The Cellar - Mental Illness

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

I don't know if this applies, or even true, but we thought we saw it actually happen during business trips in several cities of Japan.

We were told that "after work" gatherings with the boss were part of normal business, and excess alcohol was permitted or encouraged because it permitted underlings to say all sorts of things to their overlings.

On a couple of occasions, I felt there was some "fake" drinking going on, followed by remarks to the boss that could have otherwise been career-enders.

Custom then required that nothing be remembered or amiss at work the next day. All was ignored on assumption that any improprieties were alcohol-induced.

I think it was a very good system for communication with the boss.

I have been told similar things by friends living and working in Japan. When your culture is cultishly devoted to "saving face," you have to have an outlet or nothing will ever get done.

I used to work for Mazda, and I saw this happen on a few occasions.

I dunno how Japanese that custom is, same thing applied at GE BITD. The :bong::beer::doit::boxers::vomit: was real though, no pretended intoxication.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravdigr (Post 799682)

They'd smoke powdered badger testicles if ya told 'em it was an aphrodisiac.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lamplighter (Post 799721)

I don't know if this applies, or even true, but we thought we saw
it actually happen during business trips in several cities of Japan.

We were told that "after work" gatherings with the boss were part of normal business,
and excess alcohol was permitted or encouraged because
it permitted underlings to say all sorts of things to their overlings.

On a couple of occasions, I felt there was some "fake" drinking going on,
followed by remarks to the boss that could have otherwise been career-enders.

Custom then required that nothing be remembered or amiss at work the next day.
All was ignored on assumption that any improprieties were alcohol-induced.

I think it was a very good system for communication with the boss.

There's an element of this in the UK. Or at least there used to be. I'm sure it's been tempered by the American influence by now. I used to be Saturday staff in a store and we'd often all go to the pub after work (no Sunday opening then). It's open season on the boss in the pub. And they get the first round. Same when i worked in Market reasearch at Uni and we went away for weekends. Once the day was done Saturday night in the bar the boss baought the first round and heard the complaints and let it ride. Sunday we all went back to work.

Same thing with office christmas parties.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad (Post 799173)

No no, the weed and coke you can get anywhere in Philly, but the alcohol is weirdly regulated. booze and wine is only sold in state-owned shops, pubs/bars/taverns can only sell you up to 12 beers at a time, cases of beer are only sold at licensed "beverage distributors".

what? when did that happen? 4 years ago i remember buying beer at the gas station.

That's been the setup in all of Pennsylvania, for generations. Maybe you were in Delaware?

Or Ohio?

All us Merkins look alike. :lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad (Post 800644)

That's been the setup in all of Pennsylvania, for generations. Maybe you were in Delaware?

Def NOT DE. Md perhaps or that godforsaken state of NJ. :rolleyes:

Quote:

Originally Posted by classicman (Post 800763)

Def NOT DE. Md perhaps or that godforsaken state of NJ. :rolleyes:

No gas station booze in NJ. I've seen that in MD.

This has drifted a little, hasn't it :D.
Here, my favourite off-licence (= liquor store) is also a petrol (=gas) station and DIY (Monster! Help! What's the American for DIY?!?!??) store.

Here, hold my beer, watch this ... boom ... all in one store.

In the US, it would be a drive-thru.

Quote:

Originally Posted by limey (Post 800871)

... DIY (Monster! Help! What's the American for DIY?!?!??) store.

You mean like a hardware or home-improvement store?

Quote:

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus (Post 800909)

You mean like a hardware or home-improvement store?

That's the one!!

Sent by thought transference

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenGum (Post 800902)

Here, hold my beer, watch this ... boom ... all in one store.

In the US, it would be a drive-thru.

I didn't used to be a drive-thru ...

Actually, there was a drive through beer distributor in one of the towns I lived in. You drove in, popped the trunk, told the guy what you wanted, they loaded the beer into the trunk (must not be accessible from the passenger compartment in Pennsy, you see), and handed the money out the window to the fellow.