Sept. 21, 2002 - 19:50 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Same-o, Same-o

Deja vu too as usual, just different employees, different companies at a much later date. Ralph Lauren's Polo retail stores apparently require sales representatives (clerks dammit) to purchase and wear the retailer's latest clothing - claimed by suing employees. So Polo Ralph Lauren is being sued by the employees over its uniform policy, which workers contend forces them to spend as much as a third of their annual income on company fashions to keep their jobs.

Do I doubt the employees claims ? No I don't. I remember a chain store here - a very pricey one - who paid their clerks about the same as clerks in other department stores, but expected them to be dressed to the nines. Back then it was much easier to get rid of an employee than now, without repercussions. So, for most any reason, or no reason at all an employee could be let go (fired). So it was dress up at any cost to keep a job. That was before World War Two and factories burgeoned over the land. Times were still hard and jobs scarce. The employees went on strike for over a year while scabs worked the store. The company finally gave in, upped their wages a skosh and relaxed some on attire to be worn in the store. Ended up that the only real benefit the employees had was being able to dress more economically. Money wise they didn't stand much of a chance to make up for the year's lost wages.

Not much new to me, I wonder of Ralph Polo Lauren gives a discount to employees ? Judging by his expectations, he might be thought to up the price a bit to his folk.

Bruce Cameron, a newspaper columnist with a sense of humor had an article in today's paper about cell phone etiquette, Quote, "When at the airport, it is very important to talk loudly on the telephone while standing in line, so people will know how vital you are to the world economy. Bellow statements like, 'But its a million dollar deal !' and, 'If we don't deliver the product today, all of Asia is pudding !' If you are unemployed, call your wife and shout these things at her. If you are unemployed and you don't have a wife . . . well, at least you have a cell phone."

His column Rocky Mountain News go to the upper right corner where it says "Search site for," and type in Bruce Cameron" hit go and then pick out his column for September 21

Denver seems to be in a pickle. Newspaper says that hundreds of children are on waiting lists for schools outside their neighborhoods. Others can't get into their neighborhood schools because there is no room.

The article goes into much detail but it looks like to me the aristocracy of the school board has dropped more than the ball. In recent times they decided a pupil can go to any school the parent wishes. Under Colorado law, students can also attend schools outside their home school district. Last year they had open enrollment and of course the scene shifted. Now there isn't always room for a new student to go to his neighborhood school.

Thinking back pre-bussing, the poorer districts in town had the worst buildings, equipment and naturally, teachers. Our population was always misled and told that each school got equal treatment in all things. Didn't take much eyeballing to see the big differences. Bussing was supposed to correct that.

Looks to me like there are schools in town that are like a sieve, pupils have drained away from a place where they are disadvantaged. They want a better education than they can get in some neighborhood schools. Quite possible in my opinion that the schools in poorer neighborhoods are given too little too late. One approach would be to put teachers on rotation - which would be a disadvantage to the teachers. Another would be to weed out the dead wood - put them doing administrative work at headquarters if necessary, and then make darned sure people who want to be teachers are highly qualified, put them in the poor neighborhoods and location, then be governed by seniority. Build more school buildings in areas which need them. Staff them.

But maybe the school board will waffle around, pass the buck and let money favor the schools in the ritzy neighborhoods, just like it was before bussing.

An article in the paper shows that finally a tad of serious attention is being paid to the fact that overuse of medicines containing acetaminophen (trade name Tylenol), but it is a component in many of the over the counter drugs, can be very harmful to the liver, in fact the liver can be destroyed. I picked up on that some years ago, in the PDR maybe, that the side effects of constant use and overdosing was very harmful to the liver. Some scientists warn that even taking the maximum safe dose for a long period, instead of the recommended day or two, may be risky.

I expect that people who drink heavily and already have a shaky liver are in great danger of complications. It is easy to get into the habit of taking over the counter pain killers daily for any number of reasons, but not considered are the many different over the counter drugs contain that ingredient also. Might be wise to check out what is in a cold medication for instance. I for one have to check on the contents of the few over the counter drugs I take as there are certain drugs that conflict with the prescription drugs I am on.

Years ago, on the radio the commercial for the Plop - plop -fizz-fizz stuff had the way of saying the important ingredient of it was "sodium acetyl-salicylic acid," touted as the miracle ingredient. Of course that was just plain old aspirin.

Looks to me like there are many of the same acts just at a later date, and people fall for them. Same-o Same-o . . . . . . . . . .

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