New Jobs Suck

I really hate starting a new job.

I was fortunate and blessed in that I secured a position very close to home, making about the same money but without the commute, working hours that suit us and doing the job that I have had loads of experience doing.

It's the initial pissing contests that I despise. But piss, we must. As a woman working in a male dominated field, I am unfortunately not exempt from playing that game. I don't know any other way around it - other than being a smiling, silent, silly fool. That's just SO not me. Well, sometimes I am a fool and silly, but usually not smiling OR silent.


I can stand toe to toe with the worst of them, but it doesn't mean that I like doing it. I'd prefer not to, but I am rarely given the choice. They and their testosterone soaked egos just can't help themselves. So it's either stand there and take it, or give it right back and I just can't seem to help but to give it right back.

It makes for an uncomfortable orientation period, though.

Guys - here's a hint. It's okay NOT to know something, and it's also okay to know something and share that knowledge with someone else. So, why, when I ask a simple question that my current trainer didn't know the answer to, did he act like a tantrum-prone two year old and ass? All I can think is that he didn't like not knowing the answer, didn't like the idea of doing something a different way, and also doesn't like the fact that I might have a little more experience with CICS than he does. And what of the young'uns these days? The P.C. techie, windows and menu addicted next generation? Smart alecks - that's what they are! Little shits. Thinking they're the gods of computers, when what they're best at is how to navigate around pretty little pictures with the little grabby hand.

My initial weeks of training and orientation are complete - and now I have 4 nights off. Thank God! Hopefully I'll be settled into my shift and comfortably running it soon.

I just wonder where all those good guys are - like some of the guys I've been lucky enough to work with in the past. (Way past - like before I had kids past.)

American Takes On British Parliament

Heather Brooke, a Pennsylvanian born reporter, took on British Parliament and seems to have been the driving force behind the recent revelations in regard to British Parliament members' abuse of power.

Three points that I would like to make:

1. It is in the public's best interest to have easy access to information when it comes to keeping an eye on elected leaders' behavior in office.

2. Dishonest people will adjust their behavior if they know that the things they choose to do will come to light.

3. Apathy is a freedom killer.

I realize that MP's are entitled to a certain amount of expenditure as a part of their benefits for serving - the important piece of this is: how they spend that money IS important to the people who have put them into office, and abuse of that privilege is probable if their spending is not a matter of public record.

I also have a question:

Is apathy toward government excess a common trait amongst our British friends? I only ask because this quote from the article caught my eye. The young lady, Brooke, was heard to say, "I think there's a culture of deference here, where the public believe that people who are in power — the great and the good — still know what's best for everyone."

This surprises me if true, and underlines a large difference between American values and British values. Americans are raised with the belief that our elected leaders are probably scum and one must constantly keep an eye on them. This would include vociferously standing up to the arrogance of those in office - and also NOT judging a person based on what 'class' they may belong to. We really are not impressed by a person's pedigree - beyond that it can be an interesting conversation to see how many nationalities are scattered in our various backgrounds.

Apathy, a condition found in abundance on both sides of the pond, will only encourage the unrestrained growth of corrupted government.

Monica

Cross posted at A Tangled Web.