whew....!Hope you are doing better monster,,,keep your chin up. Literally!




We're waiting expectantly with you for the little one too :)

I washed my Motorola smart phone and it did not revive after sitting in rice overnight. That's about $500 more to Verizon Wireless.

My mortgage waits another two weeks and goes into penalty. As it almost always does, costing me more money all the time.

My manager was unable to give me any positive thoughts that our failed group dynamic will improve in any way, only that it will get worse for the next three months, while we are in a critical mode as we are moving the office. "You want out of the group, and your co-worker doesn't like you and no longer wants to work with you... and it's a team situation that won't work at all if you don't communicate... but we think you do not have the skills to move anywhere else in the company. And we really need you to stay in the group for at least the next three months. What can I do as a manager to improve the situation?" "Nothing I can think of." "Well if you think of something let me know." *faceplant*

You can have my unused cricket phone? Did you really put your phone in rice?


I am sorry about your morgage. I used to pay my rent like that so I know how you feel.


Lastly, your work troubles. damn. I'm really clueless there. I have empty hands and flimsy platitudes. :thepain:

I wasn't much help. sorry. I hope things improve quickly.

Thanks Sky. Yup, if your phone gets wet, the #1 approach people have found is to put it into a container of rice overnight, so that the rice slowly sucks away all the moisture.

tony, you're saying that your co worker doesn't 'like' you?

how can that be? what kind of a wang would
'not like' you? ... am i misunderstanding your post?

oh :(


I just googled 'smart phone' . It's a nice phone. ...

Have you checked out buying a used phone to avoid ponying up full price to Verizon?

That only works if your phone is made in China or India.

Yes well you never know what kind of dynamic is going to happen in the workplace.

My coworker finds me to be too laid back and error prone and disinterested in playing the alpha-geek game.

I tend to fold under such situations and admit defeat, which really annoys the alphas. They want you to play. They do things like hide their information and then mock you for not knowing it.

The work situation sucks UT. You have my symapthy.

I take it you didn't have insurance on the phone?

No I have this theory that you shouldn't insure something you should theoretically be able to afford to replace. The theory falls apart when you can't afford much of anything though.

Given that I kinda know you IRL, UT, my suggestion would be to head into the office one day and just be ridiculously outgoing with a hint of aggressiveness. I do that at my job sometimes and it totally fucks with people and keeps them on edge.

Dude, you've just been given a free pass! Pull an Office Space; do whatever the hell you want. Show up late, take long lunches, start referring to your coworker exclusively as "shitwit" but with a huge grin so he can never be sure if you're out-alphaing him or just being rude... Maybe you'll even convince him to quit.

lol! I have completely been there!!
They get this aghast look on their face when they realize that you are not up to speed with what they were intentionally hiding from you.
Wankers!!

Let them let you go, do not quit. Lead them on, get your unemployment, get your severance pckg. whatever. I was in a special projects group like that...It ended with me in a bay of 40 comps. by myself because the small group did not like me (2 members) but they still needed me. So screwy. A building full of people sitting side by side, and me, in a bay of 40 comps. by myself, separated from my group. After awhile I quit, but I should have stayed and got my severance. They were the last group in the building and got to stay after the doors were shut. I would have been alone, but not by myself (with severance).

This is the way to go! Appear to be playing their alpha-male game whilst actually mocking it. Meanwhile big hugs UT ...

Bad: they wrote my complaint about the group dynamic up as an "Official Warning" which I had to sign and it goes into my permanent record.

Good: manager who understands group dynamics is looking to fix the whole thing because they say they don't want me to leave.

God I hate work politics UT. Every now and then, throw in stuff like "working by values" and "target setting" when lip service is really all they crave. Yeah, I can't fake it either.

Hang in there.

Workplace politics are the pits. Hope things settle down UT.

:D *shudder*
Looks like another day that I will refuse to post my resume....Irrational? Very irrational. I need to pay bills but it's too soon for me to interview and not screw up.

UT, It sounds like your environment is no longer working for you, and I am wondering if in your line of work, whether or not you can go to a smaller business in your area, and be happier, but make the same amount of money? (maybe more rewarding as well) I am sure you are very good at what you do and imagine that you can take your talents just about anywhere you want to.

I could only make guesses about what you do, I used to know but can't remember. But I am sure you are good at what you do and maybe an upstart might be more suited to you at this time? Can you run your own business doing what you do? Can you contract or do you hate contractors? I like being a contractor when I can because people actually love you when you show up to save their dumb-asses and you get to leave before 5 if your job is done. Not only that, you get to charge them for everything...So you can also charge them when they bother you with their buzz-words, and no write-ups, they just don't call back and that's fine if you have a large client list. Do you have a business idea that you can get a loan for? I bet you do. I bet you are holding out. I bet you have a brilliant idea, or so, kicking around in the toader brain....
:)

Ahh p'shaw..You are probably still happy there, and I'm the only one making a big deal about what's going on at your workplace.
Cicero...officially butting out!!

UT, I am sorry you have that kind of situation right now. What would have happened had you not signed the write up? I hate when employers manipulate their employees this way. It feels crappy, I know. You deserve so much better.

My printer is upsetting me. I bought some nice photo paper and a straight cutter so I can make some inexpensive prints of my artwork and now the printer is on the fritz! I know...it doesn't take much, huh?

case, can you print them at Wolf Camera, or somewhere similar? I don't know what that would cost, but it might be cheaper than fixing your printer.

I wonder what you mean by, "fritz"?

She dropped it on the cat.

Fritz Von Erich, patriarch of the Von Erich wrestling clan?

Um, ew.

Who is they?

How can an employer a) cite you for complaining about something and b) promise to fix it? Either one might make sense by itself, but both together?

Linux/Unix system administration and web programming/development.

I'm in six figures of family debt already, for the last time I had an idea. :thepain:

They is my manager, and the HR person; in a company of 30 there is only one HR person, thank gawd. 98% of HR people are 100% useless!

I really want to post it outside my cube but they would definitely write me up for that.

lol!
Steve is under some illusion that they have to make sense! That's their job, to confuse you with nonsense so you finally give up trying to figure it out, and just sign whatever out of sheer frustration.

It gets even better when they are explaining what they are doing, (nonsense) and seem very officious about their ridiculousness. You get the overpowering sense of.."you can't be serious, but I can see that you are." This is surreal.

Earlier today I went to Reed Camera to see about their prints and quality, etc. Well, I figured that it would cost me less to make my own on my printer, so I stopped off at Staples and grabbed some nice photo paper and a straight edge cutter and came home. This is where I am now. So, I already spent the money on the paper and the cutter...not to mention the gas to drive to Denver to talk to the people at Reed...I am not sure what to do at this point. Maybe I should just take the rest of the day off. :p

What size prints are you trying to make?

My husband had the same shit go on in his last job, Seven years in well paid hell, with a write-up and forced therapy(what's bothering me? I hate my fucking job!) So a month later he quits, we relocate and now he loves his new job, new town and life is good. My point is that things will get better

Just a point of order, Undertoad. Please remember that the Human Resources department works for the benefit of the company. They manage the resources of the *company* of type Human. Not unlike the shipping department handles boxes in and out and the facilities management handles the air conditioning and desks and chairs. Each department has an aspect of the company's interests to deal with. One of those interests is "Humans".

Don't be mislead that they're there for your benefit, despite the fact that they might work with benefits. It's an easy and common mistake, one I've made more than once. I offer you the chance to learn from *my* mistake, and remain alert to the fundamental loyalties of the company department members.

8 X 10s. I can now get the 5 X 7s to work, but 5 X 7 is so small. When it gets about 3/4 of the way through printing, it doesn't feed the photo paper through fast enough so it squishes the rest of the image into a thick black line and when it is "done" it acts like it is spitting out the print, but instead the print is stuck in the printer. I have to pull it out of the grips of the printer. Arg. 5 X 7s work because by the time it is done printing it, it hasn't gotten far enough to get "stuck."

case, see pm.

Frickity frackety fruck fruck fruckers...at my work! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Thank you.

Feeling powerless, I am now responding the only way I know how... I have posted the Official Written Warning outside my cube.

http://cellar.org/2008/guh1.jpg

I normally post Achewoods and XKCDs and other such comics there for the people to enjoy.

http://cellar.org/2008/guh2.jpg

Since it's "Confidential" they now have a Real reason to Warn me.

Good for you, UT. Way to make a stand, brother.

Wait a second, don't they know who you are?

You're like the leader of Fight Club, or something; they don't even know who is sitting right there in their own office!

You rock UT.

What is upsetting me today? I don't know why, but every numnut dumbass who makes any kind inane insipid comment whatsoever makes me want to claw my eyes out, rip out my teeth, and dig into my brain until it rolls out of my skull and lands on the wet, wormy earth.

A bit grumpy.

Result: they threatened to fire me.

I took it down.

Well then, you better get back to those TPS reports and pronto!

Darnit UT, wish a good guy like you didn't have to deal with the nonsense.

Maybe getting up at 2am to open my daughters crusted shut pinkeye has me fuzzy, but I'm confused.

You made a legit comment about the group dynamic, to which they said "If you don't have any ideas how to fix it, neither do we, so deal", then made an official warning to YOU document to put in your file? WTF were they warning you about?

FWIW I'd have put it up too. It's YOUR file.

They did have an idea on how to fix it, which consisted of a "mediation" where they brought us both in and we said nice things about each other until we were happy again. This was successful, but it still bothered me that I somehow got an official Written Warning out of it, so I posted it. My boss's boss called me in and basically told me if I wanted out of the company he would take care of that immediately. And that I was being a baby about it and that if I had a problem with it I should see our HR person. I agreed and left his office with my tail between my legs.

:( Nice. I see they "value people" too.

I've learned that HR never truly sides with the employee in situations like this. Have seen it too many times.

Good luck.

It's time we put "human" back in "human resources." :)

Edit: pardon my tail. That is basically what BigV was referring to, or lack thereof. Good points, BigV. Sorry. :blush:

I might be wrong, but all that nonsense could have been avoided if you'd just kicked his nerdy ass after work one night.

There's a place for people like you.

Brown nosers are upsetting (and dangerous)

The modern HR operation, be it a single person or a mega-department exists for one reason and one reason only.

To prevent the company from getting its ass sued successfully by current, former, or wannabe employees.

That's the part I don't get. I understand having a paper trail to cover their ass regarding recording that there was a mediation, blah blah blah, but it's the warning to UT that's throwing me for a loop.

TGIF Toader, and have a Grey Goose and lemonade on me tonight.

For me, it's all the Animal Care and Use Committee that always pisses me off with their stupid 'paperwork and proper channels'...but at least I only have to deal with them once or twice a month (a guaranteed PIA every time though)

I was upset earlier today by how warm it was.
I had lots to do in my lunch break and ended up hauling a planter, some compost and about half the workshop's lunches back over the pedestrian bridge over the main road. Oh I was hot! And it was bright!

Apparently, we are having snow later this weekend (WHAT?!)
So the catnip I carefully transplanted into a new planter will have to stay here for the weekend. I daren't take it home yet, as it's too small to survie - my boys will annihilate it.

Still, as someone who's motto could be The Colder The Better I am gratified by the bizarre shift in temperature.

It was snowing again today
We must have receive 20 feet of snow this last winter.
Global warming???

At least animating the tip jar seems to have worked, to help cut down further drain on your resources.

Trust No One
 

Why do people lie? Why would anyone pretend to be someone they are not? You are what you are and you do what you do...doesn't anyone know that if you lie to forge a relationship that at some point the other person will figure it out (probably sooner, but will initially be met with "I DID NOT LIE") and then it's too late? The slowly blooming trust is gone. Done deal. You can never go back to before, when you thought perhaps the person was actually for real.

I just don't get it. Well, I get a lot of it actually as I am notorious for trusting the wrong people, but I don't get why people lie about who they are. Almost every time I think I might try to trust someone, I find all these ugly lies. Why? :(

Because they are human.

:sniff: Being human is to lie about being human?

Okay. I have one. (Hi, btw...haven't been here for awhile, but this seems like a good place to start as any). Here goes...

People who swear in the office. I don't mean just sh-t and the F word under their breath...but at the top of their lungs....yelling and running around the room like a banshee on fire.

It ruins the creative process (I work with a bunch of radio/television copywriters) and damaging to the overall spirit of the department.

My other coworker and I decided that we might have to create a "swear jar".

Welcome back, Goddess!

And about those people in the office: f*** 'em, they're just a bunch of @#$#$ *&#^& #@#@(&s. ;)