Catoptrophobe Nightmare

Name:
Location: New York, New York, United States

Misfit. Renegade. Law Student.

Friday, February 25, 2005

YOU CAN'T...

...always get what you want. No matter what people have to say against longevity and for retirement, you have to admire the the stick-to-it-ive-ness of the Stones and U2. Make that money, bitches. Do what ya gotta.

on a tenuously related note-

i'm listening to a rather dated hip-hop song.
poor aaliyah and her need for much luggage.
bitches need to travel light, and not charter small planes.
small, chartered flights are a rock'n'roll cliche.

and associations with he who put the "R" in R&B,
will end up poorly (as in kiddie porno).
I'm just sayin'...

***
and so, again,
you won't get what you want tonight,
you won't have that chat,
you won't have that kiss,
you won't find the hard work, the validation.
or, you will, but it won't be good enough,
because someone told you so.


it's good, anyway, because you aren't ready, anyway.
and the people all know; all are watching.
curious and anxious.
it's snowing. and no matter what
you think is going on you aren't aware of
all the kisses.

some kisses are hidden.
they still burn, though.
and you will still act
like you know people.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Wrap your brain around this...

I just wanted you to read this, in case you hadn't. Then, you can read this. Thank you, and good night.
P.S. There's more, but I just wanted you to get the gist. Sometime soon, I will write something witty or funny or bitchy or something. I'm just tired, I guess...

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

An Oscar? She who was denied a role on "All My Children!" Bah!

I haven't had very much experience with restaurant work, just part-time for a summer, but I can tell you it's a very stressful environment. In order to provide the customer with a dining experience worthy of return trips and the ever-important word-of-mouth advertising (real restaurants don't advertise! Ew, as if!), the management requires exacting service from the waitstaff. The servers must be knowledgeable about the food's origins and preparation, be able to describe and recommend wines, and delicately toe the line between attentiveness and obsession/intrusion. The kitchen relies on servers to properly coordinate the "firing" of the various courses, so that food doesn't sit around unnecessarily. And if anything goes wrong, the servers take the fall- customers or "guests" don't want to hear excuses, they want compensation. And since there are few instances where one will receive free food or drinks, the guests will take out their frustrations on the servers' hides. Itty bitty tip.

So when I began to read this article on waiters, I thought, "Cool! Maybe this will help people to be a bit more compassionate when dining out!"

Then, I kept reading. Then, I got angry.

"'I'd say waiting tables is one of the most stressful jobs you can have, short of being a firefighter or an inner-city police officer,' said Bruce Griffin Henderson, a singer-songwriter who did 10 years as a waiter in New York." -NYT*

Being a firefighter/police officer/doctor/teacher/soldier/etc., etc. versus being a SERVER??!!! Working in a RESTAURANT?? Shit, maybe if you got shot at for bringing out the wrong entree...wait...nope, not even then.

And the tipping anger is misdirected. It's not the customers' fault that servers' incomes rely so heavily on tips, it's the employers'/government's.

It's a tough job, but there are also perks, like free/reduced price meals/drinks and work schedule flexibility (so that the future Julia Roberts' of tomorrow can make their headshot appointments).

People are KILLING me.

*You'll need to log in to the NYT to read the article, I suspect...sorry.

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