I have noticed that the client has been uploading short videos (twenty seconds at max) each over 400MB to their site. Making bandwidth go over several TB(s) per month. So, I decided to implement a streaming proxy to transcode and optimize videos.

Client: “I have checked the site today, and it seems video quality is lower than before.”

Me: “Since the video files were too big, we optimized them.”

Client: “I don’t want videos to be optimized, I want the original video playing.”

Me: “But the videos you upload are too big some are over 400MB; people’s devices can’t handle that much data. Also, there should be no visible difference.”

Client: “Quality important for us. We should use the original video. Optimizations lower the quality!”

We argue back and forth for a while, and at some point, I give up and give him what he wants. A week later he messages me:

Client: “Hello, Mr. [My Name], the videos on mobile have been freezing. Why is that happening?”

I check the site and I see that he has uploaded several short videos on the home page, each over 500MB, at 4K resolution, playing on a loop.

I explain to him again that the videos he uploads are too big, and his device can’t handle it.

Client: “How can we fix that?”

I am now frustrated enough that I say to him:

Me: “We can fix it in one or two months, and it will cost you [expensive total].”

The client thanks me and is happy with the service.

I’m a warehouse division manager for a company. A very well-known brand for dishwasher detergents is our customer, and the customer’s supply chain manager complains that the trucks cannot reach our warehouse due to rain. The warehouse is uphill and she insists that the road is not good.

By luck, I’m already in the warehouse and the truck she mentioned is in the warehouse unloading, so there are actually no issues. I call the customer.

Me: “Truck is here; no worries. We will meet the deadline.”

Customer: “No, it’s not there. I just talked with the transporter and they said they cannot drive on that f****** road.”

Me: “Sorry, I really don’t get where the information is getting mixed up, but the driver is here.”

I hand over the phone to the driver.

Driver: “Yes, I’m at the warehouse.”

Customer: “You are lying! The truck is not there, and we will be late for the delivery.”

Me: “Here is a photo of the truck in the warehouse; I just shared it with you in your email. Can you check, please?”

Customer: “Yes, I can see. This is probably an older photo. I will reach out to your boss and complain about you.”

Me: “Well, as you wish!”

The truck was unloaded, nothing was delayed, and the next day, the supply chain manager of the company behaved as if nothing had happened. She was famous for being abusive in the logistics industry.

And she was promoted to a regional job. 

I left the position and left the company. No money is enough for this kind of pressure.

My daughter (a future archeologist) and I were visiting a dig site in Turkey with a small tour group from our cruise ship. The staff showed us a beautiful Roman Era mosaic pavement they were preserving, pouring water on it to bring the colors to life.

One man from our group, an enthusiastic photographer, stepped on the pavement to take a photo! Gasps of horror from all present.

His son hurriedly pulled him off and apologized. The photographer never did seem to understand what he did wrong.

I am watching my in-laws’ four cats. They are all former street cats. Two of them are really fat and are on a diet, but they constantly try to find food. You can’t leave any snacks outside with the cats around. If you accidentally drop anything, you can be sure one of the cats will suck it up like a vacuum cleaner if you are not quick enough to grab it.

Usually, the two normal-sized cats go outside through the window in the morning and roam freely and come back. The two bigger cats can go out but can’t climb back in by themselves. 

One day, I let them all out. By noon, all but one cat has returned. I start to worry about the cat. She is not the heaviest one but her belly is huge and she can’t climb well. I go outside to search for her.

Not surprisingly, I find her by the feeding station for the street cats. When she sees me, she tries to run, but I grab her and try to carry her home. Instead of taking the shorter way beside the main road, where I need to open two gates, I decide to take the longer but safer road where I just need to go by a walking pass.

For a few meters, all goes well. But then, a family with a stroller comes by and the cat wiggles herself free and runs back to the feeding station. Luckily, she is not very quick, so I can grab her again.

After a few meters, the same happens again. The family and some other people now watch me, how I fight with the giant beast, in amusement.

After the fourth time, the cat rips off my mask and scratches my arms. I feel pretty embarrassed and think, “D*** it! Then stay outside.”

But what does the cat do?

She runs toward the gate, squeezes through the first one, walks beside the main road, climbs the second gate, and waits in front of the building, meowing to be let in.

That’s how I got embarrassed and fooled by a cat.

We live on the ground floor of a four-story building. Our apartment has a small garden which only our flat can use. Unfortunately, we have a problem with neighbours trashing our garden.

Our upstairs neighbours not only throw a lot of trash but also plates and cups down. We complain often to the management, but up until they introduce a fine, nothing changes.

One day, a mother passes with a child while I am sitting in the garden. The mother passes quickly but the child stands at the corner of the garden and throws trash inside.

Me: *Shouting* “Please, don’t throw any trash. There is a bin just a few meters away!”

The child looks at me and throws something again.

Me: “Didn’t you understand me?!”

Suddenly, the mom comes running and takes the child by the hand.

Mom: “WHY DID YOU THROW IT THERE NOW?! NOW THE WOMAN SAW YOU!” 

And off they walked. Yeah, how about not litter at all, not just when people can’t see you?