Your papers, comrade

This national ID stuff scares the crap out of me.  Already it seems like you must show your papers to do many things in this country.  The last thing we need is a system that links together all of our records in one place.  Imagine the airlines having access to everything from a criminal record to your medical records.  <shudder>  Nevermind what the government could do with that kind of information.

I realize that this is mostly Larry Ellison attempting to line his own pockets.  I sincerely hope the gubmint doesn't decide that this is a realistic plan.  Criminals will fake them, the same way they fake everything now.  This means, of course, that people who are no danger to others will be victimized by having their privacy invaded.

Things at GiantMediaCo aren't getting any better, but I'm gradually starting to care less.  My problems are these:

1) Team?  Bullshit.  A member of our team has managed to break library routines and overload machines thus making our processes fail.  I have not had ONE WORD of warning or acknowledgement that someone else is responsible for my (and other members of the "team") reports breaking.  This member of the team has been rewarded for flying by the seat of his pants and working extra hours to make up for it.

2) This builds on complaint 1).  Basically, it's become clear that this is a place that rewards hours worked not work produced.  I will never succeed in an environment like that.  

3)  My boss isn't helping.  We have one member of the team who doesn't even acknowledge that A is his supervisor.  He told me as much himself, so this isn't hearsay.

4)  Our boss isn't assigning work in a reasonable fashion.  If he were, another member of our team, J, could have solved our database problems much faster than E.  J has significant database experience.  E does not.  What the result of this is is that J has no opportunity to succeed here.  That's two of us out of five now, if you're keeping count.

5)  I don't like working in a place where the directors wear shorts and tennis shoes.  It's as if there is nothing to rebel against or something.  I didn't realize how much I got out of feeling a little naughty by wearing jeans and birks.  Furthermore, dressing better than everyone else would only serve to make me uncomfortable.

Anyway, things suck here, and there's not much I can do about it.  I find myself dreaming of being a contractor again, regardless of the risks.  I know that I will not get promoted or get decent raises if it's up to A.  He doesn't trust me and he doesn't admire my work.  The internal customers of my work have complemented me on my work.  A never has.  Not once.

At least I have a job.  Other folks from this industry are not even that well off.