fuck this job.com

I hear that alot that people stay at a job just for the health benefits. Even older people that supposedly "retire" go back to work for the health benefits even though they don't actually need a paycheck. That is crazy. I've never let that be a deterent to quit a job. What i do, every time i quit, is i make sure i go to see every kind of doctor that i need to go to before my benefits get cut off. And then i'm good. Luckily i'm healthy. I hope I never need surgery or have a freak accident. Maybe i'll try to purchase some insurance that covers major hospitalization only because other than that, I don't need insurance.

But isn't it crazy when you meet up with old coworkers and they're still bitching about the same old shit? It never changes. And they stay there forever and ever. I got tired of hearing myself bitch about my job and that's why i decided to leave. If i got sick of myself, i'm sure everybody else around me got tired of the complaining too. Life is too short. It doesn't make sense to be miserable every day, especially for the sake of health insurance! They should go and use it for mental treatment.

Since i'm a sub-contractor now, i pay my own health insurance. I have a good plan with bluecrossblueshield for $115 p/month. I have a life insurance policy that pays $100,000 for $15 p/month. I know people with families who are older pay more for insurance but jeez, is an extra couple hundred bucks a month worth selling your soul for?? Fuck NO.

Right now i'm paying about $200/month for health insurance for me and my son. And this is with the company paying for most of the premiums. And I have a deductible and copayments. So how is my company doing me a favor if i can go and get insurance on my own for about the same price? Thanks for bringing that up hangingontohope.
These companies definitely know how to brain wash people to make them think that if they leave their whole lives will be turned upside down. It just ain't so. But it's scary because i used to believe that too and it makes you stay at a job you hate.

Personally, I've always thought the point was to do the bare minimum you needed to do to avoid getting fired, that is, after you sell your soul to get the job to begin with. Your friends are caught up in it all, as if it matters whether you do a good job or not. Unless you're in bed-side healthcare or monitoring a nuclear facility, most of what we do for a living is dribble and useless anyway. Much of it is made up crap, invented to keep people busy and employed. I know, I invented many systems and processes in my career that, when I was developing them I KNEW they were bullshit, and still, years after I left a place, they remained and people remained dedicated to doing them, as if NOT doing it was a crime. It's mind boggeling. What did they do BEFORE filing and computers, meetings and all that shit? People still ate, shit, laughed, had sex... life worked just fine. The real secret is this: Much of what we do is arbitrary and pointless, but if we don't do it, no paycheck. It's ridiculous really. If we all just did what was needed and looked after those who were unable to look after themselves, we would all be alot better off. If only the world worked that way. It probably does in some tribe in Africa or something, but who the hell wants to run around in a dirty loin cloth with flys crawling on your face? Then again, the women all go around topless, then again, they all have saggy knee shooters, then again, no office, no politics, no shitheads, then again, you could get eaten by a hungry tiger, err... forget it.. I don't know the answer, all I know is - it all alot of bullshit.

I hear 'ya Poli. And I agree with you 100% that most of what we do is indeed arbitrary and pointless. I close dozens of files that sit for months from the time the work was requested with no one ever following up or coming back with the additional info I need to complete the job. I've started using boilerplates for a number of jobs and no one is the wiser. I just rehash the same crap over and over agin. I've learned to work smarter not harder.

The work I do sure as heck isn't changing the world and I know it. Problem is I work with people, managers especially, who take the company, their jobs, and themselves far too seriously. Some of them have to remind us - and themselves, that they're very important people don't you know. It's pathetic. One supervisor (who was formerly a secretary) had to mention that even though she was going to be away a few days, she would have her "Blackberry on" in case we needed to reach her. In our workplace, that is akin to cheesy name dropping because only the managers are given Blackberries. Give me a break.

I put in a honest day's work for an honest day's pay. Anything beyond that, they can kiss my big fat butt.

I agree with everything you say except that, if you're putting in an honest days work, you're probably getting screwed ESPECIALLY if you get no psychic reward from the work. If I don't waste half a day, I've done something wrong.

I have a company provided Blackberry, never turn the damn thing on.. I hate the POS.. it doesn't even play music! If it served some USEFUL purpose (let me surf porn anonymously or let me play poker online or something), I'd use it. That supervisor you mention is a jack off and you can print this chain out and leave it on their desk.

At the VERY top, if they even bother to read email, it's isn't so they can keep tabs on work, I can assure you that. It's about their investments, their wives or their kids, or their vacation.

LOL! I may have mislead you. An "honest day" for me usually means being twice as productive in half the time than some of the people I work with. The rest of the time, office resources and equipment can be put to good use for non-work related stuff too :)

Speaking of blackberries...meetings have turned into pretentious gatherings where managers take those stupid things out and leave them on the conference table or compare their functions. Every once in a while, one of the contraptions will go off and start buzzing like an out-of-control vibrator across the table. The owner will just ignore it and feign full attention on the meeting while everyone is now focused on the damn thing.

Next time once goes off, I think I'll whip off my shoe and beat the crap out of it Gallager style.

How pathetic. Yes i've seen those people too. They think they are somebody because they own a blackberry. Do I really give a damn? Hell no. It's just another gadget. That is sad and pitiful. If a person's self worth is boosted due to a gadget, then they have issues that we cannot even fix without psychological counseling. If I see a guy and he's trying to show his off, I cross him off my dating list. He's a loser in my eyes.

When I first got it assigned to me, I played with it to learn how it worked but I quickly found it to be a POS. I did love to bring it to meetings, but most of the time, it was me and a collegue of mine (who is similarly immature in many ways) emailing each other back and forth with messages along the lines of:

"Is that chick HOT or what? Meet me under the table and let's see if she wears undies"

"Is this blowhard ever going to shut up and let this meeting end?"

"Do you have ANY idea what this guy is talking about?"

"Does that guy work here or did he crash the meeting?"

"I think this guy blows goats"

"If my boss ever reads this, just know, it is me actually typing it but you ca never prove it!"

"If you smell something funny, don't blame me.. friggen mexican lunch place!"

- And this is the TRUTH!

A productivity enhancer indeed! I guess I won't be buying any stock in Research in Motion!

Personally, I still use an old Nokia cell phone that's NOT a flip phone, doesn't have camera, or voice mail. It sits at the bottom of my bag until it gives a few little beeps telling me the battery is dying.