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I Am Not Happy About Happy Hour
Aug. 18th, 2011 05:14 pmI am pro-Union all the way. Like, I will be joining the Graduate Assistantship Union-y doodles even though because of some funked-up Iowa law, you can still benefit from the Union without actually joining it and paying dues and such. Which strikes me as a rather douchey thing to do, but I know some Princeton Support Staffers would jump right on that gravy train (and still somehow find ways to complain that the Union isn't doing enough) because, well, people suck, and they are ignorant to just how epically screwed they would be if there were no unions.
But the really sad part of the Union presentation was that in addition to the Yay! Affordable Health Care! bits, their main selling point* seemed to be the 'social opportunity' of going to the (Union-funded) Happy Hour once a month. Meaning that my dues are going to [in part] be funding somebody's intoxication. Not cool.
I realize that I have a minority view in this regard, and "suck it up and move on" is really my only option given my stance on Unions and desire not to be a hypocrite, and I already filled out the Union membership card and turned it in and such, but it irks me, okay? I mean, if you want to waste your money on alcohol, you don't really need my approval anyway, so it doesn't matter that I think purposely impairing your own judgment is stupid or that I have zero sympathy for anyone with a hangover (because seriously, you did that to yourself there, sunshine), but when it's technically my money, that I would prefer to have spent doing labor-related Union-y things... it's just. There was a fleeting moment when I considered not joining because of that, and that irks me, too. And. Yeah. I realize it's probably not much in the grand scheme of my Union dues, but it bugs me, so I shall rant about it and maybe feel better afterwards.
*It's possible I'm overreacting due to my distaste, but it's my journal and I'll hyperbole if I want to. Also, to put this in perspective, it bugged me enough that I raised my hand and specifically confirmed that dues were in fact going to the aforementioned Happy Hour in a crowded auditorium full of people (and of course they answered 'yes' like that was a positive, though the one woman seemed to catch the snap and clarify that there were other beverages available which doesn't really help me since I barely tolerate sober people, so I sure as hell ain't hanging out in a bar with drunk ones.)
Aaaand now I have to decide whether or not I'm going to the Center for the Book welcome party thingummer for everybody in the program when I hate shit like that, and there will inevitably be alcohol there, too (though at least that won't be the sole purpose of the gathering-- of course the other purposes are food and social interaction which aren't exactly my strong suits either), but, like, I know I ought to go for the sake of social convention politening/pretend to be normal, but I don't wanna.
But the really sad part of the Union presentation was that in addition to the Yay! Affordable Health Care! bits, their main selling point* seemed to be the 'social opportunity' of going to the (Union-funded) Happy Hour once a month. Meaning that my dues are going to [in part] be funding somebody's intoxication. Not cool.
I realize that I have a minority view in this regard, and "suck it up and move on" is really my only option given my stance on Unions and desire not to be a hypocrite, and I already filled out the Union membership card and turned it in and such, but it irks me, okay? I mean, if you want to waste your money on alcohol, you don't really need my approval anyway, so it doesn't matter that I think purposely impairing your own judgment is stupid or that I have zero sympathy for anyone with a hangover (because seriously, you did that to yourself there, sunshine), but when it's technically my money, that I would prefer to have spent doing labor-related Union-y things... it's just. There was a fleeting moment when I considered not joining because of that, and that irks me, too. And. Yeah. I realize it's probably not much in the grand scheme of my Union dues, but it bugs me, so I shall rant about it and maybe feel better afterwards.
*It's possible I'm overreacting due to my distaste, but it's my journal and I'll hyperbole if I want to. Also, to put this in perspective, it bugged me enough that I raised my hand and specifically confirmed that dues were in fact going to the aforementioned Happy Hour in a crowded auditorium full of people (and of course they answered 'yes' like that was a positive, though the one woman seemed to catch the snap and clarify that there were other beverages available which doesn't really help me since I barely tolerate sober people, so I sure as hell ain't hanging out in a bar with drunk ones.)
Aaaand now I have to decide whether or not I'm going to the Center for the Book welcome party thingummer for everybody in the program when I hate shit like that, and there will inevitably be alcohol there, too (though at least that won't be the sole purpose of the gathering-- of course the other purposes are food and social interaction which aren't exactly my strong suits either), but, like, I know I ought to go for the sake of social convention politening/pretend to be normal, but I don't wanna.
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