Say It With Authority

Today I witnessed a supervisor trying to exercise authority over a co-worker, and was a little taken aback by the lack of grace with which she went about it. When first she told him what she wanted him to do, it was in such a whimsical tone that he could very easily have believed she was joking. When he still didn't do it, she began to argue with him. At last, as a last resort, she prefixed the directive with, "I'm a coordinator!"

It seems to me that this is a rather poor way to assert one's authority. I think she very likely would have been successful on her first attempt if she had made it clear by tone of voice and body language that she was issuing a directive and not submitting a suggestion. Allowing the exchange to escalate into an argument only strengthens the notion that a subordinate has a choice. Finally, I think that waving one's title under the nose of a subordinate, like a cop with a badge, is not only undignified, but also undermines the authority of the waver supervisor. One might as well shout, "You may not listen to me, but you'll listen to my title!" Effective, perhaps, but hardly ideal.

I Only Wanted a Chalupa

I wanted a chalupa, so I went to the local Taco Bell and waited in line. After a ten minute wait, intermittently punctuated by repeated shouts of, "CAN I HELP THE NEXT PERSON?!", I finally arrived at the front of the line. But wait! My chance to order was further put off by a very humorous exchange between a Taco Bell employee and a digruntled customer. Apparently she was dissatisfied with the appearance and/or taste of her food—it wasn't immediately clear which. In fact, the conversation consisted mostly of the customer pointing at the picture on the menu while the Taco Bell employee emphatically shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. I did catch the words "It doesn't come with little red strips" and "Whatever. This food sucks." This continued for quite some time before the customer stormed off, probably to waste someone else's precious lunch break.

With her departure it seemed that nothing could stand between me and my chalupa. Unfortunately, as I opened my mouth to order, I was promptly greeted by the backs of both cashiers while they did a "quick" (5 minutes! Seriously, how long does it take to empty a register? 30 seconds?) pull. A little perturbed, but undaunted, I continued to wait. I really craved that chalupa.

As the seconds and minutes of my lunch hour slipped away, and just as I had begun to despair of ever realizing the epicurean bliss that is a fresh chalupa, a cashier returned. Finally, face-to-face with opportunity, I received this warm salutation: "CAN I HELP THE NEXT PERSON?!!!". This, at 100 decibels, from less than three feet away. Despite the nervous smile of a junkie about to get a fix, I asked in a calm, and reasonable tone for two chalupas. Her expression changed not a whit as she informed me that they didn't have chalupas. In fact, they couldn't make any flatbread food at all. I wanted to scream. I wanted to bellow. I wanted to ... write an angry letter! Instead I slunk off to the fast food Chinese place next door, where they always greet you with a smile and the food isn't bad, despite being as well-lubricated as the floor of my mechanic's garage.

Tiny Little Car

On the way to the gas station today, I passed a vehicle reminiscent of a golf cart, going the other direction. Unfortunately I didn't have time to see if the little vehicle actually had license plates before speeding around the corner and out of sight. I was, however, able to discern what sounded like a 20cc engine (only because it's too early in the year for a plague of locusts).

My first impression, of course was, "Whoah! If a bus hit that, the passengers wouldn't even know it!"

[THUMP]
First passenger: Hey what was that?
Second passenger: I don't know, maybe we hit a squirrel.

Soon after, I got out of my car, and started pumping cash—I mean gas—into it. It was then that I realized how desperate people are becoming in this country with regards to increasing gas prices. Now that the little five-gallon gas can you keep in your garage to power the lawn mower is worth $15 or more, people are willing to embrace the possibility of being caught in the front grill of an 18-wheeler, if it means saving a few bucks on fuel.

Take the Lead (or Leave It)

Last week I saw Take the Lead, and although I was dragged there by my sisters (who were actually thrilled with it) I found the movie to actually be tolerable. It was formulaic, it was nearly pointless, and at various points I felt like I was watching a montage of Dangerous Minds, Bad News Bears(?!), and Dirty Dancing. There is, however, a silver lining to this cloud. It wasn't The Blair Witch Project or Moulin Rouge.

Let's Go, Mets!

How about those Mets? After an 0-5 start last year I think everyone could tell that it was going to be a long, agonizing season. Then after a 6 game winning streak, it suddenly looked like the team could do good things. So what do we make of the team's hot start this year? Although it might still be a little too early to start looking ahead to playoffs and pennants, there are a few trends which are decidedly encouraging:

1. The Mets lead the league with the fewest runs allowed (41 as of this post).
2. With their series victory over the Brewers, the Amazin's solidified their credibility by beating a division leader.
3. They've proven that they can win tight games as well as laughers.
4. The abilities of Carlos Delgado and/or David Wright to deliver in the clutch

Appalachia Waltz

I was just listening to Appalachia Waltz, as recorded by Yo-Yo Ma, Mark O'Connor, and Edgar Meyer. Like a country lane, it twists and winds unpretentiously through unexpected places. The artists render melodies and harmonies in such a way that the listener is left with the vague impression of them having been to the same place, but at different times. In fact, as the music slides over me, I am faintly reminded of times and places which I thought I had long forgotten.

Part of the beauty of the piece is the use of "quaint" progressions which suggest a country square dance delivered with the solemn dignity of a classical waltz. The piece manages to be a unique combination of soothing and dynamic. The following excerpt, from the Sony Classical Website, best describes this subtle, innovative blend:

The trio discussed Appalachia Waltz and their unique collaborative effort. "I keep thinking of the word 'band'. I love being in this band," commented Ma. O'Connor said, "Our primary goal to create a new sound somehow that just feels right, sounds right and makes the listener step back and go, 'Why hasn't this been done before?'" Meyer added, "It's not meant to fill any certain niche. It's two things: it's music that people will enjoy listening to -- it's made with an audience in mind. It's also made for the three of us and our desire to learn new things."

All in all, it's a fine piece for relaxation and introspection.

Taking a Flyer

Why do people insist on leaving trash on my windshield? Who sees a piece of paper flapping on the front of his car, and says, "Fantastic! This unique opportunity to work from home is something I've always dreamed of!" In my opinion, this a much worse offense than unsolicited phone calls at dinner. At least I can be sure that the poor schmuck on the other end of the line will hear all the invective I have to spew at him.

Now I wonder: Is there some misguided soul who believes that a 1-800 number, a free informational packet, and a bonus CD/DVD is going to take him from being a disgruntled line-level manager to a work-from-home millionaire? Even if such a dubious individual did exist, would he be intrigued enough to overcome the initial vexation of dicovering that someone had used his car as free billboard space? Listen, if you're going to use my windshield as advertisement space, at least cut me a check!

Too Much Gas

I was participating in a lunchtime discussion where my coworkers were appalled at soaring gas prices. When asked for my opinion on the matter, my good-natured reply was that the new, higher prices were surely a good thing. Naturally, they were all skeptical about the sincerity of this statement, but when I explained my belief (hope?) that higher gas prices will ultimately lead to more widespread use of alternative fuel sources in the U.S., they were satisfied that these were only the dilusional rantings of a tree-hugging greenie.

Talk for Two, Please

I've been considering how much I appreciate a good "talk". This is especially true with strangers and those with whom I have little in common. It takes a certain amount of skill, I think, to maintain a conversation that flows, much less one that interests both parties. I'm getting increasingly tired of people who talk "at" me. Why do they need me if they aren't even going to attempt to involve me in the "diaglogue"? By the same token, I'd like to know that the other person isn't being burdened by my conversation. I think every good conversation has points at which one speaker can pause, and the other can put in his two cents. Perhaps he can even redirect the conversation, if he so desires....