This was a chapter in my diary called: Highland Days.
During one of my "underemployed" periods in the early 90's
I worked at the now defunct Highland Superstore in Natick.
I think I lasted there for a few months...
". . . At least the Christmas shopping season will soon end.
Not much longer will I have to present my sensitive soul to
the terrors and rampages of Retail shoppers - or as we call
them, "tire-kickers, lookers, and other swine." I have come
to dislike shoppers who take too long to make up their mind,
and are too fussy. I have learned to hate the words, "just
looking..." and find ecstasy in the phrase, "I'll take this
one."
Nor will I be forced to endure the constant query of my
fellow sales "associates" as we stand, like sentinels in a
desert kingdom and ask each other, "So, are ya makin' any
money today? I'm dying here.) Somehow it seems more
palatable to be dying as long as everyone else is dying too.
If one salesman does better than the others, we all stand
around grousing about how he is a filthy customer-thief
or how silly he looks in a toupee, or why doesn't she lose a
few pounds and wear less make-up.
Hey, it's human nature. We are commissioned retail salespeople.
The bottom of the food chain. We feel superior to no one -
except the cashiers, even though they are smarter than we are
and make more money and get more breaks. We salespeople
shamble through the store, like vultures in search of a
carcass. When we find an unsuspecting victim, we swarm,
nipping at others who try to beat us out. We get into
fistfights and shouting matches, while poor confused
customers flee from the madness, only to be pounced upon by
other roving gangs of salespeople. I'm telling you, its a
jungle."
12/27/2013
12/01/2013
See, I Told You So
The other day, The Boston Globe published a piece about the amount of donated money that finds its way to the intended recipients. [Mass. AG: Do homework before donating to charities, 11/29/13]
In response to my past annual screeds on this topic, many of you have called me cynical. But, as it turns out, my cynicism fell way short of Reality. The greed of people who run non-profits is just as insatiable as that of the most self-aggrandizing capitalists. Many leaders of non-profits are paid over $300k per year.
I don't think this is right at all. The missions of these organizations have changed from doing something good to fund-raising. And don't get me started about the grandiose salaries of college presidents (funded by overworked and underpaid parents trying to insure that Jr gets a sheepskin.)
Only 34 cents out of every dollar donated is going to the real mission of the organization. This is a scandal that ought to be fixed.
"Just 34 cents of every dollar collected by professional solicitors in Massachusetts in 2012 ended up with the charities they were representing, according to a new report by Attorney General Martha Coakley."
In response to my past annual screeds on this topic, many of you have called me cynical. But, as it turns out, my cynicism fell way short of Reality. The greed of people who run non-profits is just as insatiable as that of the most self-aggrandizing capitalists. Many leaders of non-profits are paid over $300k per year.
I don't think this is right at all. The missions of these organizations have changed from doing something good to fund-raising. And don't get me started about the grandiose salaries of college presidents (funded by overworked and underpaid parents trying to insure that Jr gets a sheepskin.)
Only 34 cents out of every dollar donated is going to the real mission of the organization. This is a scandal that ought to be fixed.
10/31/2013
Some Lack the "Fan" Gene
Hooray for Red Sox fans.
Your team won the 2013 World Series. I enjoyed watching the last few weeks of baseball. I must admit: I am a fair-weather fan. I don't buy tickets to any professional sport. (As I have said before, I don't pay to watch other people work). And I did not watch a single regular season game for more than half-an-hour. Most of the year, baseball games are tedious, but when there is a title on the line, any sport can be worth watching. ( The chief exception to this rule is golf, which to me is the most boring "sport" to watch (or play) ever devised by man. And that includes synchronized swimming.)
I did not wake up today happier than usual. I did appreciate the entertaining spectacle of the Post-season games, but it has no more to do with me than if I went to a good movie or stage performance. I don't identify with a group of total strangers who get paid to play a game. How can I identify with them? Some of them were the enemy last season, fer the love of Pete. Only a handful of players have been Red Sox employees for more than a few years. My team? Hardly.
Don't get me wrong, I don't disparage people who are die-hard fans. I just don't have the same patience and self-esteem needs. I know people who willingly spend more than the price of a case of good scotch for seats at a baseball or football game - outdoor events which maybe played in the rain and freezing cold with no guaranty that your favorite team will be entertaining or even good. Where the beer is expensive, the seats are small, maybe the guy next to you hasn't bathed or brushed his teeth in weeks, and when you leave it takes another hour to clear the congestion around the stadium.
I guess I lack the "Fan" gene that invites you to bestow magical blessings on sports workers for no better reason than the fact that you like the uniform they are wearing. Some people need to cheer for something, and lord knows, the political leadership in this country has given us precious little to cheer about.
But don't let my grumpiness spoil your day, you loyal, needy fans.
Go online and buy more Sox memorabilia that you can wear proudly to show your loyalty. (It helps the economy and cushions the coffers of local merchants, because you never know when the players will go on strike, again.)
Enjoy the Day, the thrill of Victory and the strutting arrogance of your joy -- keep acting as if YOU had done something special.
10/22/2013
A Voice of Reason
Today's Boston Globe Op-Ed ran a column by Farah Stockman titled "A Better Way to Tackle Health Law." To me, this piece expressed a rarely heard moderate voice of reason. She correctly blames GOP extremists for needlessly creating the recent shutdown/debt-ceiling crisis, in a fruitless effort to reverse Obamacare. But here is the news part: she actually admits that the law is full of flaws, and she even describes some of them,
Stockman speaks for many of us who hate the unreadable, cumbersome law and the parliamentary trickery that skanked it through the back door, instead of an honest vote. Much as I am contemptuous of the cynical process and the thousands of pages of obfuscatory verbiage, I am supportive of some of the reforms that the law addresses. I like the single payer idea, especiallly for pre-existing conditions coverage and the attempt to offer subsidized health care coverage to those who want it but cannot afford it. In general, I don't think the government should be telling employers and insurance companies how to run their businesses.
As for those who believe the sky is falling or the runaway locomotive is about to collide with destiny, I can tell you that we have had most of these key reforms in Mass for the past seven years, and all hell has NOT broken loose.
Stockman nails the solution here:
Sound reasonable?
"For instance, there is a danger that the law makes it too easy for employers to “game the system” by choosing to pay the penalty for failing to provide health insurance instead of the premiums. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that some 7 million people might lose their current insurance because of that. Smart people who are worried about Obamacare ought to be talking about how to solve that problem.Others fret that employees themselves might opt to pay the relatively small fine instead of signing up for a health insurance plan. Since they can’t be denied due to pre-existing conditions, there is the risk of moral hazard: People might sign up only when they are sick. That would make the system too expensive to sustain.And perhaps the biggest looming challenge is how to handle the cost. We still don’t know whether the program will end up saving the federal government money in the long run, or end up costing lots of money.
Stockman speaks for many of us who hate the unreadable, cumbersome law and the parliamentary trickery that skanked it through the back door, instead of an honest vote. Much as I am contemptuous of the cynical process and the thousands of pages of obfuscatory verbiage, I am supportive of some of the reforms that the law addresses. I like the single payer idea, especiallly for pre-existing conditions coverage and the attempt to offer subsidized health care coverage to those who want it but cannot afford it. In general, I don't think the government should be telling employers and insurance companies how to run their businesses.
As for those who believe the sky is falling or the runaway locomotive is about to collide with destiny, I can tell you that we have had most of these key reforms in Mass for the past seven years, and all hell has NOT broken loose.
Stockman nails the solution here:
"The uncertain impact on the federal budget is a cause for concern — not just for the doomsday cult caucus, but for everybody. Wouldn’t it be nice if fiscal conservatives focused on problem-solving about that? Every new law has flaws, especially one as complex as this. The problem is that neither Democrats nor Republicans have an interest in fixing what’s broken here. Democrats don’t want to admit anything is broken and Republicans don’t want to admit it can be fixed.So we are likely to live with the flaws in the Affordable Care Act for years to come, as long as Ted Cruz can make a bigger name for himself trying to end the law rather than mend it.
Sound reasonable?
10/19/2013
Heads versus Hearts
This seems as true today as it was when I posted it in January 2010
As we roll into a new decade, Americans are basically divided into two groups. The first group sees the world changing for the better. We call these people Progressives. They tend to be naive and hopeful. They view the ever-changing cultural norms with equanimity. They see possibilities, they regard 'having fun' as a worthwhile goal. Fundamentally, they believe that things will work out if we just try to get-along and treat each other decently. They feel superior to the other group because they are driven by compassion to share the wealth (especially the wealth of the rich fat cats) with less-fortunate souls. They regard human laziness and stupidity as an unfortunate result of a bad dice roll. By contrast, if one is lucky enough to be born good looking , healthy and smart enough to take advantage of opportunity, you must always keep in mind that you were not entitled to it; you were given a break and you must pay it forward.
The second group - the ones we call Conservatives - are a grumpy bunch of stick-in-the-muds. They spend their workdays trying to get ahead. Then they stay awake at night afraid of slippery slopes and camels' noses in tents. Cons clearly see the negative aspect of anything that smacks of change. They love traditions and old authoritative books and parchments. They think everything worth knowing was already known by the Founding Fathers; new fads and ideas are regarded with suspicion and skepticism. They don't see the point in having fun, because people hate us and we need to stay on guard. They think they are superior to the other group because they are driven by their heads instead of their hearts. They see most taxation as stealing money from hard working people and giving it to ignorant slackers. They feel they are entitled to what they have, and hard cheese if you were born into the servant class, but that's the way it goes.
Normally, I think of myself as a fence-sitter between the two groups, usually falling on the side of the progressives due to a tendency to feel empathy and to acknowledge the relativity of moral truths. Conservatives are driven by their heads, thus they see human existence as a zero-sum equation where someone has to lose for you to win. For them everything is black or white, right or wrong. They regard fence-sitting-seers-of-grey with contempt.
Throughout the 8 years of the Bush-Cheney administration we were treated to the monotone nattering drumbeat from ultra progressive partisans, ranting negatively about everything that "W" said or did. It was tiring but often laughable for the extremes that the Libs would go to find fault with the President.
Now the cons, apparently feeling that turnabout is fair play, are filling the blogosphere and airwaves with silly criticisms of everything Barack Obama has done since his inauguration. Examples abound:
He is blamed for the ineffectiveness of the economic stimulus package (which was started during Bush's term), he is blamed for not bringing the troops home, for supporting a surge in Afghanistan, and the record unemployment is clearly his fault - all accomplished in just 9 months in office!
Lately, the criticisms are even nastier. You would never know that the Christmas day Northwest underwear bomber failed to complete his mission if you listen to some Conservative commentators. They are falling all over themselves accusing Obama of crimes and misdemeanors, sins of omission, commission and admission.
It's laughable. They used to say of Bush "He kept us safe" because there were no successful repeats of the 911 terrorist attacks in the USA. But Obama has been criticised as weak because of recent reports of foiled plots. (Hello, Cheney himself testified that there were several foiled plots after 911.)
Cheney, Limbaugh, and others talk about the Christmas day incident as if the bomb had exploded. They say Obama doesn't care about the safety of Americans - Which is about as block headed as it gets.
Most Americans are not as worried about crazed terrorists as they are about getting ripped off by some identity thief or taxed to death by out-of-touch elite legislators.
The main thing for which Obama should be criticized is this abomination of legislation called health care reform. As a candidate, Obama promised transparency, but has been silent while his pals in congress concocted this monstrosity of a reform bill behind closed doors. Candidate Obama pledged not to sign any legislation with earmarks, ("...we can no longer accept an earmarks process in which many of the projects being funded fail to address the real needs of our country.") Yet, nothing has changed. Deals were made in exchange for votes. Obama has has failed in his promise to us on these most important issues.
Already, two prominent Dems in the senate, seeing the tide of public opinion swelling against them, have already said that they will not run (and probably lose) in the next term.
Update: The recent shutdown and debt limit crises fan has flung shit in every direction. Hard line Conservative Republicans are generally blamed for causing the impasse (They cynically changed the rules in the House to prevent anyone but the Speaker to call for a a vote.) But the White House and Dems are not unscathed - since they cynically decided to close down government functions that would hurt innocent citizens. Professional Pols on both sides are hoping voters will forget these shameful shenanigans by the next election. I plan to vote against every incumbent.
As we roll into a new decade, Americans are basically divided into two groups. The first group sees the world changing for the better. We call these people Progressives. They tend to be naive and hopeful. They view the ever-changing cultural norms with equanimity. They see possibilities, they regard 'having fun' as a worthwhile goal. Fundamentally, they believe that things will work out if we just try to get-along and treat each other decently. They feel superior to the other group because they are driven by compassion to share the wealth (especially the wealth of the rich fat cats) with less-fortunate souls. They regard human laziness and stupidity as an unfortunate result of a bad dice roll. By contrast, if one is lucky enough to be born good looking , healthy and smart enough to take advantage of opportunity, you must always keep in mind that you were not entitled to it; you were given a break and you must pay it forward.
The second group - the ones we call Conservatives - are a grumpy bunch of stick-in-the-muds. They spend their workdays trying to get ahead. Then they stay awake at night afraid of slippery slopes and camels' noses in tents. Cons clearly see the negative aspect of anything that smacks of change. They love traditions and old authoritative books and parchments. They think everything worth knowing was already known by the Founding Fathers; new fads and ideas are regarded with suspicion and skepticism. They don't see the point in having fun, because people hate us and we need to stay on guard. They think they are superior to the other group because they are driven by their heads instead of their hearts. They see most taxation as stealing money from hard working people and giving it to ignorant slackers. They feel they are entitled to what they have, and hard cheese if you were born into the servant class, but that's the way it goes.
Normally, I think of myself as a fence-sitter between the two groups, usually falling on the side of the progressives due to a tendency to feel empathy and to acknowledge the relativity of moral truths. Conservatives are driven by their heads, thus they see human existence as a zero-sum equation where someone has to lose for you to win. For them everything is black or white, right or wrong. They regard fence-sitting-seers-of-grey with contempt.
Throughout the 8 years of the Bush-Cheney administration we were treated to the monotone nattering drumbeat from ultra progressive partisans, ranting negatively about everything that "W" said or did. It was tiring but often laughable for the extremes that the Libs would go to find fault with the President.
Now the cons, apparently feeling that turnabout is fair play, are filling the blogosphere and airwaves with silly criticisms of everything Barack Obama has done since his inauguration. Examples abound:
He is blamed for the ineffectiveness of the economic stimulus package (which was started during Bush's term), he is blamed for not bringing the troops home, for supporting a surge in Afghanistan, and the record unemployment is clearly his fault - all accomplished in just 9 months in office!
Lately, the criticisms are even nastier. You would never know that the Christmas day Northwest underwear bomber failed to complete his mission if you listen to some Conservative commentators. They are falling all over themselves accusing Obama of crimes and misdemeanors, sins of omission, commission and admission.
It's laughable. They used to say of Bush "He kept us safe" because there were no successful repeats of the 911 terrorist attacks in the USA. But Obama has been criticised as weak because of recent reports of foiled plots. (Hello, Cheney himself testified that there were several foiled plots after 911.)
Cheney, Limbaugh, and others talk about the Christmas day incident as if the bomb had exploded. They say Obama doesn't care about the safety of Americans - Which is about as block headed as it gets.
Most Americans are not as worried about crazed terrorists as they are about getting ripped off by some identity thief or taxed to death by out-of-touch elite legislators.
The main thing for which Obama should be criticized is this abomination of legislation called health care reform. As a candidate, Obama promised transparency, but has been silent while his pals in congress concocted this monstrosity of a reform bill behind closed doors. Candidate Obama pledged not to sign any legislation with earmarks, ("...we can no longer accept an earmarks process in which many of the projects being funded fail to address the real needs of our country.") Yet, nothing has changed. Deals were made in exchange for votes. Obama has has failed in his promise to us on these most important issues.
Already, two prominent Dems in the senate, seeing the tide of public opinion swelling against them, have already said that they will not run (and probably lose) in the next term.
Update: The recent shutdown and debt limit crises fan has flung shit in every direction. Hard line Conservative Republicans are generally blamed for causing the impasse (They cynically changed the rules in the House to prevent anyone but the Speaker to call for a a vote.) But the White House and Dems are not unscathed - since they cynically decided to close down government functions that would hurt innocent citizens. Professional Pols on both sides are hoping voters will forget these shameful shenanigans by the next election. I plan to vote against every incumbent.
9/26/2013
No One is Minding the Data
In the Boston Globe this morning is a short article on the struggles at Staples to meet it's revenue goals. While still profitable, Staples - the company that invented office supply superstores - is closing unprofitable outlets and will be cutting costs via management layoffs.
The piece reminded me of my recent (disappointing) experience with Staples. It was last month, when Mass was having a "tax free" weekend. I decided that it was time to buy the new Google Nexus 7 tablet that I had been thinking about. Truth be told, I first went to the Google website, where they offered free shipping. But when I went to check-out, they wanted to charge me the normal sales tax. There was no recognition of my state's "no tax" holiday and no option to avoid paying tax, so I cancelled the transaction and went to my normal go-to store for electronics - Staples.
The online site Staples.com did have a message that assured me that they recognized tax fee holiday, so I could order the product tax-free and go to my local store to pick it up to avoid delivery charges. OK, I thought, let's book it. But, then I was leery because the Staples product description for the Nexus did not specifically say that it was the NEW version that had been released in July. I spent another 15 minutes trying to compare the Google specs to the Staples specs. Finally, confident that my online shopping cart the right product, I went to check out. .....Hmmn, for some reason the Staples rewards number they showed on the website for me was different than the number I have on the card in my wallet. When I tried to check to see if any of my many previous purchases were getting rewards points, I was unable to get a simple report of purchase history. In effect, the message was: we do not have any history for you. Which means: None of your purchases have been counted. Frankly, I was pretty annoyed to think that I had been showing them my rewards card at the cash register for years, and the data was going into an effing black hole. Annoyed as hell, I decided to cancel the transaction.
Now, I was perplexed. My two first choices for Online shopping were a huge disappointment.
For giggles, I decided to see what old-line Sears.com had to offer. I was surprised to find myself rapidly taken to the correct product description and the same price as offered by Google and Staples. They had a banner indication that this would be a tax free purchase. They had a nice little summary of my reward points. I was impressed that the website of this ancient company was easier to navigate than the Internet 2.0 companies. I decided to buy the product for pick-up at the local Sears to save delivery charges. Bink Bink, easy peasy. A few days later, I got an e-mail confirming that my order was being shipped to the local store, and I would be notified when to pick it up in a following e-mail. Then, the next night I got a call form an automated robot telling me that "the computer you ordered is no longer stocked." And then some gobbledigook that I could call the store and get something different. They had cancelled my order!
It was a perfectly awful bit of customer service: a garbled hodgepodge of a message, The offered no valid reason - they did not even give me a number to call. Goodbye.
After all this, I started wondering why I needed a Nexus 7 anyhow. In the end, I decided I really didn't need one after all. So the bottom line is: No one got any money from me. Worse for them, I am so annoyed at these three companies that I will not shop online with any of them again. (I may still go to the local brick and o mortar Staples for their loss-leader paper rebate deals.)
If my experience is typical, the future of e-commerce is in trouble. It is clear that even in 2013, corporate management is clueless about the importance of accurate, integrated and up-to-date data to support the whiz-bang technology.
Google didn't know about states' tax free programs. Staples had fuzzy product descriptions and they can't seem to integrate the rewards program to the sales operations. And, Sears has wasted a lot of money building a web-site that works like butter, then sending me a confirmation of shipment and then cancelling my order and annoying me with a crap automated customer service voice messaging system that must have been a leftover prototype from 1977.
None of these companies followed-up, despite the fact that I filled-out opinion surveys and feedback emails to each of these stores. I was never responded to - in any way, not even a canned apology letter. This is why I think they must be clueless. Rule 1, Try not to piss-off the customer.
The VP's of these outfits probably need to try to use their own online websites. They might be in for an annoying experience.
The piece reminded me of my recent (disappointing) experience with Staples. It was last month, when Mass was having a "tax free" weekend. I decided that it was time to buy the new Google Nexus 7 tablet that I had been thinking about. Truth be told, I first went to the Google website, where they offered free shipping. But when I went to check-out, they wanted to charge me the normal sales tax. There was no recognition of my state's "no tax" holiday and no option to avoid paying tax, so I cancelled the transaction and went to my normal go-to store for electronics - Staples.
The online site Staples.com did have a message that assured me that they recognized tax fee holiday, so I could order the product tax-free and go to my local store to pick it up to avoid delivery charges. OK, I thought, let's book it. But, then I was leery because the Staples product description for the Nexus did not specifically say that it was the NEW version that had been released in July. I spent another 15 minutes trying to compare the Google specs to the Staples specs. Finally, confident that my online shopping cart the right product, I went to check out. .....Hmmn, for some reason the Staples rewards number they showed on the website for me was different than the number I have on the card in my wallet. When I tried to check to see if any of my many previous purchases were getting rewards points, I was unable to get a simple report of purchase history. In effect, the message was: we do not have any history for you. Which means: None of your purchases have been counted. Frankly, I was pretty annoyed to think that I had been showing them my rewards card at the cash register for years, and the data was going into an effing black hole. Annoyed as hell, I decided to cancel the transaction.
Now, I was perplexed. My two first choices for Online shopping were a huge disappointment.
For giggles, I decided to see what old-line Sears.com had to offer. I was surprised to find myself rapidly taken to the correct product description and the same price as offered by Google and Staples. They had a banner indication that this would be a tax free purchase. They had a nice little summary of my reward points. I was impressed that the website of this ancient company was easier to navigate than the Internet 2.0 companies. I decided to buy the product for pick-up at the local Sears to save delivery charges. Bink Bink, easy peasy. A few days later, I got an e-mail confirming that my order was being shipped to the local store, and I would be notified when to pick it up in a following e-mail. Then, the next night I got a call form an automated robot telling me that "the computer you ordered is no longer stocked." And then some gobbledigook that I could call the store and get something different. They had cancelled my order!
It was a perfectly awful bit of customer service: a garbled hodgepodge of a message, The offered no valid reason - they did not even give me a number to call. Goodbye.
After all this, I started wondering why I needed a Nexus 7 anyhow. In the end, I decided I really didn't need one after all. So the bottom line is: No one got any money from me. Worse for them, I am so annoyed at these three companies that I will not shop online with any of them again. (I may still go to the local brick and o mortar Staples for their loss-leader paper rebate deals.)
If my experience is typical, the future of e-commerce is in trouble. It is clear that even in 2013, corporate management is clueless about the importance of accurate, integrated and up-to-date data to support the whiz-bang technology.
Google didn't know about states' tax free programs. Staples had fuzzy product descriptions and they can't seem to integrate the rewards program to the sales operations. And, Sears has wasted a lot of money building a web-site that works like butter, then sending me a confirmation of shipment and then cancelling my order and annoying me with a crap automated customer service voice messaging system that must have been a leftover prototype from 1977.
None of these companies followed-up, despite the fact that I filled-out opinion surveys and feedback emails to each of these stores. I was never responded to - in any way, not even a canned apology letter. This is why I think they must be clueless. Rule 1, Try not to piss-off the customer.
The VP's of these outfits probably need to try to use their own online websites. They might be in for an annoying experience.
9/22/2013
Did Someone say Striper season is over?
especially when we catch fish.
Thursday turned out to be a great day for boat fishing. The high tide was late morning so we did not have to get out on the water at the crack of dawn. It started out cool (sweatshirt weather) then by about 11AM it was tee shirt warm. The water was smooth with a light breeze.
We had no luck until we encountered a school of mackerel, whereupon we managed to land 7 or 8. We hooked about twice that many but they got away before we could get them in the boat.
The fish keeper was not pumping fresh water and unfortunately, the mackerel died before we could get to where the striped bass were.
So, instead of "live bait fishing" we had to cut up the mackerel into chunks. No problem: Captain Clarke knew a "honey hole" where the Stripers hang out. They went after the fresh cut bait with gusto. Clarke landed a huge (40") fat boy. I reeled in the biggest striper I had ever caught - in fact the first one of "keeper" size. There were several other (smaller) strikes as well.
Despite the fact that I enjoy eating striped bass, we released all of the stripers, as they seemed too magnificent to chop up. They gave us a good thrill, which you probably need to be a fisherman to understand.
8/05/2013
Food Wrapped in Paper
In the news today, so-called fast food workers in some locations are planning to strike as a protest against low wages
I am generally against strikes of any kind, since they are disruptive to the customers instead of to Management - with whom the beef resides. I see it as a mild form of terrorism, where you inflict pain on innocent victims, because you are too weak to fight the source of your aggravation.
But the thing that grabbed my attention was the phrase "Fast Food."
In my recent experience "Fast Food" is an archaic term which refers to a past era. Sort of like "records" and "drive in movie."
I recall the time, perhaps a decade ago, when you would stop into a Mickee Dees or Burger King and the cashier would be asking for your order before you had decided what you wanted. Several registers would be manned and the line moved like a hot knife through ice cream.
But that is not the way is is now. Granted, I do not go to one of these establishments unless I am travelling. (Whatever else you might rightfully say about the food, McDonald's brews a pretty good cup of coffee.)
In virtually all of my recent visits to such places, the "drive-thru" line is usually at least half a dozen cars deep; I go inside. Actually I prefer being inside, rather than eating in the car. Invariably, I have found a line of people ahead of me, with only one beleaguered cashier taking orders. A dozen or so workers are feverishly scudding around the kitchen area. Yet, my order usually takes at least 5 minutes to arrive, sometimes closer to ten. Usually there is enough time to strike-up a conversation with other waiting patrons and come to a consensus about the acceptable number of tattoos that the employees should be allowed to display.
This is is not what I call Fast.
But, back to the subject at hand: Low wages.
I am in favor of upping the wages for people who work in restaurants. McDonald's has an annual employee turnover rate of 75%. I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for my Big Mac if the price increase allows them to attract a better quality employee.
It is always a bit disturbing to know that your food is being prepared by the least educated, lowest paid and least motivated people on the planet.
"Workers at the nation’s best known fast-food restaurants in seven cities across America are planning to walk off the job Monday to protest what they say are wages that are too low to live on. In a move orchestrated with the help of powerful labor unions and clergy groups, the workers plan to strike for a day to demand their wages be doubled." (Foxnews)
I am generally against strikes of any kind, since they are disruptive to the customers instead of to Management - with whom the beef resides. I see it as a mild form of terrorism, where you inflict pain on innocent victims, because you are too weak to fight the source of your aggravation.
But the thing that grabbed my attention was the phrase "Fast Food."
In my recent experience "Fast Food" is an archaic term which refers to a past era. Sort of like "records" and "drive in movie."
I recall the time, perhaps a decade ago, when you would stop into a Mickee Dees or Burger King and the cashier would be asking for your order before you had decided what you wanted. Several registers would be manned and the line moved like a hot knife through ice cream.
But that is not the way is is now. Granted, I do not go to one of these establishments unless I am travelling. (Whatever else you might rightfully say about the food, McDonald's brews a pretty good cup of coffee.)
In virtually all of my recent visits to such places, the "drive-thru" line is usually at least half a dozen cars deep; I go inside. Actually I prefer being inside, rather than eating in the car. Invariably, I have found a line of people ahead of me, with only one beleaguered cashier taking orders. A dozen or so workers are feverishly scudding around the kitchen area. Yet, my order usually takes at least 5 minutes to arrive, sometimes closer to ten. Usually there is enough time to strike-up a conversation with other waiting patrons and come to a consensus about the acceptable number of tattoos that the employees should be allowed to display.
This is is not what I call Fast.
But, back to the subject at hand: Low wages.
I am in favor of upping the wages for people who work in restaurants. McDonald's has an annual employee turnover rate of 75%. I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for my Big Mac if the price increase allows them to attract a better quality employee.
It is always a bit disturbing to know that your food is being prepared by the least educated, lowest paid and least motivated people on the planet.
7/14/2013
Summer Camp Memories
The neighbor's 12 year old son, Mathew (who shovels our driveway when we are away during the winter) has been shipped off to two week camp in NH. Seeing the FB photo of Matt on his bunk, reminded me of the old Alan Sherman classic, "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" The Youtube recording is linked below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea2EuozaJ7s
If it doesn't make you chuckle, you
A) ...Probably have the sound on mute
B) ...Are currently at camp and it's raining
C) ...Lacking a sense of humor
D) ...A grumpy classical music buff who does not like song parody
As a kid growing-up on the suburban streets of Watertown in the 50's, most of us did not get to go to summer camp. We were not poor, but there were four of us and our parents did not think that middle class kids needed to go to "away" camp, when the town offered a day program where kids could learn to weave gimp and play baseball and learn crafts. I'm sure my parents did not intend for us to learn some of the things we actually did learn from the park instructors, how to play poker for money and how to smoke cigarettes. I often thought that Jimbo got us all smoking so he could bum Lucky Strikes from us. My older brother claims to have had a brief affair with one of the female park instructors who was at least 5 years older than he at the time.
Our kids were able to experience Summer Camp. My older daughter was allergic to horses; she wrote every day for us to come and get her when we finally did drive up to fetch her, she had met a friend, changed her mind and stuck it out. I am proud of her for that, but I do not think she opted for camp again. When I asked her recently what she recall from her camp days, she couldn't recall any details. PTSD, I guess.
My younger daughter went to a place she called Camp Rottonwood in NH. I forget the real name. We would get a letter that started out "They are making us write home. Please send more stamps." She hated camp too, but kept going back on successive summers, mainly because her best friend was going too.. One of my nieces suffered a terrible injury to her leg when her horse banged into a fence. That cut short her camping career.
Still, I think I would have liked it if I had been able to go to camp as a kid. I missed-out on the canoeing, diving, hiking, horseback riding, ghost stories around the campfire and adventures, nocturnal pantie-raids on the girls' camp, that sort of thing...Perhaps, I am romanticizing the Summer Camp experience?
7/07/2013
The View From the Fence
Americans are basically divided into two groups. The first group sees the world changing for the better. We call these people Progressives. They tend to be naive and hopeful. They view the ever-changing cultural norms with equanimity. They see possibilities, they regard 'having fun' as a worthwhile goal. Fundamentally, they believe that things will work-out if we just try to get-along and treat each other decently. They feel superior to the other group because they are driven by compassion to share the wealth (especially the wealth of the rich fat cats) with less-fortunate souls. They regard human laziness and stupidity as an unfortunate result of a bad dice roll. By contrast, if one is lucky enough to be born good looking , healthy and smart enough to take advantage of opportunity, you must always keep in mind that you were not entitled to it; you were given a break and you must pay it forward.
The second group - the ones we call Conservatives - are a grumpy bunch of stick-in-the-muds. They spend their workdays trying to get ahead. Then they stay awake at night afraid of slippery slopes and camels' noses in tents. Conservatives always see the negative aspect of anything that smacks of change. They love traditions and old authoritative books and parchments. They think everything worth knowing was already known by the Founding Fathers; new fads and ideas are regarded with suspicion and skepticism. They don't see the point in having fun, because foreigners hate us and our way of life -- thus we need to stay on guard constantly. Fun is for the weak minded Progressive sheep. The central issue for Conservatives is the role of government. They are convinced that all Progressives want a "Nanny State" where the Feds control every aspect of citizens' lives. They see most taxation as stealing money from hard working people and giving it to ignorant slackers. They feel they are entitled to what they have, and hard cheese if you were born into the servant class, but that's the way it goes. Conservatives think they are superior to the other group because they are driven by their heads instead of their hearts.
Normally, I think of myself as a fence-sitter between the two groups, usually falling on the side of the progressives due to a tendency to feel empathy and to acknowledge the relativity of moral truths. Conservatives are driven by their heads, thus they see human existence as a zero-sum equation where someone has to lose for you to win. For them everything is black or white, right or wrong. They regard fence-sitting-seers-of-grey with contempt.
Throughout the 8 years of the Bush-Cheney administration we were treated to the monotone nattering drumbeat from ultra progressive partisans, ranting negatively about everything that "W" said or did. It was tiring but often laughable for the extremes that the Libs would go to find fault with the President.
Since he was elected, the cons have been filling the blogosphere and airwaves with silly criticisms of everything Barack Obama has done since his inauguration. Examples abound:
He is blamed for the ineffectiveness of the economic stimulus package (which was started during Bush's term), he is blamed for not bringing the troops home, for supporting a surge in Afghanistan, and the record unemployment is clearly his fault. The recent attack on the Benghazi embassy is another example where the opposition is bound and determined to embarrass Hillary Clinton and President Obama for snafus that they say were covered-up to help Obama get re-elected.
Many on the right wing have drifted to the fringes and embrace all sorts of conspiracy theories about the extreme path that the Obama administration is following to turn the US into a socialist state. They say he wants illegal immigrants in the country so he can have more voters. If you point out the non-citizens cannot vote, the anti-Obamite will just laugh at you and refer you to thousands of cases of alleged voter fraud, which they say is only committed by Democrats. ( In my personal experience I know of only one case where someone used a loophole to vote twice. He is a Republican.)
The main thing for which Obama should be criticized is this abomination of legislation called health care reform (AKA: Obamacare). As a candidate, Obama promised transparency, but has been silent while his pals in congress concocted this monstrosity of a reform bill behind closed doors. Candidate Obama pledged not to sign any legislation with earmarks, ("...we can no longer accept an earmarks process in which many of the projects being funded fail to address the real needs of our country.") Yet, nothing has changed. Deals were made in exchange for votes. Obama has has failed in his promise to us on these most important issues.
7/04/2013
Happy 4th of July?
Today, the lead story in the newspaper is the ousting of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's duly elected President, by the military generals. In English we might call this a "Coup D'Etat", but the generals call it "the will of the people". They say the people want a "do-over" of last year's election.
Personally speaking, I am conflicted. I'm glad to see that the citizens of Egypt reject the Islamist government dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood. But I am leery of military takeovers of a government that everyone agrees was elected in a fair contest. As we have seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere in the Middle East, the enemies of our enemies are not always our friends.
This creates a big conundrum for the Obama administration. (Many people in this country would also like to see a do-over of the last election.) The USA is again seen to be supporting the wrong group. Oops.
And, we give the wrong guys in Egypt one point five billion dollars in aid annually, while kids in the USA have rumbling bellies because their head start programs have been slashed.
Anyhow, I have concluded that this Independence thing is a bit overplayed, when we recognize that even here in the land of the free and home of the brave, elections are decided by mostly uninformed voters who watch too much TV. The winners in elections are less interested in the needs of their constituents but rather represent the fat cats who funded their election campaigns.
Probably not what the signers of the Declaration had in mind.
Personally speaking, I am conflicted. I'm glad to see that the citizens of Egypt reject the Islamist government dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood. But I am leery of military takeovers of a government that everyone agrees was elected in a fair contest. As we have seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere in the Middle East, the enemies of our enemies are not always our friends.
This creates a big conundrum for the Obama administration. (Many people in this country would also like to see a do-over of the last election.) The USA is again seen to be supporting the wrong group. Oops.
And, we give the wrong guys in Egypt one point five billion dollars in aid annually, while kids in the USA have rumbling bellies because their head start programs have been slashed.
Anyhow, I have concluded that this Independence thing is a bit overplayed, when we recognize that even here in the land of the free and home of the brave, elections are decided by mostly uninformed voters who watch too much TV. The winners in elections are less interested in the needs of their constituents but rather represent the fat cats who funded their election campaigns.
Probably not what the signers of the Declaration had in mind.
6/29/2013
A Good Day
On this date in 1942 - 71 Years ago - , a woman in Cambridge gave birth to her second child, another boy. She was quite relieved to find that the child was healthy and had all the "normal" requisite digits. No small factor in her relief was the fact that she had been carrying him around 3 weeks beyond her due date, thus accounting for the weight of the baby - 10 lb 11 oz.
The story of that birth had been recounted every year on June 29th. The elements of the story never varied:
- The frightened look on the taxi driver's face when she got into the cab - ponderously pregnant - with her little overnight bag, and asked him to hurry to the hospital.
- The busy night at the maternity ward. The contractions were starting to come frequently, but there was no available delivery room, so the young mother was placed in a wheelchair rolled into a small room ( she said it was a closet) and told to cross her legs to keep the baby from coming. At one point a nurse sat on her knees.
- But the baby -- after loitering for three weeks -- was now determined to take his first breath. Somehow a table was found and the birth took place, without further incident. The details get somewhat fuzzy at this point since the mother was by now drugged into unconsciousness.
- The dad finally arriving at the hospital, after getting relieved of his night shift responsibilities at the post office, and the nurse looking at his big Irish face, didn't need the name. She brought the pudgy baby boy to the window as soon as she spotted him looking through the glass. He always remembered the woman near him remarking, "That's not a newborn!"
As the child matured into adulthood, the thing most people remarked about him was that he was almost always late. For everything except meals.
During his senior year at high school, he was late 50 times, despite the fact that his house was only about 200 yards from the front door of the school.
As an adult, he was diagnosed as a chronic procrastinator. Despite the fact that he lived within a short walk to the commuter railroad station, he always drove into the city when going to work. It was impossible for him to get to the station at the time when the train wanted to leave. He generally came to work late. He probably would have been fired for tardiness if it were not for the fact the his procrastination also applied to leaving work. Thus he came in late and worked late, so he got enough things done to avoid termination for being tardy.
Other than the aforementioned problem with deadlines and schedules, his life was generally unremarkable. He was never president of anything nor was he ever accused of a crime. His life was fairly mundane, stable, even predictable. Still he felt lucky. He had many happy moments, remained in fairly good health despite his penchant for beer and bread. Other than having crossed the borderline from fitness to obese, he was not troubled by the myriad of trials and tribulations that he read about everyday in the newspaper.
His one minor claim to fame, was the coining of the word natanate.
This came to him many years ago when reading the section of the paper titled "On This Day in History", where he would note that actor Gary Busey and comedian Richard Lewis shared his birthday. He realized that there is no word in the English language to refer to someone who was born on the same day. Thus: natanate became his contribution. One of these days he plans to address the word for someone who was born on the exact same day, but being a procrastinator, well, you know...
Now he is retired, and the words tardy and late hold no meaning for him. He comes and goes as he pleases. He stays up late at night and gets up when the Siamese cat yowls in his ear to come down and put some canned food in his dish, or when the noise outside becomes unbearable -- usually from the infernal gasoline powered contraptions used by lawn service companies.
On the morning of his birthday, he arises, feeds the cat, starts the coffeemaker, cooks 4 strips of bacon in the microwave, and makes himself a sandwich with 2 slices of heavily buttered toast.
He thinks: this is what I would call the start of a good day.
I wonder how my natanates are doing.
The story of that birth had been recounted every year on June 29th. The elements of the story never varied:
- The frightened look on the taxi driver's face when she got into the cab - ponderously pregnant - with her little overnight bag, and asked him to hurry to the hospital.
- The busy night at the maternity ward. The contractions were starting to come frequently, but there was no available delivery room, so the young mother was placed in a wheelchair rolled into a small room ( she said it was a closet) and told to cross her legs to keep the baby from coming. At one point a nurse sat on her knees.
- But the baby -- after loitering for three weeks -- was now determined to take his first breath. Somehow a table was found and the birth took place, without further incident. The details get somewhat fuzzy at this point since the mother was by now drugged into unconsciousness.
- The dad finally arriving at the hospital, after getting relieved of his night shift responsibilities at the post office, and the nurse looking at his big Irish face, didn't need the name. She brought the pudgy baby boy to the window as soon as she spotted him looking through the glass. He always remembered the woman near him remarking, "That's not a newborn!"
As the child matured into adulthood, the thing most people remarked about him was that he was almost always late. For everything except meals.
During his senior year at high school, he was late 50 times, despite the fact that his house was only about 200 yards from the front door of the school.
As an adult, he was diagnosed as a chronic procrastinator. Despite the fact that he lived within a short walk to the commuter railroad station, he always drove into the city when going to work. It was impossible for him to get to the station at the time when the train wanted to leave. He generally came to work late. He probably would have been fired for tardiness if it were not for the fact the his procrastination also applied to leaving work. Thus he came in late and worked late, so he got enough things done to avoid termination for being tardy.
Other than the aforementioned problem with deadlines and schedules, his life was generally unremarkable. He was never president of anything nor was he ever accused of a crime. His life was fairly mundane, stable, even predictable. Still he felt lucky. He had many happy moments, remained in fairly good health despite his penchant for beer and bread. Other than having crossed the borderline from fitness to obese, he was not troubled by the myriad of trials and tribulations that he read about everyday in the newspaper.
His one minor claim to fame, was the coining of the word natanate.
This came to him many years ago when reading the section of the paper titled "On This Day in History", where he would note that actor Gary Busey and comedian Richard Lewis shared his birthday. He realized that there is no word in the English language to refer to someone who was born on the same day. Thus: natanate became his contribution. One of these days he plans to address the word for someone who was born on the exact same day, but being a procrastinator, well, you know...
Now he is retired, and the words tardy and late hold no meaning for him. He comes and goes as he pleases. He stays up late at night and gets up when the Siamese cat yowls in his ear to come down and put some canned food in his dish, or when the noise outside becomes unbearable -- usually from the infernal gasoline powered contraptions used by lawn service companies.
On the morning of his birthday, he arises, feeds the cat, starts the coffeemaker, cooks 4 strips of bacon in the microwave, and makes himself a sandwich with 2 slices of heavily buttered toast.
He thinks: this is what I would call the start of a good day.
I wonder how my natanates are doing.
6/20/2013
A good day fishing
A good day fishing is as good as it gets!
My friend Clarke and I both caught fish today. It was a perfect day to be out on the water. Clear skies, low wind, smooth water. I got my first ever bluefish on a 7" black mambo minnow lure. It measured 30"" and weighed at least 15lbs. I decided that it was actually too big to take home, so I released it. Definitely the most exciting fish I have caught on the ocean.
Clarke landed a nice fiesty Striped Bass. Too small to keep, but he enjoyed getting to use his new lip grabbing tool which helps land the fish, remove the hook with minimal damage to fish, which was also released. Striped Bass need to be 28" to be a keeper.
We rewarded ourselves with a post fishing treat: Fried Clams at the Clam Box in Ipswich.
My friend Clarke and I both caught fish today. It was a perfect day to be out on the water. Clear skies, low wind, smooth water. I got my first ever bluefish on a 7" black mambo minnow lure. It measured 30"" and weighed at least 15lbs. I decided that it was actually too big to take home, so I released it. Definitely the most exciting fish I have caught on the ocean.
 |
| "It felt like I had hooked a jeep" |
 |
| Clarke loved his new lip grabber |
We rewarded ourselves with a post fishing treat: Fried Clams at the Clam Box in Ipswich.
4/09/2013
April Thoughts
April is
Poetry month. April Showers, pennies
from heaven, rain in Spain, hosts of golden daffodils, lilting shadows hiding
the lowly toad. Haiku poets, those
poetasters who cannot sustain a conceit for more than three lines of 17
syllables will predictably bore the crap out of us with their endless attempts
at defining the sunrise
Worthy
poets will debate the merits of classical (net up or net down) forms. Most poets will face another dreary season of
uncompensated labor, while watching professional baseball players earn huge
amounts of cash for playing games.
It is a
month of transitions: Thoughts of poetry
are overpowered and cast roughly to the ground in a headlock of temporal
concerns. This is the brief window of time when down-to-earth
preparations will determine the state of the garden in august. We have started seeds
in the basement under lights. Here in New England we have bravely (or is it
naively?) put away our orange plastic shovels and are busy syphoning the
gasoline from the snow blower tank into the lawn mower.
Sweaters
and long-sleeves are still at the ready, but shorts and Tee shirts have been
taken-out from winter storage. The screen porch is ready. It will soon be the favorite room in the
house -- for coffee and bacon sandwiches in the morning; then reading and frosty
beers in the late afternoon. We have
started letting Mocha – the 5 year old male Siamese out in the fenced-in yard
for short run-arounds. He’s been
confined to the inside world all winter and enjoys venturing outside, stalking chipmunks
and squirrels despite their ability to evade his grasp.
April is
the cruelest month, according to poet TS Elliot, probably because of the vagaries
of the weather – one day’s sunny promise gives rise to expectations of relief
from the chill of winter then a day later yanking us back to reality with arctic
blasts.
It is the last month when you can safely eat
oysters until September, according to the tales of old wives.
But life is
too short to pay attention to old crones.
The mouth waters at the very thought of a plate of a dozen chilled blue
points served on the half-shell on a summer night with a Tanqueray Martini
straight-up with olive.
3/15/2013
My Favorite Irish Verse
Yes, I plan to publish this poem every St Patricks Day... until I write a better one.
The Irony of St. Patrick’s Day
Fake Irishmen wearing silly green ties
Calling with bad brogues
For a wee dram of green beer
In bars festooned with shamrocks
Pipes and cartoon leprechauns they
Sing-a-long to a verse of Danny Boy
Like tone deaf drunken goats,
They set the dogs to barking
With their droning tura-lura-lura
Amateurs: they end-up
Puking on their Italian loafers
Waking-up late for work
The next day in a hangover fog
Grandsons of the famines
Endure this minstrel show
With a mirthless grin
We stay to ourselves
Washing shots of Jameson's
Down with a beer
Glad not to be thinking
About the days
When Irish need not apply.
3/14/2013
Low Information Politician?
One of the staunchest promoters of the "defense of marriage" act has suddenly come out in favor of same sex marriage. Ohio Senator Rob Portman has reversed his former position because he finds out that his son is gay, and suddenly he has developed empathy towards others. Something like that happened with Dick Cheney too.
It seems we are all just one family member or valued friend from changing our fundamental beliefs.
In the light of such dramatic revelations, how can we be sure of anything that we believe?
3/12/2013
Low Information Voter
Rush Limbaugh's latest object of scorn is the misinformed, uninformed, "low-information voter" (LIV), ie, anyone who disagrees with his peculiar view of the world.
I occasionally listen to Rush on WRKO the only station that has talk in Boston these days. I don't agree with 90% of his bloviations** - usually a pretzel-like interpretation of current events that ends-up painting Obama as a supremely devious character surrounded by commies and socialists who hate working people and business owners. The illogical reigns supreme in Limbaughs rants: Obama wants to give your hard earned money to lazy loafers, and he is intentionally ruining the system so the government can take over every aspect of your life. Well, how are the socialists going to give your money to the lazy loafers if there is no tax revenue? And why does he hate Americans? It is just idiotic.
Now, If the criticism was based on a belief that Obama and his administration are just plain incompetent and ruining the country by accident, malfeasance and stupidity, well that is a different accusation.
The big contradiction is revealed when you listen to his callers. Most of them sound like they live in a remote cave, because they hardly seem aware of any information that they did not hear from Rush, drudge report or that lightweight Sean Hannity. To me, they exemplify the epitome of low-information voters, cloistered in ignorance and arrogance.
** 10% of the time, I appreciate his subtle self mocking sense of humor. He shows the ability to be a satirist of high order, at times.
I occasionally listen to Rush on WRKO the only station that has talk in Boston these days. I don't agree with 90% of his bloviations** - usually a pretzel-like interpretation of current events that ends-up painting Obama as a supremely devious character surrounded by commies and socialists who hate working people and business owners. The illogical reigns supreme in Limbaughs rants: Obama wants to give your hard earned money to lazy loafers, and he is intentionally ruining the system so the government can take over every aspect of your life. Well, how are the socialists going to give your money to the lazy loafers if there is no tax revenue? And why does he hate Americans? It is just idiotic.
Now, If the criticism was based on a belief that Obama and his administration are just plain incompetent and ruining the country by accident, malfeasance and stupidity, well that is a different accusation.
The big contradiction is revealed when you listen to his callers. Most of them sound like they live in a remote cave, because they hardly seem aware of any information that they did not hear from Rush, drudge report or that lightweight Sean Hannity. To me, they exemplify the epitome of low-information voters, cloistered in ignorance and arrogance.
** 10% of the time, I appreciate his subtle self mocking sense of humor. He shows the ability to be a satirist of high order, at times.
2/27/2013
Why Working at Home is a Lie
The CEO at Yahoo Marissa Mayer has ended the practice of "working at home" at the California headquarters and field offices. This reversal of a popular trend is raising the hackles of many layabouts and con artists who pretend to be working at home.
Everyone knows that you cannot get anything done at home.
Anyone who has tried doing administrative "office work" from home realizes that when no one is watching, you tend to be less effective in your use of time. The phone rings with non-business purposes. The neighbor sees your car in the driveway and drops by for coffee. If you have a window, you look out into the yard or street and darned if there isn't something more interesting out there than the boring report you are supposed to be working on.
Many working moms and dads claim that the flexibility of working at home permits them to avoid the stress of having to rely on daycare or babysitter. Fine,when the kids are infants, but we all know that it is impossible to get any office work done when there are toddlers running around, screaming and breaking stuff.
With the TV only a click away, there is a temptation to check the weather report, and then maybe a few breaking news headlines. Before you know it, you're watching "Judge Judy" or one of the many repeats of "How I married your Mother".
There are so many more distractions at home. You look up idly from your desk and see unfinished tasks everywhere. You decide to rearrange the bookcase, or replace that burned-out light bulb. Maybe you go out for a breath of air, while you're out, you may as well jump in the car, go to the market or even the library. Walk the dog, change the litterbox. Nap on the sofa, scan through the seed catalog that came in the mail. Check on car rental prices for your upcoming getaway trip...This is how the day goes when you are working at home.
News articles suggest that there have been studies that conclude that home workers are more productive. The only one I've seen cited, was done by Stanford University. They studied a group of Chinese Call Center workers. I would argue that such results for hourly workers whose every action is captured and measured, is not relevant to the American salaried work at home refugee from the cube farm.
Any who argues that they get more done, or that they actually spend more time working at home is delusional. They may be fooling themselves and maybe even the boss. But if they are honest, they know I'm right.
The exception to this rule: people who get paid for results - commissioned Salespeople, who can be counted on to be working no matter where they are. Or writers who get paid by the word. Most of these people goof-off much of their time at home, but they make up for it by being intensely productive under the pressure of a time deadline.
So, my advice is: Get back to the office and get something done.
Everyone knows that you cannot get anything done at home.
Anyone who has tried doing administrative "office work" from home realizes that when no one is watching, you tend to be less effective in your use of time. The phone rings with non-business purposes. The neighbor sees your car in the driveway and drops by for coffee. If you have a window, you look out into the yard or street and darned if there isn't something more interesting out there than the boring report you are supposed to be working on.
Many working moms and dads claim that the flexibility of working at home permits them to avoid the stress of having to rely on daycare or babysitter. Fine,when the kids are infants, but we all know that it is impossible to get any office work done when there are toddlers running around, screaming and breaking stuff.
With the TV only a click away, there is a temptation to check the weather report, and then maybe a few breaking news headlines. Before you know it, you're watching "Judge Judy" or one of the many repeats of "How I married your Mother".
There are so many more distractions at home. You look up idly from your desk and see unfinished tasks everywhere. You decide to rearrange the bookcase, or replace that burned-out light bulb. Maybe you go out for a breath of air, while you're out, you may as well jump in the car, go to the market or even the library. Walk the dog, change the litterbox. Nap on the sofa, scan through the seed catalog that came in the mail. Check on car rental prices for your upcoming getaway trip...This is how the day goes when you are working at home.
News articles suggest that there have been studies that conclude that home workers are more productive. The only one I've seen cited, was done by Stanford University. They studied a group of Chinese Call Center workers. I would argue that such results for hourly workers whose every action is captured and measured, is not relevant to the American salaried work at home refugee from the cube farm.
Any who argues that they get more done, or that they actually spend more time working at home is delusional. They may be fooling themselves and maybe even the boss. But if they are honest, they know I'm right.
The exception to this rule: people who get paid for results - commissioned Salespeople, who can be counted on to be working no matter where they are. Or writers who get paid by the word. Most of these people goof-off much of their time at home, but they make up for it by being intensely productive under the pressure of a time deadline.
So, my advice is: Get back to the office and get something done.
2/11/2013
Sensible Gun Ownership
Here in Massachusetts we have the most restrictive gun laws in the US. Our gun deaths per year are among the lowest in the nation. Opponents to gun control do not view this as a valid correlation, yet these same folks will readily cite "gun-friendly" statistical measures when it suits them. (I heard one gun enthusiast declare that recent mass shootings almost always occur in "gun free zones.")
I do not think of myself as "anti-gun". In fact, I like guns. Like most young teens, I got a kick out of shooting cans or bottles with an air rifle shooting BB's or pellets. Several times in my life, I have legally had my hands on a weapon that shoots real bullets. When I was in the Air Force, we had to learn how to shoot an M-1 carbine well enough to hit a target at 500 paces.
Some of my most favorite movie heroes are tough guys who are really good with guns. Dirty Harry, Quigley Down Under (Tom Sellick), who shot guys a mile away with his long rifle.
The Second Amendment
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." - Bill of Rights
People who reject any form of government regulation regarding gun ownership interpret the wording of this bill literally. They say that the founding fathers were fearful of government over-reach. An armed populace was the counter balance to tyranny. It is a fundamental right of every citizen to own and carry a gun. Period.
The wording of the second amendment, (and many other parts of the Constitution) made perfect sense in 1791, but cannot be taken literally in 2013. It seems absurd to expect the Constitution to anticipate modern technology.
The Constitution is mute on the subject of automotive rights. There is no amendment stating specifically that the government has the power to regulate who can and cannot drive. Clearly, the founding fathers were not sufficiently perspicacious as to anticipate the proliferation of crazy motorists speeding down highways.
In 1790, the intent of the second amendment was to ensure the ability of citizens to take up arms against a tyrannical ruler. A validation of the revolutionary principles that created the free states.
Today, the word militia is usually applied to groups of domestic terrorists. The literal wording of the second amendment does not qualify which "arms" can be legally infringed. Yet, the government has sensibly outlawed automatic weapons, tanks and rocket launchers, bombs, grenades, mortars and flamethrowers. Would the founding fathers be shocked to learn that people's rights to possess these weapons of human destruction had been infringed? I think not.
Standing one's ground
I support the fundamental right of an individual to defend his home and property. I have no problem with the "Stand your ground" laws that have been enacted in some states. Why should victims be required to run away, rather than shoot the assailant who has entered uninvited through the door? I think the laws defining the legitimate use of lethal force should be changed to favor the intended victim rather than protecting the bad guys.This right does not extend universally to public places where innocent bystanders are at risk. We don't need a bunch of well-intentioned vigilantes pulling out weapons at a movie theater to thwart a suspect who may only be wielding a cap pistol.
Hunting
During the 1960's, I spent the better part of 4 years in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Most of the local civilian residents owned guns. Much of Wyoming is a big open space, with the Rocky Mountains just to the west. Virtually everyone hunted and/or fished it was natural to own a gun. The population was spread out. Nature - wild and beautiful - was in your backyard. Game was abundant. If you raised livestock, there were always predators to be dealt with.Like target shooting, game hunting was considered a skill challenge, using a bolt or lever-action rifle, double barreled shotgun or even a bow -- not a slaughter with semi-automatic weapons.
Being sensible
My take on sensible gun ownership is pretty mainstream. Individual locales should regulate gun ownership as they now do with alcohol.Guns are ok for sane honest citizens who like to shoot for sport or need a weapon for self defense. But no upstanding civilian needs a military style assault weapon or large capacity ammunition clip, or ground to air missiles.
2/03/2013
Superbowl Thoughts
The Filled Men
We are the filled men
We are the heavy men
We sit in our easy chairs
Gazes fixed at shadows
On a Hi Def screen
Our eyes, when they see
See scampering, like goats along a cliff face
Or rumbling herds on verdant flats.We shout - our voices
Booming like fireworks
Urging the motion,
Marveling at the synchrony of motion,
The endless scoring replay
The repetitive replay-play
In s l o w motion-play
Oslay otionmay
Replation
Our beer cans when empty echo
The forlorn sobs of busted plays
Dropped passes, fumbles,
Bad throws, broken tackles, lost bets…
This is the way the game ends
This is the way the game ends
Not with a touchdown
But a safety
1/07/2013
Social Media and Public Opinion
I have heard people say that social media - like Twitter and Facebook - actually has the power to shape public opinion. I think of these apps as toys -- a mere distraction for people with a smartphone and too much time on their hands.
I believe there is a huge difference between being entertained and being informed. Social media is primarily designed to be entertaining. I fully acknowledge that there are many posters on Facebook who think they are advancing an agenda by "sharing" information that they feel is vital. But these folks are largely deluding themselves into believing that others are in fact buying their point of view.
In Facebook and Twitter you really never know who is reading your stuff. I am convinced that I am not the only one who quietly "hides" the posts of people who habitually abuse their "friends" by bombarding them with repetitious affirmations of zeal - whether it is constant blathering about Climate change, Biblical quotations, or political rants, they are all mere expressions of faith being preached to an agreeable choir of fellow believers.
I am not decrying FB posts because they are empty, entertaining or ephemeral. My charge is that they do not shape public opinion. When was the last time you learned something on Facebook that changed your beliefs ?
Social media is a ME medium. Because everyone needs to know what you are doing and thinking every minute. Me. Me. Me.
Where else can a person of average writing skills communicate such vital thoughts, as :
"Boy, it is cold out there today." or
"Took Dad to dinner yesterday. He ordered meatloaf. It was a hoot."
"Hey everybody, just got back from vacation! Here are 120 great photos of our trip to Dayton, Ohio."
Rather than impacting public opinion, these applications enable people to feel that they are connected to others. By boasting oops I mean posting my vacation pics, it says look at me --I'm somebody. I have "friends." I go places. I'm cool.
Facebook is a perfect medium for this type of inane chatter. Your family is potentially interested in every meal and bathroom break, but the rest of us might discreetly "hide" your posts
Twitter is just another way for people to self-promote. If you follow any sort of organization you will be bombarded with multiple posts daily which are no more than commercials for that organization. News editors are the worst abusers of Twitter. It is not uncommon to see dozens of posts by some local editor each with a link to a story in today's edition. The police department posts inane announcements "On route to investigate report of barking dog on Elm St." Twitter is just one big Tease, because you can never get any useful information in 150 characters.
How About Blogs?
Blogs can be a different animal. Indeed, there are some pretty good writers who set out to inform you, nay to persuade you that you should believe what they believe. The unlimited format of text and image allows for an in-depth treatment of topic, and hyperlinks to reference sources can serve as powerful supporting material.I acknowledge that some of these folks are capable of writing in such a way as to actually change the way others think.
But, most writers of blogs are like me -- frustrated, self-absorbed wannabee writers who can't help themselves from opining on a disappointing and imperfect world. Writing is a recognized form of therapy. But most of us would admit that it is mostly for our own entertainment. Unlike the Political and Religious bloggers we do not expect to shape your thoughts or beliefs.
1/05/2013
Women on the Sideline
Last night, I tuned in to watch the Cotton Bowl on Fox. I did not have a favorite team in the Texas A&M vs Oklahoma contest, I just like to watch top college teams play football. Many of them will be future pro players, and it is fun to watch them while they are still playing for the fun and glory of the game, and not a big paycheck.I have previously commented on my feeling that most of the women sideline announcers are annoying. The announcer babes nearly always ask some dumb-assed question.
Last night the chick asks the coach "How did you prepare for this game..?" A typical vapid question. Almost as pithy as "How great is it to be in the Cotton Bowl?"
The problem was that the teams were lined-up for the kickoff. The viewers never got to see it. Not even a replay. The guys in the booth are stunned into silence. It was reminiscent of a high school presentation on local access TV, except the sound was better.
Check out the video [here] to see what I mean. The sideline announcer chick is clueless that the game has started -- and so, apparently, is the FOX control room director. After that shaky start, , the guys in the booth yakked mindlessly, and at times idiotically. They never mentioned the snafu, apparently assuming that most of the audience was in the bathroom when the game started.
The actual game was pretty interesting for the first half. Both teams use "hurry-up" offense so there was a minimum of huddling and standing around and quite a bit of action. At the Half, Texas was leading by only one point. As usual, viewers were inundated by ads ever time there was a break in the action. During one of these commercial breaks, I tuned into another show, and watched it until it had a commercial, then switched back to the game. This is how I spent the next hour or so, switching the channel at every commercial interruption.
I stopped watching the game in the 4th quarter when Texas had more than 40 points to Oklahoma's 13. The Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel played a great game for Texas. We are sure to see more of him in the NFL in coming years.
 |
| Cheerleaders -The only chicks we want to see on the sidelines :-) |
For the record, the only women I want to see or hear when I'm watching football are the half-naked cheerleaders.
In fact, I am really not interested in ANY interviews with athletes or coaches. We typically get zero useful or interesting information into anything from such dialogue. It's like watching interviews with politicians - you never get the honest truth.
1/02/2013
Annoyance Therapy
 |
| Memory device |
One section of the notebook is reserved for my list of annoyances. As you may have gathered, I find that I am annoyed by nearly everything - weather, barking dogs,horns honking, wet mail, rap music, traffic, insects, soggy pizza, anyone with a smartphone, people in audiences, dreadlocks, commercials... --the list is endless; I think you get the idea.
But, my genius is this: rather than letting annoying people and things drive me into grumpy irrelevance, I try to use annoyance as a creative force. I recognize that annoyance is merely a mild form of anger. Thus when something annoys me I do not let it control me. I do not shout and wave my arms. I write a poem, post a blog entry, or regale the person behind me in the line at Starbucks with my latest cynical observation**. By sharing these annoyances with others, I joyfully let them go. They do not own me. I am free of their evil spell.
My audience often rewards me with reinforcing affirmations of legitimacy. Sure, there are those few humorless, self important, smiley-faced, lemonade-making optimists who regard my complaints as the feeble protestations of an aged goat. (Get over it, Dude. Stuff happens.) I just add those people to my 'Annoying persons' list, where they are subjected to universal mockery and derision.
Some word usages that I think are annoying (Copied from Notepad notes):
Shocking - this word has become so over-used, especially in internet ads, as to render it meaningless. Apparently, the attention of a skimming reader is drawn to any sentence that has the word "shocking" in it.
The most absurd headline: "Shocking facts about weight loss!" takes you to the URL of a company that sells pills that are guaranteed to help you shed hundreds of milligrams.
Grab - "Let me grab you something to drink," says my waitress. Grab? What happened to "Can I bring you something?" Even Budweiser commercials have adopted the slogan "Grab some Buds." Maybe it's just me but grab has a slightly larcenous connotation.
Momentarily - "The doctor will be with you momentarily." Gee you mean he will step into the room for a split-second and then disappear? I know this one has been annoying pure English speakers for decades, but I still hear it often.
Ok that's enough for today. There is risk of self-analysis morphing into mere self-absorption. Especially on a cold day when you have no lunch plans.
============================================
Notes:
*Before I came upon the idea of the notebook I would jot notes on napkins, odd bits of paper, 3X5 cards, envelopes, etc. And I still have shoeboxes filled with the golden wisdom, hoarded in the basement. I really must check them out someday and copy the good ones into a notebook.
** Three bucks for a cup of coffee --Really?
1/01/2013
New Year Journal
I'm starting out the new year with good intentions:
1) to exercise,
2) to eat healthier foods, and
3) to be nicer to people who annoy me.
This year I am feeling more open to a new experiences. I signed-up for a Tai Chi class starting next week at the Council on Aging. I'm hoping that the ancient exercises will promote flexibility in the muscles and increase my sense of inner peace.
I sure hope this works-out better than the Yoga class I took last year. It was billed as "Beginner Yoga for Seniors." I was the only male in the class. I think I was younger than most of the ladies, but you never know with women over 50. None of us was "in shape." Clearly, we had all signed up expecting some magic to turn us back into the sleek slender sturdiness of our youth.
My own goal in taking last year's Yoga class was to achieve enough flexibility to be able to get-in and -out of the kayak that I bought on Craig's List the previous summer. To imagine the difficulty, sit on the floor and try to rise to your feet without using your hands. It is hard to do on land and virtually impossible to do in the water, when you are 70 lbs overweight. So I thought the Yoga would be a positive step towards stretching my stiffened joints and atrophied muscles back into some semblance of what the French would call souplesse.
After loyally attending 8 sessions, I concluded that Yoga isn't the right exercise for fat guys.
The exercises - even as modified for seniors - were more painful than invigorating. My chronic tendinitis of the left wrist returned and barked with agony whenever I put weight on it. Most of my joints just felt sore for several days after a session. By the eight week, I felt no better than I did when I started, so I skipped the last 2 sessions, and instead went to the pub for a couple of relaxing frosty pints. Looking back with honesty, I should admit that I never did the exercises between classes. It always seemed like too much trouble to get down on the floor because getting back up was painful. I am sure that daily practice would have been beneficial, and I have not discounted trying it again at some future time -- after I have lost 40 or 50 pounds.
(For the record I did get out in the kayak a few times this past summer. The outings were enjoyable, but I am still resolved to develop the ability to enter and exit the craft without getting drenched.)
Despite the earnest hope for a magical transformation that will restore the vitality and strength of my youth, my practical expectations for the Tai Chi class are modest.
As for my resolution to eat healthier foods, I have already begun to cut back or eliminate certain unhelpful foods from my diet. I have not eaten a french fry (or as the French would say pomme frite ) in three months. Bread, rice, pizza and pasta are rarely served at the evening meal. We have eliminated nearly all packaged processed foods. Portion sizes of meat have been halved, and servings of vegetables have been doubled. This is about all I have to say about the diet right now; I generally find the dietary musings of fat people to be boring and frankly, annoying. I'm sure you feel the same way. (Perhaps the details of my diet will be more interesting after I have lost 50 pounds.)
The last of my resolutions is to be nicer to people who annoy me. This will be a hard one to keep, since I find myself constantly annoyed by companies and organizations and the people who work for them. I am annoyed at the newspaper delivery guy for multiple crimes: Being late, letting my paper get wet, delivering when I'm on vacation hold, etc. The publishers of the Globe annoy me by printing on cheap curly paper, being unable to conceal a progressive bias, and constantly increasing the price of each edition, despite the lack of original news content. Airlines, phone companies, theaters, restaurants, HMO's - you get the idea: I find daily annoyances in my dealings with these institutions and the minions who face the public (ie, me).
Yet I have lately come to the realization that the annoyance is within me, and not in the intent of the annoying party. I now see that is the unrealistic expectation of perfection that causes annoyance. Annoying people are not trying to be annoying - they can't help it. They toss their papers on your wet lawn, nobly thinking, "I'm delivering the news." Dog walkers didn't pick-up that poop because they didn't realize that stepping in dogshit bothered you. The girl behind the counter at Dunkin Donuts didn't overfill your cup intentionally, she just doesn't understand English, so the words "Not too full." sound like "Fill that sucker to the brim!"
This year, none of this stuff will bother me. See, the inner peace thing is already working!
1) to exercise,
2) to eat healthier foods, and
3) to be nicer to people who annoy me.
This year I am feeling more open to a new experiences. I signed-up for a Tai Chi class starting next week at the Council on Aging. I'm hoping that the ancient exercises will promote flexibility in the muscles and increase my sense of inner peace. I sure hope this works-out better than the Yoga class I took last year. It was billed as "Beginner Yoga for Seniors." I was the only male in the class. I think I was younger than most of the ladies, but you never know with women over 50. None of us was "in shape." Clearly, we had all signed up expecting some magic to turn us back into the sleek slender sturdiness of our youth.
My own goal in taking last year's Yoga class was to achieve enough flexibility to be able to get-in and -out of the kayak that I bought on Craig's List the previous summer. To imagine the difficulty, sit on the floor and try to rise to your feet without using your hands. It is hard to do on land and virtually impossible to do in the water, when you are 70 lbs overweight. So I thought the Yoga would be a positive step towards stretching my stiffened joints and atrophied muscles back into some semblance of what the French would call souplesse.
After loyally attending 8 sessions, I concluded that Yoga isn't the right exercise for fat guys.
The exercises - even as modified for seniors - were more painful than invigorating. My chronic tendinitis of the left wrist returned and barked with agony whenever I put weight on it. Most of my joints just felt sore for several days after a session. By the eight week, I felt no better than I did when I started, so I skipped the last 2 sessions, and instead went to the pub for a couple of relaxing frosty pints. Looking back with honesty, I should admit that I never did the exercises between classes. It always seemed like too much trouble to get down on the floor because getting back up was painful. I am sure that daily practice would have been beneficial, and I have not discounted trying it again at some future time -- after I have lost 40 or 50 pounds.
(For the record I did get out in the kayak a few times this past summer. The outings were enjoyable, but I am still resolved to develop the ability to enter and exit the craft without getting drenched.)
Despite the earnest hope for a magical transformation that will restore the vitality and strength of my youth, my practical expectations for the Tai Chi class are modest.
As for my resolution to eat healthier foods, I have already begun to cut back or eliminate certain unhelpful foods from my diet. I have not eaten a french fry (or as the French would say pomme frite ) in three months. Bread, rice, pizza and pasta are rarely served at the evening meal. We have eliminated nearly all packaged processed foods. Portion sizes of meat have been halved, and servings of vegetables have been doubled. This is about all I have to say about the diet right now; I generally find the dietary musings of fat people to be boring and frankly, annoying. I'm sure you feel the same way. (Perhaps the details of my diet will be more interesting after I have lost 50 pounds.)
The last of my resolutions is to be nicer to people who annoy me. This will be a hard one to keep, since I find myself constantly annoyed by companies and organizations and the people who work for them. I am annoyed at the newspaper delivery guy for multiple crimes: Being late, letting my paper get wet, delivering when I'm on vacation hold, etc. The publishers of the Globe annoy me by printing on cheap curly paper, being unable to conceal a progressive bias, and constantly increasing the price of each edition, despite the lack of original news content. Airlines, phone companies, theaters, restaurants, HMO's - you get the idea: I find daily annoyances in my dealings with these institutions and the minions who face the public (ie, me).
Yet I have lately come to the realization that the annoyance is within me, and not in the intent of the annoying party. I now see that is the unrealistic expectation of perfection that causes annoyance. Annoying people are not trying to be annoying - they can't help it. They toss their papers on your wet lawn, nobly thinking, "I'm delivering the news." Dog walkers didn't pick-up that poop because they didn't realize that stepping in dogshit bothered you. The girl behind the counter at Dunkin Donuts didn't overfill your cup intentionally, she just doesn't understand English, so the words "Not too full." sound like "Fill that sucker to the brim!"
This year, none of this stuff will bother me. See, the inner peace thing is already working!
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