Friday, June 24, 2005

DISENGAGED CEOS

In Gallup's Q12 survey, it turns out that top executives are more likely than rank & file to agree with the following:

  • The mission/purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
  • At work, my opinions seem to count.
  • This year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

Quel shoque.

Still, all is not rosy in the executive suites. Gallup found that 1 in 10 executives are "disengaged," not really minding the store. When executives feel they aren't listened to, and feel unempowered, they become disengaged. Gallup asks whether workers have a best friend at work - being lonely doesn't help.

Another 1survey found that 10% of executive respondents have called in sick to play golf.

Interestingly, one headhunter attributes entrepreneurial spirit to this alienation - it "develops as a defense mechanism," he said.

Some might be because of boozing, but fortunately companies pay the large rehab bills.

The CEO of Office Depot says he uses ten executives to make decisions: USA Today writes, "Those who disagree are not ignored; rather, energy is expended until they are persuaded to change their mind."

Apparently raises and payscale "don't matter much" according to several studies. A UT study finds no correlation between executive pay and engagement or loyalty. (More arguments for cutting executive pay: they won't even care! Just make sure they have a best friend and occasional plaque at work!)

Recycled source: USA Today 6/21/05 2B

Thursday, June 23, 2005

LESBIANS BEHAVING BADLY

What is with all these destructive lesbian mothers? Biomoms stealing the kids. Nonbio parentsgoing out for a permanent pack of cigarettes. They work homophobia for their own selfish or hostile ends. And so many have twins!

Meet Emily B, a deadbeat Mom. Emily had children with her partner, EMB -- they got twins, one with Down Syndrome. After a year and a half, Emily walks - and adds, no child support: "I'm not the children's father." No Kidding Emily! We thought you loved mowing the lawn & doing the BBQ! (USA Today -- a found copy -- reports that they "had even shared breast-feeding duties", though this isn't spelled out. Emily, you breastfed the twins and you're not a parent?

E.G. is another tragedy. E.G. took her partner, K.M.'s, egg. KM signed the rights to the eggs away - something one must do in to even transmit donor eggs. They too had twins. When E.G. wants to get sole custody, she cites that waiver of parental rights that allowed her to get the eggs in the first place!

Kristine also enters this hall of shame. She was with Lisa for 8 years and even had Lisa declared the legal father, and both parents, before their child was born. They are together 2-1/2 years -- the child has language, attachments, and so forth. Kristine now wants Lisa out, and her lawyer (Honey Kessler Amad0) aruges that she never intended to give Lisa full paternity rights. Oops, did that paperwork to name you Daddy - I thought I meant my Daddy! Not the baby's Daddy! Went to the courthouse, filled out forms, got them notarized, and all that, but it was one big misunderstanding that lasted 30 months.

Fortunately California's higher courts seem more gay friendly than these chicks. It's not that I think lesbians should be better than hets - but yes, in fact, I wish they would.

See USA Today 6/21/05: 3A.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

POST-SCANDAL NARRATIVE

The scandal narrative is (was): revelation, investigation, expiation & punishment, and return.

Mark Danner notes the change in our prevailing narratives from Watergate era to this moment. "What is interesteing...is that the heart of the scandal, the wrongdoing, is right out in front of us. Virtually nothing of great importance remains to be revealed." "What distinguishes our time - the time of September 11 - is the end of the narrative of scandal."

This is from a speech to the graduating English majors at Berkeley this year and so highlights the role of humanities thinkers as critics commited to truth and reality (in the current radical sense, contra the reality-making of the Bush regime). Danner doesn't elaborate on what caused or permitted the freeze at revelation. Why there isn't a narrative propulsion to investigation and expitation? Where is the need for narrative profluence? Or is there a different narrative? Are discoveries easily absorbed into the rhetoric of narrative of disgruntled elites and putting our men & women in uniform at risk - cultural class war and sentimental nationalism. Or is it a non-narrative - is the discovery of facts not a revelation of betrayal or contradiction from some presumed reality? We already knew Bush was keen on invation. Shit happens. We're at war. WMD don't matter. No rupture, no story, hence no movement.

Published in The New York Review of Books 6/23/05 (p. 53).

Monday, June 13, 2005

FEMINISM AT THE WSF

TEXTUAL SOURCES FOR FEMINISM AT THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM

I. WSF TEXTS
The WSF Charter of Principles – (about the forum itself)
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/main.php?id_menu=4&cd_language=2

WSF 2005 Program (Porto Alegre)- http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/main.php?id_menu=7&cd_language=2

The Background, Present and Possible Future of the World Social Forum (with a substantial bibliography of writings about the Forum)
http://www.labournet.de/diskussion/wipo/seattle/pa03/waterman.html
(http://manifestor.org/pipermail/mi/2003-June/000074.html was a draft)

The Manifesto of Porto Alegre (an unofficial manifesto) - http://la.indymedia.org/news/2005/03/123579.php
Includes women + feminism occasionally, e.g.:

4. The right of every inhabitant of this earth to work, social security and pension following the equality between man and woman as a finding element of all internal and international policy.
8. First of all, combating all forms of discrimination, sexism, hostility against foreigners, racism and anti-Semitism through different political measures.


II. FEMINIST ORGANIZING AND THE WSF

World March for Women – Women’s Global Charter for Humanity (December 2004)
http://www.marchemondiale.org/

Feminist Dialogues - (Isis International (Manila); DAWN - Development Alternatives for Women in a New Era; INFORM (Sri Lanka); WICEJ - Women’s International Coalition for Economic Justice; AFM – Articulación Feminista Marcosur, FEMNET – African Women’s Development and Communication Network y NNAWG – India National Network of Autonomous Women’s Groups)

Article about FD @
http://www.wluml.org/english/newsfulltxt.shtml?cmd%5B157%5D=x-157-119969
http://wsf.amarc.org/pressrelease.php?action=shownews&id=214
http://www.awid.org/go.php?stid=1440

Articulación Feminista Marcosur
http://www.mujeresdelsur.org.uy/

Also see entries in this blog from late January. If you use this source, please cite it.

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

THE GAME OF POLITICS

The link between electoral politics and sports is more than metaphorical or attitudinal, it's institutional.

Front page on a found copy of USA Today (6/8/05), a story about pro-sports leagues hiring government veterans for PR and crisis management. Ari Fleisher helps baseball. A Rove flunkee helps basketball. Democractic professionals work with the National Hockey League on labor and PR, and with Marion Jones to manage the steroid image. (Hockey? Say it ain't so, Dems.)