Starbucks - Would You Like a Lecture With Your Coffee?

From the initial days of employment, we've always been told that it's never a good idea to discuss religion, politics or other hot-button topics in the workplace. It seems to make sense considering many people are very sensitive about their personal beliefs. Well recently, Starbuck's has made plans for a new program in which the company will encourage their baristas to engage in conversations with customers about race relations. Their calling this program "Race Together".

So, now as a young java-brewing philosopher hands you a cup of overpriced coffee, he will also dish out a complementary dose of white guilt,...Have you ever used a racial slur? Have you ever uttered the n-word? Have ever uttered a word with the letter n in it? 

All you wanted was a simple cup of overrated Joe! And now you've got to listen to this crap?

If one of these Starbuckers ever started lecturing me on race relations, I'd lecture him on how rude it is to charge someone $7 for a cup of shitty coffee! After about two minutes into the discussion, the Starbuck's police would be firing Josh Groban CD's at my upper body mass.

I guess I shouldn't be so hard on the Starbuck's employees. From what I've read, they are not at all comfortable having to do this. They have been set up to fail. When customers see slogans like "I Can't Breathe" and "Hands Up Don't Shoot" scribbled on their coffee cup, it's probably not going to go over well. Ultimately, the poor counter person is going to be thrust into a verbal browbeating that he probably wanted no part of in the first place. If there's any "harmony" in this program, it's that it has the potential to offend both blacks and whites.

Aside from all of this, the program has the potential to irritate customers who will inevitably be spending more time in line. When you initiate a hot-button conversation with someone, can you really have a meaningful dialogue in 30 seconds? As the customer in front of you goes deep with the cashier, the line behind you grows longer and longer.

(On a somewhat related note......Many moons ago, I interviewed for a technical job at the Post Office. During the process, one of the interviewers asked me if I would have a problem working for a black manager. I replied, "I'm not really sure why you would ask me that. Frankly I'm offended by the question." Not surprising, I didn't get the job...)

Personally, I see Starbuck's "Race Together" as a condescending extension of what the media constantly tries to sell us. While I agree that race-relations are not perfect in our country, I do believe we've come a long way. In case anyone didn't get the memo, the President of the United States happens to be a black man. Countless people of different races live, work and play together every day in this country with no problem. But instead of celebrating and/or acknowledging that, the race-hustlers prefer to sensationalize the exceptions. The end result is an unnecessary divisiveness.

Perhaps, instead of Starbucks fueling the modern race narrative, they should treat their customers as human beings. I think that would be a helluva lot more productive that writing a stupid slogan on a coffee cup.....

kw


http://fortune.com/2015/03/16/starbucks-baristas-race-talk/

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/03/19/3636233/starbucks-race-together-employees/

The American Flag - Offensive?

Earlier this week, I heard the story of a group of students from University of California (Irvine) that voted to ban the American flag from the school lobby. In a 6-4-2 vote, the student council amazingly won the initial battle to remove Old Glory. The reason they give is that it's for the sake of "cultural inclusiveness". How do they come up with this stuff?? I've heard some wacky sh*t from the Left Coast, but this one takes the cake!

The "offended" students tried to explain that the American flag has been a symbol of imperialism and colonialism. One student elaborated further by saying that the sight of the flag might hurt the feelings of illegal immigrants. We have entered a new age of stupidity, folks! It's bad enough that we reward these criminals for breaking our border laws. Now we have to worry about hurting their feelings by flying OUR flag?? Are you freggin' kidding me?

By the way, have you ever noticed that the left is all for the for the freedom of expression unless it's something that "offends" them.

The political correctness has run a muck! We've now reached a point in America where it's offensive to be proud of America. Is there anything left that doesn't offend these American-hating douchebags? Hmm, I wonder if any American tax dollars are subsidizing the education of the "offended" students? I have a suspicion that the answer is yes. Of course, the American entitlements never seem to offend them. But the epitome of American pride and unity does. Makes perfect sense, huh?

If it wasn't bad enough that the disillusioned students felt this way, take a deep breath because it gets worse. A group of professors at UC-Irvine also joined the lunacy by signing a letter of solidarity with the students. The professors say (and you almost knew this was coming) that the American flag contributes to racism. Yes, so now you're a Klansman if you display the red, white and blue. I guess it's only a matter of time before Reverend Al starts organizing boycotts and protests. Hey, maybe Michael Moore can show up with his film crew for a rousing rendition of Kumbaya over the campfire while they all roast American flags.

Instead of embracing all of the great things the United States has contributed to the world, these assholes continue to focus on it's mistakes. This is like pointing out that Babe Ruth struck out a lot. True, but he also hit a hell of lot of balls out of the park! These ungrateful pricks need to ask themselves, "What would the world be like without America."

(In a recent development, the executive leadership of the student government met and vetoed the decision to remove the flag. Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope.)

I'm not sure how far this craziness will go will go. But I, along with countless other Americans, will never be ashamed of the American flag or, more importantly, what it represents. To anyone who claims to be offended my flag, I have a real simple solution....pack you bags and get the f*ck out of my country!

kw


http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/03/11/professors-us-flag-symbolizes-racism-should-not-be-displayed-on-campus/

The Downside of Con Calls

In today's fast-paced business world, the conference call often seems to make more sense, both logistically and economically, than gathering a bunch of people together in a room for a 30-minute meeting. Most of us have participated in these things in some way. And while they can certainly be productive at times, they do not come without challenges.

For example, as telecommuting becomes more popular, we see more and more people working from home. Have you ever been on a con-call that was constantly interrupted by a barking dog? And it's funny because no one wants to say anything but everyone's thinking, "Will someone shut that f*&ng dog up!" This is where a traditional conference room makes a better setting because people don't usually bring their large dogs to the office.

I always get a kick out of the person who forgets to mute their phone during a can-call. As the rest of the group discusses the subject, that one guy will be having his own "private" conversation. Of course, the rest of us can hear every word he's saying. And, inevitably, he'll put his foot in his mouth by saying something like, "Hey, let me call you back after I get off of this stupid conference call with this group of jack-asses."

Have you ever experienced someone taking the con-call into the bathroom and forgetting to hit the mute button? Yes, it happens...

But one of the things that really annoys me on con-calls is when several people try to talk at once. A quick burst of words comes from several directions but not one of them is coherent. So, everyone takes a brief pause, and than a second round of spontaneous words comes at you. Sometimes, this will go on for several minutes before the "leader" intervenes and says, "Ok, one at a time." And then, as if each person assumes they were the "one", they all simultaneously blast another round of words. It's actually pretty funny if you have a lot of time. But if you're in a hurry, it can be quite annoying.

And here's a good one. Many years and several companies ago, my manager volunteered me to be the lead on a new system the company was rolling out. Essentially, I had to learn it and then give a virtual class in the form of a con-call/online presentation to my co-workers. Well, for anyone who has known me for more than ten minutes, you know that patience is not one of my strong points. Anyway, I get set up to give my first "class". Prior to the class, I sent out detailed instructions on how to set things up. As luck would have it, I've got a bunch of New York/Jersey guys on the call. Right from the start, they started bitching and complaining about how they couldn't get the application to work. Getting frustrated, I asked, "Did you guys bother to read the instructions that I sent out?"

Of course, this initiates a simultaneous blast of words like I mentioned earlier. Except this time, there were insults mixed into the mix. The back-and-forth banter with these guys went on for about ten minutes. Realizing that they were putting me way behind schedule, I said, "Look guys, I don't have time for this. I gave you clear instructions on how to set everything up. I also told you to test everything prior to the call. You obviously did not do that. Just stay tuned to the call and take from it what you can."

Well, they got quiet for a few minutes. But, of course, it didn't last long. In heavy New York accents,  they would intermittently chime in with stuff like, "How are we s'posed to get anything out of dis? This is bullshit! Who da hell is this guy?"

Finally, I snapped. I told them all to pack their virtual stuff and get the hell out of my class! This really pissed them off. If we would had been in a real classroom, these guys would have probably been beating me over the head with their malfunctioning laptops. It was crazy but they eventually disconnected from the call. Of course, right after the class, I get a call from the project manager. He says, "Ken, did you have some problems with your class today?"

Feeling defensive, I replied, "Me? No, I didn't have any problems at all."

"Really? Did you happen to kick some people out of your class today?", he asks.

"As a matter of fact, I did," I said, "but they were being disruptive assholes."

Yes, my virtual teaching days were short lived. Oh well, I've always preferred traditional meetings and real class rooms anyway....

kw

Police Body Cameras

In the near future, Baltimore City police officers could find themselves carrying another piece of equipment: the body camera. The plan, set in motion last year by the City Council, would require Baltimore's patrol cops to wear a video camera during their shifts.

The plan for body cameras was brought to the table after it was reveled that Baltimore City paid out approximately $6 million in recent settlements in 102 police brutality cases. Fueled by recent police-involved shootings, like the one in Ferguson, Missouri, police departments around the country have been put under a microscope of public scrutiny.

So, the big questions: Are body cameras the answer? Will they cause a dramatic decrease in police brutality cases? And, perhaps most importantly, will they promote the overdue healing process between the police and their communities?

I've asked a few law enforcement folks how they feel about wearing a body camera. Putting it mildly, they all had unfavorable opinions on it. They view it as just another obstacle that will impede their ability to do their job. I can see why they might object to this new policy. The public defenders will likely pick apart every word on the video recording of every arrest, essentially putting the officer on trial.

However, on the other side, it seems that a video of an arrest would greatly contribute to the getting to the "real story". In many of those so-called brutality claims, a video could actually help the police justify his or her actions. For instance, it be a lot tougher for a street thug to cry police brutality if a video shows him resisting arrest and/or assaulting a cop.

As expected, no plan comes without potential problems. The first problem is the cost of outfitting an entire police department with the cameras. Initially, there will be a 6-month pilot program in which 100 patrol officers will wear the cameras. These cops will be in districts with highest call volumes. If all goes relatively well, the cameras will find their way to the rest of the force. The estimated cost for the first year is between $5.5 and 7.9 million.*

Additional costs will likely come from the retention/storage of the camera data. A 16-member task force, appointed by Mayor Rawlings-Blake, has initially recommended that the data be retained for four years. As with any large data-retention activity, there are often substantial costs associated with infrastructure, administration and maintenance.

Aside from the costs, there is also a privacy issue with the cameras. This will have the potential to open up a whole other can of worms. Initially, the responding officer is supposed to alert the "person of interest" that the camera is rolling. At that time, the person can request that that the camera be turned off. While the officer is supposed to abide to that request, should there be a subsequent enforcement activity with that person, the cop is supposed to turn the camera back on. Suppose, when the camera comes back to life, a pop-knot magically appears on the suspect's head. It's now back to the cops word vs. the suspect. And, of course, there will likely be speculation on how, when and why the camera was initially turned off. Yeah, it can get a little complicated....

There's no telling how this will all pan out. Will the wood shampoo become a thing of the past? Will suspects possibly be a little more friendly and compliant with police officers? Who knows? But whatever the case, it looks like the cameras are definitely on their way to Baltimore.

kw


* http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/sun-investigates/bs-md-sun-investigates-cameras-20150221-story.html