Mellow?

"So how did the family reunion go?"

"It was weird. We were all so.....mellow."

**********

Speaking of mellow, was a time I would have gone ballistic about the parking dividers, the missing comics and the stupid Visa machine.

I have often felt that you have to get somewhat aggressive to accomplish anything. I have to have enough ire to actually want to change something and pursue it, but not get so upset I'm ineffective.

Getting the dividers removed would require enough anger to actually do something, but a enough management of the anger to effect change.

I called twice to see about the "Emergency Shipment" of the missing comics, and they assured me they were on the way -- but they are still sitting there like a lump at the shipping center. Me thinks Diamond Shipping and me have different interpretations of the words "emergency" and "shipment" and "on the way."

(I was talking to Scott who owns More Fun Comics in Ashland, and he didn't think Fear Itself was a big deal, so maybe it won't be such a big problem.)

The Visa machine was the most important problem to be solved, but again, rather than yell and stomp, I tried to enlist the sympathy of the people on the phone.


So...by being mellow, I corrected one out of three problems, but it was the most important one.

***********

Spending an hour on the phone trying to correct the comic shortage, and not being able to talk to my own rep, and not getting a call back from the supervisor, and getting inaccurate answers from reps who are not my reps --

I'm glad that Diamond is saving money on manpower.

They just sort of shifted the manpower and labor onto MY shoulders.

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it. I'm sure Diamond (and other corporations who are getting more profitable by being more productive) will pass along the savings.

Right?

"Productive:" Getting more work out of fewer, newer and cheaper employees, and shifting time and labor onto their customers. And giving management big bonuses.

Deep breath. Mellow out, dude.

(By the way, Diamond is a monopoly, so there isn't a damn thing I can do about it...)