Michael Kindt's Blog, page 141
March 17, 2015
Getting eaten out in Seattle
Apparently, a number of restaurants have been closing their doors in Seattle in recent weeks. People on the right have been screeding that it’s because of the new $15 an hour minimum wage the city council voted for, which begins a gradual phase-in on April 1st, adding that “conservatives are so smart and liberals are so dumb.” People on the left have been screeding back, “No, sir. Restaurants close for many reasons. Oh, and liberals are so smart and conservatives are so dumb.”
Since both liberals and conservatives are assholes and liars, I decided to try to find out why, in fact, there have been so many restaurant closings in Seattle of late. I did this because I’m very bored and crossword puzzles can eat up only so much time as I edge ever closer to death.
It was tough going, lemme tell ya. I don’t know how many links I clicked and searches I conducted. Everywhere I went, it seemed, somebody had an agenda. Such is the state of “news” in our age. I did find this, however, from the Washington Restaurant Association:
"…a common budget breakdown among sustaining Seattle restaurants so far has been the following: 36 percent of funds are devoted to labor, 30 percent to food costs, and 30 percent go to everything else (all other operational costs). The remaining 4 percent has been the profit margin, and as a result, in a $700,000 restaurant, the average restauranteur in Seattle has been making $28,000 a year…"
Ok, stop right there. Can you spot the missing money?
I have worked in many restaurants as a cook over the years and know it’s hard work for all involved, including the owner. Long-hours, razor thin margins…
But I also knew what kind of car the owner drove. Usually cars: “It’s so nice out today, I just had to take the convertible!” I knew what the owner’s wife and kids drove. I often knew what neighborhood the owners lived in and many times have been to or seen their comfy digs.
I can tell you no restaurant owner in Seattle is sputtering around in ‘95 Toyota Corolla or living in a studio apartment, even though, according to the above numbers, he only makes $28,000 a year.
I never did find out why so many restaurants in Seattle have been closing, but cry me a river on that terrible $15 an hour minimum wage, huh?
March 15, 2015
In an age when everyone’s cellphone activity is more or less tracked, I find Watergate kind of funny.
Imagine: bugging a single room brought down an entire Presidency…
I am water, I am rum. Waiting for dawn, and dawn she’ll come.
At times, I get brutal insomnia. Most of the people who claim insomnia are lying. They just can’t sleep that particular night.
I have stayed awake for weeks. Two years ago, when my mom was going downhill and the end was nigh, I slept like 4 hours between July30 and Aug10.
Only during extremely troubling or stressful times does insomnia strike me, and when it does, I become so tired that I am, essentially, insane—only I don’t feel tired.
The last time, like I mentioned, was when my mom was dying, and we were all at the hospice, and I, as the eldest, was supposed to take care of everything.
I had to book rooms for people. Call people. I was supposed to go to the funeral home and pick out an urn. I had a dozens of things to do.
I was the rock.
Instead, I bought a six pack of beer and went into the only room I booked, which was in the hospice, and drank it and cried. I had been awake for a week straight.
The walls were moving like waves.
If you haven’t hallucinated, I’m sorry. You don’t have insomnia.
Strangely, my insomnia appears to be associated with death in my family. The last time it struck me so violently was in my early teens. I was staying with my uncle in Wyoming and all of a sudden I couldn’t sleep. Day after day I stayed awake.
I wasn’t even tired.
That’s the thing about insomnia in my case. I’m not even remotely tired.
I was up for over a week and then we got a call that Grandpa Jack had been killed in a car wreck.
Now whenever I can’t sleep, I think WHO’S NEXT?
GOD PLEASE LET ME FALL ASLEEP.
March 14, 2015
Normally, I don’t reblog other writers because I feel...
Normally, I don’t reblog other writers because I feel competitive toward them, but this stuff needs to be shared. It needs a wider audience.
It crackles with uniqueness.
Eh, I ain’t a-gonna worry.
I ain’t got that much directly uploaded shit. Most of it is youtube links. The directly uploaded shit is pretty underground the majority of the people ain’t interested in anyway.
Ooh, Minnesota punk!
Basically if you’re uploading the same generic crap that’s on top 40 pop radio, or popular “classic rock” type shit, then maybe worry.
The last song I actually, directly uploaded was by a little known gospel artist. Haha.
Still, I’m takin it down, but whatever.
The efforts that the music industry are making have been valiant. Pointless, but valiant.
Just like publishing, the person who gets to decide what’s popular, what gets “out there”, is no longer a giant corporation.
Welcome to 2015, bitches.
...I mean...I dunno if I have music on my tumblr they won't cotton to. I have a lot of original works on this platform...legally, I don't think they can just abscond with your shit.
I hope not. Jesus. I heard it was true and I heard it was a rumor, so…
trixclibrarian said: do you know about revert? i mean? just in case ? from what i’ve hear it is...
trixclibrarian said: do you know about revert? i mean? just in case ? from what i’ve hear it is kinda random when it happens?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
No. I’m just worried about some writing. 90% of this blog is just me mouthing off, but there are a few pieces of writing on here I’d like to keep my hands on. My tumblr is sort of an online sketch-pad. I do occasionally upload music.
I’d be fucking livid if they didn’t give me a warning…
