# I pit the United States of America **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 13, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-united-states-of-america/606078 "2011-12-13T20:53:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-united-states-of-america/606078/61 "2011-12-15T15:04:08Z")
> [@Hambil](#): > > Of course not. In our industry mandatory overtime is almost never asked for. It’s volunteer. If you don’t volunteer, you will find yourself looking for another job soon enough though. For hourly workers? Contractors at Microsoft are limited to one year contracts, so they’re going to find themselves looking for another job pretty soon whether they slack off or work like dogs. Or are you talking about salaried workers? But salaried workers aren’t expected to work vast amounts of unpaid overtime, they’re expected to do their work, they get paid whether that takes 35 hours a week or 60. If you routinely put in 60 hour weeks to get your work accomplished, you should have that assumption built in to your salary. It is absolutely true that if your boss doesn’t like the job you’re doing and wants to get rid of you, he is free to do so. But your boss didn’t hire you because he likes you, he hired you because he’s responsible to his boss for getting shit accomplished, and he needs people who can accomplish that shit. If your skills are in high demand he’s going to have a hell of a time finding someone else to do your job, because everybody else who can do your job is already working at a good position. He’s going to have to offer them more money. But if your lead demands unpaid overtime and tells you that if you don’t like it you can hit the bricks because there are hundreds of guys from the United States and India and China begging to do your job for longer hours and less pay, _and he’s right_, then it turns out that your job was not in high demand, but rather the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-united-states-of-america/606078/62 "2011-12-15T15:23:40Z")
> [@Hambil](#): > > Not to mention, the word specifically left out was cuckoo - so either the author has a stunning lack of understand of the thing they are quoting, or there intent was rather clear. Either way, stupid is stupid, and that post was a shinning example. There are a lot of well-educated people on this board, and it wasn’t exactly an arcane reference:rolleyes: But, as you note yourself, “stupid is stupid”. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-united-states-of-america/606078/63 "2011-12-15T19:01:17Z")
> [@Hambil](#): > > I’ll toss this one on the stack, too - since it makes just about every American posting in this forum a potential domestic terrorist. > > [Ten things that make you a potential domestic terrorist](http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/10-ridiculous-things-that-make-you.html) Are you saying that the list is wrong? That those things aren’t warning signs? Perhaps you’re not aware, but giving away your possessions is considered a warning sign of suicidal thoughts. That doesn’t mean the people lined up at Goodwill donations every Saturday afternoon are about to do a header off a bridge. But hey, I’m not judging you. I’ve been told you have problems holding complex thoughts in your brain. > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Not a cuckoo; a child (who should be going up to bed and letting the grownups have their party). What? No… > [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > There are a lot of well-educated people on this board, and it wasn’t exactly an arcane reference:rolleyes: > But, as you note yourself, “stupid is stupid”. Guys, the song is called “So long, Farewell”! When someone threatens to leave, and someone quotes a song called “So Long, Farewell”, it seems a little strange to guess that he might be calling the person cuckoo or a child. > [@Hambil](#): > > Finally, as far as “take my ball and go home” damn right that is what I’m going to do. When the non-labor side of the work-force does this folks (I’m assuming, and could be wrong in your political leanings) like you are all for it, calling it outsourcing. Yes, and when you threaten to leave, we’re all for it, too. You seem to be under the impression that we’re begging you to stay… ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-united-states-of-america/606078/64 "2011-12-15T19:30:15Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > You seem to be under the impression that we’re begging you to stay… Can we find out where he’s thinking of going first? If it’s anywhere near me, I may beg him to stay there. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-united-states-of-america/606078/65 "2011-12-15T21:52:59Z")
It appears that Hambil has sung his swan song here at the Dope. [I Pit the Pit - The BBQ Pit - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=634803) I guess, “So long, farewell” was apropos for more than one reason. P.S. Anyone want the over/under on how long it’ll take him to return? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-united-states-of-america/606078/66 "2011-12-15T22:20:36Z")
I liked this: > [@](#): > > [Another example of the failure of am internet freespeech forum… Well, if the straight dope can’t create a decent freespeech forum then I guess it just can’t be done.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=634803) Apparently there’s a failure to understand that free speech means other people can respond to what you say. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-united-states-of-america/606078/67 "2011-12-15T23:01:05Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Even Delaware? How could anyone have anything against cute lil’ Delaware? Delaware does not exist. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=35621&highlight=Delaware](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=35621&highlight=Delaware) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-united-states-of-america/606078.md?page=3)