Foo - what kind of junk is on your computer desk?

i've noticed that no-one i know has a clear computer desk (cart, whatever); there's always other stuff cluttering it up. knicknacks, desk toys, whatever. i'm wondering what sort of (non-digital) detritus has washed up on the shores of your computer's island.

cluttering my workspace:

a pair of valves from a 4.2 XK engine
a valve spring from an MGB engine (this has followed my computer desk for around 14 years now)
a mock-up of a four tube launcher for Harpoon missiles from a DoD model
a miniature traffic cone
a 112-year-old Spanish bayonet
two elastic bandages
a bottle of Aleve
and a box of blue staples.

A stack of CD's (no cases)
A floder with the papers for a project I did 2 years ago
The Registration form for my kayak
My high school planner from last year
A Spare tube (I attempted to patch, but I got tso pissed at it I just cut it :D )


So nothing really off, no bayonetts or anything

a perrier bottle that is full of tapwater

a tube of wasabi

swiss army knife (Victorinox Tinker, GE branded on the handle...it was my Grandfather's knife)

On top of the shelf above, I have Asian statues and bowls. On the shelf I have my bike catalogs, Mtn Biking Magzines, dictionary, a camera, and various discs.

Next to the screen I have my printer, my scanner and wireless router. Oh and my cell phone in case he calls. :love:

Oh God....wheter to start.

Lots of mail and magazines (at least 3 copies of Bicycling)
Headphones
Some of PC speakers (7.1 surround)
calculator
Two cases of blank DVDs (one is DVD+R, the other DVD-R)
Checkbook
Can of pens/pencils
My printer
A few music CDs
An empty drinking glass
A few paper towels (left over from meals, I imagine)
Empty target bag
Empty Gift bag
My old dead keyboard/mouse combo
A white hand towel
Stapler
Roll of masking tape (nearly empty)
Tickets to Dennis Miller (in October)
Zip lock bag with router and network cable (still not hooked up though I've moved in two months ago now)
A few varous cables (usb, network, DC adapter, etc....)
Digital camera and case (on opposite ends of desk)
Cordless drill (from putting up curtains last weekend)
Hammer (same reason)
Two DVDs containing 4th season of "The Pretender"
A mini maglight flashlight
Small Happy Birthday hat (for dog)

Crap. Crappity crap crap crap. Just a lot of crap. What is all this stuff? Two cups full of dry pens. A stack of 9 books: 3 dics, 4 mysteries, Pcs for Dummies, and something about the internet. # CDs: U2, Tgood, Moody Blues. 2 remotes. Clock. Pads of papers with notes of things not done scribbled on them. Nail clippers. Napkin. Driver's guide. Expired fishing licenses. Stack 'o discs. Wells Farge mouse pad. Daily planner. 3 popsickle sticks. Brown paper bag with something in it, but I don't want to look. On the bulletin board there's a card with the better half's plot # at the Nuuanu Memorial Cemetary, 1040 from 1984, pics of kids I've never met, and a Calvin and Hobbes comic.

Pretty pathetic, huh?

I've got a basic computer set up, a stack of burnable CD's, some pens and pencils, extra printer paper, and a loaded Sig with two magazines.

King Termite is lucky. He's lucky he's allowed to have tape and a stapler.

King Termite is lucky. He's lucky he's allowed to have tape and a stapler.
They confiscated the paste because I kept eating it. :(

CDs software
CDRs
floppies
sticky notes
pens and pencils
tools
bike tail light
phone card
phone
graduation invitation
receipts
computer screws
eyeglass screwdriver
pictures
cards
carbon monoxide alarm?
graduation application
trophies
blank jewel cases
business cards
prescription

Well I am at work now, so I can only describe what I have here.

radio/cd player
3 binders
1 yellow generic legal pad
7 lcd computer screens
1 naked woman
canister with pens, paperclips, rubber bands, loose change
2 styrofoam cups - 1 for coffee, 1 for water
stapler

That's about it.

Interesting, I was thinking of starting a similar thread this morning only asking for a photo of your computer station.

Mine has:

A stack of misc. 'important papers'
scanner
tape dispenser
a ceramic crock with assorted pens, pencils, markers & hi-liters
a glass bowl with paper clips
two 35mm film cans w/ herbal material
mini corn cob pipe for use with above material
three empty Scripto Vu-lighters
two cans of lighter fluid
two pill bottles of pain medication (darvocet & tylenol 3)
Cell phone charging station
two live rounds of 25-06 ammo
one live round of 22 long rifle ammo
nail file
mag lite
calculator
monitor
stack of collected business cards
micro casssette recorder
3 audio CD's
10 year old Day-Timer
two pads of post it notes3 AA batteries
battery tester
speakers
keyboard


and coffee cup

i've noticed that no-one i know has a clear computer desk (cart, whatever); there's always other stuff cluttering it up. knicknacks, desk toys, whatever. i'm wondering what sort of (non-digital) detritus has washed up on the shores of your computer's island.

cluttering my workspace:

a pair of valves from a 4.2 XK engine
a valve spring from an MGB engine (this has followed my computer desk for around 14 years now)
a mock-up of a four tube launcher for Harpoon missiles from a DoD model
a miniature traffic cone
a 112-year-old Spanish bayonet
two elastic bandages
a bottle of Aleve
and a box of blue staples.
Spanish bayonette is pretty cool!
Let's see:
extra mag for my 9mm, loaded,
file of photo's I need to scan for restoration and enhancement for a neaighbor, wish me luck on that one though, as they were damaged in a fire and I'm going to have to recompile and heuristically replace part of an image that was half burned. It's the only picture of her sister in existence and I'd really like to rebuild this particular image for her!
The Book "A Hymn before Battle"- John Ringo as well as another Pos'leen universe novel called "Watch on the Rhine" by Ringo and Tom Kratman
Sundry other items like tape, stapler, card file of stuff, that kind of thing!

blank dvd's
blank cdr's
bottle of multivitamins
cell phone
stapler
bong
bag of dope
rolling papers
ashtray
smokes
lighter
book on vbscript
book on visual basic 6
stack of assorted linux books
small desk lamp

all this stuff amongst 3 computers, 4 monitors, usb hub, camera, scanner, 2 printers, ethernet switch,homemade router, and cable modem

Not counting computer peripherals:

Wife's makeup mirror
tweezers
nail file
nail clippers
assorted mail
microphone stand/microphone
spindle of blank CD-Rs
Campagnolo Lubrificante 1000g tub filled with pens
Sudoku puzzle book
Sudoku puzzle daily calendar
jaw harp
mobiBLU 1gb cupe mp3 player
manual for mp3 player
USB charging/transfer cable for mp3 player
PayPal receipts for two pair of onZa HO pedals
assorted printouts
earplugs (3 pair)
checkbook
bottle cap from JW Dundee's Honey Brown Lager
SunTour clamp on double cable stop
two metal pen cups with filled with pens & highlighters
clock made out of two SunTour cassette cogs
earphone for cell phone
cell phone charger
measuring tape
eraser
mechanical pencil
drafting lead holders (2)
lead sharpener
AC step down motor for a Canon CLC3100
Drill block for a paper drill
Picture of my wife and me
binder clip
two of wife's rings
DART day pass
ticket stubs/receipt from Strangers With Candy
Strangers With Candy DVD box set
eyeglass lens cleaning cloth
glasses
Cateye cyclocomputers (3 - Mity, Kosmos, & Enduro)
dead battery (CR2032 from Cateye Vectra)
wallet (2)
house keys
pocket knife
cell phone belt clip
broken sell phone leather cover
cell phone
assorted receipts
pens (2)
notepad
magnetic clip sunglasses in case
change ($.66)
store-brand 12-hour Sudafed (17)
bottle of Zantac 150
pocket calculators (2)
cigarette lighter/bottle opener
Breather Right nasal strips
scissors
staple remover
Extra Strength Gold Bond Body Powder
store-brand Tinactin spray
blood-pressure cuff
bottle opener
4mm allen wrench
bag of wasabi peas
two empty Rx bottles (both for Protonix)
Sortquick
leather coin pouch
wife's bracelet
bobby pins (2)
pony tail holder
assorted notes
Check from Siemens for $100

I need to clean off my desk.

an old water bottle
race pins and numbers
hangers???? what the heck are they doing here?

PC Tower.
Monitor
PC Speakers
Wireless Router
Pair of headphones
Cheque stub
Glucose meter
Photo album from my trip to Germany

Tidy people give me the willies :)

my computer table is so over crowded that I have moved from that room entirely into my living room with my lap top. I really must clean that mess up! Glad to hear there are other messies out there and I'm not alone!

I use a laptop, usually from my lap. The rest of my living room however: camera equipment, bike parts, and 2 labradors.

--A

Mine's not tidy...it's not even a desk...I just can't fit anymore on top of it.

It's a small table...I had to put the mousepad sideways and angle the hell out of the keyboard to fit it all.

The 19" flatpanel and the two smallish speakers are as side as the entire tabletop.

red stapler
couple of glasses
OEM felt stem
hip flask
couple of powerbars
papers
business cards
safety type glasses
pens
calculator
leatherman
etc

Dust....and afew CD's

Books, books, and books... and a pen.

Desktop stereo system with which I have to argue for it to play any of my CDs. I must resort to abuse often.

One small gargoyle statue.

One rear blinker.

One cannister of "decorative gems" that I use in lieu of ball bearings to fidget with as I sit here resisting the urge to smoke (have thus resisted for 23 days now but I'm like Captain Queeg over here).

The obligatory mug o' pens.

One censer.

One coffee cup, mostly empty. Going to remedy that right now.

more stickey notes then the dude on the cover of "Office Space", pens, old project install guides, some current software, an apple, some green tea packets, tape, scissors and stapler (not red).
We are moving to a new office building so the new rule states: Minimal personal effects, no plants, all drinks must be covered and no eating at your desk. This is a killer for me since I eat about 8 meals a day (small meals) and 4 to 6 of them are at my desk. To my co workers it appears that I eat all day long.....I guess thats true. But one good thing on my desk is my 21 inch flat panel monitor...sweet...:)

Very fitting thread for me today. I was forced to clean the office desk in order to prepare for a business we're starting up. Prior to the clean was approx 1 year's worth of dust, crumbs, post-it notes, text books, bills (luckily all of them had been paid), tennis admin paperwork (I volunteer at our local community tennis club), belly dance paraphernalia (sp?), etc.

Now that the clean is done all that's left is 1 laser jet printer, 1 ink jet printer, 1 extremely large 21" CRT monitor (I'm jealous of tcar5's 21" flat panel screen), pair of speakers, keyboard, and some general writing utensils. All-in-all it's relatively organized. I feel much better now :)

A lot of stuff gathers are my desk.
Memory card reader w/ card. 9v battery. Ortho elastics. A 45mm thrust bearing. And misc. trash.

pocket knives, flashlight, cell phone...and other crap like pens

MY desk is clean! Thanks for starting this thread. It got me motivated to do something about that horrid space!

I try to keep my work area clean...

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i92/Mothra99/desk.jpg

wow is that reallly where you work? niiice

Lessee...
spokes, (spares from when I rebuilt my wheel)
various old magazines (at least 10 of them, various subjects)
25ft USB cable
2 network cables
USB Wireless adapter
2 wireless routers
several antennas off wireless routers and cards
pci wireless card
wireless phone
stack of cd's
various menus
my wife's epi-pen
charger and cord for my digital cam
lots of bike tools
phone book
notepads (x3)
several candles
a bag of shells
My Pepsi
earbud headphones
charger for a cell phone
first aid kit
an assortment of hooks (for hanging cups and stuff)
a tape measure
vitamin C pills
laptop computer
2 mice
CRT monitor
Epson all in one printer/scanner with card reader and lcd screen
charger for FRS walkie talkies
2 more stacks of cds
2 dvds (still wrapped... hrmm... I should watch those someday)
a lamp
bag of trail mix
change jar (Where I throw all my change every day and exchange it for paper money about once a month)
ps/2 keyboard
USB waterproof, rollable keyboard
Blank DVD's
my wife's purse
knee brace for when my bad knee is hurting
a garden decoration with a flower and that says 'Welcome'
1 network hard drive adaptor with no hard drive in it
the box my cell phone came in, with all the manuals and such
a basket with more shells in it
1 speaker (the other one fell behind the desk)
black leather folder that zips closed, containing notepad and various important paperwork

Hrmm... well, that's all I can see without moving stuff.... and I don't feel like doing that at the moment, I'm also not going to count the things that are still on the floor between the desk and the wall, where they fell.

wow is that reallly where you work? niiicemy dad just got 2 monitor set-up and it kicks ass, so i agree with the niice part with you

Home:
Keyboard
CPU
Monitor
Mouse and pad

Neat, huh?

Work:
Folders of projects I'm working on
Springs for a project I'm working on. They are fun to hold and wiggle back and forth while I talk on the phone.
Coffee Cup on a CD coaster
Usually more than one empty Coke can.
Phone
Dictionary
Machinery's handbook, 19th edition
Bible.

Guess I'm not such a slob after all...

all drinks must be covered and no eating at your desk. This is a killer for me since I eat about 8 meals a day (small meals) and 4 to 6 of them are at my desk.

Wow, sorry about that no eating at your desk policy. I usually work through lunch so I HAVE to eat at my desk!

Part of my disaster survival plan consists of shaking cookie crumbs out of my keyboard.

Part of my disaster survival plan consists of shaking cookie crumbs out of my keyboard.

All I can say is: EWWWWWWW!!

As IT administrator it is my job to keep the computers functioning, which means at about once a week I have to take the keyboard off of one particular employee's desk, carefully dissassemble it to remove the electronics and PRESSURE WASH the rest of it to get all the food out of it. :eek:

It is the grossest thing I've ever had to do.... worse than cleaning the grease traps at KFC when I was still in high school.

I refuse to touch the guy's computer otherwise... if he needs help, I use remote desktop from my computer to fix it.

Ive got a heapd of New Zealand pottery(thats my mums)
Three elephants(they where my grandfathers)
Salt and pepper(there off the dinning table)
Some random cups from off the trains i think
Jar full of pens and a bee on a stick
Picture of my cycling team
My $6300 bill for my braces
My $1250 bill for getting my teeth removed
Glasses case
A book
iPod, plus all the stuff to go with it.
Camera plus all the stuff to go with it.
Goggles
Cds
Paper
Oh and my phone

All that computing to MOVE numbers? Perish the though of having to actually CRUNCH them!

bank statement
my wife's thank you cards
scratch paper
pen
cell phone
cordless phone (I'm on standby)
foreign currency
receipts
jump drive
firewire chord
camcorder
printer
speakers
monitor
balloons (deflated)
empty CD case
broken ruler

red haired troll doll
lamp
dog salt and pepper shakers
various CDs and stacks of paper
a 1970 Sony transistor radio
a basket full of junk
box of new sharpies
files,notebooks
a pewter stein full of pens that mostly don't work
a dog collar
glass cubes I am going to make into fridge magnets