!

[fflo]

Montana to Tester!

Rumsfeld out!!!

Comments

[sprig5.livejournal.com]

my office is so poli-tic; people talk about these things when they think no one else is listening. Except for my boss, who is "OBD" from retiring ("one bad day"--actually he plans to stay a while) and is fairly left, and doesn't care who knows it. (Most are D's.) Yesterday I had two discussions with two officemates about the voting and the marriage amendments.

[(Anonymous)]

I worried at one point yesterday that, when open "rah" conversation finally broke out (at least for the first time while I was there), we/I might have gone overboard. Particularly since I have this ostensibly supervisoral role. (Okay, it's not just ostensible.) Whether there's any visible negative reaction shouldn't be the measure, even. One person did (happen to?) leave the room, though, and doesn't participate in political talk. And then there's (a) anybody who might be going by in the hall and (b) the (unlikely, but extant) possibility of someone falsely presenting as being happy or "agreeing" with the spirit in the room. (I'm pretty certain that's not the case, but the point is that you can't know.)

I confess I was so happy to be connecting with one particular co-worker over this topic (after not seeming to connect for a long time) that I couldn't stop myself from exhibiting glee.

Not that it's generally any surprise, I'm sure, how I feel. But we all have a responsibility not to make it an uncomfortable work atmostphere for people, and of course the supervisors have extra responsibility there. So I feel a bit the schmuck---while at the same time feeling glad, and relieved, to have a little connection with that one co-worker again.

[sprig5.livejournal.com]

Is this you, fflo? Reading your thoughtful reply makes me think my office situation is just fine the way it is. People talk more or less privately about their politics, not in groups. So no one feels alienated the way I did in a previous job. I remember when I worked for this security software company in Germantown, MD, during the dang-blasted 2000 election. There were people openly saying nasty things about Gore when he at first wanted FL votes to be recounted. It was then that I realized I was surrounded by techie Republicans. It was a "hostile work environment," to be sure.

Speaking of your earlier post about language, fflo (and the link which I'll have to read 5 x before I can say anything about it), we had a female CEO who'd use the metaphor "gang-tackling" during "all-hands" meetings. During the last such meeting I attended, she told us that for the good of the company, some of us were going to have to be separated, or something like that. Then she told us to go back to our offices, and wait until our bosses told us who had to go. When I was told, my boss was crying. She hadn't known about it beforehand. I had wanted to leave that job--but leaving in that way isn't something I'd wish on anyone.

p.s.

[sprig5.livejournal.com]

That Al Gore is a looker.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_gore

Re: p.s.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

what, no als with the beard in the whole wiki entry?

that was me, btw. hadn't logged in.

sleepy now.

Re: p.s.

[sprig5.livejournal.com]

You can add Al clad in brown, with beard, if you wish (bites palm).

Re: p.s.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

now i'm dead curious about whether that's a sincere palm biting... you really hot for al?