Sunglasses

I normally go through around 3 pairs a year, more it seems if I go rafting...odd...the American River/Folsom Lake owe me at least 3 pairs.

After today, I am thoroughly convinced that at birth, a person should be fit for sunglasses and be given a sunglasses ID.  The person may get whatever style of sunglasses suits them; however, all they need to do is put in their ID and the sunglasses will magically fit their head and their style....perfection!!!

This would avoid the endless pacing between the aisles of sunglasses, trying on, taking off....trying on....taking off....

...this pair makes my nose look big...

...this pair makes my ears look crooked....

....this pair makes me look like a bug....

....this pair takes up half my face....

And by the time you get to the tenth pair and you're holding at least five other pairs in your hand, you're face doesn't even look like it belongs to you and you sigh and buy the original pair that you tried on.

It doesn't help that your ears really were put on crooked and your nose wasn't really designed to hold up glasses.

An excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine which wa written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II.

Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees.

1.  Pick young married women.  They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2.  When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lilves.  Older women who have nevere contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are well inlined to be cantankerous and fussy.  It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3.  General experience indiciates that "husky" girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4.  Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physicial exmination - one covering female conditions.  This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5.  Stress at the outset the importance of time the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules.  Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes.  Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jubs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7.  Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day.  Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change

8.  Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day.  You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology.  A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9.  Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms.  Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do.  Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10.  Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women.  Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vocifereously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11.  Get enough size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit.  This point can't be stressed too much in keeping women happy.

hmmmm...any interesting parallels to today? 

This past weekend I had a few extra moments to talk to a new friend of mine.  He is Guatemalan and has been in the States for about 3 years - he understands basic english fairly well, but, certain concepts are still hard to explain.

We were all chatting and the conversation turned serious.  In an effort to bring things around, I brought up The Wizard of Oz"  - my first mistake.

Explaining the concept of a scarecrow and a tin man is hard enough when speaking in your own language, much less trying to explain why the scarecrow needs a brain, why the tin man is heartless, and how a lion has no courage.  When it comes to yellow brick roads, red shoes taken from a dead witch crushed under a flying house, wicked witches versus good witches, fields drugged with poppies and colonies full of midgets....can I just say, impossible?

My second mistake was continuing the explanation of a movie with flying monkeys, men behind smokey curtains, hot air balloons, magical melting water and phrases like "there's no place like home" spoken like a chant.  But, I was determined to help my friend understand a movie I grew up loving.

...we finally stopped - and I realized how ridiculous parts of our culture really are  :) 

At least I didn't bring up some other classics like Alice In Wonderland or Charlie And The Chocolate Factory....