Things That Make Me Go SHEESH!
Title says it....and there are lots of these. Some make me go more than 'sheesh'. Some make me downright doubt there is any intelligence left on earth. Some are words:
Infrastructure: Oh, gimme a break. Sure, it's a word. Even has a use. Which should be specific to it's intentions. Suddenly it is appearing everywhere. It is even being used to describe the gathering of a group of people to perform jobs. Except : people are not structured. You cannot build a human infrastructure. You can build a group of individuals. To call that a infrastructure is pure smoke and mirror misdirection. To use the term to describe economics is even worse, though I can accept it. In the form of -- we should tear down any existing infrastructures and start all over again. With a foundation. Then a structure. Leave the Infra to the Latin freaks.
Multitasking : Oh, this one really pisses me off. See? I can do more than one thing at a time!! No!! Really? That's good, otherwise you might not be able to scratch your butt and eat your sandwich during break. This word was bastardized by employers, looking to get one person to do several persons' jobs at less pay without paying overtime. As for the word, everyone does it: if you read a employment ad asking for someone who multitasks, know that you are applying to a employer who is greedy, cheap, and incapable of producing anything useful to society and who wants you to do 5 people's jobs at minimum wage without complaint and without getting tired or ill. In science fiction, they used to call them 'androids'.
Team Player : Man, if you see this at any level other than a team sport, you really should run as fast and as far away as you can. In today's cliche-heavy society, a team player refers to one who is comfortable being a faceless, nameless cog in a production machine; one who will put company profit and fame ahead of any other desire or emotion without question or complaint. Regardless of any personal debilitation which may occur. When one enters the 'working world', one is and has always been a part of team. This has always been known. You have a job, within a organization, that is designed to produce a product that can bring profit and be useful ; in return, the organization would show it's appreciation in the form of monetary gain, job security, and benefits. This has always been the 'carrot-on-a-stick' theory, but one never was expected to sacrifice self and family to get it. Today, though, the theory is that you should be happy to even have the stick. You must sacrifice all in the 'larger picture', and be a 'team player' -- one who never questions, just produces. Dickens used to write about employers who wanted only 'team players'; this was back when there were people who could actually read. And had time to do so, instead of having to devote all their free time to the 'team'. Today, there are organizations that have several 'teams'. And, just like in sport, there are winners and loser teams. The difference is, the loser teams will always be losers; they cannot win until they leave the team they are on, and make their own team, which will hire new team players to play losers under them. Of course, the 'infrastructure' of the economy is making it much more difficult to do that, even if you 'multitask' and are willing to be a 'team player'.
Those are 3 words that make me go 'sheesh'. There are more. Many. And not just words; many things make me go 'sheesh'. I'll get to them. Eventually. But in case you haven't guessed, I am not a 'team player'. Now, back when I could still play baseball, I was a team player; whatever it took to help the team, I would do. When I played guitar in bands, I did whatever I could to make the entire group sound better -- but I kept my individuality open, and did it in a way that pleased me as much as contributed to the sound. If i could not do both, I left the group.
When I go to work, though, I am there for one reason: to get paid. My only concern for the employer is that they continue to do well enough to pay me. If I am sick, or tired, I don't go. If I am asked to do something that is against my own principles, values, or personal comfort and safety, I won't do it. If that means no more job, then, so be it; any employer who expects more does not deserve to be in business anyway.
Ok, well, it's Winter; that's my defense for this post. A bit weak, I admit -- but, hey, I'm old, and have worked hard to earn the sobriquets of 'grumpy' and 'scrooge'. Wait until I get started on television and print-media advertising -- or politicians -- those are things that make me go way more than 'sheesh'. :--)
Infrastructure: Oh, gimme a break. Sure, it's a word. Even has a use. Which should be specific to it's intentions. Suddenly it is appearing everywhere. It is even being used to describe the gathering of a group of people to perform jobs. Except : people are not structured. You cannot build a human infrastructure. You can build a group of individuals. To call that a infrastructure is pure smoke and mirror misdirection. To use the term to describe economics is even worse, though I can accept it. In the form of -- we should tear down any existing infrastructures and start all over again. With a foundation. Then a structure. Leave the Infra to the Latin freaks.
Multitasking : Oh, this one really pisses me off. See? I can do more than one thing at a time!! No!! Really? That's good, otherwise you might not be able to scratch your butt and eat your sandwich during break. This word was bastardized by employers, looking to get one person to do several persons' jobs at less pay without paying overtime. As for the word, everyone does it: if you read a employment ad asking for someone who multitasks, know that you are applying to a employer who is greedy, cheap, and incapable of producing anything useful to society and who wants you to do 5 people's jobs at minimum wage without complaint and without getting tired or ill. In science fiction, they used to call them 'androids'.
Team Player : Man, if you see this at any level other than a team sport, you really should run as fast and as far away as you can. In today's cliche-heavy society, a team player refers to one who is comfortable being a faceless, nameless cog in a production machine; one who will put company profit and fame ahead of any other desire or emotion without question or complaint. Regardless of any personal debilitation which may occur. When one enters the 'working world', one is and has always been a part of team. This has always been known. You have a job, within a organization, that is designed to produce a product that can bring profit and be useful ; in return, the organization would show it's appreciation in the form of monetary gain, job security, and benefits. This has always been the 'carrot-on-a-stick' theory, but one never was expected to sacrifice self and family to get it. Today, though, the theory is that you should be happy to even have the stick. You must sacrifice all in the 'larger picture', and be a 'team player' -- one who never questions, just produces. Dickens used to write about employers who wanted only 'team players'; this was back when there were people who could actually read. And had time to do so, instead of having to devote all their free time to the 'team'. Today, there are organizations that have several 'teams'. And, just like in sport, there are winners and loser teams. The difference is, the loser teams will always be losers; they cannot win until they leave the team they are on, and make their own team, which will hire new team players to play losers under them. Of course, the 'infrastructure' of the economy is making it much more difficult to do that, even if you 'multitask' and are willing to be a 'team player'.
Those are 3 words that make me go 'sheesh'. There are more. Many. And not just words; many things make me go 'sheesh'. I'll get to them. Eventually. But in case you haven't guessed, I am not a 'team player'. Now, back when I could still play baseball, I was a team player; whatever it took to help the team, I would do. When I played guitar in bands, I did whatever I could to make the entire group sound better -- but I kept my individuality open, and did it in a way that pleased me as much as contributed to the sound. If i could not do both, I left the group.
When I go to work, though, I am there for one reason: to get paid. My only concern for the employer is that they continue to do well enough to pay me. If I am sick, or tired, I don't go. If I am asked to do something that is against my own principles, values, or personal comfort and safety, I won't do it. If that means no more job, then, so be it; any employer who expects more does not deserve to be in business anyway.
Ok, well, it's Winter; that's my defense for this post. A bit weak, I admit -- but, hey, I'm old, and have worked hard to earn the sobriquets of 'grumpy' and 'scrooge'. Wait until I get started on television and print-media advertising -- or politicians -- those are things that make me go way more than 'sheesh'. :--)
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