PBDC Day 6/31: Chair

"Not my chair, not my problem, that's what I say." -From the video below.



When my wife and I moved into our apartment, we had zero furniture to bring with us. We decided to put money into two major purchases, an awesome bed and a sweet television, and we're glad we did. Although the ground provides plenty of seating, we snagged a couple of dorm-style chairs because #I'mNotGettingAnyYounger.

This is the one I picked out. I liked it more than the waffle chair (like a seat belt purse), and definitely more than the traditional tailgating chair with the cupholders in each armrest. The color choice is a shout out to my high school pride (#Wolverines Go, DV! Class of '99 whaaaat!), and after sitting in it almost every day for the last eight months, it's still awesome.

Simple, I know, and yes it was a choice made with financial limitations, but I love it. It looks like a giant dreamcatcher, and if I had a super-sized car, I'd hang it off the rearview mirror.

At their core, chairs are simple structures, allowing you to sit somewhere, but they've gained quite a reputation over many decades in numerous forms.

• The Captain's Chair aboard the Starship Enterprise
• A Director's Chair, classic canvas with the director's name across the back.
• Chairmen of the Board in their shiny leather, cushy seats around the conference table that's way too long for the room it's in.
• The high chair for our little ones.
• The electric chair to send someone into history.
• Dentist's chair
• Barber's chair

You get the point by now, right?

How about a news anchor's chair?


The Huffington Post shared an article featuring the video above saying how brave this woman is. Is it really, though? You take a job at a channel called Russia Today (albeit based in New York) and you take the chair they've given you to spout your personal views because you did not agree with the editorial you were assigned AS YOUR JOB. (View RT's response here.)

Now what if someone resigned on another channel, whether it's CNN, FOX News, BBC, or even something like The Today Show, GMA, or Sportscenter? Would that be brave as well?

I give her a gold star for speaking her mind, and if those are truly her beliefs, then kudos for sharing them.

HOWEVER COMMA

There is a such thing as professionalism, and any leader, manager, editor, director, or executive worth their weight in bacon salt would be open to hearing their employees opinions in a private manner. Is it a publicity stunt? I surely hope so, because I really think Liz Wahl's move was terrible, especially in the wake of Abby Martin's personal commentary ON HER OWN SHOW on RT which was respectfully included.

You know who's resignation I really enjoyed? Who's message was clearly put, and was created on her time? Marina Shifrin. Go ahead, look her up, or just click on her name back there.

Wahl's act of speaking her mind was brave. Anytime you speak your mind is brave, but how it comes out can really mean everything.

Seahorses forever.