My latest dilemma

I was just trying to check out.
But suddenly a moral/ethical dilemma reared its head and I was stuck.

On the card reader at the check out was the question that had pulled me up short. I just wanted to swipe my card, buy the drain cleaner and oranges and get one with my life.

But it demanded:

"Was your cashier friendly today? Yes. No."


Ummm, well, neither actually. It's not a binary system. She wasn't rude. She didn't ignore me. At the same time she wasn't pleasant. It was very basic, very business-like. A few quick words to get the process through to it's mercantile completion all wrapped around the business of chewing her gum. Even that wasn't obnoxious. It was just there like a third player in this little drama.

You see the dilemma arises because I'm sure that the computer system will note the time, the station, the date. Will my answer affect her next job review? What if she's right on the edge and one more down mark will push her out the door? Do I want that on my conscience?

In the end I chose the coward's way out. If I just swipe my card I can avoid the responsibility of grading this woman's job performance. I can exchange our few words, grab my oranges and Drano and escape.

Maybe I should have taken a different tack on the decision. She wasn't UN-friendly. I could have just accepted anything short of overt hostility as meeting the minimum requirement for making the "friendly" grade. But that seems cheap to me. A quick look at an online dictionary tells me that friendly means:

"...favorably disposed, not antagonistic...warm, comforting..."

Well she made the grade on one of four concepts (I skipped over the part having to do with friends. We're certainly not friends so that doesn't have any connection with the situation. What if we were friends? Would I have given her the thumbs up no matter how she reacted? But that assumes she would reacted the same way to me even if we were friends. "STOP", I shout to myself. That way lies madness.) She only made a one in four, 25%, a failing grade no matter how much you tweak the bell curve.

Now I have no choice I must pursue this moral/ethical hare to it's burrow. What about "unfriendly"?

"...not disposed to friendship..." (No, we've ruled that concept out of bounds so we'll pass) "...indicating a bad prospect, unfavorable..."

Well. Now what?

I'm starting to like that "unfavorable". All it would have take was a smile, you know! How much would that have cost, huh? Just a smile and I'm free from all of this! Some people, you know?

"...indicating a bad prospect...", well no, not really. She did her job efficiently. I was on my way with my stuff in short order.

No, I made the right decision. In the end this wasn't my fault or hers.

It's the store's fault. With its binary, black and white view of the world. Here's a perfectly efficient employee who does her job quickly and without error. Sure she's not the most personable person this green planet Earth. But really, what would you rather have - some chatty cheerful type who messes up the job, or a sober serious worker who gets it right the first time.

I can feel my disdain for the store on the rise. Feelings of fraternity and solidarity for my oppressed sister rising in my breast.

Stupid store!

Next time I'm there I'm going to look for her and go through her checkout.

And choose "YES".

Just to screw with the man.


Peace

Some catching up

Lots of things going on so let's do a quick catch up:

Las Vegas was great fun! I'll share a couple pictures as soon as I download them from the camera. Highlight for both my lady wife and me had to be the Star Trek Experience at the Hilton. She got her photo taken with a Klingon,I got to sit in the Captain's chair on the bridge of the Enterprise and I have my very own phaser now! Exceedingly cool. We gambled a little. She won a bit on the slots, I won a bit on blackjack and lost it on roulette (roulette is a sucker bet. But it's kind of fun). We saw the Grand Canyon, had dinner with old friends, walked the strip, gawked like tourists. We're looking forward to going back some day. Best deal is the monorail on the strip and the bus service, worst deal is breakfast. We spent more on breakfast several days than we did on other meals. It is possible to go to Vegas and not spend a ton of money. We stayed at a casino (Sahara) for $79 a night. You can do food pretty cheap (lots of chains and fast food available. Even eating at the casinos can be done with a little work for not too much). And you don't have to gamble at all and still have fun.

Seen two movies in the theaters in the last two weeks.

Iron Man - This was my boyhood favorite among the comic book heroes. Conflicted, not impervious to destruction and just the right amount of snappy repartee. So I was concerned about how it would translate to the big screen. About half of the comic book movies are just dreadful (Fantastic Four as an example). But I really liked this. Robert Downey Jr as Stark is great, love the rest of the cast. While I understand the complaints about Pepper Potts being a bit of a wilting female "oooh, save me Iron Man" I don't think it's too over the top. Besides Gwyneth Paltrow is stunning as a red head and I think I'm in love.
Also an interesting commentary on the American way of life and foreign policy. Highly recommend.

Prince Caspian -
The second Narnia movie is another highly recommend. The CG stuff is better, the movie is a faithful representation of the book. It did get a little noisy at times with all the girlie sighing coming from my lady wife and daughter every time Ben Barnes who plays the title role was on the screen. My whole family really like the first movie in this series, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" but were in agreement that this one is even better.


I think both movies would make great starting points for discussion with youth groups.

Wow, I'm way behind on movies so let's do it quickly:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind This is a well written, well acted, well directed,nicely filmed movie...that I didn't like at all. Weird, huh? The problem is that I don't much like either of the two main characters. It mirrors my feelings about "Lost in Translation". Plus I'm appalled at the way Netflix describes some of these movies. This one was described as a "romantic comedy". Romantic, yes. Comedy? Not even. Saw it. Moving on.

Gandhi - A movie I've seen several times before. Stunning, wonderful and powerful. Love everything about it. Even it's astounding length.

Ten Items or Less - Now here's a quirky little movie that I loved. Morgan Freeman is on my list of people I'd watch doing just about anything. And Paz Vega is on my list of people I'd just watch. Period. Funny, silly, a little off center. Really enjoyed it.

Forrest Gump - I'm always amazed at the folks who take pot shots at Tom Hanks as an actor. He takes risks (come on he's playing a mentally challenged person in this role who has to carry the whole freaking film!)and he creates lovable, believable characters. Really enjoyed this movie. Has a great supporting cast too. I completely understand the 6 Oscars it won.

Schindler's List - This one blew me away. Especially the final scene (which comes as a wonderful surprise so I won't spoil it) Powerful and challenging. Great cast and great performances. Yes, it's another very long movie (two discs) but well worth the time.

Looking back any of these movies would be a great discussion point for youth ministry. Even "Eternal Sunshine". I'd just never watch it for enjoyment.

My pace for watching movies has slowed. I've been watching a BBC production called "Foyle's War" which I've been enjoying too.

Ok, now I'm back.

Peace

Away Message

I'm on vacation.
I'm in Las Vegas.
It's my "second honeymoon"

Nuff said?

Peace

Clear your schedule

Traces of the Trade web site
Movie trailer

This movie is so amazing, so moving, so challenging that I'm just going to tell you to schedule nothing for its broadcast date, Tuesday June 24 @ 10 PM on PBS. Get in contact with your local PBS station and let them know you want this to air and find out when it will air locally. Tell your friends. Contact everyone you know. Spread the word at work and church and the gym and your local coffee shop.

I saw the rough cut of it at General Convention 2006. It was unbelievable. I was reduced to tears several time. Afterwards we were invited to make comments to the filmmakers. The subject of weeping had come up in the film and my only response was "How can I not weep?" The challenge posed at the end of the trailer about white people getting not "pissed off" about slavery is a valid one I think.

Don't miss this movie. Not "Gee, I really liked it and think you should see it". No. DON'T MISS THIS MOVIE! Don't schedule events that evening, reschedule meetings, die some other day.

Don't miss this movie.

Peace

I am VICTORIOUS!!!!!

A year long battle with my furry, four footed foe has come to a glorious end!

I have met the enemy on the field of battle and victory is mine. After careful skirmishing by both sides I succeeded in out flanking him and have banished him from the field of honor.

Yes, it's true.


I outsmarted a groundhog.

Yes, there he is - Marmota Monax of the family Sciuridae. Known to friend and foe as ground hog, woodchuck, whistle pig, land beaver or bunnydog (I swear to you). This one had taken up residence under my house. His travels took him under my bedroom, dining room and kitchen and his primary entrance ran directly under the bath tub. He has destroyed the insulation under the floor in the crawl space, dug holes under the foundation to the front porch and it sounded like was gnawing on the floor joists.

I tried discouraging him by blocking his holes as fast as he dug them but since digging was his full time job and filling was only part time for me he took round one.

As woodchucks are rather lacking in imagination (put your own comic simile here) he refused to take a hint. Making loud noises did nothing. He was also rather particular in his eating habits. I obtained a live trap from a fellow parishioner who is a local animal control officer and used several foods recommended to me - carrots, celery and apples. My cunning foe passed them by with out a sideward glance. I watched him do it!

But in the end it was the higher functions of manly memory that did him in. I remembered that last summer he had shown special affection for my tomato plants. So last night I baited the trap with a large juicy tomato. From my long observation of the enemy I knew he was a mid-day forager so I went off to work.

When I returned I saw his utter defeat. Safely locked in the confines of the cage trap he submitted with rather good grace to his fate. I transported him some 7 miles away to a wooded area that I know is frequented by others of his clan. Upon release he gave me one swift, malice-free glance and raced off into the woods.

The taste of victory is sweet.