d&f 10/16/22
As required by law, I attended an Oktoberfest party yesterday focused on bikes, a Biketoberfest. Sadly, there were limited sausages to be had, but I did enjoy a schwarma and quite a few small taster glasses of beer. Instead of a Bavarian band of some sort, there were some older guys playing covers. I miss Texas Oktoberfest sometimes.
It’s Sunday, which means I’m thinking about work—more accurately trying not to think about work on Monday which means doing exactly what I don’t want to do. Fortunately, work still doesn’t entail a commute or pretending the pandemic is over in a crowded closed-in space with other people, but yours might. I’ve only managed people for a few years not, but it amazes me constantly how easy it is to just not be a dick to your employees. Every day I ostensibly lead two teams, I might not make the best decisions or provide exactly the answers or clarity they need, but I can at least no force them to work in an office I don’t visit. I can encourage and approve their vacations in a timely manner. I can say “oh, that sounds awful, sorry!” and mean it. Maybe I’ve just had bad bosses in the past, but so much of my stress as a worker was the power dynamic between my boss and I. The idea of a boss is mostly a maintenance of the status quo, with implied or real consequences for the rebels, not dissimilar from teachers or jail guards. As an anarchically-minded person, I want to believe we could self-organize instead of building endless hierarchies, but I think to have that happen we’d need healthcare and an end to capitalism.
Someday!
For those of you who grew up without religion, or somehow avoided Christians, it might surprise you to know that they have changed their political ideas and creeds regularly since the first volcel man in white put quill to paper. In particular, the Southern Baptists were once pro-choice. I grew up Southern Baptist, and my grandma worked at Planned Parenthood, which always confused me until I realized the church of the 50s-80s didn’t give focus solely on legislating bodies. Hopefully at some point folks in the states realize caring for children and adults is more important than limiting medical choices, or even that the likelihood of a book constantly edited by lonely men for two thousand years has any chance of truth. This is a hopeful edition of a newsletter, I guess. Brighter days!
Links
- Thanks Mark for the tip off on this very, very odd band:
- The trombone times are waning, but this is pretty great:
- Don’t be clever with kid’s names:
{< tweet user=“jeremyoharris” id=“1574212085650800640” >}
- Shout out to the most famous person in my family:
Closing
I’m a bit bruised and battered today from a minor crash—don’t try to use maps to find your friend while riding at speed on a narrow bike path. This week I need to find at least one leather item to wear to an anniversary party, and somehow make it work with an outfit. I’m not much of a leather person for various reasons, but maybe I can pull off a jaunty hat or harness with Blundstone’s. Until next week, I wish you and yours a spooky October, and a continued avoidance of the dreaded “pumpkin spice”. Thrill and chill, space cowgirls~