Sigh. My dinner plans just fell through. Anyone want to go to dinner tonight?

Can you clarify this sentence? How do you define exceptionalist, and are you saying you're one in your culture, but not your brain?

"Exceptionalist" means seeing America as a city on a hill, a new kind of country that liberates instead of conquering and offers opportunity instead of class limits and generally operates like no other country has before. That's why Bush thinks he doesn't have to worry about the country taking on the trappings of empire or totalitarianism. America's just not going to be like other countries -- it's special.

I was raised never doubting this, but now I do. That doesn't keep me from living like the American I grew up to be, though. I still value things like productivity, frugality, motherhood and apple pie even though I understand whose interests they really serve. I can't help that. So when Bush makes a speech about apple pie it resonates on some level no matter how cynical I get.

You know, I only have the one paying job, and I scoff at the paltry sum of 1800 hours a year. Scoff, I say!

Yeah, I was looking at that figure and wondering if someone forgot to carry a one, myself. Though I suppose by the end of this year (my first full one on salary rather than hourly wage) I'll clock in at 1920 if I'm able to actually take off all the comp time i earn.

Did I mention the carpeting laid out on the ground of the outdoor plaza?

Anyone want to go to dinner tonight?

Maybe not dinner, maybe Bride and Prejudice.

I may add that every raise or bonus I've gotten has come with a warning not to tell anybody else, but that's because of intra-work competition and the boss not wanting to hear "Why didn't I get one, too?"

I get the same thing and always feel really uncomfortable, like it is this big secret and I think that's kinda shitty. I understand it from the employers perspective a little, but.... One of those 'in principle' things. I don't know if I signed any nondisclosure things way back when, so I keep my mouth shut. Mostly. I know I've discussed salaries with some of my friends who I also work with.

would we feel as comfortable reporting our salaries to each other? Nooooo.

Fuck nae. OTOH, salary (within the US) is much more influenced by location than sick leave is. I do know that the company's market median for my position is ~$15,000 more for San Francisco than it is for here. Not that I check our job listings, oh no.........

Yeah, it was funny to see everyone reporting their sick and vacation time - would we feel as comfortable reporting our salaries to each other? Nooooo.

No way I'd talk about my salary around here. No way, no how.

Hubs knows. Outside the HR/boss/gotta know folks, he's the only one.

I've got nothing to prove. But also not much to talk about. But don't believe the government "takes care of people", kay?

I don't have any real idea what my co-workers make, and haven't since one of my former co-workers left about 7 years ago. But I assume that the management types above me make considerably more, the office manager who has seniority on me makes a bit more, and everyone with equal or lower positions to mine and less seniority makes less.

If anyone at my company is lurking, please don't disillusion me should this prove incorrect.

I was raised not to ask how much money the family had

Yep. "Just enough that you don't have to worry."

I may add that every raise or bonus I've gotten has come with a warning not to tell anybody else, but that's because of intra-work competition and the boss not wanting to hear "Why didn't I get one, too?"

Not just the boss not wanting to hear about it -- I've known places where saying anything about your compensation to anyone in the company is an immediate firing offence; if you don't know what other people are making, you're much less likely to try to bargain collectively.