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#21
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Self-described Snowboard Whore Fired
interesting observation wc, i was noticing the same...
you have to remember, americans live in a simpler world, where everything is black or white. and in a world like that, who needs sarcasm or satire? the reality is a lot of us take ****ty jobs to be able to do what we love a lot. for example, i live in salt lake city, which pays for my industry about 30 to 40% less than places like seattle, portland, or socal. but i'm stoked to live here cuz the snow is incredible, and the resorts are close. and i'm one of the lucky ones! i get to have a decent paying IT job and *still* snowboard 70+ days. others aren't so lucky... i know a lot of kickass riders and skiers that are diggers, or wash dishes, or whatever to make ends meet and get a free pass. in the author's case, she's a snowboard instructor so she can *snowboard* and get paid for it. she makes fun of herself, and the idea in the very article we're wasting a bunch of calories on ("...I am all that. I am a snowboard pro, yo."). being a ski school instructor is tough! a lot of these kids are spoiled, and/or rich, and often they aren't used to listening, or staying focused, or for that matter, being nice!! it takes patience that i just don't have. so, i can understand her having some built up animosity. and part of having a ****ty job, for those of you that have forgotten, is to bitch about it. yes, i think she went a *wee* bit overboard, and didn't really balance the **** and sarcasm with *some* mention of how cool her job can be. BUT, it was written in a certain character specific context that i understand. if i were in her place, i'd prolly have a lot of funny biting comments about all the obnoxious people i came across too. and lets face it, there is nothing more obnoxious than someone that comes for a holiday, can't ski/ride, crashes continually in high traffic parts of the mountain they shouldn't be on, and bitches about all the snowboarders and freestylers whizzing by. if i have to hear from some rich wannabe that skis/rides 4 days a year how snowboarders are ruining the snow, i'm gonna burst. now, before you castrate me for that, i welcome newbies and visitors to the mountain. i really do. i always make it a habit to kick it with people on the lift and suggest cool parts of the mountain or sights, or whatever. i want them to come here and enjoy what i do... the beauty and fun of riding down snow! but please don't bitch because you can't ride well, and you fall alot. just because i jump, or ride fast past you doesn't induce immediate falling. that last part was a lil bit off-topic, but it snuck out. sorry. good turns people... paul WeatherCam wrote: "Barney" wrote in message ... "Baka Dasai" wrote in message news:slrnc0cshp.72k.idontreadthis@yahoobb220004112 021.bbtec.net... On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 11:11:09 -0500, Walt said (and I quote): http://www.aspentimes.com/apps/pbcs..../COLUMN/312310 17 http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2754374/detail.html I'm having trouble understanding other posters negative reaction to the instructor's original article. It's a naive fantasy to expect that everybody loves their job all the time, and that students are always bundles of fun. It's just an instructor having bitching about her students. Doesn't everybody bitch about their jobs now and then? I'm speaking as a parent who puts my child in ski school, and I'd have no qualms about having her taught by the writer of the article. She sounds like she's got a pretty healthy attitude if you ask me. Yeah, I can't see what the fuss is all about. So she wrote a jokey article, and she sometimes doesn't like her job. And? Interesting vibe coming out of these posts - it would seem, and again difficult to judge because I'm only guessing from the various names / organisations / sigs that there seems to be a definite split between those that find it satire / amusing (me included) and those that don't - pretty obvious so far - then attempt to apply some form of geographic demographics to it and my conclusion, which is probably wrong - is that our N American descendents do not find it any where near as amusing as non US citizens - is that becasue it happened in the US or is it more......... we (non US) don't take ourselves too seriously and as yet ( though it's coming) we're not to dragged down by PC attitudes......oh well I won't get my VISA to the US now....... Any thoughts...... Regards WC |
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#22
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Self-described Snowboard Whore Fired
"MoonMan" Do you every watch "Satirical" Tv Programs or read satirical magazines? just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's not funny and it didn't seem very hostile to me, she was taking the micky out of herself as well as the pupils. -- Chris *:-) Downhill Good, Uphill BAD! I don't watch much TV of any kind, although I do read satirical writing from time to time (boring, aren't I?). As another poster suggested, it's entirely possible that I, like a lot of Americans, just don't respond well to satire. Maybe this is a flaw in our national character, maybe not. I remember quite well from my ski instructor days that quite a few ski/snowboard school students (and their parents) are almost as difficult to deal with as the article showed them to be. At the same time, I remember a few too many self-centered, egotistical "instructors" whose attitudes were pretty close to those portrayed in the article. Maybe that's why I had trouble seeing a lot of humor in the article. I still think that the writer would have found her students a lot easier to deal with had she put a little effort into improving her teaching skills. -- mark |
#23
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Self-described Snowboard Whore Fired
"WeatherCam" writes:
"Barney" wrote in message ... "Baka Dasai" wrote in message news:slrnc0cshp.72k.idontreadthis@yahoobb220004112 021.bbtec.net... On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 11:11:09 -0500, Walt said (and I quote): http://www.aspentimes.com/apps/pbcs..../COLUMN/312310 17 http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2754374/detail.html I'm having trouble understanding other posters negative reaction to the instructor's original article. It's a naive fantasy to expect that everybody loves their job all the time, and that students are always bundles of fun. It's just an instructor having bitching about her students. Doesn't everybody bitch about their jobs now and then? I'm speaking as a parent who puts my child in ski school, and I'd have no qualms about having her taught by the writer of the article. She sounds like she's got a pretty healthy attitude if you ask me. Yeah, I can't see what the fuss is all about. So she wrote a jokey article, and she sometimes doesn't like her job. And? Interesting vibe coming out of these posts - it would seem, and again difficult to judge because I'm only guessing from the various names / organisations / sigs that there seems to be a definite split between those that find it satire / amusing (me included) and those that don't - pretty obvious so far - then attempt to apply some form of geographic demographics to it and my conclusion, which is probably wrong - is that our N American descendents do not find it any where near as amusing as non US citizens - is that becasue it happened in the US or is it more......... we (non US) don't take ourselves too seriously and as yet ( though it's coming) we're not to dragged down by PC attitudes......oh well I won't get my VISA to the US now....... Any thoughts...... After having plowed through the above hundred-word paragraph without a perceptible sentence break, yes, I have a few. The woman in question exercised some pretty poor judgment in publishing that article, or at least, in not doing so very, veeery anonymously. The irate response was to be expected (and no, it's not a North American thing; spend some more time on different continents before you start making such generalizations). Was the response justified? Well, no, not IMO. But a lot of parents who bring their kids to ski school have some skewed views about several things. First off, they're almost all affluent people, and a great many of them have never had a job that paid little more than minimum wage -- or if they did, it was as a trust-fund-kid lark, without having to actually meet a full set of grownup financial obligations on that kind of paycheck. Nor do they have any idea that minimum wage plus a bit is what that instructor is being paid. They believe that the majority of the x dollars that they pay for their child's lesson ends up in the instructor's pocket, times six or however many kids are in a class. You expect a great deal of someone who's getting paid that much. Also, these parents are often not all that used to spending a great deal of time with their kids. They shuffle them off to school, daycare, activities, whatever, and they may not have the most accurate view of their children's character and abilities. It's pretty common for a child to end up in ski school as a result of a parents' resolve to break their child of the sugar-and-video habit and get him/her into a healthy activity...all well and good, but when the horrible reality sets in, the parents are off in the hot tub. It's the instructor who has to deal with the tantrums, the "I don't want to/I don't have to/I want to have a snack and watch a video," to take this child who has never been made to really work at anything in his/her whole life and change that. A kid like that is not going to be rippin' up the hill by the end of the day; in fact, if you can get a kid like that to spend a reasonable part of the day outside giving it an honest try, you have accomplished a miracle. But the parents come back at the end of the day, and while many of them understand full well the struggle, a few are quite irate that a lifetime's worth of bad habits weren't turned around in a single afternoon. It is, in part, a management and marketing issue. Parents need to have their expectations set appropriately when bringing kids to ski school, and that's not the job of the instructor. Nor is it the instructor's job to tell parents when their kid is really not ready for ski school -- not without some backing from management. If management and marketing are not doing their job properly, an instructor's life is going to be nonstop hell, because parents will expect things that you simply can't deliver. And even when things are managed well, you will have some spectacularly bad days at work. But when you talk publically about your spectacularly bad days at work, you make your workplace look bad, and you shouldn't be too surprised if your employer does something about it. Don't believe me? Try it sometime. Post about your horrible day at work, the idiot customers and your ******* of a boss, publically identify yourself and your employer, and do so in a forum where it's bound to get back to the people at work. Then sit back and watch what happens. IOW, her feelings were justified, and I don't think she should "just quit if she doesn't like it" (a simplistic solution typically offered by well-off people who've never had to resort to it themselves). But she is guilty of some spectacularly bad judgment. -- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::: Mary Malmros Some days you're the windshield, Other days you're the bug. |
#24
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Self-described Snowboard Whore Fired
I don't watch much TV of any kind, although I do read satirical writing
from time to time (boring, aren't I?). As another poster suggested, it's entirely possible that I, like a lot of Americans, just don't respond well to satire. Maybe this is a flaw in our national character, maybe not. Don't worry Mark, you've probably got some German ancestry in your blood - all Europeans know they have no sense of humour too.....and this is probably the route of the problem for many US citizens...... Regards WC Great, Great Grandmother was a "Buerkler" in fact, had to change the name in 1914 as they were getting harassed by the Brits in London - so ****e where does that put me!!! |
#25
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Self-described Snowboard Whore Fired
"Mary Malmros" wrote in message ... (and no, it's not a North American thing; spend some more time on different continents before you start making such generalizations). Of course, sincere apologies by bracketing Canadians in the North American generalisation - you do have very fine comedians, and the superb Montreal commedy festival - it's just that I forgot about you out there in the big wide world....easily done.... REgards WC |
#26
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Self-described Snowboard Whore Fired
"Mary Malmros" wrote in message ... "WeatherCam" writes: "Barney" wrote in message ... "Baka Dasai" wrote in message news:slrnc0cshp.72k.idontreadthis@yahoobb220004112 021.bbtec.net... On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 11:11:09 -0500, Walt said (and I quote): http://www.aspentimes.com/apps/pbcs..../COLUMN/312310 17 http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2754374/detail.html I'm having trouble understanding other posters negative reaction to the instructor's original article. It's a naive fantasy to expect that everybody loves their job all the time, and that students are always bundles of fun. It's just an instructor having bitching about her students. Doesn't everybody bitch about their jobs now and then? I'm speaking as a parent who puts my child in ski school, and I'd have no qualms about having her taught by the writer of the article. She sounds like she's got a pretty healthy attitude if you ask me. Yeah, I can't see what the fuss is all about. So she wrote a jokey article, and she sometimes doesn't like her job. And? Interesting vibe coming out of these posts - it would seem, and again difficult to judge because I'm only guessing from the various names / organisations / sigs that there seems to be a definite split between those that find it satire / amusing (me included) and those that don't - pretty obvious so far - then attempt to apply some form of geographic demographics to it and my conclusion, which is probably wrong - is that our N American descendents do not find it any where near as amusing as non US citizens - is that becasue it happened in the US or is it more......... we (non US) don't take ourselves too seriously and as yet ( though it's coming) we're not to dragged down by PC attitudes......oh well I won't get my VISA to the US now....... Any thoughts...... After having plowed through the above hundred-word paragraph without a perceptible sentence break, yes, I have a few. The woman in question exercised some pretty poor judgment in publishing that article, or at least, in not doing so very, veeery anonymously. The irate response was to be expected (and no, it's not a North American thing; spend some more time on different continents before you start making such generalizations). From a UK perspective, there would be a public (well press) outcry about her dismissal. and she would quite likely win her job back and compensation at an industrial tribunal. then again that sort of article is quite common even in the most highbrow of newspapers here so I supose it's mainly what you are used to. -- Chris *:-) Downhill Good, Uphill BAD! www.suffolkvikings.org.uk |
#27
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Self-described Snowboard Whore Fired
In rec.skiing.snowboard Mary Malmros wrote:
(and no, it's not a North American thing; spend some more time on different continents before you start making such generalizations). But a lot of parents who bring their kids to ski school have some skewed views about several things. First off, they're almost all affluent people... snip Perhaps you should follow your own advise. -- John Q. Sindell Jr. http://jqs.pikapp.net |
#28
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Self-described Snowboard Whore Fired
"pigo" wrote in message ...
People here (US) are so politically correct it makes me sick. They're for free speech as long as it agrees with them. They're against pollution unless it's from a baby. They want to conserve recources as long as it's not a recource they need or want. I don't recall anyone saying she should not have the right to say what she did. She should have realized that dissing her employer's customers the way she did could have negative consequences. The company is in business to make money. It hired her to help make money for the investors. She did something that could reflect badly on the company and may reduce revenues. Why should they continue to pay her? Welcome to the Wonderful World of Grown-ups where you are responsible for your actions. Dick Durbin |
#29
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Self-described Snowboard Whore Fired
"WeatherCam" writes:
"Mary Malmros" wrote in message ... (and no, it's not a North American thing; spend some more time on different continents before you start making such generalizations). Of course, sincere apologies by bracketing Canadians in the North American generalisation - you do have very fine comedians, I'm not Canadian. But thanks for playing. -- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::: Mary Malmros Some days you're the windshield, Other days you're the bug. |
#30
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Self-described Snowboard Whore Fired
John Sindell writes:
In rec.skiing.snowboard Mary Malmros wrote: (and no, it's not a North American thing; spend some more time on different continents before you start making such generalizations). But a lot of parents who bring their kids to ski school have some skewed views about several things. First off, they're almost all affluent people... snip Perhaps you should follow your own advise. And what exactly was I advising? Avoiding generalizations about the population of entire continents, was it? I don't see the connection between that and making an observation about "a lot of parents who bring their kids to ski school." -- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::: Mary Malmros Some days you're the windshield, Other days you're the bug. |
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