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Cleavage in Lieu of Decent Restaurant Service – BC’s Shame



Last month former Shark Club bartender Karolina Bil put in a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal because she was asked to dress in a “sexy” way that induced sexual harassment from customers. Uncomfortable with the pressure to wear high heels, mini skirts, and cleavage-showing tops, Bil felt discriminated against and launched her complaint.



Not that this is anything new in B.C.



Trendy lounges across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island are bustling with good-looking female servers, all with the same body type, all with the same length of perfectly styled hair, all with smoky, seductive makeup and outfits you’d usually wear to a nightclub.



I hadn’t really given much of a thought to it, or offence to it.



Then I realized that the more these lounges hire these carbon-copy servers, the poorer service there becomes.



For example, last month I took a friend to one of these lounges, a place I used to LOVE to go to whenever I came to Vancouver. We had a very pretty server, maybe 20, with long dark hair, long sleek legs, big boobs and absolutely no serving skills whatsoever.



She was such a terrible server, in fact, that my friend vowed never to return to this lounge again. And I was embarrassed to have even suggested the place.



Now, this makes me wonder — are these lounges and restaurants more concerned with the sex appeal of their servers over the satisfaction of their customers? Or are they only concerned with attracting male customers? Must these places be reminded that at least half of their customers are women and maybe aren’t very interested in how sexy the waitresses are?



And I haven’t even touched on the discrimination aspect yet…



So, service is becoming not-so-much of a necessity at these places, and anyone who desires good service is going elsewhere to dine or enjoy a few cocktails. And on top of this part of the problem, these lounges are now under fire from the Human Rights Tribunal for sexual discrimination.



If Karolina Bil gets a hearing, these lounges just may have to go after waitresses for their serving skills again, not for their hot bodies.



Worst case scenario I’ve heard: a prominent jazz restaurant in Yaletown fired its entire staff after the Olympics, staff who had been there for years, to replace them with blond twenty year old girls with no serving ability.



What’s my take on the whole thing?



Well I think it’s been talked about enough that most females feel similarly, and from the comments I’m seeing posted under the news stories regarding Bil’s complaint, men are generally feeling that Bil knew what she was getting into and that jealous, bitter women (such as Bil) should go eat or work elsewhere. ..



I’m pretty sure those opinions are the root of this entire problem.



Others saying “Well, the bartenders at these lounges are men, and they have to wear tighter shirts, too!”



Oh really? Do they have to show their chests? Or their legs? Anything revealing at all? Yeah, didn’t think so.



Also most bartender positions at these types of lounges and restaurants go only to men, and bartenders make the most tips and get the benefits of breaks and regular hours, unlike servers. So once again, women in this industry are being treated unequally from their male counterparts.



On a personal note, what bothers me the most about these unofficial hiring prerequisites is the fact that a really amazing server might not get a position at say, Earls or the Cactus Club, because she’s got thicker legs or a few extra pounds on her. She could still be beautiful with a great smile and bright personality, but is she 5’10” and 130lbs? No, she’s 5’6” and 150. So she doesn’t get the job.



Does that sound fair to you?



Part of me is hoping that something comes out of Bil’s case; that even if she doesn’t get a hearing, a few lounges take note and start respecting the serving ability of their waitresses rather than their physical assets. Lounges like Joey should be emanated; their girls are always dressed well, if not somewhat conservatively, and they have great service. The girls are pretty and classy.



You see, Vancouver, I tip for service, not for looking good. If you want my money, earn it. High heels and cleavage don’t mean shit if you can’t get my drink order right.

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Isis101
04:25 Sep 01 2012

Amen!

The clunker for me was when I read that a whole staff was replaced by blonde clones with no serving ability...don't these establishments know that they'll lose money in the long run?

(And for being so stupid, they deserve to lose).

I hope that Ms Bel gets her hearing!

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sahahria
13:33 Sep 01 2012

This is INCREDIBLY bad in London. I went to a place like this, asked for the gluten free menu... and ORDERED FROM THE GLUTEN FREE MENU.



My order? Came with BREAD, and not gluten free bread. :(



On top of that, server told me how she TOO was gluten intolerant. Really? -.-



Then, because I was out for a friend's birthday, and he ALWAYS will pay for me; I went to the "bathroom"... aka I was paying the bill in sneaky manner. Which took 5 min to track waitress down, and another 10 for her to come to me. I finally gave her my card and went to the bathroom so she could be ready when I got out.



Not impressed. But I'm also in a college town when girls like that, get the boys to drink, and drink LOTS. So... :(

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Jerry Nelson, a master of voices and puppetering who voiced Muppets including Count von Count during more than 40 years with "Sesame Street," has died. He was 78.





Also a musician and actor, he took part in dozens of Muppet projects, from the 1971 movie "Tales From Muppetland: The Frog Prince," to 1979's "The Muppet Movie" to last year's "The Muppets."



Nelson joined "Sesame Street," which debuted in 1969, early in the show's run. He soon took on major characters including The Count, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Sherlock Hemlock.



"The cast and crew of 'Sesame Street' and the staff of Sesame Workshop deeply mourn the loss of cast member and creator of dozens of Muppet characters, Jerry Nelson," said a message on Sesame Street's website.





"A member of the 'Sesame Street' family for more than 40 years, he will forever be in our hearts and remembered for the artistry in his puppetry, his music, and the laughter he brought to children worldwide through his portrayal of Count von Count, Herry Monster, Fat Blue, Sherlock Hemlock, the Amazing Mumford and many other beloved characters. We will miss his extraordinary spirit and the joy he brought to our Street."







Nelson also had small, decidedly un-Muppety roles in films including "Robocop 2" and "The Nail Gun Massacre."

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006)











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Nightgame
15:36 Aug 10 2012

and here we have the World Chicken Festival coming up next month :)

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Dimension Films and Miramax today announced the production of THE AMITYVILLE HORROR: THE LOST TAPES. This is the first film to be produced under the agreement between Miramax and The Weinstein Company to create sequels to some of Miramax’s best-known properties.



Dimension also announced that it has acquired the rights to a new screenplay for the film by Casey La Scala and Daniel Farrands. Farrands and La Scala are also set to direct the film. Production will commence this summer with a release date scheduled for January 27, 2012. The announcement was made today by Bob Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company (TWC), and Mike Lang, CEO of Miramax.



THE AMITYVILLE HORROR: THE LOST TAPES showcases the events after the time of the original The Amityville Horror book and movie through found footage dating back to 1976. An ambitious female television news intern, on the verge of breaking the most famous haunted house case in the world, leads a team of journalists, clergymen and paranormal researchers into an investigation of the bizarre events that will come to be known as The Amityville Horror … only to unwittingly open a door to the unreal that she may never be able to close.



“We are thrilled to return to the mythology of the Amityville Horror with a new and terrifying vision that will satisfy our existing fans and also introduce an entirely new audience to this popular haunting phenomenon,” said Bob Weinstein.



THE AMITYVILLE HORROR: THE LOST TAPES is being produced by Jason Blum, Casey La Scala and Daniel Farrands. Bob and Harvey Weinstein are Executive Producers. Blum has previous experience with found footage films having produced PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 1 and 2, which have grossed close to $400 million worldwide.



The Amityville Horror stories are based on events in the life of George Lutz. The Amityville Horror project is one of several sequel or development projects that Miramax and TWC are currently collaborating on.



“I’m thrilled to be working with Bob to reinvent one of the all-time great horror franchises, and I think this new installment will really hit home with a new generation of moviegoers,” said Jason Blum.

Watch it to the end folks- It's worth the wait.

An employed, married local couple have been refused an apartment rental after the landlord discovered the husband played in a heavy metal band. Music documentary filmmaker Sam Dunn (see Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey) will be delighted to learn that educating the masses about metal remains a growth business.



Michael Crossley, bassist with Toronto rockers Vilipend and wife Lara Crossley had apparently reached a verbal agreement with the property owner, identified only as Suzanne by Classic Rock Magazine. But Suzanne changed her mind after Googling Mike and discovering more about his musical proclivities.



In an email Lara Crossley shared in her blog, Suzanne told the Crossleys: “We were quite ready to make a decision in your favour the other night. However, upon investigation of the band Vilipend, it has brought forward some concerns for us. We are uncomfortable with the energy that this music manifests.”

Mike Crossley tells Classic Rock he didn’t anticipate being “so poorly misjudged” for his transparency when applying for the rental. He adds, “The point is not that a couple of twenty-somethings missed out on a decent apartment.



“If Lara and I were discriminated against as a dual full-time income, Caucasian, middle-class, heterosexual couple with good references and credit checks, imagine the difficult somebody who doesn’t have those advantages must experience.



“Anyone who isn’t ‘comfortable with the energy this music manifests’ to the extent they’re making business and life decisions around it should watch the documentary Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey to help them understand.”



Ha ha... indeed. In her blog post “Too metal to pay rent” Lara Crossley adds: “This has been very heartbreaking for the both of us. On two occasions we were told by the landlord, in writing, that we were the strongest applicants and that she had little to no reservation in renting the apartment to us.





“Her decision to deny us the apartment based on the fact that Mike’s artistic outlet is accessible using Google was offensive, and completely infringed on our privacy.”



Meanwhile over at the band’s official website, the growing story is being met with some uncertainty and the group appears eager to shift attention away from the rental story and towards the business of making music.



“We have many great things coming up in August (a new record, a tour with Meek is Murder, etc.) and would much rather discuss any of them or the actual music we make and play. While we will not shy away from discussing this incident, any of the issues it has raised or how people into aggressive music can be unfairly judged, the point was never to garner sympathy or press, but purely express astonishment at the situation.”



Suzanne had not replied to requests from Classic Rock for a comment.



I am pretty sure there is a long line of renters with similar stories to tell, especially in a city like Toronto where condos are going up, like, hourly but decent, affordable rentals are as scarce as pink cats. Landlords have all the power.



On the flipside, this is far and away the most amount of press Vilipend has ever had, so they’d be wise to capitalize on it all they can. Sometimes, the last laugh really is the sweetest.

Lord V has once again come through.....and this is for all the southern ladies out there as well....

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ladySnowStrixx
14:32 Aug 03 2012

lmaorof LOL that is so true girlfriend.

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And this was in their FAQ:



5. What is Goth?



Good question. If you have to ask you probably don't have a clue anyway ;-)



Now, seriously, this has got to be the most loathed question on any Gothic-themed mailing list or forum. For the most part people come to these lists as a kind of sanctuary from this question, a place to converse with like-minded people who aready have a clue, and net.goths as a general rule can be pretty snarky on line. This is more of an in-person type question. Someone who might be inclined to bite your head off on-line over this faux-pas will quite likely be quite personable about it over a smoke outside the club or some such other IRL situation. The worst thing that is going to happen to anybody on-line is being banned from one forum or another, so people tend to be considerably less concerned about causing offence on line than they would be face to face.



6. Am I a Goth?



If people call you a goth and you are inclined to deny it, you probably are one.



If you call yourself a goth but no one else does, you probably aren't.



If you call yourself a goth, think moping makes you cool, hating the world is cool, lurk on mailing lists, newsgroups, and blog sites but never actually go out and socialize with anyone, let alone other goths, then you definitely aren't. Consider therapy.



7. Aren't Goths all devil-worshipping, bunny-mutilating, oversexed, sado-masochistic psychos in black trench-coats?



Not even close. Research out of the University of Sussex (UK) by Dr. Dunja Brill (Media and Cultural Studies) shows that on average



"...their lifestyle, unlike the punk scene, is a middle-class subculture," she said.



Her research shows that goths share a dark sense of humour.



"The values of the goth subculture are very high-brow," she said. "They tend to enjoy old poetry, books and the arts.



"It is a peaceful subculture - drugs and anti-social behaviour do not play a big part.



"Many parents worry because they think their children may be depressed or suicidal when they start wearing black but this is not usually the case.



"They tend to have a sarcastic sense of humour and be able to express their feelings.



"Another worry is the fetish fashion of some goths, especially with the females. But my research shows that the girls are not overtly sexual.



"In fact, they are usually believers of love and romance..."



— Telegraph.co.uk, March 20, 2006



8. Why do Goths wear black?



Wearing Black has been the hallmark of the coffee drinking intelligentsia for nearly 400 years. Back during the early Renaissance the rich (and therefore educated) were dressing in flamboyant clothes made with expensive coloured dyes and gold and silver decorations. In the early part of the 17th century as the Renaissance was spreading into Northern Europe the Dutch invented the first permanent black dyes. At the same time the Dutch were surpassing the Italians as Europe's premiere merchants and Amsterdam was becoming the centre of power and learning for Europe. Dutch merchants also introduced coffee and chocolate to Europe around this same time, ergo you suddenly had the wealthy and educated merchant crowd and the artists they supported sitting around in coffee-houses all dressed in black, drinking coffee and eating chocolate for a buzz. Bach (who used to spend a lot of time hanging out in cafés, jamming with his contemporaries) even wrote a "Coffee Cantata" about a woman who wanted to drink coffee despite her father's wishes and the mores of the time.



While styles changed amongst the rich and powerful the style and image of the black-clad artist and intellectual persisted. The style persisted through the early-to-mid 19th century Romantics on into the late 19th / early 20th century Avant Garde artists. The Weimar intellectuals such as the founders of the Bauhaus school also continued the tradition leading directly into the Beat Generation followed by the Situationists, punks and eventually Goths.



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Just so you know- British Columbians have a wicked sense of humor too...lol

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sahahria
23:52 Aug 03 2012

From my travels, I have to say all Canadians have a wicked sense of humour... it's why I lurves them!

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