khalil.islam-zwart.net

Gotta love Mother Nature…

Of Baby Mama Drama and Terrorist Fist Jabs

I have to admit - as much as I am unlikely to vote as a Democrat, I don’t like the race baiting that Fox and other “conservative” media use to smear Obama, I don’t think addressing the media will have an impact.

Take the letter below from ColorOfChange. Yes, I added my name to the hopper, but a much more effective strategy than addressing Fox is to bypass them and go to those who advertise on Fox - at the local and national level. The downside of this is if we choose to go that route, we need to be able to back it up. And those who advertise on Fox also advertise on all other major networks. Additionally, it can’t just be a threat of not supporting the companies in question. Since they do advertise on all the network channels, we need to let them know that a) we shop there, b) we are willing to take our money elsewhere, and c) we mean it. This, really, is where the rubber meets the road and why telling Fox we disagree with their tactics is ineffective.

Were I to tell Home Despot that I am a frequent customer, I can actually point to the amount of money I’ve spent there on tools, lawn mowers, carpet and tile installed last summer, and the washer and dryer we are looking at right now. I can even pull receipts from our files to demonstrate the amount of money my family spends there. Then I let them know that I’m willing to take my money elsewhere if they choose to continually support Fox. Then (gasp), I do. I’d be more than willing to find a local company to buy from to show and prove.

The problem is that many of us are not. We don’t have the time or energy to change our patterns of consumption in ways that will force business to respond to our needs and demands. And mounting a meaningful boycott of major industries is hard, because if we are targeting those who do business with Fox, as was stated above, they also do business with other channels. Were folks able to get it together, though, we could give businesses a financial incentive to stay away from Fox. Unfortunately, corporate colonization is a mofo. We’ve been fooled into believing there is little we can do to change how things work. It’s almost as natural as accepting the two party system because, well, we can’t change how things are, so we must make lemons out of lemonaid.

Anyhow, I am frustrated with the way Fox has portrayed Obama-related commentary and I did add my name to the masses, but I don’t expect any meaningful response. I wish, however, there was more energy working toward a better way.

/\/\/\

Dear Friends,

Right now, Fox News is trying to paint Barack Obama as foreign,
un-American, suspicious, and scary. They’re trying to send Americans
the message that our country’s first viable Black candidate for
President is not “one of us.”

I’ve joined on to ColorOfChange.org’s campaign to push back on
Fox, publicly demanding they stop their race-baiting and fear
mongering. If that doesn’t work, then we’ll go to their advertisers and
the FCC. I wanted to invite you to sign on as well. It takes only a
moment:

http://www.colorofchange.org/foxobama/?id=1419-173355

Here’s what happened recently:

After Senator Obama won the nomination, he and his wife gave
each other a “pound” in front of the cameras. Fox anchor E.D. Hill
called the act of celebration a “terrorist fist jab.” Then last week, a
Fox News on-screen graphic referred to Michelle Obama as “Obama’s baby
mama”–slang used to describe the unmarried mother of a man’s child. It
was a clear attempt to associate the Obamas with negative cultural
stereotypes about Black people, an insult not only to Michelle Obama
but to women and Black people everywhere.

After each of the incidents mentioned, Fox issued some form of weak
apology. But what does it mean when you slap someone in the face,
apologize the next day, then slap them again on the third? It means the
apology is meaningless.

These aren’t one-time incidents–they’re part of a pattern that
continues no matter how often Fox is forced to apologize. Fox has a
clear record of attacking and undermining Black institutions, Black
leaders, and Black people in general.

If we don’t push back now, we will see more of the same from
now until November. Please join me in helping to bring an end to Fox’s
behavior.

http://www.colorofchange.org/foxobama/?id=1419-173355

Thanks.

The difference between being assertive and aggressive

I used to think the difference between assertion and aggression was simply the difference between being firm and being a jerk. A recent encounter has changed that a little.

While making some returns to a local hardware chain store (Home Despot) on Sunday, the return clerk gave me a receipt for my returns that noted what was returned to my card and what I’d been given as in-store credit. Typically, they give you a gift card with the in-store amount, but she didn’t. She simply gave me my receipts and told me to have a nice day in the same breath that she said “can I help the next person.” I wasn’t concerned, though, because I was spending the in-store money on that same trip and had the paperwork.

When I got to the checkout line with my new items, I handed the clerk my receipt and told her to take that amount off then I’d pay the rest with my credit card. She asked if I had a gift card and when I said no, had to get someone else to assist since she was new. The second clerk asked again if I had a gift card. I said no, then recounted my experience, focusing on how I wasn’t given a gift card. Her response was, “you are supposed to get a gift card… you don’t have a gift card?” Again, I told her that I’d just made returns, I wasn’t offered a gift card, and I had my receipt. Like some kind of a toy that can only say so many things, I was told the same thing again with some slight variation. My response was simple, but firm. I admit to raising my voice slightly, but in my defense, I have allergy-induced laryngitis at the moment, so raising my voice beyond a raspy conversational voice is a difficult chore. In my raspy and slightly raised voice, I said, “I hear that I was supposed to be given a card, but I wasn’t. I was given a receipt, told to have a nice day, and the next person was helped. For the third time, I wasn’t given a card, even if I was supposed to have been given one.”

The clerks response was to raise her voice to almost a yell and tell me, “Sir, there is no need to yell here. Let’s keep our voices down.”

I responded, “You seem to be the only one yelling. And there is also no need for me to repeat myself three times. If this is beyond you, please go get your supervisor.” Fortunately, I was in the presence of witnesses. The man behind me affirmed that she was the only person getting close to yelling, as did his wife. She deescalated quickly, went to the refund counter, and had the woman there issue a card for me. I quietly paid and left.

Since Sunday, however, I’ve thought about this quite a bit. There are several implications for that small interaction that tie to issues of voice - both for organizational staff as well as customers and constituents. It also raises interesting issues of organizational control and resistance, particularly in relation to what is considered legitimate behavior by customers and staff.

Aside from the scientific implications, I’ve spent a lot of time since then thinking about just what is the difference between assertive and aggressive. Really. I thought I was being assertive. I may have been more annoyed because, well, I was in pain (i.e. my throat hurt) and was frustrated with the exchange. Perhaps I was being more aggressive, but the folk behind me supported me and affirmed that my behavior was, from their perspective at least, somewhat appropriate. It seems interesting, though, that in more and more places, customer behavior is being dictated in funny ways by controlling staff members who probably don’t even realize what they are doing. In their defense, I’m certain that they deal with aggressive assholes all day long, so I can’t be overly angry, but it is important for line staff to be able to distinguish between aggressive and assertive behavior - for their sake and the sake of their customer base.

Globaloney

So I am reviewing articles and notes and in so doing, I came across an interesting definition that I took from an article by Carlone & Taylor and it’s the title of this very post. Globaloney.

They define it the breathless and uncritical discourse of futurism that celebrates the “interconnectedness” created by post-Fordist organizations and technology.

And I love their definition. I’m sick of hearing people, white folk specifically, speak about globalization in the context of the international travels they wish to make or in other ways without analyzing the political ramifications of our new and exciting global word and economy.

I appreciate Carlone & Taylor today. I needed to re-discover that term.

Quesiton of the day

Supervisor, manager, or leader?

Which do you prefer?

I’ll go with leader any day.

Without reservation…

I can truly say that I’ve never regretted the purchase of any software (Microsoft aside) as much as I do regret purchasing Bookends software from Sonny Software. I am wanting to throw my computer against a wall.

At the moment, I’m trying to format a bibliography for one of my committee members, but for some reason, it won’t let me enter edited book chapters correctly. So I’m having to hand-write much of my bibliography. Exactly what I got software to avoid.

Insert all my favorite curse words here.

No Business for You…

It’s funny the little things people do to drive off business. After searching for places to contract out extending our sprinkler system and turning it on for the season, I found three companies.

The first I called was Aqua Pacific Lawn Sprinkler, which also goes by Evergreen Lawn Sprinkler. I hadn’t even finished my first sentence, which would have been I’m looking for someone to turn on my sprinkler and extend it throughout the yard, but I only got through the bolded part when I was cut off rudely with the gentleman telling me, “We don’t do that.” Since he cut me off, I didn’t tell him that cutting folks off is jackass-like behavior and restate my question. I figured I’d find someone more willing to at least hear my sentence.

The other two companies at least had answering machines rather than jerks who don’t let folks finish their sentences, so at least I got to leave a message about my need. We’ll see who calls back and if they can do what I need.

But as for Aqua Pacific Lawn Sprinkler, they get no business from me. Nor will they be considered if we need sprinkler services when we move.

Spam kills me

Or at least humors me greatly.

Here is a little bit of the spam that got past my institutional filter yesterday. Fortunately, the spam filter they use traps most of the bad stuff, but a few get through.

Anyhow, it’s Wednesday. Hump Day. So it would have been funnier if those had come today.

Having said that, I’m certain I’ll get the same kind of stuff today.

April and…

It is snowing. Or rather it was.

When I got up at 5ish this morning to read, it was snowing. Last night when I was driving from Western Washington to Spokane, it snowed. Saturday morning in Shelton, WA, it snowed and hailed. Apparently there was a winter storm alert issued last night. And this morning, it snowed until about 15 minutes ago.

I want spring already.

Post-Op Part 1

So I took the leap, and what a leap it was.

I went in for surgery. They had me fill out some additional paperwork (which also required I re-write a printed line saying I already had the chance to ask questions and what not), initial some things, scanned my eyes, gave me a goodie bag of stuff to take care of my eyes, had the doctor examine my eyes briefly, told me what they were going to do, gave me my happy medicine to calm my nerves, and let me wait while said medicine kicked in.

While waiting, I watched some of Maid in Manhattan. Not enough to make me want to watch the whole thing, mind you, but some of it. Then they took me in a dark room, had me lay down on a bed-like thing, inflated this pillow to make my head less mobile, and moved me under the laser machine. When I was under there waiting for my doctor, they gave me some numbing eye drops. I guess I’m what they call a “squeezer,” since it was hard for me not to squeeze my eyes shut. The drops I was given were very cold and stung a little.

The doc came in, covered my left eye and went to work on my right eye. He started by taping the eyelashes out of the way, and put an “eye speculum” over my eyelids to prevent me from blinking. That was odd. Then he added more numbing medicine, flushed my eyes, and put a ring over my eye.

The doctor said something like “Suction on,” which one of the surgical techs repeated. It made me feel like I was in a submarine or on a Navy ship. A loud noise started and within a few seconds, my vision went black. There was noise, then the suction was released and I could see - sort of. Everything was very blurry and I kept my focus on a blinking light. There was a lot of light-action, the smell of burning flesh, then the doctor flushed my eye with medicine, pushed the flap of my cornea that had been cut when I was blacked out back over my eye, painted my eye with antibiotics, added a few more drops, and covered my eye with the same stuff used to cover my left eye. After my right eye was good and covered, he did the same thing to my left eye that he’d done to my right.

I have to admit - I had a fleeting temptation when they were done to scream bloody murder. Not because it hurt, but to scare the heck out of the folk waiting to get theirs done. I though it would be really funny. Then to moan and wail as I was walking from the room. I didn’t, however, as funny as it would have been.

A few minutes after both eyes were done, I was put in a dimly lit room to wait and relax. Everything I saw was awash in a haze. It was kind of like when you watch a movie where someone dies and they show what it must be like for them in heaven - how they see everything with a whitish haze and glow. Except I certainly wasn’t in heaven, so regular dingy things had a white hazy glow to them. After a while, I was given my sunglasses, walked to the lobby, and sent home.

All I did most of the afternoon was sleep. And put in eye drops. And sleep. The bummer about the healing process is that for the first five days, I have to wear protective goggles to sleep. The pair they gave me must have been made for a woman with a small head and nose. Since my head, and thus my nose, are large, they did not fit correctly. I now have a pair of manly protective goggled that I can wear to mow my lawn when this is all said and done.

The haze-vision lasted until this morning. I can see relatively well now. I just had a follow-up and it seems my vision is at 20/15, but that may change. I’ll know in about 3 months what my vision will be like for the long term. I was told that it will not be stable for that amount of time.

At the moment, my eyes feel like they have 43 horse hairs scattered between them - right on the eyeballs. And I’m a little weepy. Not that I’m crying, but my eyes are watery. But I’m told that feeling will pass in a few days. After the numbing drops wore off, my eyes felt as if they were on fire. That feeling sucked. So I took ibuprofen and did my best to sleep through it.

Thinking about everything, I was scared out of my wits yesterday. I probably only got about 4 hours of sleep the night before. And my eyes still itch and hurt now, so I’m going to get off the computer. But I think it was a good thing to do. And I think I’ll feel the same way as my eyes continue to heal. The drawback? Well, I do like to wear glasses. And I think I look good in them. But I won’t miss the complications they added to my life.