Posts by SnakesInTheTower

16

How to deal with Boss contradictions.

by Elsewhere in

jw
friends

1. my boss tells me to take more initiative and solve problems on my own so i don't have to bother him so much.. i take the effort to track down information that will help solve a certain problem.

boss fusses wanting to know why i tracked down the information without notifying him.

i contact someone who will have access to information to solve another problem.boss fusses wanting to know why i contacted that person without his knowledge.

SnakesInTheTower

I had that happen when I worked in billing for a major water utility....

I was a billing specialist..dealing with complex water billing issues (California has some of the nuttiest conservation rate schedules in the country).....and there was a rate change.... causing exception flags to appear on nearly every one of the hundreds of bills generated each day...meaning someone had to manually go in, look at the bill to make sure it was good, then override the flag...

...I knew what the problem was...the rate change caused all of the bills to fall outside of the parameters...the parameters needed changed...no big deal, right? Went to the team lead...she says nothing can be done...just do your job....go through them one by one ....(meanwhile, dozens....then hundreds...of billing adjustment requests from customers are piling up)...I go to her boss....she says it has to be submitted to IT as a job request...and that takes several days to weeks depending on priorities...

...sh*t.... so I get in touch with my contact out in california (they were 2 hours behind us)..... tell him what is going on...he asks me what I need.... he says...just a min...I will email the IT guy..... a few minutes later...I get a Lotus note saying the parameter has been changed...recalculate the batch...

...I go over to my team lead....tell her to recalc the batch...she says no...its not your batch...go back to your own work...... I reach over my coworkers shoulder....grab his computer mouse...click on the recalc button....pause.... bingo...exceptions drop from hundreds to less than a dozen.....coworker pleased...boss pissed.....lol

team lead (boss) is pissed...what did you do? I told her I got the parameters changed... she says when? a few minutes ago.... you cant do that....there are procedures.... yeah...meanwhile I need help with adjustments...not wasting time overriding false exceptions...

my boss's boss' boss was impressed with my initiative.... my boss was pissed because she didnt think of it ..... it was a matter of time before she figured out a way to get me out the door...lol

Ironically.....I could have had her job if I could have worked Thursday nights (I worked M-F afternoons except Thursday...you know why)....

...point is...there are idiots everywhere...

Snakes (Rich )

9

JW mom has limited contact with me these days

by SnakesInTheTower in

jw
friends

my mom has been a jw since 1970. my dad, who died in 1994, became a dub in 1971. i have told parts of that story elsewhere on the board.. my mom remarried a couple of years later to a non-jw.

my stepfather and i get along very well, despite his background (cussin', former hell's angel, former navy seal, smoker)...generally quite rough..but underneath a decent guy.. i just called down to my mom's today...about 11am... stepdad answers.... where is my mom?

he says: "out doing her thing..." i say: "oh, you mean door knocking?

SnakesInTheTower

My mom has been a JW since 1970. My dad, who died in 1994, became a dub in 1971. I have told parts of that story elsewhere on the board.

My mom remarried a couple of years later to a non-JW. My stepfather and I get along very well, despite his background (cussin', former Hell's Angel, former Navy Seal, smoker)...generally quite rough..but underneath a decent guy.

I just called down to my mom's today...about 11am... stepdad answers.... where is my mom? He says: "Out doing her thing..." I say: "Oh, you mean door knocking?" He says: "Yeah." I ask him how much she does that....he tells me 4 or 5 hours a day...4 or 5 days a week. Understand...she is not pioneering in any form whatsoever.... yet, she prefers to spend her retirement time driving around rural Alabama to spending it with her husband? Wasting time and gas...and right now, they don't have the money to waste... unlike when he had a good job and worked lots of OT... he is retired, pension and disability....she gets a small social security payment (because, foolishly, she took it at 62 instead of waiting).... and they have two mortgages to pay because the market tanks in South Florida....to the point my stepdad no longer has any equity in the house.... and they cant sell it.....

so my mom is burning up gas, wear and tear on the car, etc...in field circus.... my step dad resents it...he just says he does whatever he wants.... he knew she was a JW when they met...but I dont think he realized the implications of a JW with lots of free time on their hands combined with nothing else to do and a weird zeal for it....

.... so that is what my JW mom is doing with her time. I called her a week ago...... because she rarely calls me..... and I let her know my fiancee wants to talk to her soon...my fiancee is nervous about meeting my mom because of the whole JW thing...she is afraid my mom is going to blame her for turning her son (me) away from the witnesses.....

...and to be honest, despite my mom saying its not true.... I wonder. And she has yet to call and talk to my fiancee (other than saying hello over the speakerphone when I am talking)..... My mom and step dad have not met my fiancee....

I guess ....with all my rambling... I resent, as does my step dad.... my mom wasting so much time in door knocking and not enough time working on family relationships. She goes and sees my non JW brother (who lives 4 hours away)...and talks to my other non JW brother on the phone more .... but my step dad says she doesnt hold it against them for not being JWs because they were never baptized and I was....

....so she doesnt like me living with a girl without being married....and everything that entails.... she has said it would be an untenable situation if she still lived near me... but living 12 hours away...she can bury her head in the sand.

.....sigh...... I am just venting..... thanks for reading.... my dear fiancee should be home shortly....maybe we have an hour alone before getting the 8YO from school...

Snakes (Rich )

84

when is the memorial this year? and will you be going?

by highdose in

i won't be going if i can help it, but id like a heads up about it, just to be forewarned.

SnakesInTheTower

welll.. no...

so its March 30?..what is that ...a Tuesday... nah.. I am sure there is something more interesting on tv...

havent been in a kingdumb hell since Sept 07...and wont go again...

Snakes (Rich )

34

Elders who step down for little or no reason?

by Truthexplorer in

jw
friends

within the past decade, two elders stepped down in my old congregation.

actually one was taken off for commiting adultery and therefore reproved, but the other one simply stepped down for no apparent reason.

also, in another congregation i used to attend for a short time, i was shocked to hear of another elder stepping down, again for no apparent reason.. i am wondering if there has been an increase in the number of elders stepping down for no obvious reason and to see if this is a worrying trend causing alarm for the society.. i am thinking the past 10 years, particularly with the internet being available to so many people around the world today; but have you experienced many elders stepping down in your congregation or past congregation?

SnakesInTheTower

I started to step down...but instead I made the local yokels remove me in front of the CO a couple of months later. I had enough on them saps that I could have gotten one or more of them removed...

....but then I would have been deeper in the steaming pile of crap..... I was ready to go.... they removed me... I changed congos.....welcomed with open arms...until they found out this MTS grad was no longer an elder and not eligible for reapppointment for 3 years (not judicial)...since I didnt step down as I was asked.... 9 months later...no more Kingdumb Hell...

..now I am free...

but elders always step down for a reason.... even if not apparent..

I knew 3 that had stepped down before me..... at least one no longer attends... my old roomate and former (his choice) best friend was the PO...a few months ago his teen son was DF...... now he is not an elder either..dont know what he is doing.. he no longer contacts me....kinda miss him.

Snakes (Rich )

26

My mom got stumbled by today's Watchtower

by JerkhovahsWitless in

jw
friends

the photo on page 26. she noticed it and was wondering before i even brought it to her attention.. why is it ok for the jw posing as the "worldly person" to wear a cross necklace?

aren't jws suppose to destroy their crosses prior to becoming a jw no matter the monetary or sentimental value?

why can the watchtower keep cross necklaces on hand as props?

SnakesInTheTower

i wish my mom would see that kind of thing but i think she just glosses over such things now....just highlight and repeat...

as a side note....

the society seems more and more to not use their own photo and art departments and now use royalty free images or low cost images for a one time payment. the society used to use their art department for maps and such.... now look at the side of maps in the publications...it often says "© Digital Wisdom" (Mountain High Maps)...

see the link: http://www.digiwis.com/ ...note this from the site:

Reproduction rights granted with your purchase of MOUNTAIN HIGH MAPS ® allow almost unlimited commercial use. MOUNTAIN HIGH MAPS ® includes all the FRONTIERS Illustrator / FreeHand vector maps described below. View map catalog - Macintosh / Windows ITEM 1004 $495 on DVD

(bold underline mine) So...you see...why have an art department...when you can buy the stuff off the shelf... the society is lazy cost cutting

do you remember the dopy "kids" video with the cheesy animation?

Snakes (Rich )

6

She has autism 5 year old child. :(

by asilentone in

i am going to date this gorgeous chick sometime soon.

she wants long term relationship, but she has a 5 year old son that has autism, should i be concerned?

.

SnakesInTheTower

My 9 year old nephew has autism....he is smart from what I see...but his language skills are very poor and he has some of the other issues that come with autism. I dont get to be around him much, so I dont see the details.

Regarding this gal..... anytime you date a gal with a kid, you get what ever "issues" that she and the child have, disabled or not. The soul-searching question for you, or anyone (including myself, because my fiancee has an 8 year old son who is on the other end... highly intelligent but highly insecure) that is dating someone with a child....

Are you secure enough with yourself to take on this challenge? This lady is probably thrilled to have someone ask her out and be interested in her long-term since she has a child with a disability....taking on someone else's child under normal circumstances.....add to that an autistic child and it is a lot to ask of anyone, let alone someone who is not the child's biological father. But...and I am sure you know this.... you have to be genuinely interested in the little one too. Take your cues from the mother, let her take the lead (don't get between mama and her cub). Learn as much as you can about autism, specifically the type the boy has. If you cant ask the questions, this relationship is doomed before it starts....if she is offended by the questions, ditto.

On the other hand...if you can have honest conversations about this and get and give honest answers, then you may be genuinely surprised...you may have found a gem that others have overlooked because of the kid.

I say give it a chance...but be careful with the little one at first.... autistic kids tend to be shy, but latch on once they get used to you.... any kind of major change in their lives and routines can be absolutely devastating....be careful but enjoy.

Snakes (Rich )

14

Mouthy

by crapola in

jw
friends

i'm wondering how our friend mouthy is doing.

i've probably just missed her posts lately but i have'nt seen her around.

anyone keep in touch with her?.

SnakesInTheTower

She posted yesterday.... I received a real nice card from her right after chistmas

Snakes (Rich )

31

Ladies, do you like shaved or unshaved look on guys?

by asilentone in

jw
friends

.

SnakesInTheTower

crapola:

none of that bushy,nasty looking stuff that makes you wonder what crawled in there and died.

I used to work with a guy who, like me, had an inside/outside job...cart guy, janitor, etc... in the winter he would go out in the ice and snow..come in...with his 'stache covered in ice.... he was also a messy guy...so there were often bits of food in his 'stache... we used to tell him that he had the frozen food section in his mustache....

....he didn't find the comment humorous... nor did he improve his hygiene.....

..as for me... I have a neatly trimmed mustache..I hate it when I miss a stray hair that curls over my lip... my fiancee likes my 'stache...but doesn't like it when I get that scratchy feel on my face (that brief time between not shaving and starting a beard)...and I love to nestle my face on the back of her neck .... she complains only if its scratchy...

Snakes (Rich....)

68

Watchtower cleans out Kingdom Hall Library's ...

by RR in

last night i got a call from a chap in the uk, who recently left the jw's.

he wanted to compare notes with his us counterparts.. he said that a few years ago, (i think about 2 years ago) the society cleaned out all the literature from every kingdom hall, particularly russell and rutherford books and anything prior to 1950. giving each hall a computer with the watchtower cd rom for them to use for research.

he wanted to know if the same was done in the states.

SnakesInTheTower

donuthole:

When I was still a JW about four years ago I got to looking at the old Russell era literature in the library and brought it to the PO's attention about the pyramidology and stuff in it, which I considered Satanic. He mentioned that the Society? CO? had mentioned something about getting rid of the old literature. I don't know if it was a recommendation or directive. It seems that if it was a directive it would have already been done. If it was just an encouragement I could see why they hadn't yet followed through. I don't remember the exact details of what as said.

I do remember.....since I was an elder at the time in your KH, I can tell you exactly what happened at the time: NOTHING. Hell, they wanted to keep (and I succeeded in getting rid of) old encyclopediasdonated from someone long dead.... The elders had a hard time keeping new light in that library. Now, maybe something changed in 2007 when that KH was gutted and remodeled...maybe something changed and they finally cleared out the library. I did hear they finally painted over that outdated yearbook map....the brother who painted it originally long ago moved...on a more recent visit he asked why it was still there......lol.

When I graduated MTS in 2002, this subject of KH libraries was discussed. There was no official directive then, and as of the end of 2006 when I was deleted as an elder by the same elders you talked to, it was never an official directive. As of mid 2007 when I finally walked away, there was still no official directive.

However, different CO's/elders/etc....different "house rules".... the nearby KH with 2 congos divided up their original library and tried to make as complete a duplicate library for the new sister congo as possible...I know because that became my job..... and I loved the old books so it was not really work for me..... a few years later, a CO (I dont remember which), wanted the old light cleared out...I fought him and said it was part of the Society's "history" and should be kept for newbies... (Ironically, I got rid of the very last of my WT crap yesterday...including NWT bibles...I think I may have kept my dad's old pocket deluxe bible...that's it).

after I left that congo for MTS ...and subsequently your old congo....I did hear that the duplicates were gotten rid of and possibly the old stuff too... I have heard that there is a push for all new congos/KHs to use a non-internet connected computer with a basic word processor and WT Library and a printer on it. ...but nothing official.

Funny..... good to see you are still around...

Snakes (Rich...of the "formerly in 'Death Valley Congregation'" Sheep Class)

26

Why Are They Called Privileges?

by Quillsky in

jw
friends

seems like work to me....... doing the microphones, manning the magazine counter, spending countless (sorry, counted) hours every month knocking on doors.. privileges?.

SnakesInTheTower

same thing as military and becoming a salaried manager. My fiancee has the title at work of "associate trainer". I am not sure what the hell that means. I noticed there are a bunch of them around..they hand that title out like candy. She is hourly so its not extra hours for same pay. It means she gets blamed more than just the average "associate" (newbie hire). Then there are "shift managers". I think they too are hourly. Difference is that the store (general) manager keeps them on a leash (cell phone) and makes them go to other stores to pick up supplies, makes them work close (until 11pm) and then come back in at 5am or sooner to open the restaraunt. Then there are the assistant managers....salaried...salary = slavery. Only the GM (store manager) can pick their own hours.

back to Kingdom Hall crap......when I was a wannabe MS...then wannabe elder...yep...you just couldnt wait for the next privilege on the corporate theocratic ladder. I once gave a SM part all about that ladder...complete with actual ladders....lol.

During MTS...I got wise to that sh*t...... only took me another 4.5 years to quit being an elder..... and dumping all of my privileges....

.....and I had to do a lot of that literature crap.... in fact, I ran the whole damn depot for about 150 congregations......what a PRIVILEGE!!! .

Forget 40 pound boxes...how about 14 one ton pallets... of bound volumes and year books.....oh...but what a privilege to use the cantakerous forklift (that ran so sucky that given the wrong combination of lift and acceleration caused it to stall and/or flood).... to load literature off the truck...then break it down...and sort it...for hours..sometimes by myself.... then come back a week later on Saturday and help load it into the brothers cars..... and wonder why they bring a f***ing 2 door (non service approved) hatchback to load 20 boxes into...and then complain that their car is dragging out the ramp as they leave....and their pioneer sister GF/wife has to sit on top of a literature box and another between her feet...... because he drug her along to show what a great he-man Theocratic giant he was because he had privileges.....

What a privilege to drive 90 miles each way to some out of the way congregation (though once I drove 5 hours) with 20 publishers desperately hanging on to their little hovel of a KH to give a talk...only to be either not taken out at all or taken to the one hole in the wall diner with sh*tty food and sludge coffee for lunch.. (the worst though was the wealthy congregation that didnt take me out at all for lunch...just gave me $20 to take myself out...despite the fact that the "friends" raved about how great the talk was ......I declined both the money and the invite to come back 6 months later).

What a privilege to clean toilets at the arena/convention center/school in pre-con work..where the facility managers knew suckers when they seen the JWs coming...knowing that it was spring summer cleaning time for them and their maintenance guys could take the weekend off....lol. Especially the time that the day before they had a monster truck show... or a cattle show...or some other dust/dirt creating show that coated the entire 10-20,000 seats with dirt.....mmmmmmm.... what a PRIVILEGE.

NEVER NEVER NEVER AGAIN ....

Snakes (Rich ...of the "no more 'privileges'" Sheep Class)