Comments on RJ's playboy club get together?

Woody, I have to agree with you to a point. I didn't, and don't, think I did anything wrong in forgiving someone who offers up a sincere apology, an explanation for his actions and planned actions that makes sense to any marketer who didn't want to disappoint their customers (who purchased their tickets through him, incidentally, so they could meet him) after giving his word to meet them at a certain destination.

The only thing that influences this as being different from any other customer service effort is the location of the meeting. The rest of the scenario really has little to do with that basic customer service function.

Personally, I would've preferred to see John totally refuse to stay involved in the scenario by offering to meet his customers elsewhere instead, but I am not in a position to enforce my views on him, nor should I be. He is a human being, an adult, and capable of making his own choices just as I make mine. I'm sure any thinking adult can take any decision to continue participation in something so outrageously sexist into account in their own future decisions with or without apologies and explanations. We simply have more information with which to make our own personal decisions now.

I'm sorry your mother had glass ceiling problems and male-dominated barriers like my mom did. I have so much glass embedded in my head from frequently hitting that ceiling myself that my brains are probably visible through it.

The bottom line is that the outrage remains with me and others who support similar views. I have been accused of being too harsh and too out-spoken oftentimes so I tried to moderate my response...and I find myself in the uncomfortable position of STILL having to defend myself to a man. Let's face it, a woman in a man's world just can't win sometimes. Sigh.

Unless one or the other side reaches out in an attempt to change things, nothing will change. I reached out, got a response (albeit not totally the one I would've preferred) and that was a step forward in a very real sense. I don't see that as defeat after fighting some 50+ years for the chance to even state my opinions without severe repercussions. Call it one small step for womankind in that our objections were acknowledged and resulted in some changes.

Disagree with your 'compromise is what brings many businesses down etc...' comment. Compromise, one result of negotiation, is the basis upon which successful businesses work. Without negotiation, parties would never meet in the middle and accomplish anything together. Compromise is simply the means used to get them to a common meeting ground.

As in any negotiation, the compromise must be in line with one's ultimate objectives. One compromise does not necessarily destroy the entire process unless it is so basic as to make any further negotiations invalid for one party or the other. Any sincere negotiator comes to the table with 'bargaining chips' that are expendable in the interests of the greater good to be accomplished at that time.

"A step at a time and the world is mine" is one of my favorite excerpts from a piece I wrote years ago. The fact that many men, as well as women, joined the protest over the blatant sexism, is a testament to the fact that things are changing...however slowly.

Sandi Bowman