Refund and Reparation

As a matter of fact there’s a disgraceful comic strip in the Herald Tribune about the army. And it’s disgraceful because it brags up the army all the time, all the time, all the time, advertise, advertise, advertise, you know? And it’s got a sergeant and it’s got a character named Beetle. And seems like this Beetle, who is a goldbrick ...

He’s not as good as I used to be at goldbricking, but he’s pretty good, in an amateur sort of way. Goldbricking is a fine art, man. It is a fine art. Now, it’s that action taken by an individual who, finding himself in a position which he doesn’t like, decides to make the best of it. And he can do this so artistically he even winds up with a medal.

GOLDBRICKING, 1. originally a soldier who shirked duty but now designating any person who avoids work by loafing on the job. 2. a term associated with payment - by - results systems where employees restrict their production in order to prevent the piece- rate from being lowered. — Modern Management Technology Defined