Monday 19th 2004f July 2004
« « OK, Let The Horses Go For A Run, But Don’t Let Them Out Of The Paddock| Spitting the Bullet Back Out » »This Working Life
So, I’m working away – some of the time. And it’s pretty cool. Money is fun. Although, actually, I haven’t been paid yet.
But that hasn’t stopped me spending!
Ok, relax – I’ll admit that I’ve had a problem with compulsive spending in the past, but I’m really trying very hard not to go overboard. I’ve promised myself that I won’t buy myself a new computer until I have at least one credit card completely paid off, and I can buy it without going into any more debt.
I do really want need a new laptop. But I’ve been restricting myself to buying a new book for each day I’ve been working. I think this is reasonable, given what I’m being paid.
Although it remains to be seen how long the job will last. It’s still very haphazardly scheduled as regards me. I was supposed to be working Sunday, then I wasn’t, now I’m not working until Tuesday…
I have no problem with this. It’s just another sad reminder that massive multinational corporations don’t exist primarily for my benefit. It does leave me feeling a little insecure in the medium term, though. And I’m torn…
Maybe I can solicit some advice here. I’m being paid on an hourly basis. The first task I was given on the understanding that it would take me 4-5 days. But I’m really good, and I finished it in 2. Now, should I have padded? In the short term, obviously, yes. I could have made the job last a week without anyone raising an eyebrow, and got paid twice as much for the same work. But in the long term, surely it’s better to impress? But what if there is no long term? Shouldn’t I be making hay?
Anyway, I’m getting different reactions from different people. What do you think?
And I’ve seen and reviewed Anchorman and I’ve posted my review of King Arthur.
Comment ID: 1602
At 3:35 pm on Tuesday 20th 2004f July 2004, peter channelledsurely you can steer a middle course…do it faster than they expect, but still stretch it out long enough to get paid properly; say at least three days?
Comment ID: 1603
At 5:04 pm on Tuesday 20th 2004f July 2004, Jim Rickard channelledhi Anthony,
I think you should have gone for 3 and a half days as a kind of halfway house because presumably the work out their rates of pay partly assuming that employees don’t work at 100% productivity all the time.
On a disparate note, I see from your IMDB entry that you are credited for the movie mindhunter. I have an old school friend with whom I have long been out of contact with called Brian Best who also has a credit on that movie for creature lab. I was thinking of contacting him but I don’t know his email address so I was wondering if through some incredible feat of cunningness you could track it down (like does having an IMDB entry allow you to contact other entries or something?). Well, if you can’t contact him it is interesting nevertheless and if you should ever meet him (he is short) you will be able to surprise him by mentioning me.
that whole 7 degrees of freedom thing about knowing someone who knows someone who knows someone from Ripley’s believe it or not seems to be working well here?
Well, that’s it from me,
Enjoy the work and make hay while the sun shines.
Jim
Comment ID: 1610
At 11:18 pm on Wednesday 21st 2004f July 2004, Anthony was inspired to addI’ve decided just to go on as I am – mainly because I really don’t know how to slow myself down. I just get bored.
And Jim, I worked on Mindhunters about six months after the rest of the crew finished, I only ever spoke to two other people who were working on it, and being listed in the IMDb confers no special abilities or privileges.
Sorry!
It is a small world, though.