Chicago: Totally hands-free!!!

single people be bitter

I see where you're coming from S, but when it's within the workplace and the currency is specifically related to the workplace (extra vacation, $$, etc.), then a power dynamic comes into play that's mostly absent in social settings. I.e. if the boss wants to buy me a $800 stroller for my new baby, fine. But $800 in cash would be a little different. And since it's not like it's performance related, I think you'd have to find a way to even the playing field for people who aren't having kids, getting married, etc.

I totally don't think anyone in any comparable situation is trying to suppress gay rights or anything else. I just think it's a crappy tradition that makes a lot of potentially stifling assumptions about what behaviors are desirable from their employees and by extension the wider public.

Aha! But Sarah, those things are personal -- what I object to is the corporate participation. And ditto re bridal showers, altho I give a pass on baby showers because you don't HAVE that stuff until you have a baby, logically speaking.

how about getting fake married in order to get a free week's vacation?

Thanks for reminding me to listen to that, Jon. It's on Luisterpaal, but the site was being wonky yesterday.

I know it isn't fair though. My dentist, whom I really like, was telling me once that graduating from dental school was a huge event in her life, but when she told her friends/family, they were all like, "Uh huh, that's nice... Anyway, GUESS WHO'S HAVING A BABY/GETTING MARRIED???etc etc"

note: i'm not saying extra vacation is not a lovely thing to get from an employer. only that it shouldn't preclude others from getting similar rewards. also, the single people are bitter thing is played out. unless, of course, you're not serious.

lol, dentists are lame

Am I serious?

y/n

does anyone else have allergies right now i want to die

"your dentist is named...Crentist?"

I've really only been annoyed at work showers when it was for a coworker I didn't like. BWAH HA HA.

The owner of my company contributed quite a bit to our honeymoon fund, but I didn't feel like that was weird since he has so much money and since he was invited to the wedding.

My allergies were seriously bad earlier this week, hella sneezing.

I think, altho I am known to be a pain in the ass, that if you turned it over and said, "if there was a financial penalty assessed by my employer for getting married and/or having children, would I be willing to pay the fine in order to choose the way I wanted?"...who in their right mind would answer "yes"???!?

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?!

Seriously, Laurel?

Life isn't fair.

breeders be privileged

I mean, you would very reasonably probably start cursing and shouting about how it was never any of your company's business in any of all possible worlds who do they think they fucking are, God? etc etc because it isn't any of their business.

OH NO PUPPIES

http://edhat.com/assets/dogOfTheWeek/puppies.jpg

Well, yeah, but then you would go ahead and do it anyway.

xpost

Ach well, never mind. I was enjoying thinking about it.

There IS essentially a financial penalty on many employees who have kids, it's called no or not enough maternity leave or even firing pregnant ladies rather than pay them maternity leave.

xp Well actually I was think that'd be the time to find a new employer, but whatever sinks your ship, I guess... :)

labraschnauzers?

xp it's also called HAVING CHILDREN

I'm sort of against the idea of showers, but that's probably because I'm kind of cheap. Wedding presents made sense to me once I realized that they were offsetting the cost of the wedding itself: you're basically paying for the food, cake, alcohol, etc., that you're consuming.

I agree breeders are privileged, as are heteros in general. I also think it's unfair that some kids have parents that pay their ways through college and others have to struggle if they want to go. That is my personal grievance.

I know so many people who have taken their paid maternity leave and then quit.

I like how we're basically talking about nothing now.

I hear that it happens alot unexpectedly. They go on leave but had no idea how motherhood would affect them and end up quitting because they don't want to leave the baby.

At least this thread is jumpin! I was getting bored.

I likee marshmallows

You never wanna eat s'mores with me though.

I like how we're basically talking about nothing now.

As opposed to the availability of parking spots in teh Chicago suburbs?? Surely you jest.

lulz

A few weeks ago I made the Drink of Tomorrow out of the Achewood cookbook. It is essentially a complicated structure made out of frozen mini-marshmallows stuck on toothpicks dropped into Ketel and blue curacao.

And how was it??

Well, the marshmallow satellite was basically for show, but it looked cool and I got really drunk. I was surprised that the marshmallows did not dissolve.

As opposed to the availability of parking spots in teh Chicago suburbs?? Surely you jest.

Might be interesting if you ACTUALLY LIVED IN CHICAGO.

Hence me posting about it on THE CHICAGO THREAD.

Wedding presents made sense to me once I realized that they were offsetting the cost of the wedding itself
That's not the way I see it. I think it's a celebration you're sharing with other people. They are happy for you and buy you presents. You include them in the wedding because you want them to share this life change with you. I can be pretty naive though.

Oooh speaking of marshmallows, I had half a moon pie for the first time the other day. I think I might like them if they were actually made of chocolate...? This one was labeled "chocolate flavor" and it was terrifyingly waxy.

I agree about the reason for wedding gifts. It's a celebration.

Oh Nick, pish posh. It's important to your friends because it's important to you, no matter where you/they live. But it's not more substantial than any other topic at risk for discussion on this thread on any given day. Do sit down and have a glass of water, I think you're getting overwrought.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1393/777022389_6cf1a30f90.jpg?v=0

I wasn't actually complaining about the content of the thread, I just thought it was funny how people were suddenly talking about 10 different things at the same time, so that the posts weren't relating to each other.

Also, apologies to all if I was getting in a huff. I can't help being defensive as I'm married obv., loved getting all the pressies, and hope to some day also have babies (and also expect I'll be getting pressies then).

xp Oh yeah, because that is TOTALLY different from normal.

I want to have a campfire. Where in Brooklyn should I do this?

You guys are ILXing circles around me today. Jeez.

Ok this is why we need new threads: you go away for a few hours, 50 posts happen, you come back and can't see where you left off, so you have to load the entire thread and it takes literally minutes. Amirite, people?