Category: Fourre-tout

“Poorly paid labor is inefficient labor, the world over.” Henry George

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Nothing irks me more than inefficiency. In all ways of life.
It aggravates me to no end when I have to wait an inordinate amount of time due to the ineptness of some dimwitted employee.
I will (reluctantly I admit) put up with waiting if I perceive that the person in charge is doing the best he/she can do. But it absolutely drives me crazy if I recognize that some schmo is not up to the job.

This morning I went to a local Safeway store to do a little grocery shopping. I went there out of convenience. The store is close by and it has a good array of products.
But, convenience is often another term for poor or inexistent service.

One shops at a certain place for its products, its prices, but most of all you patronize a store (at least me) for its service. If I encounter a problem, I know that it will be quickly resolved to my satisfaction.

In Marin County by the way, I highly recommend a hardware store called Pini. It has the best customer service anyone could wish for.
In a perfect world, all stores would be Pini clones.

When in a supermarket, after your shopping is done, you ultimately have to pick a cash register line. Your goal is to get out of the store as quickly as possible and go about your business.
You gauge the people waiting in the different lines, the employees in charge of the cash register and you place your bet; you pick a line.

But many things can go wrong.
You can have pesky customers, a slow cash register handler or both.

My cash register jockey this morning happened to be an elderly black woman who was either very inexperienced or brain-dead. It also looked like that she desperately needed a pair of glasses.
She was so agonizingly slow that I felt like screaming.

The problem with poor service has generally something to do with compensation. As I pointed out, “Poorly paid labor is inefficient labor”.

I have no doubt that this woman was trying her best, but she was definitely not up to the task. I suspect that she got this particular position not because of her skills, but rather because of the scarcity of people applying for this low paying occupation.

In my opinion, this person has no business dealing with the public.
It is not her fault but the store’s management. If they want capable employees they need to compensate them adequately.

Personally, I am willing to pay a little more to get decent service, but low pay is still no excuse for lousy service.

Alain

PS: An enlightened company has a website with an online customer service receptive to criticism and quick to correct a problem.
I didn’t see any such thing on Safeway’s website.

Nowadays everywhere I go I see men hugging, and I am not talking solely about homosexuals.

Once a taboo among young heterosexual males, hugging has become a fashionable ritual for tattooed young men.

I don’t mind an occasional “abrazo”, but I balk at being subjected to this ostentatious routine on a regular basis.
With guys, I favor the tried-and-true handshake.

It is said that the handshake originated as a way to prove that your hand was not holding a knife.
Even though handshakes are known to spread germs, they are much safer in my opinion than the embrace. Especially among mafiosi.

As a fan of The Sopranos, I have learned that the embrace is often the prelude to a violent demise. You embrace a guy to allay his fears and soon after, you whack him.
And technically speaking, it is much easier to plant a knife in the back of your “amico” while hugging than when shaking hands.

You might have noticed that I very seldom hug anybody on the pétanque field. You never know who is a sore loser.

“Keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer” is another common saying. It makes sense.
I am pretty sure that Marcus Brutus embraced Julius Caesar before stabbing him to death.
A handshake could have prevented this ignominious ending.

I also favor the old-fashioned handshake because it gives you the measure of a man. A weak grip betrays an untrustworthy man.
He is definitely not into you, when with a limp shake he professes to enjoy meeting you.

When on September 22, 1938 Hitler shook hands with Neville Chamberlain I bet you that he probably offered Neville a very limp grip.
In his overwhelming desire to prevent war, Chamberlain probably did not notice this. Too bad.
Had he been a little less focused on peace, he should have embraced that malevolent little man and speared him with a cheese knife while he had the chance.

If you are a guy, when you see me, don’t hug me.
If you like me, just extend your hand and offer me with some moola.
That will do very nicely and it will be very much appreciated.

Alain

I may be drunk, Donald, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly. Winston Churchill

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The GOP campaign is now reaching critical mass.

Donald Trump, aka the “The Mouth that Roars”, having bullied his way to the top is about to become the figurehead of the Republican Party.
It is an unmitigated disaster for America and the free world. It is an event akin to 1933, when Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany.

The party of Abraham Lincoln lost its way a long time ago and is now wandering further and further in political extremism.

America has traditionally been the champion of democratic values that almost every nation on earth is looking up to.
Trump’s anointment as leader of the Republican Party is about to change that perception.

Trump (“I am really smart”) is a crude, rude, ignorant, bombastic, populist egomaniac shooting from the hip.
Here are some of his “intelligent” positions (quoted in in the media) on vital issues:

Immigration
Trump will forcefully deport about 13 million illegal Mexicans, build a gigantic wall across our Southern border to keep them out and make Mexico pay for it.
Realistic, brilliant, constructive! Mexico will definitely oblige.

Abortion
“Public funding of abortion providers is an insult to people of conscience at the least and an affront to good governance at best.”
Trump has flip-flopped on this issue more than once. Now, to secure the Evangelical crowd, he backs the pro-life side without any regard for the mental, physical and financial well being of women.

Guns
“If you had more guns, you’d have more protection because the right people would have the guns. (The Wall Street Journal)
Trump will give guns to everybody to stop America’s endemic killing . Another brilliant solution. Why didn’t we think of that before?

Foreign policy
Trump favors Carpet Bombing our enemies, Russian style. This will definitely stop conflicts and buys us new friends all over the world.

Taxes
“I try and pay as little tax as possible, because I hate what they do with my tax money. I hate the way they spend our money.” (NBC News)
We know that Donald. By the way, could we please see your tax returns for the last 10 years?

Health care
“I would end Obamacare and replace it with something terrific, for far less money for the country and for the people,” said Trump. (KCCI Des Moines)
The next insanely great thing, no doubt about it. Give us some details please.

Environment
“Global warming is an expensive hoax!” (Trump on Twitter)
The Donald of course, knows best. Just trust him and don’t ask stupid questions. Who are you going to believe, your eyes or him?

Lately Trump professed to ignore who or what the KKK stands for. A rather lame answer for a “really smart” guy.

To sum it up, Donald Trump is a dangerous flimflam man, a snake oil salesman who will say anything to secure a shot at the White House.
Once there, what would he do? This is a very scary thought.

If you live in a dump
Tired of being a chump
Don’t vote for Trump

If you have any common sense, Dump Trump while you still can.

Alain