My mornings usually begin with a meditation session, for which I use an app (to set the time and journal and keep track, etc.). That works fine, except that, having my phone in hand at the end of a session, it is all but impossible not to go to news sites. At which point, lately anyway, it's a real struggle to maintain any sense of equilibrium and calm, in light of all the DC shenanigans (and worse).
I'm sure it helps, really, but there is something so counterintuitive about holding a phone to help you meditate. Courtesy of Stable Diffusion:
I know what you mean but, for the record, I don't hold it, I simply set the timer on it and set it to one side -- it starts and stops the time with ringing of a gong.
I just read that Houston actually has a chain of Tex-Mex restaurants called Gringo's. *raises an eyebrow* I'm not Hispanic and never met any Hispanic people, but even I got a good laugh out of that. Now I wonder if anyone would create a Mexican-Cajun fusion restaurant ... and call it Cinco de Bayou. The logo could be a gator wearing a sombrero. Jokes aside, I've read a lot about Louisiana's history (especially New Orleans' history), Cajun cuisine, and the various cultures there (French, African-American, and Spanish). It sounds like a fascinating place.
Doc, note, I dissent: a fast never prevents a fatness -- I diet on cod. ... which is something that Napoleon never said. But if you turn Cpl. O'Reilly around, you won't get another Cpl. O'Reilly. Anyway, since we're discussing palindromes ...
Holy shit, that's hilarious. I'm going to scream "too hot to hoot" at everyone I meet. The video looks like a takeoff on INXS. That song where every line ends in an "ate" suffix. I can't remember the name of it.
It's actually a takeoff of Bob Dylan's "Subtarranean Homesick Blues". I love it! Weird Al's video is spot on, and the song is completely made up of palindromes ... plus that harmonica solo! Flawless Victory.
A few years back my aged mother's health was failing, and I made several 500 mile drives to spend a weekend or so with her. That was on the tail-end of the pandemic era, and I still sported my pandemic beard. I also drove our second car, a 2004 Mazda, reliable but a beater. To save money, I camped in a city park campground not far from her apartment complex, on a beautiful lake. I didn't realize it at first, but my scruffy beard, beat-up car, and tent in the midst of expensive campers and trailers occupied by middle-aged, middle-class weekenders with expensive boats made me seem like a real outcast. I felt myself being typecast as I, in my most casual of blue jeans and sweats, walked through the land of Polo shirts and khakis on my way to and from the facilities or drove to and from my campsite. Even to the extent of parents keeping a protective eye on their kids as I walked by. I'll never forget that feeling of being judged and looked down upon; my feelings were of course assuaged by the knowledge that I was not the "type" of person they obviously presumed I was, but I can only begin to imagine what it must be like for people who don't have a "respectable" persona and lifestyle to return to.
Graham, I'm not sure how to say this without being too mean to those people ... but this kind of attitude makes me angry. Anyone ... DUMB ENOUGH ... to judge you by your appearance, without knowing anything about you ... isn't worth wasting your time on. Books and covers come to mind. Looking down on other people, simply because of their appearance, is just ... ugh. Some millionaires like to slouch around in jeans and sweats, just like the rest of us. If one of them wanted to go camping, I suppose they'd be looked down on, too. Big deal. Pompous so-and-sos with their noses in the air aren't worth knowing. (Sorry!)
No need to apologize for your feelings. Judging by the tone of their bumper stickers and the flags on their boats, those people were not likely to share many of my social and political views in any case. But it didn't make me angry -- though the reptilian part of my mind was tempted to try to open what I knew would be a closed conversation with nothing changed on either side and hot feelings on both. But I also sort of understand, in that they truly didn't know me (though they didn't seem to want to know me); I'd probably have been cautious with my young kids around a grubby male loner. But I'm not used to being viewed as a social outsider, so it was a learning experience for me.
We have saying in the restaurant industry: you never know who you're waiting on. Judge people at you're own risk. Particularly true because a lot of celebrities and athletes deliberately dress bummy so as not to be recognized.
Very true. Very wise. It costs nothing to say "Hello" and "thank you", etc. Just wondering, Homer: I've read loads of anecdotes set in restaurants, where the servers (and managers) continually call a customer "sir" or "madam", even when the customer behaves badly. Is that an industry standard, or ... maybe just a way to avoid trouble? If a customer was rude or behaved badly to me, I wouldn't want to help him/her, and I've had my fair share of bad customers over the years.
Yeah, it's the nature of the hospitality business. The customer is not always right, but they always win. Unless it's something egregious, you please, thank you, and yes sir for a living. Kill em with kindness, as the saying goes. When that fails, you just have to take it unless a serious line is crossed. It's just what we do. Restaurants sell experience. The food and booze are incidental. It's not like working a grocery store counter where there's a firm, physical transaction. We're selling vibes, good times, ego, sex (indirectly), and a literal, full five sensory experience. That's all the guest walks away with when the transaction is complete (next mornings consequences aside). To do that, you have to adopt a pliant, emotionally aloof affect that appears to be bulletproof. After awhile, they stop shooting. The extremely rude guests are very, very, very infrequent. Other than the alcohol things like fake IDs, refusal to serve, and overly obnoxious drunken behavior, we might have to ask 10 guests a year to leave for being assholes, out of 700K or so. But we train our people constantly to handle that. I probably just fucked myself by saying that. There's probably a full donnybrook in progress and my phone is going to ring in 3... 2... 1....
Hmm. Customers who repeat, ad nauseum, "But the customer is always right!!" forget the full saying: "The customer is always right in matters of taste." If they want a coffee with twenty sugars, or a waffle with pickles (what?) ... they're allowed. Heck, a pub I used to go to did steak and chips with ketchup ... but I prefer a little mustard (either Dijon or honey mustard), so they made allowances, and that's why I kept coming back. I was sad when they closed during the COVID era. (I'd have tipped them, and well, but tipping isn't part of hospitality culture here). That sounds remarkably similar to my job. I've worked in the healthcare industry for nigh on 20 years, always in the finance area - dealing with bills, insurance and banks, but also customers (of course). I've no idea how many I've dealt with over the years, but I haven't had more than 10 bad ones, maybe. As for "they stop shooting" - I'm sure you meant that metaphorically. I'd hate to think that was literal. Anyway, I read this anecdote earlier today and immediately thought of you. (A customer spends a lot of money and thinks that allows him to act like a brat ... but there's a happy ending. I love it! Hope you enjoy it too).
Its the same in any public facing role, even the police call people sir ans maanm because 1) it doesn't aggravate the situation and 2) you can't be accused on not being polite in the inevitable complaint
My local bar is right next door to a 7-11 convenience store. Ask the bartender (who is also the owner and only employee) for anything on the menu and he'll have it right up. Anything else he excuses himself to the 7-11 and marks it up appropriately. Everybody is in on it and everybody is happy. He offers bottle service as well. Literally any hard liquor you bring in, be it rotgut or a fifty year old whiskey, he'll keep for you and you alone. 1500 yen corking and 500 yen for each visit beyond the first, ice and clean glasses included. For comparison, a bar beer is 500yen there.
Fair enough. I suppose in a public-facing role, calling people who do silly/dangerous things "sir" or "ma'am" is easier than calling them what you really think of them. *G* I recall an incident on a train here many years ago, when a bespectacled person tried to shove a bicycle into an almost-completely-full rush-hour train. The train driver came on the PA and tried to tell him off several times with "sir", but this glasses-wearing person wouldn't stop, and it was getting rather dangerous. Finally, the train driver lost patience and said: "Listen, four-eyes, you keep shoving that bike in and I'll come back there and shove it where the sun doesn't shine!" (Nothing against people with glasses. I wear them myself. But wearing glasses doesn't mean you can behave like an arse. I guess he made a spectacle of himself ... sorry, sorry. I'm going now)
