Bright Ideas

The Teller is always on the lookout for new ways to improve our day-to-day lives. And, if some recent theories turn out to be true, dancing while at work, getting morning wake-up calls from celebrities and rappelling down hotels could be the next big things.

Leen Zevenbergen, CEO of a European-based IT firm, claims that learning how to break the rules at work is actually good for employee and company morale. Zevenbergen suggests participating in spontaneous work dance parties – much like Liz Lemon from the NBC sitcom 30 Rock – in order to make workers happier at their jobs.

With claims that more than 60 percent of workers are unhappy with their jobs, letting employees act like children at playgrounds could actually lead to them being more creative, innovative and entrepreneurial. Zevenbergen has interesting ways of accomplishing this, including “ripping off neckties” and “not being afraid to sparkle,” which The Teller doesn’t disagree with in the least. Companies like Google, Facebook and locally-owned (but recently downsized) video game development company Harmonix Music Systems offer creative outlets for their workers – including game rooms, scooters to ride around the office and break rooms that actually make you feel relaxed.

Another novel idea being implemented by some Massachusetts school systems involves making morning wake-up calls to its chronically tardy students. Fall River’s Durfee High School is doing this, according to The Boston Globe, and other Boston Public Schools are about to follow suit – except that they’re raising the bar and plan on using celebrities to get late-arriving or truant students to class on time. If The Teller were to receive a wake-up call from Tom Brady or Lady Gaga, that’d be more than enough reason to jump out of bed.

Speaking of making leaps, the Special Olympics Massachusetts is organizing a fundraiser in which 100 people will rappel down the side of the Hyatt Regency in Boston this July. The “Over the Edge” event is seeking “thrill-seekers” and “brave souls” to scurry down the Hyatt’s east side from the roof on two ropes.

While The Teller had its own thrill-seeking youth that involved sky-diving and spelunking, ever since seeing the film “127 Hours,” engaging in more risky stunts now requires a little more forethought. But the idea of owning bragging rights by being able to say we scaled a hotel is tempting enough for The Teller to want to sign up too. But the $1,000 minimum fundraising goal could prove to be a challenge. Any sponsors out there?

Dim Bulbs

While The Teller enjoys hearing about fun and innovative ideas, it is also equally enjoyable to read about events that are funny because of a lack of common sense.

And there seem to have been an overwhelming number of thieves lately who simply didn’t think before or after they acted.

A Swedish bank robber locked inside a bank vault for three days urinated into bottles in order to avoid making a mess in his confined space. However, after he escaped, three bottles of urine were left behind. What could’ve been a bank heist most robbers only dream of – with at least $500,000 in cash and jewelry from 140 safety deposit boxes – ended up all for nothing. Authorities were able to get DNA from the bottles of urine, which helped prosecutors score a 21-month prison sentence for the bank robber.

When a Pennsylvania man tried to rob a bank, he didn’t think it would be a bad idea to try and open an account before conducting a stick-up. He gave bank employees two forms of identification while opening the account for what he may have hoped would soon hold his massive fortune. The robber drove off with a minimal amount of cash, but was later arrested following a car crash in a neighboring county – after which the police learned of the warrant out for his arrest.

A Kansas woman, who held up a convenience store by holding a screwdriver and demanding money, was caught because she was wearing the same clothing from her lawless dalliance just a few hours prior. The police said the woman’s “unique outfit” made it incredibly easy to find her while she was watching the local St. Patrick’s Day parade. She obviously lacked the luck of the Irish that day.