Years ago, my first good technical writing job was for a company that was contracting with Nabisco to produce computer-based training for a “bag in a box” line in Portland, Oregon.
The OSHA regulations for people on those lines were pretty strict; no jewelry; hair nets (and beard next, if you had enough beard); no loose clothing that could get caught in things.
And things, there were. Chain pulleys for the bucket conveyor that hauled the Cheez Nips and Wheat Thins from the conveyor belt (that hauled them from the bakery) to the scales, which had dozens of flipping, clanking lids and doors opening and closing every second, pouring product into bags; the pawls and arms and rotating cams of the machine that stuck the bags into the boxes; the pulleys and steel rods that shoved the boxes into packing crates for shipment.
(Oddly, there was no rule against grabbing a snack from the bucket conveyor).
While the plant followed all the usual rules and regs, I could see where wearing loose, flow-y clothing could cause a problem, opening Nabisco up to a world of liability (and the hapless worker to a lifetime without a finger, arm or head).
So I hear these stories…:
A group of Muslim workers allege they were fired by a New Brighton tortilla factory for refusing to wear uniforms that they say were immodest by Islamic standards.
Six Somali women claim they were ordered by a manager to wear pants and shirts to work instead of their traditional Islamic clothing of loose-fitting skirts and scarves, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil liberties group that is representing the women.
The women have filed a religious discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“For these women, wearing tight-fitting pants is like being naked,” said Valerie Shirley, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota chapter of CAIR. “It’s simply not an option.”
…and wonder – with no desire to be ethnically insensitive, mind you – “perhaps, ladies, there are fields you just shouldn’t seek jobs in? Jobs like oil-rig worker and Alaska crab fisherman and, perhaps, working in a food plant with (presumably) lots of equipment that long ago pushed the OSHA to ban, like, long flowing clothing in the workplace?”
I think i’ll visit Anti-Strib, but candidly, they’re more deluded (by far) than most of the comments and commentators here. Shouting into a hurricane isn’t really productive. Mitch, to his credit, occassionally admits to things – and at least has the grace to respond, which is from time to time, in fact enormous patience. Whether you little apple-polishers get it, I show a reasonable amount of patience in reply, every time Mitch claims i’m deluded, or about 1000 other things he says about me.
But, sad to say, no one really knows what happened to Peev’s testicle.
According to some local lore, if you listen just right on a still, calm day, you can hear Peev’s testicle rolling its way to destinations unknown.
That’s right Peev… you’re the boss around here. Give Mitch and the rest of us a couple more orders.
God forbid someone should say “I will not surrender/I will not submit.”
Sorry, Peev… I didn’t mean to offend you. Allah forbid.
Kermit, glad to know.. I used to use my initials, but that became less fun when Mitch decided calling people liars was reserved to him.
I’ve been:
Ted
Molly
and now Peevish, in a not-to-subtle jab at Mitch once using my initials to cast an insult at someone else after I’d departed his little blog. I don’t think I’ve ever posted as “anonymous”.
Mitch, my point was , you don’t need to put it there in arabic, not what the words said, though i did ask you why you put it there in arabic?
Quiz question for you: What is the lingua franca of the Moslem world? The language that serves Islam the way Latin used to serve the Catholic Church, the “official” language of the Quran?
I ask because, as memory serves, 4 or 5 of the 9/11 hijackers were Pakistani, they don’t read arabic anymore than you do.
Actually, it is very likely that they read a bit of Arabic, in the same sense that most Catholics understood a few key bits of Latin. Arabic is something that madrasses teach in the same way that Catholics learned Latin. The terrorists were largely led by Arab-speakers.
I believe you use anti-Muslim stokings, like Tiza, to generate animosity, and garner votes.
that is incorrect.
I like to think Peev’s testicle will one day take up residence in Yuma, Arizona, because the thought of a Yuma testicle is most amusing.
peevish said:
“cut the crap”
Your output on this thread peevish has been utterly craptastic. You asking others to “cut” anything is like BHO asking others to resist “our money culture”. Laughable.
Badda, I think the only one who barked any orders was you in our little discussion, no wait, I said you should answer my questions… whoa big fella, I wouldn’t want to intrude on your ‘calm’.
Ted
Molly
…Jbaueer, Mikey…
So, be careful out there people, and mind your steps, lest you find Peev’s testicle underfoot.
“Yuma testicle?”
“Nope, I’m somebody else’s testicle.”
Troy,
Probably true. And Troy, thanks for pointing out Obama’s middle name, not that you have any anti Arab bias or anything.
And Mitch, do you seriously think non-english speaking muslims are going to read your blog’s arabic slogan? And mitch, that defense, regarding the pakistanis reading a ‘little latin’ is weak, really, really weak.
I think you put it there to announce your opposition to Islamic radicalism, good for you, but it does point out that you might perhaps maybe be lumping all arabs into a pot. Maybe you dont’ mean to, but you appear to be doing so.
Peev:
“…that was classy. Really.”
Well, you are a classless troll. The shoe fits.
😆
Go and interpret that as getting “angry” if it makes you feel better.
I don’t recall Mikey, but that might have been one where I was poking fun, as in “Hey Mikey, he likes it – Mikey hates everything”, get it?
And JBauer, come on Mitch, get a sense of humor, you hero-worship Jack Bauer – did you think that Keifer was visiting or something?
One other thing Mitch, I never once denied my identity, I did ask why you were asking, but I was NEVER anonymous, I never lied about it.
Peev,
“I think the only one who barked any orders was you in our little discussion, no wait, I said you should answer my questions… whoa big fella, I wouldn’t want to intrude on your ‘calm’.”
Where did you ask me to answer baseless claims on you? I demanded that you respond to your own claims. That’s all. You, of course, failed (FAILED!) to do so, which makes you a little bit of a…
What is the word?
Peev,
You are Ed Salden and I claim my $20.
I think it’s about time I put that Mohammed bomb turban cartoon back on my blog sidebar, as a tribule to ole’ One Nut Peev.
Badda,
I thnk you started the douchebag thing, but as for trolls, for someone who merely snipes without ever adding anything, and occasssionally making my point for me, well, let’s just say you’re looking up on the evolutionary scale at trolls. mmmkay? 🙂
Peev, you’ve got a selective memory.
Badda, I answered your question, maybe in all the Yoss tripe you missed it, but I did, and you issued the demands.. not I.
(And, you are a douchbag.)
This thread promises to go down in history as the defining moment when Peev officially tried to claim this blog as his own, as a replacement for his missing testicle.
Yoss tripe would be great with a side of fries.
Yep, good ole Badda, always showing his maturity and responsibile adult tone. Good on ya’ mate.
And Mitch, do you seriously think non-english speaking muslims are going to read your blog’s arabic slogan?
Doesn’t much matter!
And mitch, that defense, regarding the pakistanis reading a ‘little latin’ is weak, really, really weak.
It would be, if it were a “Defense”. It’s not. It’s a statement of linguistic fact.
I think you put it there to announce your opposition to Islamic radicalism, good for you, but it does point out that you might perhaps maybe be lumping all arabs into a pot.
Nope.
Maybe you dont’ mean to, but you appear to be doing so.
I really don’t think so, since my blog has gone farther than most (of either side!) to point out the fact that parts of Islam are, in fact, not only moderate but small-“l” liberal and democratic. Seriously – I have never seen a leftyblogger point out the democracies in Mali and Senegal; I doubt that most news reporters even know about them. I doubt, in fact, that you knew anything about either of them.
So if after my six-year record of moderation on the issue I “appear” to be a bigot to you, that might say more about your approach than mine.
Just saying.
Peev:
“Badda, I answered your question, maybe in all the Yoss tripe you missed it, but I did, and you issued the demands.. not I. ”
Where? Got a reference point?
Again, I know I demanded something from you… it was to illustrate that you had NOTHING. Further smears and lies from you.
It was like a rhetorical question… I already knew the answer.
So Mitch, care to convince me blogs aren’t flameboards? I’m getting a bit fuzzy on that part again.
If you feel my comments that your post was disengeniously tied to political invective and bias mongering were flameboard, sorry, they were not intended to be. Conversely, saying that everything I say is deluded.. well, let’s just say it’s not a constructive reply. I’d even say it’s not ‘normally civil.’
Peev:
“Yep, good ole Badda, always showing his maturity and responsibile adult tone. Good on ya’ mate.”
No… it simply shows that I am crass. I’m not surprised you can’t tell the difference. You’re track record isn’t exactly 100%… Baldrick.
I think i’ll visit Anti-Strib, but candidly, they’re more deluded (by far) than most of the comments and commentators here.
Especially that guy who calls himself “Ed Salden”. That guy is flakier than a psoriasis sufferer. There’s also some guy who calls himself “Il Duce” who actually believes in Capitalism. What a hoot!
Oh, and as I recall “Peevish” was bestowed by the venerable James Lileks (PBUH) who dubbed you Peevish Boy for your incessant ranting with no real focus. So your claim Peevish, in a not-to-subtle jab at Mitch once using my initials to cast an insult at someone else after I’d departed his little blog. is not just patently false, but you didn’t just “depart” Mitch’s “little blog”, you were banned after challenging him to do just that.
You are deliberately misrepresenting the facts, Peebs.
Kermit,
Pass my apologies on to Il Duce and the rest for suggesting Peev trip on over to the Anti-Strib.
Yikes!!!
So Mitch, care to convince me blogs aren’t flameboards?
I’m not sure that I care to “convince” anyone of anything. Things are what they are. Laissez les bontemps roullez.
If you feel my comments that your post was disengeniously tied to political invective and bias mongering were flameboard, sorry, they were not intended to be. Conversely, saying that everything I say is deluded.. well, let’s just say it’s not a constructive reply. I’d even say it’s not ‘normally civil.’
There’s a bit of a continuum with these things. Sort of like the right end of a bell curve. A very high bell.
All this turmoil, and we probably won’t even make 200?
Wow. That is one tough hill to climb!
Badda, I can’t think of anything funnier that Peebs trying his twisted logic out on Brent. Well besides El Douche in that goofy hat, of course.
I really don’t think so, since my blog has gone farther than most (of either side!) to point out the fact that parts of Islam are, in fact, not only moderate but small-”l” liberal and democratic. Seriously – I have never seen a leftyblogger point out the democracies in Mali and Senegal; I doubt that most news reporters even know about them. I doubt, in fact, that you knew anything about either of them.
Welll, there’s a comment that, once again, is both sheer conjecture and utterly wrong. In fact Mitch, I spoke over the weekend with a (gosh) liberal who worked in Mali until recently, and commented rather at length about the moderate and progressive state of both Mali and Senegal. Actually, I asked her what Dakkar was the capital of (I’d forgotten), and asked what the French colony on West Africa was – again forgotten – which we agreed was Senegal. Mitch, your condescending assumptions of your superior knowledge are pretty offensive – not that I’m offended, but still.
I don’t find your approach moderate – Scott Johnson was made to look the fool on TIZA, you backed him – rather than saying in fact the findings were at best, trivial – in reaction to rather baseless allegations of teaching kids to hate America.
So, your doubts were in error – is there an apology to be expected at your impugning of my knowledge of world facts. You could have also pointed out the moderate governments in Morocco, in Tunisia, in Algeria. You see, I happen to have some idea about those too. I don’t believe my point was that you’ve NEVER said anything complimentary. I believe I’ve said that you haven’t created a post, authored a point, where you complimented local or national muslims. I believe I was pretty clear about it in fact.
There’s a bit of a continuum with these things. Sort of like the right end of a bell curve. A very high bell.
Mitch, that comment was wontonly insulting, but I guess I’m deluded. Frankly, on balance, I’m at least as logical as you, and I think you know it. For example, I don’t need to qualify apologies, I dont’ claim you were ‘anonymous’, and I don’t claim you don’t know shit, when in fact I have no idea if you do or not.
You wanna start treating me respectfully, I’m game – we’ve been down this road though, it seems like the first time I question your conduct, you insult me. I’m not sure that’s delusional conduct on my part.
Hey Kerm, the blog read “Shall we say Peebish”, was authored by Mitch – not Lileks, he’s got a little more class than that I suspect.. I fear your facts are wrong, unless Lileks started authoring Shot in the Onion.
And Kerm, tread carefully, while I think you’re a fairly decent guy, I don’t recall you, for a moment, being up to the task. Much like Badda in that regard.
Sorry Peebs. I remember distinctly Lilek’s reference to you as Peevish Boy, but it was most likely on The Bleat. Regardless, the appellation was accurate, as evidenced by your assumption thereof.
See, Peebs, you are Legend!
Peev:
“…your condescending assumptions of your superior knowledge are pretty offensive – not that I’m offended, but still.”
😆
Which is it? Pick a side and try to stick with it, Peev.
Holy Hannah, we thought you were deranged when you called yourself (anonymously) PB. We didn’t know when we were well off!!!
Well, I hadn’t read it, so clearly, my accounting and attribution of it to Mitch HERE was accurate.
As for Lileks, if that’s how he gets his kicks, insulting people he never met – I guess that says a lot for your favorite authors.
However, I don’t recall him EVER saying something complimentary of Muslim leadership or activity either locally or nationally. Not once.
Okay, what significantly good things have local or national Muslim leaders done that Mitch should have been aware of and said something nice about? Maybe, “Well, gee, it was pretty darned nice of the folks at CAIR to only qualify as unindicted coconspirators”? or “You know? That Ali Jawad really puts the ‘hez’ in Hezbollah!”
Up to the task? Peev, you’ve never shown me to be the extremist you claimed I was… like so many of the claims you level at the readers here.
Badda,
The point, you vomitous mass (sorry, you seem to like movie references) is that what was said, the conduct, was something anyone would have the right to be offended by. However, knowing Mitch, I don’t take it seriously enough to be offended. And Badda, you’re still mature and responsible, and so very very likeable, in a vomitous mass sort of way, but thanks for playing “Badda’s incapable of grasping nuance.”
that comment was wontonly insulting
No, it was a commentary about the quality of comment threads in general, and has no personal aspect to it at all. Criminy.
if that’s how he gets his kicks, insulting people he never met
I think the verb is “describing”. I mean, your persona in this space is nothing if not, well, peevish.
No Peebs, Lileks “gets his kicks” by being a columnist for the Star Tribune and running Buzz.com for said publication. Your endless rants merely amused him. For good reason.
Oh
My
God!
There IS a Peevish Boy:
http://peevishboy.blogspot.com/
😆
Joel,
Ok, let’s try a couple on for size.
First, when 9/11 happened, virtually the ENTIRE american muslim community denounced Bin Laden. American (and other) mullahs have declared Fatwas against Bin Laden since 9/11.
When anti-muslim hate crimes surfaced, muslim clerics preached tolerance and patience, not retaliation.
Is that ok for starters?
How about this, Muslims are pretty well regarded for their generosity toward the poor, especially aid efforts to Somalia, but hardly limited to that. There have also been indictments about abuses – about funds flowing into the hands of criminals or even terrorists, but I’ve never heard anyone claim that the vast majority of those religious charities are doing ANYTHING but good works.
That’s just what I can recall from the top of my head.
Badda – I’m bored with you, I answered your questions – appareantly you can’t remember.. go back to bed little soldier. If you want to actually ADD into a discussion, I’ll talk to you, but you’ve past your expiration date here.
197, Mitch! We can do it! Together! Let me help: Bush was right to invade Iraq.
I think the verb is “describing”. I mean, your persona in this space is nothing if not, well, peevish.
Same back at ya :).
It surely is, from time to time, peevish, but Lileks doesn’t know me, and peevish is an insult.
That said, Mitch, you made two claims, first that you know FAR more than me, and are far more understanding of other cultures, second, that you doubted I even knew of the moderate governments in Senegal and Mali. Care to retract those unproven statements? They are your own arrogance speaking.
And Mitch, frankly, saying that I have to be on some bell curve (a high one as I recall) where the VAST majority of comments are deluded, no mithc, thats not observation, that’s insult.