Ha, no. We have a really great local library system and I have been to every branch. I love our libraries and our librarians and support them to the fullest extent possible. However, I have witnessed on several occasions (at least 8) the librarians at the Mt. Washington branch being flat out mean to children who come in and need help understanding where to find books, or how to use the catalog. To me, it’s inexcusable. I understand that they’re working on a shoestring in a hot box (no A/C at that branch) but be kind and helpful to kids who want to read books, dammit! And the Squirrel Hill branch librarians are incapable of enforcing the rules about no eating at the public computer terminals or running through the library or talking on cell phones, so I just don’t bother any more.
[ul]
[li]Go into a country with little or no infrastructure, often under the guise of offering humanitarian aid, especially after a disaster.[/li][li]Give mothers (especially those with limited literacy and/or education) of infants free samples of breastmilk substitute(with directions for use printed in English) and tell them that it’s better for their babies than breastmilk, more scientific, more convenient (others can watch/feed baby) and so on.[/li][li]Mothers then feed the babies the free substitute and consequently, their breastmilk dries up.[/li][li]When the free samples are all used up, the family often cannot afford to purchase more, or more is not available, so then they use an even more inferior substitute (like raw, unpasteurized animal milk or a rice gruel) to feed their babies, leading to desperate malnutrition.[/li][li]Mothers who can buy the substitute often cannot afford to purchase enough (or just can’t read and understand the English directions) so they feed the baby inadequately, leading to malnutrition.[/li][li]Worse, the substitute is mixed up with unclean water because that’s all that’s available, or the bottles are “washed” in non-potable water, leading to parasitic infections.[/li][/ul]
Per UNICEF, a child in a living situation without proper hygienic infrastructure (potable running water, electricity/cooking gas for sterilization of bottles, proper refrigeration) is between 6 and 25 times more likely to die of diarrhea and 4 times more likely to die of pneumonia if they’re fed substitutes rather than being breastfed.
Call me an ignoramus if you will, but “jap” is considered a racial epithet? It’s directly derived from “Japanese,” and as Americans we’re accustomed to abbreviating and shortening everything. We tend to accept truly demeaning words like “towel head” in certain quarters (I don’t agree with accepting it), but “jap”? (Maybe it’s geographical?)
(/hijack) Ooo ooo, you should PM me if you want stories. I was an intern for 5 months last year at Carrick and Main, and personally frequent Main and Squirrel Hill. Squirrel Hill librarians have problems because they refuse to confront the radical racial changes in the neighborhood - I’m sure you’ve seen the neighborhood change - and the librarians won’t comment on it or enforce rules even though it’s gotten rowdier and the atmosphere is generally thuggish. My personal favorite is the manager of the Squirrel Hill branch, who wears jeans and sneakers and talks at full volume. (/end hijack)
I refuse to patronize a business whose commercials are unduly annoying. I avoided Subway for years over those execrable “Subway Dinner Theatre” commercials with Jon Lovitz. I will probably never shop at Old Navy or The Gap.
The Israel-Palestine situation/occupation/apartheid/whatever term you wish to apply. Basically the idea that so long as Israel is continuing aggressions against the Palestinians/maintaining current “borders” and the wall, Israel will be boycotted.
I didn’t mention that in my list, but I don’t buy Israeli goods either, which is really fun, as a Jew, around holidays especially.
Actually, no, I haven’t, and when I’ve been there, the main perpetrators of rule violations have been of the particular ethnic subset that are the reason why that’s the only neighborhood branch that’s open on a Sunday, so I cannot imagine that race had anything to do with the fact that library staff there are a bunch of loud talking (yes, indeed), lazy, surly slackasses who need to find a new line of work.
I’d like to ask two questions of the people who have posted in this thread claiming to boycitt Israeli products. Note that I’m not asking this out of hostility or because I’m in any way offended, but because as an Israeli, I’d like to know what my country is up against.
Several of you have made comparisons to apartheid-ear South Africa. IIRC, the SA boycott had two simple objectives: free Nelson Mandela, and revoke apartheid laws. My questions are as follows:
What clear, concrete, quantifyable actions are you demanding that the Israeli government take?
If my government carries out these actions, will you end your boycott?
I choose not to patronize Chick Fil A for the most part because they would not and will not hire me for any position I was qualified for in their company, based upon the fact that I have visible tattoos and piercings. I understand their position, but also feel that unless someone’s body art is glaringly offensive (depicting lewd acts, bad language, racial slurs, etc) it has no detrimental effect on the ‘family-friendlyness’ of an establishment or even an individual. I think it’s about time we come on into the 21st century already.
I also am a proud athiest, if not vocal or militant. I do not wish to be witnessed to or preached at, and I am against the choices Chick Fil A makes when supporting charities and causes. I have no wish to help pay for pro-life, anti-abortion programs or to help keep prayer in schools, etc.
It’s not hate, by any means. In fact I lament that there’s nothing like a yummy Chick Fil A sammich with a lemonade - but I can live without.
I refuse to use internet explorer. This is backlash from ~Windows 98 or so when they backstabbed Netscape by making it impossible to run windows without running IE at the same time, taking a ton of resources. Since XP though you can uninstall it, but I still hate it.
I refuse to buy American cars until they stop ripping off consumers. I worked in a gas station, and Ford had some balls putting out the garbage that they do (80’s.) My family owned Dodge vans, and they were horrible too. After about 3 years, the steering wheel was no longer centered and the body was disintegrating. I want to get a pontiac or corvette someday though…maybe I’ll settle for a Jaguar.
There is a lot of stuff that I am ideologically opposed to…but that doesn’t translate to a hard-and-fast rule at all. I try not to buy from China, but I will. I try and look at labels that say “Vietnam” or best of all “India”, though. I most definitely will shop at Walmart if I can save money. I mean, the creamers are like SEVENTY cents cheaper there, alone. Things like that are a big deal.
I won’t watch reality shows, but I did once, for a week, when I was trapped with my aunts.
I don’t buy American cars, but it isn’t refusing to buy American cars so much as preferring Toyotas which are in it for the long haul. 200K miles, easily, every car.
Really it’s hard to think of principles that are do-or-die. You only get one life, but you can pick up 50 causes on any street corner.
Dude, it’s almost three decades later, and one constantly hears Ford mentioned with Honda and Toyota. Can’t blame you for continuing to avoid Chrysler, though!
