now before you make your move and fall victim to one of the ten previously listed reasons not to do what you are about to, take a moment to reflect. Then, if you must…
PRANK YOUR BOSS WITH RECKLESS ABANDON!!
Ever dreamed of being published? Reading your own thoughts and ideas on some online news journal or magazine? Well guess what? I’d love to make that happen for you.
But I can’t.
Ah but what I can do is take your most hilarious prank, or ideas for a prank and share them with my other readers right here. Have a story you’d like to share?
I mean why create the world’s funniest or coolest office prank ever and then not share it?
Haven’t you heard that sharing is caring? Imagine being able to reach out and touch thousands, perhaps millions (ok so although we have a significantly smaller following I’m try to get you to see the full potential here) of people with your very own special brand of humor.
Think of all of the poor old shut ins who can’t go outside each day… those desperate souls in dire need of a good gag. Imagine the smile breaking out all over grandma’s face as she whips out your prank and becomes the toast of the quilters club. I know it would make you feel really good deep down inside to be the person responsible for Aunt Gladys spitting her dentures halfway across the living room floor.
Or how about providing much needed aid to others across the globe who are desperately trying to even the score with a smarty pants coworker who always seems to get the best of them. You’re prank could be just the right tonic for forlorn office workers.
So send me your weak, your tired, your weary… Wait, wrong blog. Send me some pranks!!
But I can’t.
Ah but what I can do is take your most hilarious prank, or ideas for a prank and share them with my other readers right here. Have a story you’d like to share?
I mean why create the world’s funniest or coolest office prank ever and then not share it?
Haven’t you heard that sharing is caring? Imagine being able to reach out and touch thousands, perhaps millions (ok so although we have a significantly smaller following I’m try to get you to see the full potential here) of people with your very own special brand of humor.
Think of all of the poor old shut ins who can’t go outside each day… those desperate souls in dire need of a good gag. Imagine the smile breaking out all over grandma’s face as she whips out your prank and becomes the toast of the quilters club. I know it would make you feel really good deep down inside to be the person responsible for Aunt Gladys spitting her dentures halfway across the living room floor.
Or how about providing much needed aid to others across the globe who are desperately trying to even the score with a smarty pants coworker who always seems to get the best of them. You’re prank could be just the right tonic for forlorn office workers.
So send me your weak, your tired, your weary… Wait, wrong blog. Send me some pranks!!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
No Joke: Office Pranks to Retire
Every weekday morning I jump on the 405 and head downtown to my beloved office. This morning, as I was stopping, starting and stopping again (I love LA) my mind wandered off, as usual, in an unexpected direction.
It’s not that I’m easily distracted or anything. It’s just… HEY LOOK A SQUIREL!
At any rate, today, my meandering thoughts were caught up on all the pranks my coworkers and I have enjoyed pulling on each other over the years. Some of them left me utterly speechless (my new Durango wrapped in plastic cling wrap and then covered in aluminum foil: thanks Doug!) while others made me wonder what the point of the prank was (I knew you it was you, Ronny, who put the black shoe polish on my new office phone's receiver. I knew it was you because the phone was beige, genius.)
So I decided share with you a few office pranks desperately in need of retiring. Listen up Doug and Ronny, these are for you.
First up –
Removing all but two or three of my staples. It’s in the same category as wondering if my teen sister is going to ask me for $20 for a “soda” when I take her to the mall… a given. I now load my stapler first thing every morning. I know it’s coming and you know it’s coming. Let’s just pretend I am on to you, k?
The paper clip chain – This one reminds me of Christmas and those strings of popcorn that all those happy television families make every year. If you are going to insist on using this one at least try and come up with some new twists?
Maybe you could dress up like one of the Capital One guys and swing it like a mace from the light fixtures. That, at least, would garner some fresh laughter. Otherwise, let this one die already.
Post it note free for all – I have seen virtually every variation know man in an office environment of this prank. Yes, the purple, powder blue and pink look nice together. They even earned a chuckle or two the first 50 times I saw it. Now, it’s just old. Oh, and plastering them all over the saran wrap that’s stretched over the toilet bowl? You gave away your first genuinely clever prank in months. Try again, Dougey ol’ boy.
It’s not that I’m easily distracted or anything. It’s just… HEY LOOK A SQUIREL!
At any rate, today, my meandering thoughts were caught up on all the pranks my coworkers and I have enjoyed pulling on each other over the years. Some of them left me utterly speechless (my new Durango wrapped in plastic cling wrap and then covered in aluminum foil: thanks Doug!) while others made me wonder what the point of the prank was (I knew you it was you, Ronny, who put the black shoe polish on my new office phone's receiver. I knew it was you because the phone was beige, genius.)
So I decided share with you a few office pranks desperately in need of retiring. Listen up Doug and Ronny, these are for you.
First up –
Removing all but two or three of my staples. It’s in the same category as wondering if my teen sister is going to ask me for $20 for a “soda” when I take her to the mall… a given. I now load my stapler first thing every morning. I know it’s coming and you know it’s coming. Let’s just pretend I am on to you, k?
The paper clip chain – This one reminds me of Christmas and those strings of popcorn that all those happy television families make every year. If you are going to insist on using this one at least try and come up with some new twists?
Maybe you could dress up like one of the Capital One guys and swing it like a mace from the light fixtures. That, at least, would garner some fresh laughter. Otherwise, let this one die already.
Post it note free for all – I have seen virtually every variation know man in an office environment of this prank. Yes, the purple, powder blue and pink look nice together. They even earned a chuckle or two the first 50 times I saw it. Now, it’s just old. Oh, and plastering them all over the saran wrap that’s stretched over the toilet bowl? You gave away your first genuinely clever prank in months. Try again, Dougey ol’ boy.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sticky Fingers!
There are millions of people in the United States… and most every one of us is obsessed with our electronics. That’s probably why most of us have such short fuses (pun intended) when it comes to glitches in our favorite wired devices.
Let’s face it, there are few things quite as frustrating as going to log onto the internet, listen to your music, or just get work done—only to find that something just isn’t working right. That’s exactly what inspired Daniel, from the Chicago area, to send in this email. He figured it’d be completely sweet to freak out his cube mate into thinking that his computer keyboard and mouse weren’t working right.
Devious, I know… but oh so funny:
“I was cleaning out my garage on a Sunday afternoon, when I came across an old keyboard and mouse that I no longer use. I was about to toss them when I realized how much it looked like the ones we have at work. They wouldn’t really pass a careful inspection, but they’d sure fool someone for a few minutes. I suppose that’s when my plan was hatched.
First, I took out the ball from the mouse. Then I applied some extra strength glue to it and put it back in. By the time it dried, it wasn’t rolling ANYWHERE. Then I carefully popped out the keys and spread a thin layer of corn syrup before putting them back on.
First thing Monday morning, I swapped my coworker’s keyboard and mouse for my sticky keyed versions. Not really sure what was funnier—watching him try to roll that mouse around the desk, his frustrated questioning of WHY his keys were sticking, or the look on his face when he realized that he’d just fallen victim to an office prank”
Ha ha… thanks, Daniel! If anyone else has a great office prank story, feel free to send them in!
Let’s face it, there are few things quite as frustrating as going to log onto the internet, listen to your music, or just get work done—only to find that something just isn’t working right. That’s exactly what inspired Daniel, from the Chicago area, to send in this email. He figured it’d be completely sweet to freak out his cube mate into thinking that his computer keyboard and mouse weren’t working right.
Devious, I know… but oh so funny:
“I was cleaning out my garage on a Sunday afternoon, when I came across an old keyboard and mouse that I no longer use. I was about to toss them when I realized how much it looked like the ones we have at work. They wouldn’t really pass a careful inspection, but they’d sure fool someone for a few minutes. I suppose that’s when my plan was hatched.
First, I took out the ball from the mouse. Then I applied some extra strength glue to it and put it back in. By the time it dried, it wasn’t rolling ANYWHERE. Then I carefully popped out the keys and spread a thin layer of corn syrup before putting them back on.
First thing Monday morning, I swapped my coworker’s keyboard and mouse for my sticky keyed versions. Not really sure what was funnier—watching him try to roll that mouse around the desk, his frustrated questioning of WHY his keys were sticking, or the look on his face when he realized that he’d just fallen victim to an office prank”
Ha ha… thanks, Daniel! If anyone else has a great office prank story, feel free to send them in!
Creatures of Habit
Ever notice that human beings tend to be creatures of habit?
I mean really… whether it’s the way we eat breakfast, take a shower, or even our work day routine, there are a million things that we do every day without even thinking about it. So why not take advantage of that stability and use it against your unsuspecting coworkers?
For example, if your office is anything like mine, then everyone marches over to the coffee maker every morning, bleary eyes half closed and pour a mug of java before taking a big gulp.
If this is the case, then why not give them a real early morning wake up call? Try this the next time you’re the first person in the office. Hide the full coffee pot in the microwave, and fill the empty one with tap water. Next, add a few crushed coffee beans (for that enticing Folger’s scent) and a few drops of dark food coloring.
Now sit back and wait for the first unsuspecting soul to walk in and pour themselves a tall cup of Joe. Hilarity is bound to ensue as your friends spit out the cold and rather vile concoction once they take a swig. Be warned, though—
Once they recover from the gross out factor, they’re going to be slightly ticked at you. Make sure you have the real coffee pot on hand to ease their mind (and caffeine fix)!
I mean really… whether it’s the way we eat breakfast, take a shower, or even our work day routine, there are a million things that we do every day without even thinking about it. So why not take advantage of that stability and use it against your unsuspecting coworkers?
For example, if your office is anything like mine, then everyone marches over to the coffee maker every morning, bleary eyes half closed and pour a mug of java before taking a big gulp.
If this is the case, then why not give them a real early morning wake up call? Try this the next time you’re the first person in the office. Hide the full coffee pot in the microwave, and fill the empty one with tap water. Next, add a few crushed coffee beans (for that enticing Folger’s scent) and a few drops of dark food coloring.
Now sit back and wait for the first unsuspecting soul to walk in and pour themselves a tall cup of Joe. Hilarity is bound to ensue as your friends spit out the cold and rather vile concoction once they take a swig. Be warned, though—
Once they recover from the gross out factor, they’re going to be slightly ticked at you. Make sure you have the real coffee pot on hand to ease their mind (and caffeine fix)!
Timing is Crucial
When pulling off a prank, nothing really counts more than timing. In all of my years of mischief, I can honestly say that the only times that I haven’t successfully completed a plan, it was due to nothing more than human error.
A miscalculation, however slight, in the timing, coordination, and execution of your prank will mean not only a failed attempt… but more often than not, it also means that you’ll get caught. Take, for example, the plan that I tried to put into effect last week.
I have an awesome assistant. She’s quick, bright, and funny. We get along great, and I have no idea what I’d do without her. However, she’s also just as much of a joker as I am, and she’s always been an integral part of the office prank war.
And that’s why I decided to put superglue on her mouse button.
See, I figured that I had about 10 minutes while she took a coffee break to come into her office, apply a few drops, and have it just tacky enough to stick her fingers to her rodent when she got back. But somewhere along the line, I miscalculated. I believe my fatal flaw was in believing that she had just left, when in fact she had walked out a few minutes prior. So instead of 10 minutes, my window was narrowed down to less than 5.
Sure enough, she came back to her desk just as I was applying the last drops of super glue to her mouse.
BUSTED!!!
We did get a laugh out of my foiled attempt to put her in a sticky position, but I have a feeling she’s going to get revenge, even though I didn’t actually catch her!
A miscalculation, however slight, in the timing, coordination, and execution of your prank will mean not only a failed attempt… but more often than not, it also means that you’ll get caught. Take, for example, the plan that I tried to put into effect last week.
I have an awesome assistant. She’s quick, bright, and funny. We get along great, and I have no idea what I’d do without her. However, she’s also just as much of a joker as I am, and she’s always been an integral part of the office prank war.
And that’s why I decided to put superglue on her mouse button.
See, I figured that I had about 10 minutes while she took a coffee break to come into her office, apply a few drops, and have it just tacky enough to stick her fingers to her rodent when she got back. But somewhere along the line, I miscalculated. I believe my fatal flaw was in believing that she had just left, when in fact she had walked out a few minutes prior. So instead of 10 minutes, my window was narrowed down to less than 5.
Sure enough, she came back to her desk just as I was applying the last drops of super glue to her mouse.
BUSTED!!!
We did get a laugh out of my foiled attempt to put her in a sticky position, but I have a feeling she’s going to get revenge, even though I didn’t actually catch her!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Post Its... with a Twist
Here’s a twist on the classic Post-It wallpaper idea that my brother gave me.
You already know how much fun it is to take several large stacks of sticky notes and plaster them all over an unsuspecting co-worker’s walls. But what if you could do it one better? I haven’t tried it yet, but believe you me, this one is not too far off.
Aside from just sticking the blank Post It’s up, why not write a few clever messages for your friend to find when they come in the next morning? Now, granted, it would take just too darned long to write a missive on each and every sticky before putting it on the wall. But if you spread the job out among a few devious coworkers, you can ensure that every fourth or fifth note has a witty saying or personal note on it.
They don’t have to be long… just a quick reminder of how clever, funny, and downright awesome the victim’s coworkers are. Here are a couple of ideas:
Wow… there sure are a LOT of these notes
Looks like you’re going to be late for today’s meeting
I drank out of your I heart Dad mug
I see London, I see France… I see Barbara’s Underpants
You’re still not done?!
Gotcha!
You get the idea. You can make them as naughty or tame as you like (depending on your victim’s personality and how strict your boss is). Finally, make sure you take a picture of all of the witty culprits and make it your coworker’s screen saver, so that they can remember all of your hard work every time they boot up.
You already know how much fun it is to take several large stacks of sticky notes and plaster them all over an unsuspecting co-worker’s walls. But what if you could do it one better? I haven’t tried it yet, but believe you me, this one is not too far off.
Aside from just sticking the blank Post It’s up, why not write a few clever messages for your friend to find when they come in the next morning? Now, granted, it would take just too darned long to write a missive on each and every sticky before putting it on the wall. But if you spread the job out among a few devious coworkers, you can ensure that every fourth or fifth note has a witty saying or personal note on it.
They don’t have to be long… just a quick reminder of how clever, funny, and downright awesome the victim’s coworkers are. Here are a couple of ideas:
Wow… there sure are a LOT of these notes
Looks like you’re going to be late for today’s meeting
I drank out of your I heart Dad mug
I see London, I see France… I see Barbara’s Underpants
You’re still not done?!
Gotcha!
You get the idea. You can make them as naughty or tame as you like (depending on your victim’s personality and how strict your boss is). Finally, make sure you take a picture of all of the witty culprits and make it your coworker’s screen saver, so that they can remember all of your hard work every time they boot up.
The Stapler from Hell
Here’s a fun and quick prank that will have your coworker wishing their stapler a slow and painful death.
Can you imagine having to refill your stapler three or four times a day? As annoying as it would be to experience firsthand, I have to admit that it’d be a riot to watch someone else struggle with. And, if your timing is right, this is actually a prank that you could pull off for days at a time—provided that your cube mate doesn’t wind up in the funny farm first.
Just keep an eye on your buddy’s desk, and swipe the staples from inside their trusty Swingline every time they take a bathroom break or coffee run. Ideally, you should put the staples back into the box, so you leave them wondering whether or not they really did just fill it up…?
After a while, your coworker is sure to start questioning his own sanity—or wondering if there is a poltergeist afoot.
Again, if you can refrain from having a laugh attack every time they reach for the stapler, you can probably get away with stringing your poor tormented coworker along for a few days at a time. Just be forewarned that when you do finally reveal yourself as the culprit, they will be out for revenge with a passion… you might want to look out for a few days!
To really add to this prank’s frustration factor, consider pairing it up with the classic paper clip chain or chopped tape (where you tear several smaller pieces of tape off, and then stick them carefully back on the roll, making it impossible for your friend to get more than an inch or two off at a time).
Good Luck!
Can you imagine having to refill your stapler three or four times a day? As annoying as it would be to experience firsthand, I have to admit that it’d be a riot to watch someone else struggle with. And, if your timing is right, this is actually a prank that you could pull off for days at a time—provided that your cube mate doesn’t wind up in the funny farm first.
Just keep an eye on your buddy’s desk, and swipe the staples from inside their trusty Swingline every time they take a bathroom break or coffee run. Ideally, you should put the staples back into the box, so you leave them wondering whether or not they really did just fill it up…?
After a while, your coworker is sure to start questioning his own sanity—or wondering if there is a poltergeist afoot.
Again, if you can refrain from having a laugh attack every time they reach for the stapler, you can probably get away with stringing your poor tormented coworker along for a few days at a time. Just be forewarned that when you do finally reveal yourself as the culprit, they will be out for revenge with a passion… you might want to look out for a few days!
To really add to this prank’s frustration factor, consider pairing it up with the classic paper clip chain or chopped tape (where you tear several smaller pieces of tape off, and then stick them carefully back on the roll, making it impossible for your friend to get more than an inch or two off at a time).
Good Luck!
Water Cooler Hijinks
The office water cooler is usually known as the trusty touchstone of the office. It’s the little safe haven where employees can take unofficial mini breaks; a place where they can drink from their paper cups and discuss last night’s episode of True Blood or how Ron Artest is clearly, yet loveably, insane.
Yes, it’s the warm, little hearth in which all employees huddle around for comfort….or as a means to kill time until work is finally over. So, using the office water cooler as the main tool in your prank is a devilishly great idea.
One of the simplest and funniest pranks having to do with the office cooler is to put salt in the water jug.
Just come into work a little earlier than everyone else, take a box of salt and pour in a little less than half of it. Then, sit back and watch as everyone unassumingly strolls in to drink a cup of water. Everyone will be super-annoyed and, until the saltwater fiasco is fixed, will, no longer, have a viable excuse for not working. You might want to pull this prank if you’re a boss, actually, and you need a way to get your employees to stop gossiping at the water cooler all day long.
Another little trick is to switch the hot and cold buttons on the cooler. This is another way to annoy and confuse your coworkers, and it’s a pretty easy trick as well.
If it’s around Halloween or Friday the 13th, you can also put red syrup in the water cooler to make it look like blood. You should do this especially if your office is big on decorating and getting into the Halloween spirit.
So, those were just a few quick and easy ideas. I guarantee that, if you pull them off successfully, the next time everyone’s standing around the water cooler, they’ll be discussing your pranks.
Yes, it’s the warm, little hearth in which all employees huddle around for comfort….or as a means to kill time until work is finally over. So, using the office water cooler as the main tool in your prank is a devilishly great idea.
One of the simplest and funniest pranks having to do with the office cooler is to put salt in the water jug.
Just come into work a little earlier than everyone else, take a box of salt and pour in a little less than half of it. Then, sit back and watch as everyone unassumingly strolls in to drink a cup of water. Everyone will be super-annoyed and, until the saltwater fiasco is fixed, will, no longer, have a viable excuse for not working. You might want to pull this prank if you’re a boss, actually, and you need a way to get your employees to stop gossiping at the water cooler all day long.
Another little trick is to switch the hot and cold buttons on the cooler. This is another way to annoy and confuse your coworkers, and it’s a pretty easy trick as well.
If it’s around Halloween or Friday the 13th, you can also put red syrup in the water cooler to make it look like blood. You should do this especially if your office is big on decorating and getting into the Halloween spirit.
So, those were just a few quick and easy ideas. I guarantee that, if you pull them off successfully, the next time everyone’s standing around the water cooler, they’ll be discussing your pranks.
Industrial Size Prank
If you have 3 co workers and an hour or two, then you’ve got what it takes to pull off a prank that will likely go down as one of the funniest moments in your office’s history.
Ready to try it? Then start by heading to your local super store or bonus buy club. (You know… the ones that you need a membership to get into, and sell everything from tractor tires to enormous bags of trail mix.) Pick up two or three “industrial size” rolls of cheap aluminum foil, and stash them in your office.
Ideally, this prank should be done to someone who will be out for a day (or more) so that they’re greeted by a shiny surprise upon their return. What better way to say “It sucks that you were gone while I was stuck at work” than with a friendly prank?
While your coworker is enjoying their Las Vegas vacation, grab those aluminum foil rolls and head on over to their office space. The real key here is to make sure that you cover every single inch of the cubicle or office in foil. I’m talking desk, chair, monitor, picture frame, mug, stapler… you get the idea. Depending on the size of the office, this could take anywhere from half an hour to almost 2 hours, so you might want to reserve pulling it off until after work hours, unless your boss is ok with a complete lack of productivity on a Friday afternoon.
Once the weary traveler returns from their time away, they’ll open up their office door and be greeted by the sight of some serious shine. Of course, the nice thing to do here is to help them unwrap the aluminum surprise so that they can actually get to work—but I suppose that depends on just how jealous you are that they got to get away…
Ready to try it? Then start by heading to your local super store or bonus buy club. (You know… the ones that you need a membership to get into, and sell everything from tractor tires to enormous bags of trail mix.) Pick up two or three “industrial size” rolls of cheap aluminum foil, and stash them in your office.
Ideally, this prank should be done to someone who will be out for a day (or more) so that they’re greeted by a shiny surprise upon their return. What better way to say “It sucks that you were gone while I was stuck at work” than with a friendly prank?
While your coworker is enjoying their Las Vegas vacation, grab those aluminum foil rolls and head on over to their office space. The real key here is to make sure that you cover every single inch of the cubicle or office in foil. I’m talking desk, chair, monitor, picture frame, mug, stapler… you get the idea. Depending on the size of the office, this could take anywhere from half an hour to almost 2 hours, so you might want to reserve pulling it off until after work hours, unless your boss is ok with a complete lack of productivity on a Friday afternoon.
Once the weary traveler returns from their time away, they’ll open up their office door and be greeted by the sight of some serious shine. Of course, the nice thing to do here is to help them unwrap the aluminum surprise so that they can actually get to work—but I suppose that depends on just how jealous you are that they got to get away…
The Art of the Paperclip
We all know that elaborate, epic office pranks can be hilarious. You know, the ones involving sixty-thousand post-it pads and a rather unfortunate work station, or, Jen in the cubicle down the hall taking out an extra mortgage on her house in order to pay for turning Jerry’s office into a golf course.
Yes, people will definitely go the extra, most dramatic and pricey mile when it comes to pulling an office prank. But, it doesn’t always have to be so elaborate, expensive or arduous a job.
Take, for instance, two simple, virtually effortless pranks involving paperclips that garner genuinely hilarious results.
For the first prank you will, of course, need a paperclip, a photocopy machine and some clueless coworkers.
First, you simply make a bunch of copies of a paperclip. Then, you leave the copies in the copy machine. Then, you watch as your coworkers attempt to make photocopies and gradually become more and more irritated as each copy comes back with a photocopied paperclip on it. An added bonus to this delightful prank is watching your coworkers pull the copy machine apart in order to finally find the phantom paperclip.
The second paperclip prank is even easier. Simply, grab all of your coworker’s paperclips when he/she is out to lunch or isn’t looking and hook all of them together. Put them back and watch as your coworker tries to grab one, and they all come out hooked together. This prank is actually the prank that keeps on giving, because your coworker is going to have to manually unhook one every time he/she needs one throughout the day (unless, of course, they feel like sitting around for half an hour unhooking the entire thing; either way, they’ll be annoyed and you’ll be eternally amused.
So, the next time you’re considering paying Laurence Fishburne seventy-five grand to come down to your office and convince one of your coworkers that this is actually The Matrix and he is The One… consider the paperclip, instead. It’s the cheaper, easier, and, often, funnier alternative.
Yes, people will definitely go the extra, most dramatic and pricey mile when it comes to pulling an office prank. But, it doesn’t always have to be so elaborate, expensive or arduous a job.
Take, for instance, two simple, virtually effortless pranks involving paperclips that garner genuinely hilarious results.
For the first prank you will, of course, need a paperclip, a photocopy machine and some clueless coworkers.
First, you simply make a bunch of copies of a paperclip. Then, you leave the copies in the copy machine. Then, you watch as your coworkers attempt to make photocopies and gradually become more and more irritated as each copy comes back with a photocopied paperclip on it. An added bonus to this delightful prank is watching your coworkers pull the copy machine apart in order to finally find the phantom paperclip.
The second paperclip prank is even easier. Simply, grab all of your coworker’s paperclips when he/she is out to lunch or isn’t looking and hook all of them together. Put them back and watch as your coworker tries to grab one, and they all come out hooked together. This prank is actually the prank that keeps on giving, because your coworker is going to have to manually unhook one every time he/she needs one throughout the day (unless, of course, they feel like sitting around for half an hour unhooking the entire thing; either way, they’ll be annoyed and you’ll be eternally amused.
So, the next time you’re considering paying Laurence Fishburne seventy-five grand to come down to your office and convince one of your coworkers that this is actually The Matrix and he is The One… consider the paperclip, instead. It’s the cheaper, easier, and, often, funnier alternative.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Drab Friday...
Casual Fridays are one thing… but dull Fridays? I can’t stand those.
We all have them. Those boring Fridays were we can’t help but try to find a little excitement in our day. Sometimes no matter how hard we try there’s just no fun to be found, however. Today was one of those days.
So, I decided to make my own excitement. Hmmm… I wonder what little prank I could pull to bring laughs to the office without making it a big deal.
After all, it was late in the day, and I didn’t really have time to pull anything elaborate. Instead, I thought back to my best friend, who is undoubtedly his office’s prank king. He always said that a prank doesn’t have to be grand to get a good laugh. Any moment that livens up the afternoon and breaks up the monotony can be considered a success.
With that thought in mind, I waited until a couple of guys at the cubicles across from my office went down to get their late afternoon coffee fix.
I made quick work of darting into each cube, popping out a couple of keyboard keys, and rearranging them before moving onto the next. By the time the boys came back up from their java run, I was back at my desk, peering over my computer screen.
My radio was on, so they couldn’t exactly hear my chuckles as they looked at their screens, confused as to why things looked funny, and then took turns blaming each other for the stunt before they finally figured out it was me.
No, it didn’t exactly make today a fantastic day all around… but we all got a good laugh out of it, and the rest of the afternoon didn’t seem nearly as tedious.
TGIF!
We all have them. Those boring Fridays were we can’t help but try to find a little excitement in our day. Sometimes no matter how hard we try there’s just no fun to be found, however. Today was one of those days.
So, I decided to make my own excitement. Hmmm… I wonder what little prank I could pull to bring laughs to the office without making it a big deal.
After all, it was late in the day, and I didn’t really have time to pull anything elaborate. Instead, I thought back to my best friend, who is undoubtedly his office’s prank king. He always said that a prank doesn’t have to be grand to get a good laugh. Any moment that livens up the afternoon and breaks up the monotony can be considered a success.
With that thought in mind, I waited until a couple of guys at the cubicles across from my office went down to get their late afternoon coffee fix.
I made quick work of darting into each cube, popping out a couple of keyboard keys, and rearranging them before moving onto the next. By the time the boys came back up from their java run, I was back at my desk, peering over my computer screen.
My radio was on, so they couldn’t exactly hear my chuckles as they looked at their screens, confused as to why things looked funny, and then took turns blaming each other for the stunt before they finally figured out it was me.
No, it didn’t exactly make today a fantastic day all around… but we all got a good laugh out of it, and the rest of the afternoon didn’t seem nearly as tedious.
TGIF!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Keyboard Swap
Here’s a prank idea that only takes a few moments to set up (and reverse), but can have big impact on your daily fun factor. It works best if you and your intended victim work close together—as in adjoining cubicles, side by side desks, or any place where a group of PCs live together in peace and harmony.
The preparation here is quick, and can easily be pulled off while your coworker heads down to the break room for a cup of coffee, runs out to get some lunch, or gets stuck in a meeting.
Once they step away from their desk, unplug their keyboard from the PC tower, and plug in another one—that you keep at your desk. The key here is to be quick! You can either use your actual keyboard, or bring in another from home that you stash on your lap.
Once your friend returns to their desk, keep an eye on them. Every time they go to type something in, you type along with them from the keyboard at your own desk. (Try not to crack up as they attempt to compose an email, only to find that no matter what they type, it’s still addressed Dear Jackass)
Chances are good that at some point, they will get up to go seek help with their wayward keyboard. Again, quickness is essential as you re plug their keyboard back in. Now, when the IT guy comes to check out the haunted computer, he’ll find nary a thing wrong with it.
I actually managed to pull this one off not too long ago, with hilarious results. I actually had my coworker thinking that there was something spooky going on by typing mysterious messages from the great beyond every time he opened a Word Document. Of course, my hysterical laughter eventually gave me away…
The preparation here is quick, and can easily be pulled off while your coworker heads down to the break room for a cup of coffee, runs out to get some lunch, or gets stuck in a meeting.
Once they step away from their desk, unplug their keyboard from the PC tower, and plug in another one—that you keep at your desk. The key here is to be quick! You can either use your actual keyboard, or bring in another from home that you stash on your lap.
Once your friend returns to their desk, keep an eye on them. Every time they go to type something in, you type along with them from the keyboard at your own desk. (Try not to crack up as they attempt to compose an email, only to find that no matter what they type, it’s still addressed Dear Jackass)
Chances are good that at some point, they will get up to go seek help with their wayward keyboard. Again, quickness is essential as you re plug their keyboard back in. Now, when the IT guy comes to check out the haunted computer, he’ll find nary a thing wrong with it.
I actually managed to pull this one off not too long ago, with hilarious results. I actually had my coworker thinking that there was something spooky going on by typing mysterious messages from the great beyond every time he opened a Word Document. Of course, my hysterical laughter eventually gave me away…
Monday, June 7, 2010
Office Newbie
Today’s post is an email I received from someone who started working at a new company a few months ago. Although she already gets along wonderfully with her coworkers, they certainly gave her a bit of a hazing on the dreaded April Fool’s Day.
Here’s her story—I know I got a chuckle out of it. Hope you guys enjoy her moment of misery as much as I did:
“On April 1, my day at the office was definitely a jumble of confusion.
It all started when I walked into the break room for my morning java fix. There, displayed on the counter was a box of delicious looking donuts.
I was very unpleasantly surprised when I bit into a chocolate glazed treat and realized I couldn’t even swallow it. The donuts were apparently stale and extremely old. Eww.
With a certain co worker watching intently to see my reaction, I knew right away he was the culprit. With a few laughs from all of us and the donuts now in the trashcan I thought the prank was over and I was ready to successfully work.
That’s when I remembered that I had to write a report on the papers I had received last week, and rushed off to my desk. I always keep my report papers in my top right hand drawer.
So when I reached over and opened up the drawer, I was more than a little confused to find the cards that my kids had made me last Mother’s Day. I could have sworn that I had put those in the other cabinet. Hmmm…
As I searched further, I realized that all of my belongings where placed in separate drawers! Looks like I had been had again.
I laughed quietly and took the time to re organize all of my belongings and began to finally gather the right paper work. I set them on my desk and grabbed a pen to begin marking notes.
I tried to pull of the cap, (normally simple task) and it would not come off. I thought it was probably an old pen and started trying the rest of my pens. Eventually I realized that all of the caps of my pens were glued on! By now, I was not only embarrassed; I was starting to get a little ticked.
That’s when I heard the roar of laughter from the coworkers who had been watching me struggle all morning.
They all came to my desk and dropped the calendar with a big red circle around the date April 1. Gone was the anger… I just had to laugh along. But don’t worry guys, I’ll get you back!”
Here’s her story—I know I got a chuckle out of it. Hope you guys enjoy her moment of misery as much as I did:
“On April 1, my day at the office was definitely a jumble of confusion.
It all started when I walked into the break room for my morning java fix. There, displayed on the counter was a box of delicious looking donuts.
I was very unpleasantly surprised when I bit into a chocolate glazed treat and realized I couldn’t even swallow it. The donuts were apparently stale and extremely old. Eww.
With a certain co worker watching intently to see my reaction, I knew right away he was the culprit. With a few laughs from all of us and the donuts now in the trashcan I thought the prank was over and I was ready to successfully work.
That’s when I remembered that I had to write a report on the papers I had received last week, and rushed off to my desk. I always keep my report papers in my top right hand drawer.
So when I reached over and opened up the drawer, I was more than a little confused to find the cards that my kids had made me last Mother’s Day. I could have sworn that I had put those in the other cabinet. Hmmm…
As I searched further, I realized that all of my belongings where placed in separate drawers! Looks like I had been had again.
I laughed quietly and took the time to re organize all of my belongings and began to finally gather the right paper work. I set them on my desk and grabbed a pen to begin marking notes.
I tried to pull of the cap, (normally simple task) and it would not come off. I thought it was probably an old pen and started trying the rest of my pens. Eventually I realized that all of the caps of my pens were glued on! By now, I was not only embarrassed; I was starting to get a little ticked.
That’s when I heard the roar of laughter from the coworkers who had been watching me struggle all morning.
They all came to my desk and dropped the calendar with a big red circle around the date April 1. Gone was the anger… I just had to laugh along. But don’t worry guys, I’ll get you back!”
Saturday, May 29, 2010
A Colorful Prank
While perusing the internet for office prank ideas, I kept happening upon a prank that seems to be pretty popular in the pranking community: covering a coworker’s entire cubicle in colored cellophane.
This might seem like quite the excessive and rather arduous prank to pull, but the outcome (seeing your coworker’s confused/surprised/irritated reaction and subsequently watching them have to undue it all) seems to be worth it.
You would probably have to round up a couple of fellow pranksters for this one, seeing as how covering an entire cubicle in saran wrap might be a bit too much as a one man job. So, rallying up a team of three or four coworker conspirators would probably be the best and most effective idea.
Once you’ve done this, head over to your nearest grocery store and buy a massive amount of cellophane (you’ve got a lot of cubicle space to cover, so you’re going to need a lot).
You’re also going to need to go into work extra early that morning for this task, so be sure to set your alarm that night at least an hour or two prior to what you usually set it for.
Once you get into work that morning, bright and early and before everyone else, get started! Be sure to cover the entire cubicle, leaving no space uncovered. Also, be sure to cover all the desktop items as well, such as the computer, mouse, mouse pad, staplers, etc…and be sure to cover the chair as well.
After you’ve finished, take a minute to bask in the glory of your epic prank.
This is a good one. You should be proud.
Once it’s time for work to start, go to your desks and act naturally, as if nothing is amiss. When your unsuspecting victim arrives, act as you normally would with him/her as to not tip them off.
Then, simply wait for them to walk into their cubicle and freak out. After this happens, you may commence with the giddy laughter and high fiving of a prank well done.
This might seem like quite the excessive and rather arduous prank to pull, but the outcome (seeing your coworker’s confused/surprised/irritated reaction and subsequently watching them have to undue it all) seems to be worth it.
You would probably have to round up a couple of fellow pranksters for this one, seeing as how covering an entire cubicle in saran wrap might be a bit too much as a one man job. So, rallying up a team of three or four coworker conspirators would probably be the best and most effective idea.
Once you’ve done this, head over to your nearest grocery store and buy a massive amount of cellophane (you’ve got a lot of cubicle space to cover, so you’re going to need a lot).
You’re also going to need to go into work extra early that morning for this task, so be sure to set your alarm that night at least an hour or two prior to what you usually set it for.
Once you get into work that morning, bright and early and before everyone else, get started! Be sure to cover the entire cubicle, leaving no space uncovered. Also, be sure to cover all the desktop items as well, such as the computer, mouse, mouse pad, staplers, etc…and be sure to cover the chair as well.
After you’ve finished, take a minute to bask in the glory of your epic prank.
This is a good one. You should be proud.
Once it’s time for work to start, go to your desks and act naturally, as if nothing is amiss. When your unsuspecting victim arrives, act as you normally would with him/her as to not tip them off.
Then, simply wait for them to walk into their cubicle and freak out. After this happens, you may commence with the giddy laughter and high fiving of a prank well done.
May the Force be with You
Thinking back to my fresh out of college job earlier this week has made me a little nostalgic.
I’ve certainly crossed paths with my fair share of pranks over the years. Of course, there are some particularly flashy ones that stand out more than others. And then there’s one where “flashy” is a bit of an understatement.
It all started when I was shopping at Wal-Mart one afternoon. They were having a major sale on Aluminum foil. Serious rollbacks, if you will.
Don’t ask me why, but I just knew I had to stock up. Maybe it was just foresight, or my devious mind at work even when I wasn’t conscious of it, put something told me that I was going to need quite a few rolls.
It took me a while to figure out I was going to do with it.
But when I finally decided, I just had to smile to myself. It was going to be a good one.
I have a friend and co worker who’s a self proclaimed Sci-Fi geek. Why not create his own little spacecraft?
I waited until everyone had left the office the next night before starting his cubicle renovation. I was meticulous—covering every square inch of his office in foil—right down to his picture frames and Star Wars figurines.
As an aside, this was much easier said than done. I was at it for close to three hours before I was finally able to step back and admire my creation.
And it couldn’t be more perfect. Really… his cubicle looked like nothing less than the inside of a space ship, straight out of a cheesy 20’s alien flick. In fact, it was so shiny that it almost hurt to look at it.
Before unwrapping his cube the next day, Trekkie friend even took a picture of my creation.
Today, it sits in a shiny silver frame, right between his Wookie figurine and C3PO pen holder.
I’ve certainly crossed paths with my fair share of pranks over the years. Of course, there are some particularly flashy ones that stand out more than others. And then there’s one where “flashy” is a bit of an understatement.
It all started when I was shopping at Wal-Mart one afternoon. They were having a major sale on Aluminum foil. Serious rollbacks, if you will.
Don’t ask me why, but I just knew I had to stock up. Maybe it was just foresight, or my devious mind at work even when I wasn’t conscious of it, put something told me that I was going to need quite a few rolls.
It took me a while to figure out I was going to do with it.
But when I finally decided, I just had to smile to myself. It was going to be a good one.
I have a friend and co worker who’s a self proclaimed Sci-Fi geek. Why not create his own little spacecraft?
I waited until everyone had left the office the next night before starting his cubicle renovation. I was meticulous—covering every square inch of his office in foil—right down to his picture frames and Star Wars figurines.
As an aside, this was much easier said than done. I was at it for close to three hours before I was finally able to step back and admire my creation.
And it couldn’t be more perfect. Really… his cubicle looked like nothing less than the inside of a space ship, straight out of a cheesy 20’s alien flick. In fact, it was so shiny that it almost hurt to look at it.
Before unwrapping his cube the next day, Trekkie friend even took a picture of my creation.
Today, it sits in a shiny silver frame, right between his Wookie figurine and C3PO pen holder.
Friday, May 28, 2010
The Blue Screen of Death
Speaking of my freshman IT days (which is what I was doing in my last post), here’s another prank that we pulled back in the day.
Todd, our department lead, was a complete prankster. However, he was also the most dedicated person in that entire office. He took his job as seriously as it gets, and I will be the first to admit that he was darn good at it, too.
Which is exactly what made pranking him so much fun.
Believe it or not, we got the idea for the stunt we pulled from none other than Microsoft. (And they say that geeks have no sense of humor. HA!)
We had heard that Mr. Gates’ team had come up with a screen saver that was nothing less than a complete mimic of the Blue Screen of Death. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the BSOD, it’s the bright blue screen that appears when your system has encountered a major problem. It usually means that a major system wipe down is about to ensue.
What was even more awesome was that the simulated Blue Screen even used your computer’s real info to customize the screen saver and progress bar. (This was back during Windows XP days, but I’m pretty sure you can probably find a version to match whichever version you’re running. There’s no way that something this cool has been discontinued)
Anyway, it took us but a few moments to install the screensaver on Todd’s computer while he was in a meeting one day. By the time he returned to his desk, he was just about ready to flip out at the sight of the screen.
He began doing all those fun things that IT people do when something goes seriously wrong—muttering to himself, shaking his mouse, and finally shouting angrily at his screen.
It wasn’t long before our laughter gave us away…
Todd, our department lead, was a complete prankster. However, he was also the most dedicated person in that entire office. He took his job as seriously as it gets, and I will be the first to admit that he was darn good at it, too.
Which is exactly what made pranking him so much fun.
Believe it or not, we got the idea for the stunt we pulled from none other than Microsoft. (And they say that geeks have no sense of humor. HA!)
We had heard that Mr. Gates’ team had come up with a screen saver that was nothing less than a complete mimic of the Blue Screen of Death. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the BSOD, it’s the bright blue screen that appears when your system has encountered a major problem. It usually means that a major system wipe down is about to ensue.
What was even more awesome was that the simulated Blue Screen even used your computer’s real info to customize the screen saver and progress bar. (This was back during Windows XP days, but I’m pretty sure you can probably find a version to match whichever version you’re running. There’s no way that something this cool has been discontinued)
Anyway, it took us but a few moments to install the screensaver on Todd’s computer while he was in a meeting one day. By the time he returned to his desk, he was just about ready to flip out at the sight of the screen.
He began doing all those fun things that IT people do when something goes seriously wrong—muttering to himself, shaking his mouse, and finally shouting angrily at his screen.
It wasn’t long before our laughter gave us away…
Mousing Around
I know I’ve covered mouse pranks before, but it’s definitely worth revisiting. After all, the mouse is an essential workplace tool. And one that, for the most part, we tend to take for granted. It’s just there… sitting next to our keyboards, waiting for us every time we fire up our computers.
And that’s exactly why they make perfect targets for every day pranks. What’s worse than reaching for something benign and completely reliable, only to find that it’s not working?
With the growing popularity of laser pointers, you may feel like you’ve lost the ability to mouse prank. (No roller balls, sigh) But the truth is that there’s another option just waiting to be exploited. A few small pieces of transparent tape placed on the underside of someone’s mouse will have the same effect as the old school ball theft would. Plus, the fact that it’s see through means that unless they actually touch it, your victim might not realize what’s going on at all.
But why stop there when there’s other mousey fun to be had? If you’ve got a few minutes at a coworker’s desk, click your way into their computer’s control panel. From there, you can go into their mouse settings and change the default pointer to the hourglass.
Then, every time they move their mouse, it will look like the computer is busy. They’ll have a heck of a time trying to figure out why the computer is suddenly going so slowly!
And as long as you’re hanging out in the mouse settings, why not switch up its speed? Having a mouse crawl along the screen—or zoom past at the slightest touch—is enough to drive anyone crazy. Or, for some extreme frustration, switch the primary and secondary button functions. That way, every time the click, they’ll really be right clicking.
Have fun!
And that’s exactly why they make perfect targets for every day pranks. What’s worse than reaching for something benign and completely reliable, only to find that it’s not working?
With the growing popularity of laser pointers, you may feel like you’ve lost the ability to mouse prank. (No roller balls, sigh) But the truth is that there’s another option just waiting to be exploited. A few small pieces of transparent tape placed on the underside of someone’s mouse will have the same effect as the old school ball theft would. Plus, the fact that it’s see through means that unless they actually touch it, your victim might not realize what’s going on at all.
But why stop there when there’s other mousey fun to be had? If you’ve got a few minutes at a coworker’s desk, click your way into their computer’s control panel. From there, you can go into their mouse settings and change the default pointer to the hourglass.
Then, every time they move their mouse, it will look like the computer is busy. They’ll have a heck of a time trying to figure out why the computer is suddenly going so slowly!
And as long as you’re hanging out in the mouse settings, why not switch up its speed? Having a mouse crawl along the screen—or zoom past at the slightest touch—is enough to drive anyone crazy. Or, for some extreme frustration, switch the primary and secondary button functions. That way, every time the click, they’ll really be right clicking.
Have fun!
Speaker Swap
I remember my very first office job, at an IT upstart. It was a casual atmosphere, and probably where my love for all things prank related was born.
I was the baby—fresh out of college, the only woman on the team, and by far the youngest person in the department. The guys took me under their wing, and really taught me a lot. (Some of them are still my closest friends!) They also took advantage of the situation by playing more pranks, tricks, and practical jokes on me than should ever be allowed!
The ringleader was Todd, an MIT graduate with a love for all things computer related. (Not to mention a passion for pulling pranks)
The way the IT room was set up, all of us techies were in the same general area. It really resembles a classroom, with sets of desks pushed up next to each other to form a group of 4. Todd happened to be part of my little square, and he certainly used that to his advantage. Like the time he rigged my desk chair to sink all the way down to the floor every time I sat in it.
Anyway, revenge was finally mine one day, when I got back from lunch before Todd, and proceeded to pull a little speaker swap on him. I disconnected one of his computer’s speakers, and replaced it with one of the one’s from my desk—the one without volume control, of course.
Then, when he came back and fired up his PC, I put my plan into action. When he began playing music on his computer (as he always did when he was working) I found a Youtube video that involved some cats meowing… and set my volume at low.
Todd spent the rest of the afternoon going crazy, trying to figure out where the faint meowing was coming from!
I was the baby—fresh out of college, the only woman on the team, and by far the youngest person in the department. The guys took me under their wing, and really taught me a lot. (Some of them are still my closest friends!) They also took advantage of the situation by playing more pranks, tricks, and practical jokes on me than should ever be allowed!
The ringleader was Todd, an MIT graduate with a love for all things computer related. (Not to mention a passion for pulling pranks)
The way the IT room was set up, all of us techies were in the same general area. It really resembles a classroom, with sets of desks pushed up next to each other to form a group of 4. Todd happened to be part of my little square, and he certainly used that to his advantage. Like the time he rigged my desk chair to sink all the way down to the floor every time I sat in it.
Anyway, revenge was finally mine one day, when I got back from lunch before Todd, and proceeded to pull a little speaker swap on him. I disconnected one of his computer’s speakers, and replaced it with one of the one’s from my desk—the one without volume control, of course.
Then, when he came back and fired up his PC, I put my plan into action. When he began playing music on his computer (as he always did when he was working) I found a Youtube video that involved some cats meowing… and set my volume at low.
Todd spent the rest of the afternoon going crazy, trying to figure out where the faint meowing was coming from!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Nix the Booty Pix!
Ah… the classic prank.
There are a few office pranks out there that are, for all intents and purposes, considered classic. The industry standard, if you will. However, among these old school pranks, there are a few that, considering modern rules of workplace etiquette, just aren’t such a good idea any more.
Chief among these is the photo copying of your derriere.
Yes, copying your butt and distributing Xeroxes of your happy place may seem hilarious—at first. But there are plenty of reasons not to.
First of all, there’s the safety concern. On more than one occasion, people have broken right through a copier’s glass attempting to pull this off. Broken glass in your bottom = OUCH!
Of course, that would also mean you’d have to explain what happened to the copy machine. Common sense says that a paycheck deduction and possible dismissal wouldn’t be far behind.
Now I don’t know about you, but no prank is worth my job! Talk about making the worst mistake of your life.
You could also suffer the supreme embarrassment of having a coworker walk in during the prank. Sexual harassment, anyone?
Again, grounds for a major Donald Trump moment. Not to mention that you could wind up in the pokey for indecent exposure. Definitely NOT my idea of a good time.
Of course, there are still plenty of ways to mess with the copier and still keep your company position (and dignity) intact.
For example, try setting the paper size to Poster, reset the number of copies to 140, or turn on the enlargement feature.
All of these are good for a laugh—but won’t cause serious trouble!
There are a few office pranks out there that are, for all intents and purposes, considered classic. The industry standard, if you will. However, among these old school pranks, there are a few that, considering modern rules of workplace etiquette, just aren’t such a good idea any more.
Chief among these is the photo copying of your derriere.
Yes, copying your butt and distributing Xeroxes of your happy place may seem hilarious—at first. But there are plenty of reasons not to.
First of all, there’s the safety concern. On more than one occasion, people have broken right through a copier’s glass attempting to pull this off. Broken glass in your bottom = OUCH!
Of course, that would also mean you’d have to explain what happened to the copy machine. Common sense says that a paycheck deduction and possible dismissal wouldn’t be far behind.
Now I don’t know about you, but no prank is worth my job! Talk about making the worst mistake of your life.
You could also suffer the supreme embarrassment of having a coworker walk in during the prank. Sexual harassment, anyone?
Again, grounds for a major Donald Trump moment. Not to mention that you could wind up in the pokey for indecent exposure. Definitely NOT my idea of a good time.
Of course, there are still plenty of ways to mess with the copier and still keep your company position (and dignity) intact.
For example, try setting the paper size to Poster, reset the number of copies to 140, or turn on the enlargement feature.
All of these are good for a laugh—but won’t cause serious trouble!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Potty Prank
I have to admit, I was pretty impressed with Dave’s email the other day. It takes some serious guts to pull off a good bathroom prank. And so, with that thought in mind, I decided to see if I could find a few restroom inspired prank ideas for Dave (and all of you guys, too).
This idea came from someone who definitely loves himself a good prank: my fiancé. Trust me on that one—I have been his unwilling participant on more than one occasion.
But first, a word of warning: While this prank calls for the use of ketchup packets, tomato might be a little difficult for your coworkers to wash out of some of their nicer or more delicate fabrics. Consider swapping the ketchup for maple syrup packets (for a sticky alternative) or any other condiment that is a little more forgiving on clothing.
If you really want to stay true to the original idea and use ketchup, then might I suggest pulling this potty prank on a casual Friday? (Jeans are much easier to clean than a silk skirt or suit pants!)
Ok, so now that I’ve done a considerable amount of warning, how about I let you in on the actual prank?
It’s a pretty simple procedure, actually. Just take one of those foil fast food ketchup packet (or the condiment of your choice) and cut a small slit in the top. Then carefully place the packet on the bowl of the toilet, with the slit facing out, and lower the seat until it’s resting against the packet. For added blast, use more than one packet.
When your unsuspecting victim sits down to relieve themselves, the ketchup packs explode, squirting a delightful red mess all over the back of their knees and calves. Pretty sinister, if I do say so myself.
This idea came from someone who definitely loves himself a good prank: my fiancé. Trust me on that one—I have been his unwilling participant on more than one occasion.
But first, a word of warning: While this prank calls for the use of ketchup packets, tomato might be a little difficult for your coworkers to wash out of some of their nicer or more delicate fabrics. Consider swapping the ketchup for maple syrup packets (for a sticky alternative) or any other condiment that is a little more forgiving on clothing.
If you really want to stay true to the original idea and use ketchup, then might I suggest pulling this potty prank on a casual Friday? (Jeans are much easier to clean than a silk skirt or suit pants!)
Ok, so now that I’ve done a considerable amount of warning, how about I let you in on the actual prank?
It’s a pretty simple procedure, actually. Just take one of those foil fast food ketchup packet (or the condiment of your choice) and cut a small slit in the top. Then carefully place the packet on the bowl of the toilet, with the slit facing out, and lower the seat until it’s resting against the packet. For added blast, use more than one packet.
When your unsuspecting victim sits down to relieve themselves, the ketchup packs explode, squirting a delightful red mess all over the back of their knees and calves. Pretty sinister, if I do say so myself.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Everything OK in there?!
Today’s prank comes from a gentleman whose office is apparently even crazier than my own:
“It all started with a department-wide email letting everyone know that we’d be doing some remodeling and construction work on our floor. For the month or so that the building, inspecting, and painting was going on, some of us would be temporarily relocated to other areas.
Just my luck, I was set up at a desk directly outside of the men’s bathroom. Of course, my fellow co-workers (with whom I’ve been involved in a 3 year long prank war) thought this was hilarious, and would go out of their way to “share” their most acoustic bowel movements with me.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for me to keep a straight face while talking on the phone or typing up reports. That’s when I decided that it was time for a little vengeance.
That evening, I went out and purchased a small digital controller. With the accompanying software, I was able to control the recorder from my laptop.
Then came the fun part… I recorded about 15 minutes worth of grunting, pausing, heaving, and groaning. For effect, I included a few flatulent sounds as well (thanks to my niece’s whoopee cushion, they were particularly heinous).
The next day, I took a pair of dress shoes and pants to work with me. All that was left was the set up.
Early in the morning, I snuck into the bathroom and set the shoes and pants so that they could be seen from under a stall. It looked just like someone was sitting on the throne.
Then I set the recorder (with the volume turned up) on the back of the toilet tank.
Once my handiwork was done, I returned to my desk. Then it was just a matter of time. Before long, my first co-worker took a bathroom break.
And I smiled to myself as I hit play.
The looks on everyone’s faces as they left the bathroom all day were priceless… and (until now) no one ever knew that it was all a prank!”
--Dave, from California
“It all started with a department-wide email letting everyone know that we’d be doing some remodeling and construction work on our floor. For the month or so that the building, inspecting, and painting was going on, some of us would be temporarily relocated to other areas.
Just my luck, I was set up at a desk directly outside of the men’s bathroom. Of course, my fellow co-workers (with whom I’ve been involved in a 3 year long prank war) thought this was hilarious, and would go out of their way to “share” their most acoustic bowel movements with me.
It was becoming increasingly difficult for me to keep a straight face while talking on the phone or typing up reports. That’s when I decided that it was time for a little vengeance.
That evening, I went out and purchased a small digital controller. With the accompanying software, I was able to control the recorder from my laptop.
Then came the fun part… I recorded about 15 minutes worth of grunting, pausing, heaving, and groaning. For effect, I included a few flatulent sounds as well (thanks to my niece’s whoopee cushion, they were particularly heinous).
The next day, I took a pair of dress shoes and pants to work with me. All that was left was the set up.
Early in the morning, I snuck into the bathroom and set the shoes and pants so that they could be seen from under a stall. It looked just like someone was sitting on the throne.
Then I set the recorder (with the volume turned up) on the back of the toilet tank.
Once my handiwork was done, I returned to my desk. Then it was just a matter of time. Before long, my first co-worker took a bathroom break.
And I smiled to myself as I hit play.
The looks on everyone’s faces as they left the bathroom all day were priceless… and (until now) no one ever knew that it was all a prank!”
--Dave, from California
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Love Thy Assistant
Looking for a way to bond with your administrative assistant, receptionist, or executive sidekick?
Maybe you’d like to get a rise out of them, or get even for all of those poorly taken messages?
Then why not relieve a little stress and bring a few laughs into both of your days with a well pulled off prank or two?
Because they usually follow a set schedule throughout the day, assistants and receptionists are among the easiest members of your office family to prank. And if the executive assistants at your place of work are anything like they are at mine, even the slightest upset in their carefully planned day is enough to stir them up for days.
Start with something simple (and classic) like removing the roller ball from their mouse, or rearranging the keys on their keyboard. Another old prank that works well is changing the language settings on their computer. Pick something fun like Afrikaans, German, or Egyptian.
Or, give them a taste of their own message taking medicine the next time they’re at lunch by leaving a “While you were out” note that will give them a good giggle when they return the call.
Try having them call back Myra Mains (and leave the number to a funeral parlor) or Mr. Behr (with the number to the local zoo).
For even more mischief, try disassembling their chair, and leaving all of the pieces neatly lined up next to a screwdriver. If you can get a friend to help you, you can even move your victim’s desk into the hallway or the nearest restroom.
Who knows? It may just end up bringing you and your assistant closer together!
Maybe you’d like to get a rise out of them, or get even for all of those poorly taken messages?
Then why not relieve a little stress and bring a few laughs into both of your days with a well pulled off prank or two?
Because they usually follow a set schedule throughout the day, assistants and receptionists are among the easiest members of your office family to prank. And if the executive assistants at your place of work are anything like they are at mine, even the slightest upset in their carefully planned day is enough to stir them up for days.
Start with something simple (and classic) like removing the roller ball from their mouse, or rearranging the keys on their keyboard. Another old prank that works well is changing the language settings on their computer. Pick something fun like Afrikaans, German, or Egyptian.
Or, give them a taste of their own message taking medicine the next time they’re at lunch by leaving a “While you were out” note that will give them a good giggle when they return the call.
Try having them call back Myra Mains (and leave the number to a funeral parlor) or Mr. Behr (with the number to the local zoo).
For even more mischief, try disassembling their chair, and leaving all of the pieces neatly lined up next to a screwdriver. If you can get a friend to help you, you can even move your victim’s desk into the hallway or the nearest restroom.
Who knows? It may just end up bringing you and your assistant closer together!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Potty Prank
Here’s a prank for everyone that has ever had one of those inevitable bathroom emergencies at work. I know what all of you are thinking, but please let me explain before you accost me.
Admittedly, this is probably one of the meanest pranks you can pull… but if it’s done right, it can result in quite a few laughs. Just be sure to pick your target carefully. Allow me to elaborate.
It all started on my last vacation. I was passing a magic store in Vegas when I spotted a fake toilet paper role. I was puzzled at first, since I didn’t think there was any way to tamper with TP.
Upon further investigation (looking at the back of the package, that is) I found out that they make toilet paper that has the sheets previously glued together. It’s un-tearable toilet paper.
In that moment, a plan was born. So I went and bought 4 rolls and then continued my vacation fun.
When I arrived back home I knew I had to put my naughty napkins to good use. So I went into the office the next morning and swapped the rolls. I know… I was a bad girl. But it gets worse.
I also went and made sure to clear out the hand paper to. I figured as long as I was going to prank people when they’re most vulnerable, I might as well give them a good panic too. Hehe…
Of course, if I was going to be truly wicked, I would have left my prank at that, and gone about my day (with a stack of napkins in my purse in case I had to visit the facilities!) But I realized that I couldn’t just leave my coworkers stranded on the privy with absolutely no aid in sight. So instead, I stashed a pyramid of real toilet paper rolls on a shelf across the restroom.
When I walked in to wash my hands after lunch, I caught sight of a coworker peeking out of her stall, jeans around her ankles…
I figure Karma is probably still out to get me for this one…
Admittedly, this is probably one of the meanest pranks you can pull… but if it’s done right, it can result in quite a few laughs. Just be sure to pick your target carefully. Allow me to elaborate.
It all started on my last vacation. I was passing a magic store in Vegas when I spotted a fake toilet paper role. I was puzzled at first, since I didn’t think there was any way to tamper with TP.
Upon further investigation (looking at the back of the package, that is) I found out that they make toilet paper that has the sheets previously glued together. It’s un-tearable toilet paper.
In that moment, a plan was born. So I went and bought 4 rolls and then continued my vacation fun.
When I arrived back home I knew I had to put my naughty napkins to good use. So I went into the office the next morning and swapped the rolls. I know… I was a bad girl. But it gets worse.
I also went and made sure to clear out the hand paper to. I figured as long as I was going to prank people when they’re most vulnerable, I might as well give them a good panic too. Hehe…
Of course, if I was going to be truly wicked, I would have left my prank at that, and gone about my day (with a stack of napkins in my purse in case I had to visit the facilities!) But I realized that I couldn’t just leave my coworkers stranded on the privy with absolutely no aid in sight. So instead, I stashed a pyramid of real toilet paper rolls on a shelf across the restroom.
When I walked in to wash my hands after lunch, I caught sight of a coworker peeking out of her stall, jeans around her ankles…
I figure Karma is probably still out to get me for this one…
Ralph... You're Needed in Lumber
Happy Monday. Hope everyone had a great weekend. I spent a good chunk of my Sunday wandering the aisles of my favorite super store.
Ever notice how you go into those places looking for one thing (in my case, a propane tank for the grill) and end up wandering out, dazed, hours later with a whole shopping cart full of stuff?
Well, it’s not like I’m not going to get some real use out of the new curtains. And the cases of soda really were a great deal. And that swimsuit is completely adorable…
Anyway, as I meandered up and down the aisles, I couldn’t help but notice just how much use that overhead intercom system gets.
“Attention customers… please visit the bakery section for fresh, warm French bread. Only $1.49!”
“Ralph… you’re needed in at customer service”
“To the customer in a yellow Ford Fiesta with license plate X557BJJ… you’re parked in a red zone. Please move your vehicle before it’s towed”
“Ralph… you’re needed in house wares”
Well, it was about the third time that I heard poor Ralph’s name being called that the idea for a great prank was born.
If you happen to work somewhere with an intercom system, why not make good use out of it by driving a co-worker completely batty?
This is an especially effective prank if you’re good at disguising your voice. (Or, if you can get a few people to join in the fun with you)
Just page someone to report to a department, and then (preferably just as they
arrive) page them again to report to another.
This prank works best when you work in a large place, like a super store, warehouse, or huge building, so that you keep your victim running from one end to another.
Anyone ever try this before? How’d it work?
Ever notice how you go into those places looking for one thing (in my case, a propane tank for the grill) and end up wandering out, dazed, hours later with a whole shopping cart full of stuff?
Well, it’s not like I’m not going to get some real use out of the new curtains. And the cases of soda really were a great deal. And that swimsuit is completely adorable…
Anyway, as I meandered up and down the aisles, I couldn’t help but notice just how much use that overhead intercom system gets.
“Attention customers… please visit the bakery section for fresh, warm French bread. Only $1.49!”
“Ralph… you’re needed in at customer service”
“To the customer in a yellow Ford Fiesta with license plate X557BJJ… you’re parked in a red zone. Please move your vehicle before it’s towed”
“Ralph… you’re needed in house wares”
Well, it was about the third time that I heard poor Ralph’s name being called that the idea for a great prank was born.
If you happen to work somewhere with an intercom system, why not make good use out of it by driving a co-worker completely batty?
This is an especially effective prank if you’re good at disguising your voice. (Or, if you can get a few people to join in the fun with you)
Just page someone to report to a department, and then (preferably just as they
arrive) page them again to report to another.
This prank works best when you work in a large place, like a super store, warehouse, or huge building, so that you keep your victim running from one end to another.
Anyone ever try this before? How’d it work?
Friday, May 14, 2010
Fashion Show
Good grief! These past two weeks at my office have been busier than just about any time in recent memory. Everyone has been going crazy… probably no one more so than our boss. Our poor CEO has been overworked, over burdened, and generally abused for days now. That’s why we all decided that she could use a few laughs this afternoon.
It being casual Friday and all, everyone was looking forward to leaving their suits and skirts behind for the day—especially since we were going to be stuck in a round robin of meetings all afternoon. I suppose that’s where the idea was born.
It didn’t take very long for the news to circulate around our floor yesterday. (That would be Thursday afternoon)
We decided to each being a few changes of clothes, and spend the entire day swapping outfits, just to see if we could get our boss to think that she’d finally gone off the deep end. Little did we know just how many laughs we’d get out of the whole day.
It started out innocently enough. For the first meeting, I was wearing a pair of jeans, a yellow shirt, and some awesome tan cowboy boots. I smiled to myself when my boss complimented me on my shoes…
My mid morning, I had changed into a sundress and heels. When I walked into the boss’s office to deliver some papers, it was a little difficult to keep a straight face when she took a double take and then shook her head to herself. You could tell she was trying to figure out just what on earth was going on as everyone seemed to be constantly shifting before her eyes.
After lunch, as we all gathered for yet another marketing meeting, she finally asked me if I had changed my clothes. (I was back in my boots—this time paired with skinny jeans and a back tee)
I tried looking confused at her question… and it would have worked, too. But that’s when Bob from accounting came in.
Wearing bright yellow swim trunks, an inflatable life saver, baseball cap, and golf shoes, no less.
Needless to say, none of us could keep a straight face after that.
Luckily, el jefe decided that we all deserved to take off early for the weekend for making her laugh.
It being casual Friday and all, everyone was looking forward to leaving their suits and skirts behind for the day—especially since we were going to be stuck in a round robin of meetings all afternoon. I suppose that’s where the idea was born.
It didn’t take very long for the news to circulate around our floor yesterday. (That would be Thursday afternoon)
We decided to each being a few changes of clothes, and spend the entire day swapping outfits, just to see if we could get our boss to think that she’d finally gone off the deep end. Little did we know just how many laughs we’d get out of the whole day.
It started out innocently enough. For the first meeting, I was wearing a pair of jeans, a yellow shirt, and some awesome tan cowboy boots. I smiled to myself when my boss complimented me on my shoes…
My mid morning, I had changed into a sundress and heels. When I walked into the boss’s office to deliver some papers, it was a little difficult to keep a straight face when she took a double take and then shook her head to herself. You could tell she was trying to figure out just what on earth was going on as everyone seemed to be constantly shifting before her eyes.
After lunch, as we all gathered for yet another marketing meeting, she finally asked me if I had changed my clothes. (I was back in my boots—this time paired with skinny jeans and a back tee)
I tried looking confused at her question… and it would have worked, too. But that’s when Bob from accounting came in.
Wearing bright yellow swim trunks, an inflatable life saver, baseball cap, and golf shoes, no less.
Needless to say, none of us could keep a straight face after that.
Luckily, el jefe decided that we all deserved to take off early for the weekend for making her laugh.
Friday, April 30, 2010
CSI: Cube Farm
Do you have a loyal CSI or Law and Order fan at your office? Here’s a prank that you can pull on them that just might make their day.
You’ll need a partner for this prank, so grab a buddy and make sure you guys get in a while before your victim is set to arrive at the office. (It’ll be worth waking up extra early to get a few extra laughs out of the day)
Have your partner lie down on the floor in the middle of the office. Alternately, you can have them lean against the cubicle wall. Using white masking tape or chalk, draw an outline of your partner’s prone body. For maximum effect, have them assume a crazy position.
Once you have the body drawn, it’s time to set the rest of the crime scene. Knock over a few things, turn the picture frames askew, and (if you can find it) rub fingerprint powder on the keyboard, coffee mug, and a few other key pieces of office paraphernalia.
Finally, stretch some yellow police or caution tape across the opening to the office or cubicle. Once the crime scene has been set, you might want to leave a few “clues” for your coworker to follow to be able to solve the mystery of the great office caper.
A couple of subtle hints should lead them to your office, where you should be waiting, handcuffs in hand, to arrest the perpetrator.
Of course, the only nice thing to do afterwards is help them clean up and set their office straight again. But chances are good that you’ll both be laughing pretty hard at this point.
Who knows, maybe you’ll even earn yourself your own spin off on Wednesday nights
You’ll need a partner for this prank, so grab a buddy and make sure you guys get in a while before your victim is set to arrive at the office. (It’ll be worth waking up extra early to get a few extra laughs out of the day)
Have your partner lie down on the floor in the middle of the office. Alternately, you can have them lean against the cubicle wall. Using white masking tape or chalk, draw an outline of your partner’s prone body. For maximum effect, have them assume a crazy position.
Once you have the body drawn, it’s time to set the rest of the crime scene. Knock over a few things, turn the picture frames askew, and (if you can find it) rub fingerprint powder on the keyboard, coffee mug, and a few other key pieces of office paraphernalia.
Finally, stretch some yellow police or caution tape across the opening to the office or cubicle. Once the crime scene has been set, you might want to leave a few “clues” for your coworker to follow to be able to solve the mystery of the great office caper.
A couple of subtle hints should lead them to your office, where you should be waiting, handcuffs in hand, to arrest the perpetrator.
Of course, the only nice thing to do afterwards is help them clean up and set their office straight again. But chances are good that you’ll both be laughing pretty hard at this point.
Who knows, maybe you’ll even earn yourself your own spin off on Wednesday nights
Gadget of the Month: The Annoy-a-tron
In the world of office shenanigans, it is sometimes necessary to look into props and gizmos to help facilitate your evil plan. From whoopee cushions to fake computer mice, gadgets have long been a prankster’s best friend.
Which is why this month’s featured gizmo is Think Geek’s Annoy-a-Tron. This little thing is absolutely brilliant.
Looking very much like a miscellaneous computer part, the Annoy-a-Tron actually emits random beeps at 2 or 12 kHz. Let me say that again: every few minutes, the hidden annoyer will let loose a random beep.
Can’t you just see how much fun this could be?!
Because of its small magnetic strip, you can hide this gadget just about anywhere in your unsuspecting victim’s office. The electronic beeping will be enough to drive even a seasoned IT professional absolutely crazy. And because the beeps go off at random times, your poor coworker will have a horrible time trying to time them.
It seems pretty easy to use, too. Just remove the plastic strip off of the small watch battery. (It already comes with the battery, so no need to scramble for one) Then find a good hiding place in your coworkers cube or office, and let the fun begin.
Even if you’re friends do manage to spot the Annoy-a-Tron (which is highly unlikely) they’ll still be confused as to what on earth it is. Paranoia, I am told, is not uncommon.
I ordered one today, and I’ll keep you guys posted as to how well it works once it arrives and I set it up. Personally, I’ve got high expectations for it! Now I just need to decide on a victim. Muahahaha…
For more info on the Annoy-a-Tron, or to order your own, visit Think Geek’s website at http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/8c52/
Which is why this month’s featured gizmo is Think Geek’s Annoy-a-Tron. This little thing is absolutely brilliant.
Looking very much like a miscellaneous computer part, the Annoy-a-Tron actually emits random beeps at 2 or 12 kHz. Let me say that again: every few minutes, the hidden annoyer will let loose a random beep.
Can’t you just see how much fun this could be?!
Because of its small magnetic strip, you can hide this gadget just about anywhere in your unsuspecting victim’s office. The electronic beeping will be enough to drive even a seasoned IT professional absolutely crazy. And because the beeps go off at random times, your poor coworker will have a horrible time trying to time them.
It seems pretty easy to use, too. Just remove the plastic strip off of the small watch battery. (It already comes with the battery, so no need to scramble for one) Then find a good hiding place in your coworkers cube or office, and let the fun begin.
Even if you’re friends do manage to spot the Annoy-a-Tron (which is highly unlikely) they’ll still be confused as to what on earth it is. Paranoia, I am told, is not uncommon.
I ordered one today, and I’ll keep you guys posted as to how well it works once it arrives and I set it up. Personally, I’ve got high expectations for it! Now I just need to decide on a victim. Muahahaha…
For more info on the Annoy-a-Tron, or to order your own, visit Think Geek’s website at http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/8c52/
Thursday, April 29, 2010
There's Always Room for...
You know that old saying about not fixing something that ‘aint broken’? Well, that rule applies to office mischief, too. There are some classic examples of office pranks that while certainly aren’t new, are still worth trying out.
Take, for example, the stapler in the Jell-O routine. Sure, it’s been done before, but that doesn’t make it any less funny. It’s kind of like the Free Credit Report.Com commercials—just because you’ve seen them a million times doesn’t mean that you don’t want to sing along every time the guy in the pirate hat appears on your screen.
So, without further ado, here’s how to make a desktop Jell-O mold:
First, swipe something off of a coworker’s desk after they’ve gone home for the day. Traditionally, this trick is done with a stapler, but really any smallish item will work: coffee mugs, calculators, sun glasses, that “easy button”, etc.
You’re going to need a decent sized plastic or Tupperware container, with a lid, so if you don’t have one, make sure you swing by and pick one up before heading home.
It will most likely take about 4-5 boxes of Jell-O to cover your average sized stapler. Begin by following the instructions on the boxes. This will involve boiling water, and stirring in and dissolving the powdered Jell-O mixture to the pot. Here’s a hint: for added strength, mix in some straight gelatin to the mix.
While the water is boiling, suspend the snatched item in the middle of the plastic container using dental floss taped to the outside. If you’re using a stapler, simply hang the stapler upside down from the opening in the middle, and then tape the floss securely to the outside.
Carefully pour the hot Jell-O mixture over the suspended stapler, and then top off with the right amount of boiling water.
Refrigerate your Jell-O stapler/mug/glasses overnight.
The next day, you should have a solid mold. Put the top on your plastic container and secure well. Then, when you place the container (upside down) on your co-worker’s desk, you’ll have a right side up, suspended stapler.
Ta-da!
Take, for example, the stapler in the Jell-O routine. Sure, it’s been done before, but that doesn’t make it any less funny. It’s kind of like the Free Credit Report.Com commercials—just because you’ve seen them a million times doesn’t mean that you don’t want to sing along every time the guy in the pirate hat appears on your screen.
So, without further ado, here’s how to make a desktop Jell-O mold:
First, swipe something off of a coworker’s desk after they’ve gone home for the day. Traditionally, this trick is done with a stapler, but really any smallish item will work: coffee mugs, calculators, sun glasses, that “easy button”, etc.
You’re going to need a decent sized plastic or Tupperware container, with a lid, so if you don’t have one, make sure you swing by and pick one up before heading home.
It will most likely take about 4-5 boxes of Jell-O to cover your average sized stapler. Begin by following the instructions on the boxes. This will involve boiling water, and stirring in and dissolving the powdered Jell-O mixture to the pot. Here’s a hint: for added strength, mix in some straight gelatin to the mix.
While the water is boiling, suspend the snatched item in the middle of the plastic container using dental floss taped to the outside. If you’re using a stapler, simply hang the stapler upside down from the opening in the middle, and then tape the floss securely to the outside.
Carefully pour the hot Jell-O mixture over the suspended stapler, and then top off with the right amount of boiling water.
Refrigerate your Jell-O stapler/mug/glasses overnight.
The next day, you should have a solid mold. Put the top on your plastic container and secure well. Then, when you place the container (upside down) on your co-worker’s desk, you’ll have a right side up, suspended stapler.
Ta-da!
For Sale
Here’s a prank inspired by the folks at The Office.
If your office’s break room has a vending machine, put it to good use in your mischievous quest for Friday afternoon laughs.
Keep in mind that this prank is really only feasible one of two ways--
You either have to be pretty chummy with the person that comes to refill the vending machines, or you have to patiently wait for an opportunity to present itself.
Here’s how to pull it off:
On refill day, keep an eye out for a vending machine door that isn’t quite shut properly. (This is where being friendly with the right people comes in handy. You can convince them to leave it slightly ajar for you at the end of the day.)
Once everyone’s gone home for the day, decide on a few lucky coworkers. Take one thing from each of their desks. (Staplers, notebooks, small picture frames, computer mice and paper weights all work beautifully) They key here is to make it something important enough to be missed right away, but nothing particularly valuable or personal. Oh, and steer away from anything super fragile, too. Breaking someone’s stuff is never cool.
Carefully line the first row on each vending machine shelf with your pilfered items. Make sure that they’re visible and in the very FIRST ring, so that they are easily accessible.
Next, you might want to leave a small clue as to the whereabouts of your friends’ belongings. You can print out a sign for the hallways (or send out a quick email) letting people know that there are new offerings in the snack room. Or, you can leave a couple of quarters on everyone’s desk.
Either way, you’ll want to be one of the very first folks in the office… Because the look on people’s faces is bound to be priceless!
If your office’s break room has a vending machine, put it to good use in your mischievous quest for Friday afternoon laughs.
Keep in mind that this prank is really only feasible one of two ways--
You either have to be pretty chummy with the person that comes to refill the vending machines, or you have to patiently wait for an opportunity to present itself.
Here’s how to pull it off:
On refill day, keep an eye out for a vending machine door that isn’t quite shut properly. (This is where being friendly with the right people comes in handy. You can convince them to leave it slightly ajar for you at the end of the day.)
Once everyone’s gone home for the day, decide on a few lucky coworkers. Take one thing from each of their desks. (Staplers, notebooks, small picture frames, computer mice and paper weights all work beautifully) They key here is to make it something important enough to be missed right away, but nothing particularly valuable or personal. Oh, and steer away from anything super fragile, too. Breaking someone’s stuff is never cool.
Carefully line the first row on each vending machine shelf with your pilfered items. Make sure that they’re visible and in the very FIRST ring, so that they are easily accessible.
Next, you might want to leave a small clue as to the whereabouts of your friends’ belongings. You can print out a sign for the hallways (or send out a quick email) letting people know that there are new offerings in the snack room. Or, you can leave a couple of quarters on everyone’s desk.
Either way, you’ll want to be one of the very first folks in the office… Because the look on people’s faces is bound to be priceless!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Looking Back
Ah, the good old days. Before I got my own office, I used to work in the cube farm, where some of the coolest folks in my whole company still reside. The day before I left on vacation (right before my grand exit from cubicle land) my friends decided that it would be funny to fill my entire work space with packing peanuts. I found it amusing, and told them that I wouldn’t seek revenge.
I lied.
While I won’t say that it consumed me during my time off, I did spend a little time pondering what I was going to do to them when I got back from sunny Acapulco. A few margaritas later, I decided that one mass prank for the 4 of them would do nicely. Upon my return, I recruited a couple of friends from another department to help me pull off my daring prank.
It would take a little time and coordinated effort, but I had a feeling it would be worth the work.
The Sunday before I went back to work, my merry pranksters and I used my key card to gain access to my floor. Splitting into two teams, we made quick work of swapping all 4 people’s offices.
The toughest part was making sure that every rearranged cubicle was recreated exactly the way it looked in its original spot. Beautiful.
Come Monday morning, I arrived early to (ostensibly) put my new office together. It was a little tough to keep a straight face as I went about setting up my awards and picture frames, but I knew that looking innocent was a key component to my plan.
By 9am, the first two of my victims—I mean coworkers—had arrived. The look of pure confusion on their faces as they walked over to where their desks used to be was priceless. There was no use trying to keep from laughing at that point!
I lied.
While I won’t say that it consumed me during my time off, I did spend a little time pondering what I was going to do to them when I got back from sunny Acapulco. A few margaritas later, I decided that one mass prank for the 4 of them would do nicely. Upon my return, I recruited a couple of friends from another department to help me pull off my daring prank.
It would take a little time and coordinated effort, but I had a feeling it would be worth the work.
The Sunday before I went back to work, my merry pranksters and I used my key card to gain access to my floor. Splitting into two teams, we made quick work of swapping all 4 people’s offices.
The toughest part was making sure that every rearranged cubicle was recreated exactly the way it looked in its original spot. Beautiful.
Come Monday morning, I arrived early to (ostensibly) put my new office together. It was a little tough to keep a straight face as I went about setting up my awards and picture frames, but I knew that looking innocent was a key component to my plan.
By 9am, the first two of my victims—I mean coworkers—had arrived. The look of pure confusion on their faces as they walked over to where their desks used to be was priceless. There was no use trying to keep from laughing at that point!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Inspiration from The Office
So, I was sitting at the kitchen table this morning, sipping my coffee and attempting to think up some clever office pranks, when the image of John Krasinski suddenly popped into my mind.
Now, this really isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Being one of my top celebrity crushes, Mr. Krasinski’s adorable face has a tendency to romance my brain from time to time, causing me to stare into space and sigh, lovingly (not unlike a fourteen-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert).
But, this particular occasion was all business. For, when trying to think up awesome office pranks, all I had to do was look to the clever and creative (and dreamy) prank master, Jim Halpert (played by Krasinski) of The Office.
Jim’s relentless pranking of resident beet farming nemesis, Dwight Schrute, has proved to be one of the funniest aspects of the hit NBC series.
Like the time he paid everyone in the office to call Dwight “Dwayne” for an entire day, the time he (successfully) convinced Dwight he had been turned into a vampire after alleging having been bitten by a bat that had gotten loose in the office, the time he moved Dwight’s desk into the men’s bathroom and so on…
There are five seasons worth of hilarious prank ideas for you to choose from and use on your own coworkers.
Ever come across a coworker who thought the next day was Saturday, not Friday (we’ve all been there)? Instead of telling him or her that there’s still one more day before the weekend, do everything you can to keep them convinced of their mistake. Talk about your plans for tomorrow, Saturday, and how you’re so happy it’s Friday, etc…
At the end of the work day, though, let them know that you were just pranking them and correct them on their mistake. We wouldn’t want them to end up like Dwight, who truly believed it was a Saturday and didn’t show up to work until realizing his mistake half way into the day.
Yes, the prank ideas are endless on The Office. There are a ton of Youtube clips featuring montages and compilations of Jim’s persistent reign of trickster terror on Dwight, so you should definitely check them out if you’re looking for some new methods of office playfulness.
And keep an eye out for those pesky vampire bats.
Now, this really isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Being one of my top celebrity crushes, Mr. Krasinski’s adorable face has a tendency to romance my brain from time to time, causing me to stare into space and sigh, lovingly (not unlike a fourteen-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert).
But, this particular occasion was all business. For, when trying to think up awesome office pranks, all I had to do was look to the clever and creative (and dreamy) prank master, Jim Halpert (played by Krasinski) of The Office.
Jim’s relentless pranking of resident beet farming nemesis, Dwight Schrute, has proved to be one of the funniest aspects of the hit NBC series.
Like the time he paid everyone in the office to call Dwight “Dwayne” for an entire day, the time he (successfully) convinced Dwight he had been turned into a vampire after alleging having been bitten by a bat that had gotten loose in the office, the time he moved Dwight’s desk into the men’s bathroom and so on…
There are five seasons worth of hilarious prank ideas for you to choose from and use on your own coworkers.
Ever come across a coworker who thought the next day was Saturday, not Friday (we’ve all been there)? Instead of telling him or her that there’s still one more day before the weekend, do everything you can to keep them convinced of their mistake. Talk about your plans for tomorrow, Saturday, and how you’re so happy it’s Friday, etc…
At the end of the work day, though, let them know that you were just pranking them and correct them on their mistake. We wouldn’t want them to end up like Dwight, who truly believed it was a Saturday and didn’t show up to work until realizing his mistake half way into the day.
Yes, the prank ideas are endless on The Office. There are a ton of Youtube clips featuring montages and compilations of Jim’s persistent reign of trickster terror on Dwight, so you should definitely check them out if you’re looking for some new methods of office playfulness.
And keep an eye out for those pesky vampire bats.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Office Pranked Day?
Happy Earth Day everyone!
Actually, the whole concept of “Earth Day” got me thinking… we need more holidays.
Office Prank day, for example, would probably go over really well. And yes, I know that there are those that would argue that April 1st serves that purpose, but I disagree—we need a day (possibly a week or even a month) out of the year designated to this fascinating pastime. Hey, it could even be a “season”, like with sports!
Let’s be honest—the office prank is something that everybody should participate in. I’d even go so far as to say it should be a regulated requirement for everyone that works in offices.
The versatile office prank is almost a downright necessity when it comes to breaking up the monotony of daily office life. I’d categorize office mischief up there with toilet paper: a completely simple idea, and yet, where would we be without it?
Think about it. If everyone participated in at least one prank a year, the whole world of office cubicles and endless meetings and conference calls and 6am wake-ups would be ten times happier.
Granted, everyone would probably be a little more paranoid… but it’s all in good fun.
In fact, one of the reasons to keep the tradition of office pranking alive is actually for the health and safety of all in the workplace. If you don’t cut loose and laugh every now and again, you run a much higher risk of going postal!
So go ahead, switch the settings on your buddy’s mouse to the left hand. Take the roller ball out of their rodent and hide it in their file drawer. And when their done laughing and ask you what on Earth has gotten into you, just smile and tell them that today marks the official opening of prank season.
Happy Hunting!
Actually, the whole concept of “Earth Day” got me thinking… we need more holidays.
Office Prank day, for example, would probably go over really well. And yes, I know that there are those that would argue that April 1st serves that purpose, but I disagree—we need a day (possibly a week or even a month) out of the year designated to this fascinating pastime. Hey, it could even be a “season”, like with sports!
Let’s be honest—the office prank is something that everybody should participate in. I’d even go so far as to say it should be a regulated requirement for everyone that works in offices.
The versatile office prank is almost a downright necessity when it comes to breaking up the monotony of daily office life. I’d categorize office mischief up there with toilet paper: a completely simple idea, and yet, where would we be without it?
Think about it. If everyone participated in at least one prank a year, the whole world of office cubicles and endless meetings and conference calls and 6am wake-ups would be ten times happier.
Granted, everyone would probably be a little more paranoid… but it’s all in good fun.
In fact, one of the reasons to keep the tradition of office pranking alive is actually for the health and safety of all in the workplace. If you don’t cut loose and laugh every now and again, you run a much higher risk of going postal!
So go ahead, switch the settings on your buddy’s mouse to the left hand. Take the roller ball out of their rodent and hide it in their file drawer. And when their done laughing and ask you what on Earth has gotten into you, just smile and tell them that today marks the official opening of prank season.
Happy Hunting!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
When Good Pranks Go Bad
Remember that post not too long ago about the importance of planning your prank carefully—lest it backfire on you and end up causing way more grief than it’s worth? Well there’s a little video circulating on You Tube this week that seems to demonstrate this point to a tee.
Of course, I’m still not 100% convinced that the whole thing wasn’t contrived. But whether or not it was staged is not the point. The fact of the matter is, something like this very easily could happen… and what started out as a goofy prank could end up doing quite a bit of damage.
For those of you that haven’t heard the viral phenomenon yet, allow me to paint a picture for you:
On his wife’s birthday, a man arranges to have some of his office buddies pull a little prank on her. They call her up, claiming to be his bosses, and explain that he’s just been fired, and that he’s on his way home. At first, the wife is very (understandably) concerned.
She lets them know that this is a terrible time for him to lose his job. They’ve apparently just had their first child, and bills are piling up. For those listening in on the phone call, you can tell that the “bosses” are trying hard not to laugh, but the poor wife is obviously so upset that she can’t hear it.
That’s when she asks what he did to lose his job, and all hell breaks loose.
When the so-called CEOs explain that her husband was caught in flagrante with his secretary, his now very ticked off wife let’s off a string of curse words that would make a sailor blush. She threatens to toss all of his belongings onto the street before he gets home. And then, she says it…
“Well, now I don’t feel nearly so bad for sleeping with his brother!!!”
Well, happy birthday, honey.
Of course, I’m still not 100% convinced that the whole thing wasn’t contrived. But whether or not it was staged is not the point. The fact of the matter is, something like this very easily could happen… and what started out as a goofy prank could end up doing quite a bit of damage.
For those of you that haven’t heard the viral phenomenon yet, allow me to paint a picture for you:
On his wife’s birthday, a man arranges to have some of his office buddies pull a little prank on her. They call her up, claiming to be his bosses, and explain that he’s just been fired, and that he’s on his way home. At first, the wife is very (understandably) concerned.
She lets them know that this is a terrible time for him to lose his job. They’ve apparently just had their first child, and bills are piling up. For those listening in on the phone call, you can tell that the “bosses” are trying hard not to laugh, but the poor wife is obviously so upset that she can’t hear it.
That’s when she asks what he did to lose his job, and all hell breaks loose.
When the so-called CEOs explain that her husband was caught in flagrante with his secretary, his now very ticked off wife let’s off a string of curse words that would make a sailor blush. She threatens to toss all of his belongings onto the street before he gets home. And then, she says it…
“Well, now I don’t feel nearly so bad for sleeping with his brother!!!”
Well, happy birthday, honey.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Surprise!
Often, it’s the simplest part of a plan that’s the most important. When planning an office prank, it’s essential to keep in mind that if you allow a minor detail to escape, all your work will be for naught.
For example, all pranks rely on the element of surprise. Knowing that, you now hold the key to a successful office war in the palm of your hand: Keep your prank a secret, Grasshopper.
This shouldn’t be too hard—even for novice prankers. There are, of course, just a few more things to keep in mind when it comes to maintaining secrecy. Among these are keeping in mind when you are going to set up your prank, and whether props will be needed. If so, it’s essential to make sure that they’re concealed well enough.
Things like strings and wires should be as close to the color of where they’re set up as possible. They should also be placed near the ground, out of the view of your unsuspecting target.
You should also remember how everything was placed before you got there. Many office dwellers are creatures of habit, and any little change could tip them off. For example, when tampering with furniture, it’s always a good idea to take a quick picture or make a quick sketch of how everything is laid out, so that you can replace it all quickly when you’re done. Sometimes, a camera phone can be a prankster’s best friend.
Another element that can spoil your fun before it’s even begun is people that know about the prank. They may not realize it, but if everyone is watching one person as they come into the office, your potential victim will be alerted that something is up. And an exposed prank—especially one you’ve worked hard on- is simply no fun.
My personal rule of thumb when it comes to setting up a juicy prank is very similar to a military operation: it’s strictly a need to know basis. If you have no need to know, then you’ll find out at the same time as the victim!
For example, all pranks rely on the element of surprise. Knowing that, you now hold the key to a successful office war in the palm of your hand: Keep your prank a secret, Grasshopper.
This shouldn’t be too hard—even for novice prankers. There are, of course, just a few more things to keep in mind when it comes to maintaining secrecy. Among these are keeping in mind when you are going to set up your prank, and whether props will be needed. If so, it’s essential to make sure that they’re concealed well enough.
Things like strings and wires should be as close to the color of where they’re set up as possible. They should also be placed near the ground, out of the view of your unsuspecting target.
You should also remember how everything was placed before you got there. Many office dwellers are creatures of habit, and any little change could tip them off. For example, when tampering with furniture, it’s always a good idea to take a quick picture or make a quick sketch of how everything is laid out, so that you can replace it all quickly when you’re done. Sometimes, a camera phone can be a prankster’s best friend.
Another element that can spoil your fun before it’s even begun is people that know about the prank. They may not realize it, but if everyone is watching one person as they come into the office, your potential victim will be alerted that something is up. And an exposed prank—especially one you’ve worked hard on- is simply no fun.
My personal rule of thumb when it comes to setting up a juicy prank is very similar to a military operation: it’s strictly a need to know basis. If you have no need to know, then you’ll find out at the same time as the victim!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Top 5 Office Prank Ideas
Are you new to the office prank game? Maybe you’re just looking for a few new ideas to spice up an ongoing battle of wits in your own workplace. Or, perhaps, you just need a couple of good ideas for getting even with that one co-worker that just seems to get you ever time.
Whichever the case may be, here’s a look at my top 5 all time favorite office prank ideas:
The Keyboard Re-Do
While this one won’t work for touch typists, it’s always hilarious to see the look of utter shock and confusion on someone’s face when you swap all the letters on their keyboard around, and they have absolutely no clue where they go. For added fun, make sure that you spell out a fun message (your name, perhaps?) in the middle of the newly designed board.
The Cube Fill
From packing peanuts to balloons or newspapers, filling someone’s cubicle with something—anything—is a classic prank that always gets a laugh.
The Great Glue Down
Armed with a couple of bottles of glue, it’s always a laugh to secure someone’s desk contents firmly in place. Of course, there are some rules to abide by if you’re going to pull this one off. First of all, make copies of all documents, and glue the copies, and NOT the original—you don’t want to be destructive! And if your coworker has a nice desk, skip this one, please.
Build a Better Mousetrap
Taking the ball out of a coworker’s mouse can provide you with hours of entertainment. But for a more sophisticated take on the same concept, why not reset the settings for the mouse, and give them a super fast cursor, or some other rascally rodent capability?
The Disappearing Hallway
My favorite office prank of all time still has to be the fake wall that was erected by a boss to completely fool his employees. It was so realistic… the look of confusion on everyone’s faces made it completely priceless. I would LOVE to be able to pull that one off some day!
Anyone have their own favorite ideas?
Whichever the case may be, here’s a look at my top 5 all time favorite office prank ideas:
The Keyboard Re-Do
While this one won’t work for touch typists, it’s always hilarious to see the look of utter shock and confusion on someone’s face when you swap all the letters on their keyboard around, and they have absolutely no clue where they go. For added fun, make sure that you spell out a fun message (your name, perhaps?) in the middle of the newly designed board.
The Cube Fill
From packing peanuts to balloons or newspapers, filling someone’s cubicle with something—anything—is a classic prank that always gets a laugh.
The Great Glue Down
Armed with a couple of bottles of glue, it’s always a laugh to secure someone’s desk contents firmly in place. Of course, there are some rules to abide by if you’re going to pull this one off. First of all, make copies of all documents, and glue the copies, and NOT the original—you don’t want to be destructive! And if your coworker has a nice desk, skip this one, please.
Build a Better Mousetrap
Taking the ball out of a coworker’s mouse can provide you with hours of entertainment. But for a more sophisticated take on the same concept, why not reset the settings for the mouse, and give them a super fast cursor, or some other rascally rodent capability?
The Disappearing Hallway
My favorite office prank of all time still has to be the fake wall that was erected by a boss to completely fool his employees. It was so realistic… the look of confusion on everyone’s faces made it completely priceless. I would LOVE to be able to pull that one off some day!
Anyone have their own favorite ideas?
Revenge is Sweet
So after the little April Fool’s Day prank orchestrated by my darling pal Alex, I knew that I had to cook up a little revenge. But I had to wait a bit, because everyone would be expecting me to try and pull something, and every prankster knows it’s essential to strike when it’s least expected. Besides all of that, it’s been ridiculously busy these past couple of weeks and no one (not even the veterans among us) have had time to dedicate to the office war.
But we hit a lull at the end of last week, and I was able to concoct the perfect comeback plan. I figured since Alex decided to use the phone to get to me at the beginning of the month, I would use the same weapon in my plot for revenge. But forget silly prank calls and take a message ploys. Oh no… I had something much darker in mind.
About 4-5 shades darker, to be exact.
A quick trip to the drugstore on Tuesday after work meant that I could pick up a small bottle of spray on self tanner. You know; the kind that works over the course of a few days? Hehehe…
Wednesday morning, I set my plan into action. Before Alex came in for the day, I sprayed his phone receiver’s earpiece with a light coating of the tanner. When he left his desk for lunch, I reapplied… And when he set off for a late afternoon meeting, I added just a hint more.
I repeated the whole process on Thursday. By Friday morning, his right ear was definitely darker than his left. And by the time we were ready to go home for the weekend, the whole floor was buzzing about the look of his over-baked and slightly orange lobe.
I believe that’s another point for me…
But we hit a lull at the end of last week, and I was able to concoct the perfect comeback plan. I figured since Alex decided to use the phone to get to me at the beginning of the month, I would use the same weapon in my plot for revenge. But forget silly prank calls and take a message ploys. Oh no… I had something much darker in mind.
About 4-5 shades darker, to be exact.
A quick trip to the drugstore on Tuesday after work meant that I could pick up a small bottle of spray on self tanner. You know; the kind that works over the course of a few days? Hehehe…
Wednesday morning, I set my plan into action. Before Alex came in for the day, I sprayed his phone receiver’s earpiece with a light coating of the tanner. When he left his desk for lunch, I reapplied… And when he set off for a late afternoon meeting, I added just a hint more.
I repeated the whole process on Thursday. By Friday morning, his right ear was definitely darker than his left. And by the time we were ready to go home for the weekend, the whole floor was buzzing about the look of his over-baked and slightly orange lobe.
I believe that’s another point for me…
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Take a Message?
At an office like mine… you know everyone fears April 1st. After all, in a building full of tricksters, the biggest pranking day of the year means that no one is safe. Needless to say, we were all on high alert from the time we walked in this morning. (I’ll admit, if it hadn’t been such a crazy week, I would have planned something myself. As it was, I had to simply wait and see what others had planned. I was nervous, to say the least.)
Carefully, I made my way to my desk this morning, on the lookout for booby traps and hazards. I didn’t see anything particularly scary, and almost started to relax a little. When Alex came in and made his way to his own office after a quick good morning, I thought for sure that I was out of the woods.
Not too long after that, I was too busy to worry about anything other than the mountain of paperwork I had to get through by the end of the day. It was looking like one of those days.
Then the phone rang.
“Hi, is Mary in?”
Figuring that someone had accidentally dialed the wrong extension from the main line, I said that I was terribly sorry, that I believe they had the wrong office. Might I redirect them to the operator?
About half an hour later, the phone rang again.
“Hi. Mary?”
Nope. Let me get you to the operator.
After the third inquiry for Mary, however, I dialed the main operator myself. She apologized profusely, letting me know that they were having some trouble with crossed wires, and that they should have the problem resolved shortly. I would have been suspicious, but a few minutes later, a technician showed up in my office to fidget with my phone.
Not 5 minutes after he’d left, my desk phone rang again.
“Hi, this is John; I’m returning Mary’s call”
This went on all day long. By 5 o’clock, I was going out of my mind. I must have fielded 50 calls for Mary.
Just as I grabbed my coat and was heading for the door, my phone rang again. I considered letting it go to voicemail, but was worried that it might be a vendor. So I took a deep breath and answered. The chirpy voice on the other line caught me off guard.
“Hi! This is Mary… do you have any messages for me?”
As laughter erupted throughout all of my surrounding offices, I knew I’d been had.
Don’t worry, guys, I’ll get even.
Carefully, I made my way to my desk this morning, on the lookout for booby traps and hazards. I didn’t see anything particularly scary, and almost started to relax a little. When Alex came in and made his way to his own office after a quick good morning, I thought for sure that I was out of the woods.
Not too long after that, I was too busy to worry about anything other than the mountain of paperwork I had to get through by the end of the day. It was looking like one of those days.
Then the phone rang.
“Hi, is Mary in?”
Figuring that someone had accidentally dialed the wrong extension from the main line, I said that I was terribly sorry, that I believe they had the wrong office. Might I redirect them to the operator?
About half an hour later, the phone rang again.
“Hi. Mary?”
Nope. Let me get you to the operator.
After the third inquiry for Mary, however, I dialed the main operator myself. She apologized profusely, letting me know that they were having some trouble with crossed wires, and that they should have the problem resolved shortly. I would have been suspicious, but a few minutes later, a technician showed up in my office to fidget with my phone.
Not 5 minutes after he’d left, my desk phone rang again.
“Hi, this is John; I’m returning Mary’s call”
This went on all day long. By 5 o’clock, I was going out of my mind. I must have fielded 50 calls for Mary.
Just as I grabbed my coat and was heading for the door, my phone rang again. I considered letting it go to voicemail, but was worried that it might be a vendor. So I took a deep breath and answered. The chirpy voice on the other line caught me off guard.
“Hi! This is Mary… do you have any messages for me?”
As laughter erupted throughout all of my surrounding offices, I knew I’d been had.
Don’t worry, guys, I’ll get even.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Seriously Uncool Pranks
I was perusing the internet tonight for prank ideas, and I came across a site that thought it was just “hilarious” to infect a coworker’s computer with software that would make their cursor go crazy every time they touch their mouse, or cause hundreds of windows to pop up every time they turn on their desktop—and yes, they all had to be clicked off manually. Sorry, but I don’t think those are funny at all. In fact, it’s just those kinds of office pranksters that give the rest of us a bad name.
There are some basic ground rules to office pranking, and the most essential of these is that the pranks should enhance, rather than detract from the boring workday. If you’re infecting someone’s work computer with what essentially amounts to a virus, then you’ve just crossed a very serious line.
If you’re contemplating a prank and are kind of iffy about the circumstances, remember that it’s always better to be safe than sorry. First, there’s nothing funny about getting fired—period. Never prank a coworker that you don’t get along really well with. Don’t pick on someone that’s really shy or has some kind of problem; that’s just mean.
And steer clear of any prank with sexual undertones. Even if you’re 100% positive that the person won’t take it the wrong way, you can’t be sure that someone else in the office won’t be offended. It’s just too risky.
It’s also a good idea to avoid pranking your boss unless you’re absolutely sure that they’re ok with it. (Even then… It’s a fine line to walk)
And finally keep the 15 minute rule in mind: It should take the other person no more than 15-20 minutes to “undo” your prank and be able to get back to work.
There are some basic ground rules to office pranking, and the most essential of these is that the pranks should enhance, rather than detract from the boring workday. If you’re infecting someone’s work computer with what essentially amounts to a virus, then you’ve just crossed a very serious line.
If you’re contemplating a prank and are kind of iffy about the circumstances, remember that it’s always better to be safe than sorry. First, there’s nothing funny about getting fired—period. Never prank a coworker that you don’t get along really well with. Don’t pick on someone that’s really shy or has some kind of problem; that’s just mean.
And steer clear of any prank with sexual undertones. Even if you’re 100% positive that the person won’t take it the wrong way, you can’t be sure that someone else in the office won’t be offended. It’s just too risky.
It’s also a good idea to avoid pranking your boss unless you’re absolutely sure that they’re ok with it. (Even then… It’s a fine line to walk)
And finally keep the 15 minute rule in mind: It should take the other person no more than 15-20 minutes to “undo” your prank and be able to get back to work.
The War Rages On
Last week, Alex (aka “Patches”) got even with me for my little Gorilla Glue stunt. I strolled into my office on Thursday morning to find the entire place shrink wrapped. There wasn’t an inch of office that remained un-cellophaned. It took me a good 20 minutes just to unravel my desk. Then the phone started ringing, and I had to tear through the plastic wrap to try and answer it. By the time I finally did get to the receiver, I was laughing so hard that I had to put the bewildered person on the other line on hold while I composed myself.
Needless to say, payback was in order.
And I had every intention of hitting him where it hurt the most. You see, Alex takes great pride in his stylish, modern and oh so technologically advanced office space. He’s constantly talking about his computer, his RAM, his wireless network, a huge flat screen monitor he bought for himself, a snazzy new antivirus he just heard about… you get the idea.
So I’ve been doing a little shopping after work this week. Scouring the local second hand stores, yard sales, and people’s sidewalks, I picked up some pretty gnarly freecycled gear. Old clunky telephones, the biggest, ugliest circa 1984 computer I’ve ever seen, and a beat up desk chair with a spring poking through the seat, just to name a few things.
Then, last night, I put in a little overtime after everyone had gone home for the day. It took me about two hours to stash all of his posh, stylish office gear in the hall closet and replace it with the junk—I mean treasures—that I had found.
I think the pet rock and tinfoil picture frames make nice accessories, too.
And finally, for a finishing touch, I printed out a letter on company letterhead, stating that due to budget restraints, we had been forced to downgrade his office.
It’s now just shy of 8 am, and I’m just waiting for him to come in…
Needless to say, payback was in order.
And I had every intention of hitting him where it hurt the most. You see, Alex takes great pride in his stylish, modern and oh so technologically advanced office space. He’s constantly talking about his computer, his RAM, his wireless network, a huge flat screen monitor he bought for himself, a snazzy new antivirus he just heard about… you get the idea.
So I’ve been doing a little shopping after work this week. Scouring the local second hand stores, yard sales, and people’s sidewalks, I picked up some pretty gnarly freecycled gear. Old clunky telephones, the biggest, ugliest circa 1984 computer I’ve ever seen, and a beat up desk chair with a spring poking through the seat, just to name a few things.
Then, last night, I put in a little overtime after everyone had gone home for the day. It took me about two hours to stash all of his posh, stylish office gear in the hall closet and replace it with the junk—I mean treasures—that I had found.
I think the pet rock and tinfoil picture frames make nice accessories, too.
And finally, for a finishing touch, I printed out a letter on company letterhead, stating that due to budget restraints, we had been forced to downgrade his office.
It’s now just shy of 8 am, and I’m just waiting for him to come in…
Possibly the Best Prank...EVER
Last night, I was laying awake, dealing with a sinus infection that was keeping me from getting some much needed rest. I decided to wind down by surfing the web, and stumbled across a few videos of people dealing with office drama with a little mischief.
At first, all I found were people falling down, or breaking copy machines. It wasn’t exactly what I had been hoping for. I was about to give up and try and Benadryl myself to sleep when I found what might just be the best office prank... ever.
A company owner decided to try and fool everyone in the office. He actually went so far as to go out and find some contractors to help him pull off his awesome idea. He then went about sealing off an entire hallway that led to various offices.
Yes—he actually built a WALL and rearranged the entire configuration of the office!
The video, which is time lapsed, shows the workers putting up the fake wall. They then painted it the same color as the others. The owner’s wife even came in and put some plants, a picture or two, and a water cooler.
In all honesty, it was very well built and could easily fool even company veterans. The crafty tricksters then hid a camera in a plant overlooking the hall way.
It was all downhill from there—at least for the unsuspecting employees. Employees walked in and out a few times in utter confusion. Then the office manager walks in, and is completely distraught. (Who can blame him—his office was beyond the sealed “wall”)
Soon everyone gathered to contemplate what might have happened. It didn’t take long for them to figure out that they had been pranked. Of course, they were still confused as to what to do next. It wasn’t till the prank master came out and explained it (through hysterical laughter) that they decided to take it down.
They chose the very effective human cannon ball method to remove the new office addition.
At first, all I found were people falling down, or breaking copy machines. It wasn’t exactly what I had been hoping for. I was about to give up and try and Benadryl myself to sleep when I found what might just be the best office prank... ever.
A company owner decided to try and fool everyone in the office. He actually went so far as to go out and find some contractors to help him pull off his awesome idea. He then went about sealing off an entire hallway that led to various offices.
Yes—he actually built a WALL and rearranged the entire configuration of the office!
The video, which is time lapsed, shows the workers putting up the fake wall. They then painted it the same color as the others. The owner’s wife even came in and put some plants, a picture or two, and a water cooler.
In all honesty, it was very well built and could easily fool even company veterans. The crafty tricksters then hid a camera in a plant overlooking the hall way.
It was all downhill from there—at least for the unsuspecting employees. Employees walked in and out a few times in utter confusion. Then the office manager walks in, and is completely distraught. (Who can blame him—his office was beyond the sealed “wall”)
Soon everyone gathered to contemplate what might have happened. It didn’t take long for them to figure out that they had been pranked. Of course, they were still confused as to what to do next. It wasn’t till the prank master came out and explained it (through hysterical laughter) that they decided to take it down.
They chose the very effective human cannon ball method to remove the new office addition.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
