The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, July 07, 1981, Image 2
Viewpoint The Battalion Texas A&M University Slouch By Jim Earle Tuesday July 7, 1981 “Look what I found ... Workers are curse of drinking places By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — Working Woman magazine this month has an article on “Alcoholism in the Workplace.” Drinking during working hours is a big problem, I don’t doubt, but so is its coun terpart — working during drinking hours. Yet how many magazines devote articles to the latter? While my experience may not be typical, I estimate that for every one person I’ve known who drank on the job I’ve met five who talked shop while drinking. There are few things, I can tell you, more disconcerting than to sidle up to a bar and find yourself seated between two grinds. Usually, briefcases rest against the rail ing at their feet. In front of them, just to the left of their highball glasses, are stacks of paperwork. Attempts to engage such people in con ventional barroom conversations are doomed. You mention the baseball strike. They raise a hand in mute protest against the interruption and make it clear they are only interested in shop talk. It’s a real drag. I can condone eager beavers taking work home with them occasionally. But when they start bringing it into taverns, cocktail lounges or whatever, they are going too far. To my knowledge, no magazine has addressed this problem directly. But Work ing Woman at least approaches it obliquely. In its July issue, along with the article on “Alcoholism in the Workplace,” there is a thoughtful treatise on “Workaholics at Play.” Perhaps without meaning to, the latter disseration provides what may be rare in sights into why so many workers insist on talking shop during the “happy hour.” “Most workaholics are unable, not just unwilling, to get away from it all,” the magazine says. “Any thought of rest or re laxation frightens workaholics.” This may explain much of the shop talk you hear in drinking places. But it is errant terminology. The people described by the magazine are not “workaholics” in the classic meaning of the word. They are leisurephobes. I’m not saying workaholics don’t exist. I’m not implying they don’t need psychiat ric help. I’m just pointing out that “work aholic” probably is the most over-worked word to enter the language since “hippie.” It was intended, I gather, to identify people who are addicted to work — people who can’t leave toil alone. But in practice, it has been widely misapplied. the small society MM by Brickman "TH^r A F^UfZ-PAY W^K - v IT'*? RAY'S - ©1961 King FMiurn Syndicate. Inc World rights reeerved (W'^-rCW^ 7-T Warped Reagan steamrolls the House By JERELYN EDDINGS United Press International WASHINGTON — President Reagan’s big budget victory in the House goes far beyond any economic benefits or disasters that may loom ahead for the nation. It showed how the right kind of pressure and the right circumstances — a popular president pushing a popular idea and know ing how to lobby effectively — can make almost anything happen in Congress. legislation ever passed by Congress, touching nearly every domestic program of the federal government in some way. It contained about $38 billion in spend ing reductions for next year. That is what the House voted for on Friday, June 26, within six hours after most members received a copy. In this case the thing that happened was that 217 congressmen voted for an amend ment they had just seen a few hours earlier, which is not in itself so very uncommon. But this particular amendment, although not numbered, appeared to be about 800 pages long. It was so hastily writ ten that it had notes scribbled in the mar gins that actually would bring changes in law. (Speaker Thomas O’Neill seemed dis gusted by a woman’s name and telephone number on one margin and asked if she was being written into law.) This amendment became the bulk of the one of the most farreaching single pieces of Many Republicans and some conserva tive Democrats believed this measure, pas sed 217-211, was needed for President Reagan to accomplish his goal of bringing the economy under control. But, Republican and Democratic obser vers say that is not the reason this precise measure was passed. The 217 didn’t all be lieve the president needed this exact tool. Many had serious problems with its con tents, thinking it would be disastrous for their constituents. But they were swept up in the Reagan tide, a wave of popularity and pressure that many did not want to stand in front of. Reagan, in California, had been calling and promising with a zeal. Democratic leaders backed another ver sion of the budgetcutting bill, whi drafted by 15 House committees. The measure that passed had studied during the congressional process. Most bills are, and the usually depends on committee lea^ sum up their work and make recomn|| tions. This product was initiated b; House budget director David Sta and sections of it were drawn up byR licans on relevant committees — vate. It was a process that made evei| Republicans shudder. Rep. Barber Conable, a res publican from New York, said hedi like making laws in the chaotic atmi of the House last week. But, forav reasons, he said Republicans felt no choice. The result was what Democraticij feared and warned against — a si that trampled the leadership of the cratic-controlled House and the process of calm deliberatation and tee hearings. Lisa Bi plays si the Pla The se r the ill Irown th nation’s h ■e 1744 Texas A& The 1 serve as tl for the Tit Texas A& the ship. Despit to the Til proceed a said Cap oceanogn Universit Althou taking pai , it does so Long ser I oceanogn (Atlantic Treadwel Althou Ithe glami Ifor the 1 Jl912 at a fcives — t Iportant ‘ Iwell said “The t< I locating ^Titanic c< in rescu ii "OF GOUfSF.NW 1 UYf OL'SHOP, l [OCXBD IT UPEpAlUGMT 60 WttVI COOP GET llC recovern equipme he said. The C and can a entists a How to succeed — by one who ha said. , Simpl; (vessel c< L Tread we didn’t \ Time and again, for example, it has been applied to workers who are inordinately slow. Such people aren’t true “workaholics” in the sense of loving their work. It just takes them longer to do it. And being afraid to relax definitely is not the same thing as being addicted to work. It just sounds that way. By LeROY POPE United Press International NEW YORK — Good management judg ment is more important than the prevailing economic climate in running your own business successfully, says Albert J. Lowry, author of four books on the subject. This advice, which he insists is sound, comes from a man who made his first mil lion by taking advantage of California’s tremendous real estate and housing boom. “Businesses don’t really succeed or fail because of the prevailing economic cli mate,” Lowry told UPI. “They don’t fail because of being underfinanced either. Good managers will find the money.” “Businesses succeed if management is good, they fail if management is bad, ” Low ry said. His latest book, “How to Become Finan cially Successful by Owning Your Own Business,” already has sold 100,000 copies. His first, “How You Can Become Financial ly Independent by Investing in Real Estate” has sold more than half a million part, how to deal with political pressures and even the Mafia. As important as good management is, Lowry says, it won’t get you far without knowledge of the type of business you are interested in. “Until you’re rich enough to hire good people to do research for you, you must read everything you can get your hands on about the business you want to go into and you must ask lots of people hundreds of questions,” he said. Lowry says if you buy a business, make only a small down payment and insist that the seller provide a substantial part of your capital by taking back installment notes. “If the owner won’t carry paper, watch out! There may be big problems in the busi- “Y< Bnaire ates a restaurant which he is in thei Grimm ; of selling. erage fo Lowry, who grew up in orphanig Canada, wanted to be writer whenli kid but couldn’t get enough ethical land job as a cub reporter. He work in a sheet metal factory and later butcher. He and his wife moved to nia in 1963 and immediately prosper. “Writing probably is more of a thing with me than anything else, tf “I was a millionaire before I began xero: and the royalties from my books trust funds for various purposes. ; 4V2< His first writing was instruction Lowry’s own businesses range from building homes in the $350,000 to $1.5 mil lion range in Nevada to conducting semi nars in business education. He also oper- phlets on real estate selling and i ment. Then he wrote the first “Simon & Schuster liked it andi)| it out successfully but it had almostj marish birth pains,” he said. “Tliefl me rewrite again and again and evil chopped out 40 percent of my origin! I copies. The latest book takes you step by step through every conceivable aspect of run ning a business, including how to find the right one at the right price, the “people” By Scott McCullar WELL, REV. WILPMOtf, GRMTED THAT VOUR VOLUNTARY BOYCOTT Of APVERTISERS IS FAIR ANP PEMOCRATIC, AREN'T yooR EXPECTATIONS A LITTLE UNREALISTIC? NOT REALLY, WE ONLY EXPECT GREEDY ADVERTISERS, THE ONLY LIARS BIGGER THAN POLITICIANS, WOT TO MAKE USE OF THE VERY MEDIUM PESJ&NED FOR AND WE SORT OF HOPE THEY'LL STOP USING THE /A 0 ST POPULAR TV SHOWS TO REACH THE NUS5 MARKET. HAIM, YOUR GROUP PlPf/'r BY chance expect the rapture last week too PIP it? a-A'A^/vs/'' The Battalion U S P S 045 360 MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress LETTERS POLICY Editor Angelique Copeland City Editor Jane G. Brust Photo Editor Greg Gammon Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff News Editors Marilyn Faulkenberry, Greg Gammon, Venita McCellon StaffWriters Bernie Fette, Kathy O’Connell, Denise Richter, Cartoonist Scott McCullar Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 length, and are subject to being cut if they are lo«£ editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters fori length, but will make every effort to maintain the 1 intent. Each letter must also be signed, show the 1 and phone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome.' not subject to the same length constraints as Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Ed® Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M E"' 1 College Station, XX 77843. EDITORIAL POLICY The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper operated as a community service to Texas A&M University and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M Universi ty administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter should be directed to the editor. The Battalion is published Tuesday, Wednesd 1 Thursday during Texas A&M’s summer semester subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 pe [ year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates fun®’ request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Heed McDoiJ ing, Texas A&M University, College Station, T United Press International is entitled exclusively use for reproduction of all news dispatches credit Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein Second class postage paid at College Station, T ( <5 \! EVI 3310 = Jus