Tag: On The Job
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In the Blog
Attention secret shoppers
Although I’ve had my share of retail jobs over the years, I’ve never thought very much about secret shoppers – people who are hired to pretend to be shoppers in order to evaluate employees at hotels, restaurants and stores, then report to back to management – other than to hope, as a worker, I wasn’t secret shopped. Luckily, Michelle Langlois has given the practice a thorough assessment over at Rabble.ca, revealing why secret shopping is … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Girls, some advice: be hotter, work less, and shut up
Penelope Trunk is a Boston Globe and Yahoo! Finance columnist who’s been giving out tips and advice as the Brazen Careerist. The basic idea is she tells you what it’s really like in today’s workplace, and that you can hack the system by following her tips—which no longer involve such old-fashioned concepts as “climbing the ladder” and “paying your dues.” Which is fine—even hearing those phrases puts me in a bit of a 1950s American … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Working overtime
I love the way this story, from the Globe and Mail, starts: Dara Fresco took a day off from her job as head teller at a Toronto branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Tuesday, dropped her toddler at daycare, and launched a $600-million class-action lawsuit against her employer. Fresco, who has worked at CIBC as a teller and personal banker for 10 years, says the bank owes her about $50,000 in unpaid overtime. Her statement … READ MORE
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In the Blog
I didn’t know to love June Callwood.
June Callwood was not a part of my world before she died. She was mixed in amongst the ranks of notable Canadians whose names are familiar but not especially meaningful to me personally. I had a sense that she was a socially active writer, but I could not have told you what it was she wrote. So when my fiancé and I were out for brunch on Saturday, April 14th, and the TV screen behind … READ MORE
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In the Blog
It’s a little early, but they’re already considering how they’ll make fun of her…
Since we’ve been on the topic of Hillary Clinton and how the American media will tear her and her personal life to shreds should she run for president, I thought I’d share an interesting article on the preparations being made to make fun of her if she should make it to office. Now, lampooning the president has long been an entertaining tradition that I myself have long enjoyed, so mocking should be equal opportunity, right? Wrong. Alas, … READ MORE
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In the Blog
So it begins…
Back in late January Nicole wrote a post about Hillary Clinton officially announcing her intention to make a bid for 2008 US Presidency. Nicole wisely asked us to watch for how Clinton would be depicted along the road to the race… Well, in terms of “depictions” I really didn’t forsee this one: I’m trying to think of something to say here, but I’m at a loss. Please help me out. Seems like it’s “I’m just trying to … READ MORE
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In the Blog
AMBITCHOUS
For the past three years I worked for a non-profit company that was dominated by women. A majority on the VP’s and the CEO were of the female persuasion, as were all of my immediate colleagues. Anti-discrimination policies were firmly in place, and my manager, my immediate supervisor and the union were all more than supportive. I had full benefits, annual cost of living raises, and I felt the door was always open … READ MORE
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In the Blog
She’s in
So, Hillary Clinton (finally) officially announced that she’s taking the preliminary steps to make a bid for the US Presidency in 2008. This lady doesn’t mince words: “I’m in. And I’m in to win.” However you feel about Clinton and her politics, it’s going to be fascinating to watch the way she will be portrayed by the media during the lead up to the big race. Although the international climate for female heads of states is … READ MORE
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In the Blog
satrapi speaks
“I hate that man more than any other human being on Earth. If there is one creature on the planet that I detest, it’s that asshole. He is despicable. I loathe him. Because he’s nothing but a shit, a fucking asshole.” That description of British Prime Minister Tony Blair is how this interview with Marjane Satrapi, graphic novelist and, apparently, expert shit-talker, begins. She covers Iranian social life and politics, the relationship … READ MORE
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In the Blog
“Just, whatever you do, don’t marry a woman with a career.”
Forbes appears to be in quite a spot of trouble after a controversial article from Michael Noer about the apparently dim prospect of marrying “career” women. The article, originally posted August 22 but subsequently taken down and reposted with a counterpoint,, contained some choice tidbits seemingly designed to raise the ire of working women everywhere: While everyone knows that marriage can be stressful, recent studies have found professional women are more likely to get divorced, more … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Double Dare
Has anyone seen the awesome documentary Double Dare (directed by Amanda Micheli)? It follows two stuntwomen as they try to negotiate the politics of Hollywood and working in a male-dominated industry. Its fascinating stuff! The film features two women: Jeannie Epper, who comes from a famous family of stuntpeople and has had a long career as a stuntwoman, and the much younger Zoe Bell, who was the stunt double on Xena: Warrior Princess and did … READ MORE
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In the Blog
Nalo Hopkinson
One of my favourite blogs is by Nalo Hopkinson, a Toronto writer. Her work is amazing - my favourite is The Salt Roads, but I’m currently reading Midnight Robber, and I might change my mind. She calls it speculative fiction, but I think it does enough genre-crossing to defy description. Hopkinson’s blog is a window into the life of a successful writer, complete with Shameless-friendly political content. … READ MORE
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In the Blog
PORNOGRAPHY FOR FEMINISTS? IS IT POSSIBLE?
Over the past few weeks, I have been helping out a friend whose girlfriend broke up with him because she feels that he has an unhealthy relationship with porn. (Well, there were other reasons too, but this was big for her.) She has been sending him anti-porn links about how addictive and dangerous porn is, how relationships are weakened by unrealistic sexual expectations created by watching porn, and of course, the mainstay: that porn is … READ MORE