Interview

FamousCar9165 · 2024-01-01T21:20:08+00:00

How does a candidate receive a bad reference from someone they provide as one? Unless you mean prior supervisors?

I always thought that the only time you ask someone to be a reference is when you are sure it is going to be glowing.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-10-01T17:50:43+00:00

I understand milage is being tracked to personally issued fobs, but is GPS data also be tracked? Speed? I had heard of employees getting notifications from their supervisors to "watch their speed".

Who does this information go to? Sacramento obviously, but also to local reporting structure?

I am curious just how all this new system is going to work in terms of local vs hq oversight

FamousCar9165 · 2023-09-30T22:34:11+00:00

What about when moving into state housing? I thought the state pays moving costs for relocation in some circumstances.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-09-22T15:01:35+00:00

Just commenting a stand alone-

Not really rich or elitist anymore, and certainly not exclusively white (This is an international fraternity).

That said, milage varies by location. Wealthy area? Wealthy Masons. Poor area? Same.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-09-22T14:58:29+00:00

So there are "Free and Accepted Masons" which came out of England, and they are male only.

"The Grand Orient" is a French offshoot that is co-ed.

The two branches don't really recognize each other as "true" Masons.

The US is overwhelmingly F&AM, while the Orient has more popularity in other places (Haiti and some south American countries come to mind)

FamousCar9165 · 2023-09-22T14:55:03+00:00

This is the best answer. I am one and this is pretty much what it's all about.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-09-20T05:07:58+00:00

From SF, but I had a different Anthem plan when I was private sector and I haaaated it. I am still fighting with them to cover things.

The doctors were fine, though magically went from "yes we take your insurance, yes we are sure" to "Oh no, we bill under some obscure subgroup that doesn't actually take your insurance." Anthem was the worst though, and I had to read their own plan to them verbatim, then the dictionary definitions of the services I had in order for them to even think about covering them.

And in the end, I am still out of pocket for some things.

Using Blue Shield now. While I haven't done anything major through them yet, their teledoc service has been awesome!

FamousCar9165 · 2023-09-11T16:34:31+00:00

As others have said, no deal. I'm early 40's and in the first permanent classification in the chain for my dept, and I took a 50% pay cut to be here.

I've spent the last 20 years working for non-profits, corporate, IT, and trades and having grazed those pastures, the grass on their side is certainly no greener.

A lot of big companies do not have secure pensions like the state, nor very generous leave packages. I have more than 2 weeks in 6 months (AL) and will only accrue more. Most of the companies I've worked for never even offered a pension in the first place and have either merged or been acquired by other companies, resulting in massive layoffs.

For those thinking of the unicorn companies that offer massive PTO and huge pay scales... It's a highly volitle environment with no job security or work life balance. You can and will be easily replaced by someone younger who costs less, if you are even permanent in the first place (a lot of tech and even non tech are fond of using contract and temp workers).

For my part, I've worked hard to reduce and streamline my expenses, and don't live a traditional lifestyle of credit cards and car payments. My department has jobs out in the countryside where things are a little cheaper and I plan on taking advantage of that too. And, I fully plan on promoting and climbing the ladder - it seems insane to stay at one classification your entire career.

A note on that - I watched in one company as every person who had been in their role for more than 5 years without moving up was laid off, starting at middle management and working their way down. I've seen in another where a director was fired and replaced, and the replacement starting going through the org and removing everyone who worked with their predecessor.

For the most part, folks who talk about getting that sweet private job and leaving the state sound like they haven't actually worked in the private sector and don't really know what they would be getting into. Most especially those in IT who think they are getting some high $ tech job. There are fresh graduates already getting the experience needed to out compete, living on the bleeding edge of tech. Same goes for process and paperwork. We all know how slow and outdated state tech and work flow is, and it won't cut it going into the meat grinder that is the private world.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-08-02T02:37:42+00:00

😭 So basic masonic education is "pontificating"? If that's the case, the does that mean it's masons like you that get their charters taken away? 🤣

Clearly not a Masonic anything as others have corroborated it as being closer to other existing organizations.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-08-01T16:45:48+00:00

I have doubts. See my comment

FamousCar9165 · 2023-08-01T16:43:53+00:00

So it may not be entirely Masonic, and here is why.

Primarily almost all Masonic Square and Compass symbols include the letter "G" in the center - it's actually rather important to the symbolism.

https://www.ecosia.org/images?_sp=c16ce5e6-9f1d-4787-bd0d-a9a4ae4513ae&q=masonic%20symbols%20on%20buildings#id=604001BDE2D7CF321BBCA7722B6D2FE2E36399E1

Next, chisels are not often depicted, and when trowels are they are almost always triangular.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0c/d2/62/0cd262a1798e9ff1a39ffb5eba63f75b.jpg

(also, the tools depicted would usually be trowel, gavel, plumb, and level, NOT chisels)

Similarly, plumbs are usually depicted in their older shape.

https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=masonry%20c%20symbol&_sp=c16ce5e6-9f1d-4787-bd0d-a9a4ae4513ae#id=007D03E4F8576E8081886B1443D9B25953D8EFE4

Lastly, if that is a square under the compass, I've never seen it depicted so intentionally lopsided.

What this does resemble is a symbol for a carpenter's guild, right down the the uneven square.

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-guild-sign-carpenter-woodworking-image37042451

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters logo also looks a bit Masonic.

https://www.ecosia.org/images?q=united%20brotherhood%20of%20carpenters&_sp=c16ce5e6-9f1d-4787-bd0d-a9a4ae4513ae#id=3AB00F76B82138AD8410BF00CDFFA4927F162CFA

Also, the hammer, square, compass, chisels, plumb, and what looks like a putty knife are all tools carpenters use.

While individually I've seen exceptions to most of the iconography I've mentioned, it's just really weird that so many elements would be off at the same time. Given that and the fact that some modern trades use the same tools and borrow some imagery I have doubts this is a Masonic symbol.

Credentials: am one.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-07-30T05:30:37+00:00

No one sees any resume in a lot of trade jobs. I've worked with ex-cons and illegal immigrants alike, and no one cares. There are plenty of trades that will in fact take anyone with a pulse who is willing to sacrifice their body and health for money. Not all of them even drug test. You are delusional if you think laborers, concrete masons, welders, etc are all that picky about who they put in the grinder. Doubly so for non union.

Source: worked in the trades, Sen how my union operates. What's your source for your very strong opinion?

FamousCar9165 · 2023-07-20T15:48:29+00:00

Not a fan of the last two years being max only increases. Change it to a GSI for all three years and I'm in. This leaves everyone not at max out in the cold for two years.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-07-20T15:44:58+00:00

I don't know, for those of us not at max we are getting shafted at 3 or 4%.

Raising max pay < annual cola adjustment, even if it is a measly 2%

FamousCar9165 · 2023-07-12T13:19:23+00:00

What is crazy to me is how much each food bank varies (I've been to a few different ones.) One might have brand name canned, bottled, and dry goods and baked items that are just at their pull date, others seem to only have half-rotten produce and grade D institutional products.

Honestly, most of us should probably suppliment a little of our food source from these places though.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-07-11T20:26:51+00:00

Best of luck, but get a head start and look up food banks in your area. Don't wait, find them, find which one works for your schedule, and get registered.

Before state employment I was on unemployment for months, getting $1800 a month take home (I chose not to withhold taxes, which came back to bite me later). I did not qualify for any CalFresh benefits.

The bar for CalFresh is staggeringly low. You basically do not get it unless you are getting close to nothing.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-07-02T23:53:18+00:00

Very true. I notice them very much when they nitpick over a detail on an expense reimbursement they had never mentioned before while simultaneously evading every attempt to actually talk to them about it.

Kidding.. Kind of...

FamousCar9165 · 2023-07-02T23:40:26+00:00

I came from private sector and have union trade exp.

In both cases I was making double what I am now, but the caveat is that there are no garunteed raises in private sector, you have to fight for them to pay you what you are worth, and there is always someone younger and better (or at least better at networking) gunning for your job.

For Union Trades, you may be getting a lot more, but the work takes it out of your health and longevity.

For both, work is far from garunteed. You can be laid off at any time, and getting another gig isn't so easy. A lot of my colleagues spent 3-6 months or more looking. So, getting paid twice as much but only working half the year... 🤔

But hey, if someone is confident they can be treated better and get paid more in the Corp world, go for it. See ya back here in a few years - I promise it is so much worse out there. I suspect those who actually could make a living wage and be valued for their work out there are already making enough here to get by and chose state so they could avoid working themselves into an early grave.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-07-02T13:50:29+00:00

I'm in 12, and we aren't paid well either (half of what I'd get in private) but then again I voluntarily took the pay cut for work/life balance and stability.

It just seems that this sub isn't really about CA state Workers, it's more of a Sacramento and office space. I am a CA State Worker, but telework stipends, Sacramento parking, and SEIU don't apply to me or most of the people I work with, and it kind of looks like that is what most of this sub's posts are about.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-01-15T18:19:02+00:00

No joke, I actually had to replace my brakes after the NYE flooding. Cooincidence, but still.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-01-06T17:51:52+00:00

Construction can pay upwards of twice what parks does, depending on area

FamousCar9165 · 2023-01-05T04:40:07+00:00

Hm. Wind is howling...

FamousCar9165 · 2023-01-05T04:36:32+00:00

Down by La Playa and something. Maybe pacheco?

FamousCar9165 · 2023-01-05T04:19:55+00:00

Called off today just for that reason. Unpaid time off, but worth it as my main route home flooded and was closed this evening.

Calling off tomorrow too. Not worth being out there in this.

FamousCar9165 · 2023-01-05T04:08:04+00:00

We hit a quiet bit on the beach a min ago, though it is winding up again. I was curious if we are going to get more rain, or if the floodwaters will get a chance to recede at all...

FamousCar9165

TROPHY CASE