Black Lives Matter
I frequently despair of the legal system, and America, and then I come across something that gives me hope.
Like this - A Law Professor's rebuttal of Student's complaint that he wore a "Black Lives Matter" T-Shirt to campus.
Well reasoned and written. The students, well, not so, this is why they're students, but if all this excellence adds up to America, then where's the problem?
Link: http://backspace.com/notes/2016/07/law-professors-response-to-black-lives-matter-shirt-complaint.php
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That Feel Good Feeling
There's something about corporations that sell you an "Ethos" or "Values" that kinda gives you a feel good feeling. Like buying free range eggs, you'll pay a little more to know that the animal was treated properly. Or knowing that the company shares the same love for the environment that you do. Or finding out that their commitment ends with putting out recycling bins and then throwing everything out with the trash...
Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-tim-hortons-starbucks-coffee-cups-recycling-1.3278648
Now, given the presence of recycling containers I think a strong case could be made that as the "Feel Good" aspect of their marketing is fraudulent and constitutes false or misleading advertising.
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- Category: Ideas & Questions
Worst Manager Ever
Below a letter from a manager asking for advice:
I manage a team, and part of their jobs is to provide customer support over the phone. Due to a new product launch, we are expected to provide service outside of our normal hours for a time. This includes some of my team coming in on a day our office is normally closed (based on lowest seniority because no one volunteered).
One employee asked to come in two hours after the start time due to her college graduation ceremony being that same day (she was taking night classes part-time in order to earn her degree). I was unable to grant her request because she was the employee with the lowest seniority and we need coverage for that day. I said that if she could find someone to replace her for those two hours, she could start later. She asked her coworkers, but no one was willing to come in on their day off. After she asked around, some people who were not scheduled for the overtime did switch shifts with other people (but not her) and volunteered to take on overtime from others who were scheduled, but these people are friends outside of work, and as long as there is coverage I don’t interfere if people want to give or take overtime of their own accord. (Caveat: I did intervene and switch one person’s end time because they had concert tickets that they had already paid for, but this was a special circumstance because there was cost involved.)
I told this team member that she could not start two hours late and that she would have to skip the ceremony. An hour later, she handed me her work ID and a list of all the times she had worked late/come in early/worked overtime for each and every one of her coworkers. Then she quit on the spot.
I’m a bit upset because she was my best employee by far. Her work was excellent, she never missed a day of work in the six years she worked here, and she was my go-to person for weekends and holidays.
Even though she doesn’t work here any longer, I want to reach out and tell her that quitting without notice because she didn’t get her way isn’t exactly professional. I only want to do this because she was an otherwise great employee, and I don’t want her to derail her career by doing this again and thinking it is okay. She was raised in a few dozen different foster homes and has no living family. She was homeless for a bit after she turned 18 and besides us she doesn’t have anyone in her life that has ever had professional employment. This is the only job she has had. Since she’s never had anyone to teach her professional norms, I want to help her so she doesn’t make the same mistake again. What do you think is the best way for me to do this?
No shit. Believe it or not, I've worked for a lot worse - not just in Restaurants. In "Professional" cable/internet and tech services companies in Calgary. And, yeah, it's pretty fucking sad that people like this can "work" their way into places of authority.
In the days of Anarchy we'll run them to the ground with hounds...
Response: Some of the commentators seem to feel that this is faked. To which I'd suggest...get a job. No, really, it's like this. No, I lie, it's not like this at all, it's generally a hell of a lot worse...
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If all else fails ...
I can always move to Poland and become a magician. Hell, I'd be a full-on Wizard there...
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What's heartbreaking about this is the magician was the only one to touch and handle the props, and he "Mixed Up" the bags himself. I'm thinking he had a grudge against the TV host. I've seen this trick done successfully many times in far more interesting and challenging ways.
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- Category: WTF
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