Notes_from_a_Cluttered_Mind : Dog_Sold_Separately

Space Oddity (by Chris Hadfield)

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:33:54 -0400

Robert Reich: The Hollowing Out of Government

Mon, 06 May 2013 22:43:06 -0400

Robert Reich: The Hollowing Out of Government:

The West, Texas chemical and fertilizer plant where at least 15 were killed and more than 200 injured a few weeks ago hadn’t been fully inspected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration since 1985. (A partial inspection in 2011 had resulted in $5,250 in fines.)

OSHA and its…

Gun Protesters Plan March On Washington With Loaded Rifles To ‘Put The Government On Notice’

Mon, 06 May 2013 22:40:51 -0400

Gun Protesters Plan March On Washington With Loaded Rifles To ‘Put The Government On Notice’:

think-progress:

This… doesn’t sound likely to end well.

mlbsocial: The Chosen One at 1

Mon, 06 May 2013 21:59:37 -0400

mlbsocial:

The Chosen One at 1

The Umpires: Baseball is a skill sport, and Bryce Harper has serious, serious skills

Mon, 06 May 2013 21:58:38 -0400

The Umpires: Baseball is a skill sport, and Bryce Harper has serious, serious skills:

theumpires:

I know that’s a lofty claim, but as Dave Cameron points out in this Fangraphs article, through his first 162 games, Bryce Harper has emerged as one of baseball’s ten best players.

Harper is sporting an unbelievable .360/.444/.756 triple slash line, with nine home runs. So far, this season,…

Pressing Issues: Map Quest!

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:39:39 -0500

Pressing Issues: Map Quest!:

Fabulous map!

guardiancomment: Chelsea Welch, the US waitress who was fired...

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:02:01 -0500

guardiancomment:

Chelsea Welch, the US waitress who was fired after she posted a picture of a tip receipt on Reddit, wrote for us:

I was a waitress at Applebee’s restaurant in Saint Louis. I was fired Wednesday for posting a picture on Reddit.com of a note a customer left on a bill. I posted it on the web as a light-hearted joke.

This didn’t even happen at my table. The note was left for another server, who allowed me to take a picture of it at the end of the night.

Someone had scribbled on the receipt, “I give God 10%. Why do you get 18?”

I assumed the customer’s signature was illegible, but I quickly started receiving messages containing Facebook profile links and websites, asking me to confirm the identity of the customer. I refused to confirm any of them, and all were incorrect.

I worked with the Reddit moderators to remove any personal information. I wanted to protect the identity of both my fellow server and the customer. I had no intention of starting a witch-hunt or hurting anyone.

Now I’ve been fired.

The person who wrote the note came across an article about it, called the Applebee’s location, and demanded everyone be fired — me, the server who allowed me to take the picture, the manager on duty at the time, the manager not on duty at the time, everyone. It seems I was fired not because Applebee’s was represented poorly, not because I did anything illegal or against company policy, but because I embarrassed this person.

In light of the situation, I would like to make a statement on behalf of wait staff everywhere: We make $3.50 an hour. Most of my paychecks are less than pocket change because I have to pay taxes on the tips I make.

After sharing my tips with hosts, bussers, and bartenders, I make less than $9 an hour on average, before taxes. I am expected to skip bathroom breaks if we are busy. I go hungry all day if I have several busy tables to work. I am expected to work until 1:30am and then come in again at 10:30am to open the restaurant.

I have worked 12-hour double shifts without a chance to even sit down. I am expected to portray a canned personality that has been found to be least offensive to the greatest amount of people. And I am expected to do all of this, every day, and receive change, or even nothing, in return. After all that, I can be fired for “embarrassing” someone, who directly insults his or her server on religious grounds.

In this economy, $3.50 an hour doesn’t cut it. I can’t pay half my bills. Like many, I would love to see a reasonable, non-tip-dependent wage system for service workers like they have in other countries. But the system being flawed is not an excuse for not paying for services rendered.

I need tips to pay my bills. All waiters do. We spend an hour or more of our time befriending you, making you laugh, getting to know you, and making your dining experience the best it can be. We work hard. We care. We deserve to be paid for that.

I am trying to stand up for all of us who work for just a few dollars an hour at places like Applebee’s. Whether a chain steakhouse or a black-tie establishment, tipping is not optional. It is how we get paid.

I posted a picture to make people laugh, but now I want to make a serious point: Things like this happen to servers all the time. People seem to think that the easiest way to save money on a night out is to skip the tip.

I can’t understand why I was fired over this. I was well liked and respected at Applebee’s. My sales were high, my managers had no problems with me, and I was even hoping to move up to management soon. When I posted this, I didn’t represent Applebee’s in a bad light. In fact, I didn’t represent them at all.

I did my best to protect the identity of all parties involved. I didn’t break any specific guidelines in the company handbook – I checked. But because this person got embarrassed that their selfishness was made public, Applebee’s has made it clear that they would rather lose a dedicated employee than an angry customer. That’s a policy I can’t understand.

I am equally baffled about how a religious tithe is in any way related to paying for services at a restaurant. I can understand why someone could be upset with an automatic gratuity. However, it’s a plainly stated Applebee’s policy that a tip is added automatically for parties over eight like the one this customer was part of. I cannot control that kind of tip; it’s done by the computer that the orders are put into. I’ve been stiffed on tips before, but this is the first time I’ve seen the “Big Man” used as reasoning.

Obviously the person who wrote this note wanted it seen by someone. It’s strange that now that the audience is wider than just the server, the person is ashamed.

I have no agenda here. I seek no revenge against the note writer. I have no interest in exposing their identity, and, at this point, I’m not even sure I want my job back. I was just trying to make a joke, but I came home unemployed.

I’ve been waiting tables to save up some money so I could finally go to college, so I could get an education that would qualify me for a job that doesn’t force me to sell my personality for pocket change.

Missing Dog Found in Frozen Pond Rescued by Firefighters

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:55:58 -0500

Missing Dog Found in Frozen Pond Rescued by Firefighters

TEMECULA: Undercover deputy targeted mentally disabled teen, parents say

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 13:20:46 -0500

TEMECULA: Undercover deputy targeted mentally disabled teen, parents say

theanimalblog: Baby Hippo. Photo by RimmaK

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:19:42 -0500

theanimalblog:

Baby Hippo. Photo by RimmaK

Photo

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:17:35 -0500

climateadaptation: kateoplis: Nope, this is not a still from...

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:10:21 -0500

climateadaptation:

kateoplis:

Nope, this is not a still from Blade Runner. It’s smog in Beijing.

Some of my friends in Beijing have said the air burns their eyes and lungs. Here’s a picture of my colleague with his double-barreled air mask. Intense. Note he’s wearing a trash bag to protect his suit from the dirty air when he goes out.