http://www.idkfa.com/v3 idkfa: syndicated http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5406 By offering a safer haven and continued vigilance, I'd venture you're doing more for the community than will any friendly charitable donation (and more net positive than whatever damage can be done by an old author who decided to take the crazy pills). kaiden@idkfa.com (kaiden) Mercy General Wed, 21 Aug 2013 12:11:30 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5406 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5402 Chick-Fil-A and Hobby Lobby, are doing Christian business the wrong way. Doing it right: Braum's dairy and grocery. They own all parts of the dairy to maintain freshness. They won't ship more than the 300 miles away (or half a day's drive) to maintain the freshness and because their truck drivers can drive to the location and back in one day and still spend the night with their family. So the only truck drivers who never have to spend a night away from home. That's family values I can get behind. And we ate ice cream there multiple times while in Oklahoma last week. lizinthelibrary@idkfa.com (lizinthelibrary) Mercy General Tue, 20 Aug 2013 21:44:00 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5402 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5401 I like that delineation of types of boycotting. I was raised on the second "avoid as much as possible" style. My parents can't stand how Wal-mart treats their labor and what they do to small towns so we didn't shop at wally world if avoidable at all. When I first moved to Alaska and had not yet discovered that Freddy's had everything in the world (because grocery stores in Kansas weren't like that) and Target hadn't been opened I went to Wal-mart for an ironing board but not since. But as Mike said, I have that ecnomic choice. And I make it. Basically a thousand small choices do more good than that guy who screams at the top of his lungs. I am on the board of a non-profit and I've convinced them to move our website domain away from GoDaddy because I hate their misogynistic advertisments and their stand on SOPA. There are a thousand other little things too I suppose. So I will go and see it, and thank you all for making me feel better about it. And I'll still make an LGBTQ friendly charity donation. And perhaps more importantly for the cause, the library is hosting an LGBTQ teen club (easier for some kids to come to than the one at their school) and there is a guy who is going from library location to location blasting and threatening staff members with profanity about the club (apparently we're trying to convert kids to be gay, sigh). He's also been on our facebook page, but we deleted it. He's one more tirade away from a year ban, and we're ready for him. In my opinion, offering a safe space for the next generation and protecting them from idiots as much as possible is more important than which movie I see. lizinthelibrary@idkfa.com (lizinthelibrary) Mercy General Tue, 20 Aug 2013 21:39:21 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5401 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5386 And also with you, Brother of Kirkland. Green Man@idkfa.com (Green Man) Mercy General Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:52:24 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5386 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5383 I'm sure it was just a mistake of the late hour, but you forgot to include "Peace be upon them" after invoking the Twin Prophets (Peace be upon them). kaiden@idkfa.com (kaiden) Mercy General Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:15:14 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5383 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5382 tl;dr - there is no Chick-Fil-A in Alaska. But seriously, they had a strong presence on campus at Texas A&M, particularly in the middle of a huge dorm complex. They trucked out troughs of waffle fries for the eager masses, myself included. I didn't know about their politics. I just wanted waffle fries dipped in sweet and sour sauce. Kristens roommate reached into her waffle-pouch (sic) and discovered a deep fried hairball, which quickly killed the girls collective taste for Chick-Fil-A. I admit I continued to frequent the venue as long as I lived on that side of campus. I try to think about the societal impact of engaging a business practice I disagree with. The Wal-Mart model is not a society I want to live in, so it is one I don't encourage. I don't want my own employer to use me as dispensable labor to be abused, no matter my education or qualifications, so I shouldn't reward businesses that do. The same applies to civil rights. Then again, my family has the income that make those choices easier, so I can't really blame someone for choosing a cheaper option for the same product. I like the Costco model, and I think it stems from two important aspects - the owner(s) not being beholden to shareholders, and not being dicks. If I hadn't an aptitude for school, I would be lucky to have a job at Costco where they try to pay a living wage, offer benefits and upward mobility. Green Man@idkfa.com (Green Man) Mercy General Mon, 19 Aug 2013 02:55:14 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5382 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5381 To explain the boycott of Chick-Fil-A, I mostly try to avoid doing business with overtly Christian organizations. They get enough upsales from all the devout followers out there, so I figure I should help the other guys out. Also, Wendy's is closer to my house. conrad@idkfa.com (conrad) Mercy General Sun, 18 Aug 2013 22:08:44 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5381 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5380 I think there could be two very different versions of boycotting going on here. There's staunch, "line in the sand" style activism. This is driving halfway across town to shop at the gay-friendly second-hand bookstore while you eat your imported skyre. I'll dub this Dan Savage Style. There's also "soccer mom" boycotting, where you try to avoid Target and Chick-Fil-A, unless your kids REALLLY want that awful sandwich with only chicken, bread, and a pickle. In the so-called free market the US uses for business interaction, I'm a much larger fan of the latter style of boycotting. Any PR is generally good PR, even if you're associated with race riots and mass lynching (see: Tulsa). Name recognition is more important than why your name is recognized. Chick-Fil-A saw a huge spike in sales in my hometown because all the backwater rednecks who generally survive on Arby's Cups-o-Cheddar thought they needed to defend their Sky Jesus by eating more chicken, so they descended in droves with greasy wads of cash in hand. Meanwhile, if you just go about your business, avoiding companies you know to be vehemently against your views, you're doing a bit of good, you're not expending unnecessary energy, and you're not that guy who never gets invited to dinner because of the forty minute speech about the injustices committed against mother earth to deliver that crystal decanter. (Aside: I have been that guy. I probably am that guy still. See: Zero Dark Thirty). All that aside: if you're the CEO of a company, maybe you follow the CostCo model. Don't be a dick, keep your trap shut about social issues that don't concern you, and sell me my M&Ms by the cargo plane. conrad@idkfa.com (conrad) Mercy General Sun, 18 Aug 2013 22:01:46 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5380 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5379 I was talking about a few positions with a gay last night, if you know what I'm saying. BOO-YA But how is Chick-fil-A any different? Every cashier at the one close to the theatre I'm working at currently is flamboyantly homosexual. And their new salads are pretty legit. The last big Chick-fil-A boycott actually drove sales and they had a record setting year. There has to be a better way to send a message and campaign for these things. There's nothing inherently anti-gay about fast food chicken or movies based on sci-fi young adult novels, so let's leave them alone. Boycotting stupid things connected to bigots or papering facebook with petitions and hash tagged cover photos isn't helping gay couples get married in Wyoming (the "land of equality") or adopt kids in Alabama. Complaining about Russian branded vodka isn't stopping gay kids from killing themselves. Better to send that effort, energy, and money to things like community LGBT centers or political campaigns. Wilber@idkfa.com (Wilber) Mercy General Sun, 18 Aug 2013 19:56:54 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5379 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5378 As Robbie pointed out, by tenure he is the resident gay authority, so I defer to his position (wait. Can gays talk about positions in public? I digress...). Since I've got a higher post count, I'm not sure what that makes me. I don't know the full idkfa user population, but we seem to have an atypically large "gay nerd" ratio around these parts. Well played, Josh. Regardless, I agree. I'm "boycotting" Stoli, but only because I already preferred the cheaper Texan vodka made by Titos. I certainly don't think someone should avoid watching Ender's Game because of Orson Scott Card's insanity. I might not pay to see him speak, and I certainly wouldn't wait in line for his autograph, but the flick is mostly about feeding the machine of "Hollywood", which has arguably been pretty good to the gays as far as employment and support goes. However, I will say this: fuck Chick-Fil-A, even if I do love their waffle fries. Never. Again. Also, Hobby Lobby with their religiously based protests of the health care modifications. conrad@idkfa.com (conrad) Mercy General Sat, 17 Aug 2013 17:20:33 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5378 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5376 As idkfa's resident gay authority (by virtue of time served in these forums, thankyouverymuch), I hereby grant you movie visitation rights free of guilt. Also, you can drink all the Russian vodka you like. You can even watch the olympics if you want. I mean, I don't know who watches the winter olympics, but still. Here's the thing: I have it on good authority that Lion's Gate employed, in the making of the Ender's Game movie, male hair and makeup artists and female carpenters and lighting techs, so ultimately your ticket purchase is going to support LGBT concerns. In fact, I would guess that the total percentage of your dollar going to LGBT individuals, not to mention straight-identified allies and ardent supporters, far surpasses the amount going into OSC's piggybank. If I had to support the social agendas of every person involved with the creation of everything I consume, I would probably die, because I couldn't consume anything. Or die from the craziness of researching all their social opinions. This all of course ignores that, assuming you didn't steal the book, you have already supported Card's craziness in some small way already. Anyway, you have permission to see it! There are more important things to boycott or worry over than this. Wilber@idkfa.com (Wilber) Mercy General Sat, 17 Aug 2013 02:10:20 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5376 http://www.idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5373 So Orson Scott Card. I love the Ender's Game books. Love, love, love. I've read a bunch of his other stuff that isn't too obviously an allegory for Mormon theology. (Worthing Saga is great even if it is barely disguised Mormon theology). And I've been looking forward to the moives for YEARS. Yes he doesn't support gay marriage, but so do a lot of people. Maybe I can still see it and then make a donation to the Pride Foundation and that will equal it out? Isn't it censorship to avoid a writer's works because I don't like their moral views? Of course I'm getting the non-profit I'm on the board of to switch away from GoDaddy registration because of their stance on SOPA and their misogynistic advertising. So am I just making excuses because I really want to see this movie? Skip Ender's Game boycott page: http://skipendersgame.com/ NYT article on the controversy: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/opinion/sunday/the-enders-game-boycott.html?_r=0 Also Orson Scott Card is crazy in so many more amusing ways. He thinks Obama is using urban gangs as a personal army so he can stay in power as some sort of dictator. http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/08/14/orson_scott_card_worries_about_obama_turning_urban_gangs_into_his_personal.html But historically genius creators have often been crazy. And I really want to see the movie. Sigh. What should a socially conscious geek girl do? lizinthelibrary@idkfa.com (lizinthelibrary) Mercy General Wed, 14 Aug 2013 21:16:00 -0800 http://idkfa.com/v3/v_thread.php?thread_id=5373&msg_id=5373