Iām sure @krg_ is still rolling his sleeves up, @btripz .
Iāve tagged you as such because itās my view that R2 is the true hero of the Star Wars films. Just gets on with it, no fuss, no muss. Theyād all be dead without him.
There are two types of people in the workplace. People that say stuff, and people that do stuff. Granted, the people that say stuff are normally better paid, and usually found within the upper echelons of any business hierarchy. The people that do stuff often donāt get a say.
Even techies like us get the āmanager experienceā. Any time youāre waiting on a vendor to provide a solution in a black box outside your control, youāre in that position. Powerless, impotent but still expected to deliver.
I try to straddle both āsayā and ādoā worlds, but Iām mostly told to shut up and do stuff
Particularly with games, anyone who has ever played a game thinks they can design one. Thereās a vast difference between making a game that you would like, and making one for other people.
On the flipside, Iāve managed to bag an absolute wizard developer for our sub-team. I give him a design, he spots the (inevitable) errors and edge cases, works around them and delivers something far better than I originally envisaged. Making me look a far more competent designer than I actually am.
We also have to carry out the yearly appraisal I have found the easiest way is give the blank form to the recipient of the appraisal and tell them to fill it in apart from the grades āI will do that laterā they invariably come back filled in with grades.
As our system is not an honest system because it is bonus related according to HR (human remains) I am only allowed to give so many A and B grades the rest have to be Cās.
All appraisals come back with only A and Bās on them
So after changing grades and spell checking I add my comments and call the worker in to have a chat about his appraisal
every one is pissed at the fact they have been down graded (through no fault of my own ) its the system.
then they sign it.
The thing is these appraisals can also be used to discipline or dismiss people
One supervisor came to me recently saying one of the techs was useless and could not work on his own.
Reviewing his last appraisal written by the supervisor he was the best thing since sliced bread so when questioned as to why his appraisal was so good last year response was ā thatās so he could get his bonus but he is really crapā
Well you have to deal with it then give appropriate appraisals as due to this I have no grounds to discipline him.
I used to have to do them too. Occasionally I would advise on reporting by new promotees to the grade. On more than one occasion I asked why they had been overly generous in parts of their report. I advised a more critical lineā¦they said, āYou canāt write that! Theyāre going to read thisā
Just had to do my mid year review (April to March). Feeling your pain. I got marked down on one area as Iād made 1 mistake in the year Iāve been there. Bit harsh really considering all the good feedback I had. My assessments have all been in time etc.
the man from sky turned up today to put in a sky q box and told me he need to fiddle with the dish. Fine I think, so I take him to where the thing is and he takes one look and says I canāt get to that.
What are you talking about, one of your mob put it up there in the first place.
Sorry, health and safety innit
Ffs so what are you propsing
Another dish
well the Ayatollah is going to kill me but fuck it go on then.
oh, I also have to drill a hole in the wall there
Why, it is no where near the dish
Ah, I need to put a restraining bolt in for my ladder
Cant I just hold it
No, health and safety innit
He also has to do three more as he routes the cable. My house looks like a Swiss cheese.
I remember when the dishes first turned up a ladder nah we will lay on the roof and drill upside down. A cable just throw it over there and we will catch it.
Couldnāt do that now ā
Elf and Safety gone mad.
Just think of the shit I have to put up with offshore.
oh that box looks like its over 25 kg we need a crane or some contractors to move it.
sorry that scaffold is to high for me to to go up.
Iām in Liverpool, and Iām driving my motor into central London tomorrow.
I was considering letting the train take the strain, but that ginger fucker wants Ā£145 notes for the privilege of standing in one of his trains, one of the toilet doors busted with the smell of shit wafting down a packed carriage.
The combined cost of fuel, parking and congestion charge comes in at under fifty quid.
Another one for the mileage claim, then. Iāll actually see a little profit and Branson will see nothing. Iām sure heāll be pissing tears on his private Caribbean island, while London chokes on the fumes of financially sane commuters.
Been looking a memory foam mattresses this weekend cos I have a persistent bad back and Bletch wonāt let me have a go on his yogi.
Any way given that I am a bit concerned about the over heating aspect, I thought I would read some customer reviews. The number of people who award a product 5 star and say ā I havenāt used it yet but great delivery \customer serviceā is ludicrous. At least 50%. Why the fuck are you reviewing a product you havenāt used. What on Earth do you think you are contributing.
Hey, iāve been suffering from lower back pain for almost 10 years. Itās manageable but never really clears up. Yoga and stretching exercises are really helpful. Mattresses donāt really have an effect. Itās actually better to not rest and keep active.
we spent a small fortune on a mattress, bed frame, headboard and all new bedding about a year ago. Bed arrived just before christmas. I also have lower back issues and the bed has helped as itās pretty damn comfy and not all lumpy and soft as the old one was after 8 years. My dad also has bought the same beds and recommended them to us. The company is John Ryan and only sold online.
Iāve got two slipped discs. Iāve done the strong painkillers, physio, pilates, walking lots etc. It has all helped. My bad back wasnāt the reason we got a new bed. But itās helped a bit. Sleeping on an old matress wasnāt helping and as the bed was low getting up off it caused me a lot of pain when my back was really bad.
Ok sorry, yes iāve had a slipped disc and ripped the ligaments in my lower back. And couldnāt walk for a few days, itās scary when your self employed and the nightmare of not being able to work
