Living Dangerously

All this talk about jobs is making me uneasy.

think if you had to actually experience it.... I'm really suffering here...

seeing Gus is skeeving me out

Yeh, me too, Gus.

One of the hardest things is to exist as an underling after you've been on your own. I haven't done that obedient underling thing lately, but may still.

I was spoiled in my first real job in that I was the only person in the lab and naturally ran the lab, under benign overseeing; I overworked, but stopped to talk whenever I pleased unless clocks were going off; second serious real job was a research lab not smack in the middle of a med center, and we sort of lived at our own pace. I always, or almost every week, worked overtime hours on salary, but my boss didn't ever frown if I was not there on the dot or took a long lunch. Get the work done - we all got the work done, but sometimes sat around telling stories. When there was deadline pressure, we deadlined. I became head tech in that kind of atmosphere.

Imagine my surprise when I had a timeclock on the next job. They asked me to be manager of that lab but I was a duck out of water. I showed them, I changed fields... have not earned as well since, relatively speaking, but have been happier in a more autonamous situation.

I think I goofed some spelling here, but spellcheck likes it.

My last Be There At Work situation was our landscape design practice in combo with art gallery. We alternated Saturdays to maintain the gallery. Every other Saturday the browser history was filled with dressage sites; every other Saturday, with a2k...

It suck when you wanna work.......and cant.

I have to sit on my tuffett till my tree saw is fixed.

I have not worked a "regular " job for so long I had forgotten how demeaning and dehumanizing it is.... and the place I work is particularly f**ked up... the entire staff is disgruntled... it's just an unhappy place....

Im sure that youre a ray of sunshine. Do they unshackle your oars so you can pee?

actually I do help keep spirits up around there and no, they give us condoms and catheter tubes at the time clock....

PS pooping is allowed only before or after your shift...... there is however a designated farting area....

Bear, how's your health? What's the current holdup on going back to the music biz? (Seems like your health's been good, hope that's the case.)

My health is never better.... I am facing the sad but true fact of perceived "aging out" of the music business..... a club owner I took a demo cd to and who got two or three references from other owners said I was awesome but they drew a younger crowd.... that hurts but it needs to be faced.... I'm making more money part time laying than full time selling furniture but I need to be thinking about a "regular" job.... I'll be 57 in two weeks.

I can live with selling furniture for now, I'm good at it, but this particular place of employment is horrible. They are a cluster f**k and they treat their staff like ****, It's unbelievable. As a former employer who managed people hands on I am daily just aghast at the way they treat people on staff. They have the worst compensation structure imaginable and they're going to experience steady turnover until they change their policies. Even the reps for the corporation talk about how this franchise owner needs to change his MOD.

They have a store manager who it was thought would try to make some changes but it seems is merely giving it lip service and tap dancing around the real issues. Surprise. A retail manager who is actually only interested in their own bonus. In managements defense I'm aware that they can only operate within the parameters given them by the owner but this **** is ridiculous.

Here's a for instance. They don't pay over time under any circumstances but will require you to come in early as they did last Sunday for a special sale or meeting and then when your time clock reaches 40 hours they cut it off even if you're in the store working several more hours. My last paycheck cut my Sunday hours off (IN PRINT) at 4.53 hours even though I was there 6.5 hours, because that's where I reached 40 hours. And they're so smug about it they don't even try to make excuses for it. They remind me of bushco. Just f**k you without a kiss or a reach around or anything. And that example is just the tip of the iceburg about the way they treat people.

If you quit better do it the day you get your last comission check because all commisions owed are forfeited when you leave, no matter what you've earned it will not show up on your final paycheck. Only an hourly. If you give proper notice they will make you leave immediately so they can say they termed you and keep comisssions owed to you.

Am I looking for something else? You bet. It's a huge effort not to walk. I had an interview Monday and they are bringing me in for a second, and I have resumes out. Meanwhile, I'm working on angles to rebuild the events company but it's a tough go in this fabulous new economy. No one is spending on furniiture and necessities, much less discretionary spending.

You know that's against the law, and anyway, people keep better track of their kids these days . . .

good to know... and I was just getting ready to invest in a new van.... maybe I'll rethink