Today I recieved a letter from Senator Elizabeth Dole. Inside was a Republican Senate Leadership Survey. I took the survey and returned it without a donation.
As regular readers (as if I can say I post regularly) know, I am an active member of the Independence Party of Minnesota. This means several things. One of those things is that I hate the growing partisanship of the Republican and Democratic parties. Another thing is that , since my party is a state level party, I rarely have a legitimate centrist to vote for in a Presidential election. It has always been a choice of the lesser of two evils. I voted for Reagan (84), Bush (88 and 92), Dole (96), Gore (00) and Kerry (08). Of all of those men, I only really believed in Bob Dole and Ronald Reagan, in that order. Of the men who failed to earn my vote, our current President is the only man to push my vote to the Democratic Party. I bring this up so that you know I am an Independent who leans to the right on my presidential ballot. I also bring this up so that you have background for the following answers to a sampling of the survey questions.
First, you should know that the survey was a gentle (ya! as if the Republican Party knew what gentle was) request for party donations. I am withholding all financial support from the Republican and Democratic parties while we build a better choice for the people of Minnesota. But, I did want to share my views with a woman I respect, Senator Dole (or the underpaid staffer who will feed my survey into a big machine). Here are some of the questions, and my real answers. In the world of check boxes, you can write a survey to get whatever answer you want. These are the answers I want the Republicans and everyone else to know.
In general, are you pleased with the job President Bush is doing? No (O.K. the check box was sufficient for this question.)
Do you agree with the liberal Democrats who want to reverse President Bush's tax cuts? No (but I do agree with the Republicans who believe that tax cuts are a good spark to a faltering economy EXCEPT when we are paying billions of dollars to finance a war. The tax cuts have caused us to borrow billions of dollars from China to fund our massive budget deficit. Sure war is expensive, and sure it may require deficit spending, but it sure as hell doesn't justify a tax credit when we can't afford to give our troops the absolute best equipment and resources available.)
Should the Republican Party push for additional tax cuts to further stimulate the economy? No (hey, another easy one.)
Do you think we should fix the federal tax code so that it is simpler and fairer? Yes (Duh, who in their right mind would say no to that question. I'm waiting to see the results of this survey say that "98% of respondents agree with the Republican Party's plan to update and revise the federal tax code." I did NOT say that.)
As the world's most powerful nation, President Bush believes that the United States has a special responsibility to help make the world more secure. Do you support President Bush's vision for protecting our nation that includes both opposing and preventing violence by terrorists and outlaw regimes, as well as fostering an era of good relations among the world's great powers? No (I'm sure that I am now in the Republican Party's database as a terrorist hugging, America hating, liberal son of a bitch. Or at least something close. The fact of the matter is that I do support the United States contributing to world security. I don't support the President shoving his vision of security down other countries throats. I do oppose terrorists and "outlaw regimes". I also oppose President Bush's selective application of this vision in some regions while he ignores the ongoing terrorism in several African nations. Finally, I do believe that the United States is a powerful nation, and that we should be fostering good relations among the world's powers. I believe that President Bush thinks that good relations only apply to a handful of nations that do as we command. We need to maintain the respect of all nations. They don't have to agree with us, but they should see us stand up for our own beliefs without us tearing theirs down. I do not believe that the United States will be able to sustain its status as the world's most powerful nation if we maintain our current international policies. We are not the richest country on earth, we do not have the largest army, and we are quickly losing our biggest asset, the world's respect. There is no power without respect.)
What further steps - if any - should we take to safeguard our homeland? Restore civil liberties and restore the freedoms we are supposed to be defending. (Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.")
Do you support President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act - which is an absolute commitment to closing the achievement gap so every child can receive a quality education and the act is producing real results for every child? No (First, that is as bad a run on sentence as I have ever seen in my own blog, and you have seen some pretty ugly ones on these pages. Second, it should be obvious that I hate children and education. Actually, I volunteered at my local public high school for a decade coaching the speech team. I love children and public education. I believe that no child should be left behind. I also believe that if the federal government is going to mandate drastic changes in our cash strapped public schools, it should also fund those changes. It is ridiculous to mandate something from the oval office, and expect the local school board to pay for it with declining enrollments and dwindling tax revenue.)
Do you believe that building the Republican Party at the local grassroots level is key to strengthening our Senate Majority from Democratic filibustering? No (I believe the person who wrote these questions should have been left behind a grade until they passed rudimentary sentence construction. I also believe that, some day, when the Republicans are the minority party in the U. S. Senate, they will be the biggest advocates of the rules that support filibustering. There is plenty of historical record of great Republican filibusters. )
On the back of the survey I wrote the following:
I am a Bob Dole Republican. "60% of something is better than 100% of nothing." When did you forget that? Members of the U. S. Senate, quit your politically motivated, real issue neglecting, bitching, and negotiate, practice diplomacy, and work for America instead of a "majority" or a "minority" leader.
Man, I miss Bob Dole. If I'm lucky, his "mini me", John McCain will survive the gaunlet of Republican partisanship (or the nominating process) and give me a real choice to vote for in 2008.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Saturday, June 10, 2006
An open letter to women’s store designers
Obviously, I have not written much on this site recently. I can assure you that it must be something big to compel me to break from the comfort of complacency. It is. In one way it rivals the Spanish Inquisition. It is . . . the comfy chair. O.K., so I was referring to Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition. Nonetheless, I never expect a comfy chair when I go shopping with my wife anymore. Trust me, its torture. When I go shopping with my wife, I encounter several styles of seating for the patient, bag carrying, husband or boyfriend. They range from the over-stuffed leather couch that seems to swallow you whole to the simple wooden chair that makes you long for the comfort of the folding chairs in your high school cafeteria. Unfortunately, more often than not, there is no seating and my patience is dependent on the comfort of my own two feet. If you work in women's store design, please start taking notes. If you are just another shopper's husband, know that I share your pain.
I'm not going to pretend I know why stores do or don't have seating. I've tried to figure it out, but the design, style, placement, and choice of seating are as consistent between retail chains as is the location of the men's bathroom in these same stores(There's another article idea). What I can tell you is what I would avoid and recommend if you are trying to keep a man comfortable long enough for his girlfriend or wife to buy an armful of your products.
Over-stuffed Chairs - You might as well put in a full bedroom set. These are downright sleep inducing. When I get tired, I get impatient. I would rather pace than risk snoring in public, or worse, a public drooling incident.
Couches - A big three cushion couch is acceptable if it isn't over-stuffed. If there are two or more men waiting, two men can easily share this space. Other men will have to fend for themselves. It should be noted that the male seating capacity of a couch is determined by the number of buffer cushions. There needs to be one large empty cushion between each adult male sitting on the couch, thus a three man couch will have at least five large cushions. The exception to this rule is if there is any sporting event on a TV within sight of the couch. In this case, you will find 5 men sitting on a 3 person couch. Heck, aren't the arms nothing more than elevated seats?
Love Seats - I don't care how comfortable they are, they don't belong in any women’s clothing store waiting area. A man will sit on the floor before being seen in a love seat with another man.
Wooden Chair – This may be O.K. if I need a place to sit while my wife is picking up some alterations, but it doesn’t cut it as a place of comfort. I’ll go sit in the food court if I want an uncomfortable chair.
No Seating - This is the most common, and the worst of all alternatives. Again, I’ll either pace, or try to find a clothing rack to lean on. It is not surprising, but when I’m leaning against a rack of clothes, women rarely look at the clothes on that rack. Two or three guys just hanging on your clothing racks are guaranteed to trim your sales by more than what their girlfriends are likely to buy.
So, why is a comfortable chair so important? A guy pacing around a women’s store will not only make the wife nervous, but every other woman as well. And the sleeping alternative isn’t any better, trust me, most women will leave the store before someone finds out the leaky chainsaw is with them. And, if the wife’s punch in the arm doesn’t wake the hibernating bear in the chair, you not only lose a shopper, but gain a zoo exhibit. Worst of all, if I’m not in the store when my wife walks out of the dressing room, she will wonder what I am up to. How can she focus on whether the color of the stitching on the blouse contrasts with the color of the buckle on those shoes she hasn’t worn since last spring? For all she knows my male urges could be leading me into trouble without her, like the Bose store, or Apple, or any other overpriced electronics shop in the mall.
Do you want to increase sales this year? Just put in a couple comfy chairs for the retail husbands who accompany your customers. We don’t care about the color of the chair, or the embellishments on it. We expect "frou frou" furniture in a women’s store. Just make it comfortable.
Before I wrap this up, I have a confession to make. Women’s stores have driven me to become a gadget geek. It’s true. I was about to go insane reading Vogue, Glamour, and Cosmo every weekend while my wife was trying on clothes. I found my salvation when I realized that I could play a game on my PDA, or read the news on my cell phone. For those who have not found their refuge in technology, stores should consider putting out a Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine, or even GQ on the reading stack. Hey, I've got to go, my wife just finished paying for her outfits, and I haven't even finished . . .
I'm not going to pretend I know why stores do or don't have seating. I've tried to figure it out, but the design, style, placement, and choice of seating are as consistent between retail chains as is the location of the men's bathroom in these same stores(There's another article idea). What I can tell you is what I would avoid and recommend if you are trying to keep a man comfortable long enough for his girlfriend or wife to buy an armful of your products.
Over-stuffed Chairs - You might as well put in a full bedroom set. These are downright sleep inducing. When I get tired, I get impatient. I would rather pace than risk snoring in public, or worse, a public drooling incident.
Couches - A big three cushion couch is acceptable if it isn't over-stuffed. If there are two or more men waiting, two men can easily share this space. Other men will have to fend for themselves. It should be noted that the male seating capacity of a couch is determined by the number of buffer cushions. There needs to be one large empty cushion between each adult male sitting on the couch, thus a three man couch will have at least five large cushions. The exception to this rule is if there is any sporting event on a TV within sight of the couch. In this case, you will find 5 men sitting on a 3 person couch. Heck, aren't the arms nothing more than elevated seats?
Love Seats - I don't care how comfortable they are, they don't belong in any women’s clothing store waiting area. A man will sit on the floor before being seen in a love seat with another man.
Wooden Chair – This may be O.K. if I need a place to sit while my wife is picking up some alterations, but it doesn’t cut it as a place of comfort. I’ll go sit in the food court if I want an uncomfortable chair.
No Seating - This is the most common, and the worst of all alternatives. Again, I’ll either pace, or try to find a clothing rack to lean on. It is not surprising, but when I’m leaning against a rack of clothes, women rarely look at the clothes on that rack. Two or three guys just hanging on your clothing racks are guaranteed to trim your sales by more than what their girlfriends are likely to buy.
So, why is a comfortable chair so important? A guy pacing around a women’s store will not only make the wife nervous, but every other woman as well. And the sleeping alternative isn’t any better, trust me, most women will leave the store before someone finds out the leaky chainsaw is with them. And, if the wife’s punch in the arm doesn’t wake the hibernating bear in the chair, you not only lose a shopper, but gain a zoo exhibit. Worst of all, if I’m not in the store when my wife walks out of the dressing room, she will wonder what I am up to. How can she focus on whether the color of the stitching on the blouse contrasts with the color of the buckle on those shoes she hasn’t worn since last spring? For all she knows my male urges could be leading me into trouble without her, like the Bose store, or Apple, or any other overpriced electronics shop in the mall.
Do you want to increase sales this year? Just put in a couple comfy chairs for the retail husbands who accompany your customers. We don’t care about the color of the chair, or the embellishments on it. We expect "frou frou" furniture in a women’s store. Just make it comfortable.
Before I wrap this up, I have a confession to make. Women’s stores have driven me to become a gadget geek. It’s true. I was about to go insane reading Vogue, Glamour, and Cosmo every weekend while my wife was trying on clothes. I found my salvation when I realized that I could play a game on my PDA, or read the news on my cell phone. For those who have not found their refuge in technology, stores should consider putting out a Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine, or even GQ on the reading stack. Hey, I've got to go, my wife just finished paying for her outfits, and I haven't even finished . . .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)