Here's something you might be interested in.
I was having lunch with a friend of mine last week, and we noticed some military guys nearby. I said, "If I was rich, I'd pick up the tab whenever I saw military guys in a restaurant. It would just be a little 'thank you' for what they do." She chuckled.
But then she called me yesterday saying, "I was in Starbucks. And this huge military guy was behind me, in his uniform. So when I got to the register, I told the girl I was going to pay for him as well. He smiled and said 'thank you.' I then said 'No, thank you."
She went on to say that he merely got a black coffee, which cost her around a buck.
But it started to bother her when the girl at the counter wouldn't shut up about it. She said, "Geez, I should go buy a uniform. Would you then buy my stuff?"
She said it got to a point where it was awkward for the both of them, and she didn't want to look at the guy behind her again, for fear he would think he had to continue thanking her.
As he left, he did thank her again. And the Starbucks girl continued going on about it.
When she told me the military guy was African-American, she then said to me, "I hope he doesn't think I bought him the coffee because of Obama getting elected. No, I think he understands."
I then laughed and said, "I would've said, 'Before I buy you your coffee, let me ask...how did you vote on the various Propositions?"
I told her about the various clerks I've had over the years that said inappropriate things. The one that comes to mind immediately is 20 years ago, when I was in a used CD store, and purchasing the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack for a woman I was dating. The guy behind the counter was wearing a Clash shirt, and had about 18 piercings. And that was just in his lip.
He smirked as he rang the order up. But it wasn't until his co-worker came up from the back, and he held it up and made a comment. I said, "Hey idiot, since when is it good customer service to make fun of someones purchase? It's for my girlfriend. And you know what? You think you're so bad ass with your Clash shirt on. I probably know more about the Clash than you."
I named a few obscure facts about the band, and he seemed impressed. But he said something negative about the Bee Gees. I said, "Listen, dude. Her and I were kids when that movie came out, and even if it's a guilty pleasure for us to like those songs, do you realize how lame it is to make fun of someones purchase? I mean, at least wait until they leave before you go on about it. Or, reserve the comments for the person that has 10 CDs, and all of them are lame."
He finally said, "Okay, man. It's cool."
I have to admit, though, when I was going to purchase ABBA Gold a few weeks later for my stepbrother, I made sure he wasn't working that day.
I was having lunch with a friend of mine last week, and we noticed some military guys nearby. I said, "If I was rich, I'd pick up the tab whenever I saw military guys in a restaurant. It would just be a little 'thank you' for what they do." She chuckled.
But then she called me yesterday saying, "I was in Starbucks. And this huge military guy was behind me, in his uniform. So when I got to the register, I told the girl I was going to pay for him as well. He smiled and said 'thank you.' I then said 'No, thank you."
She went on to say that he merely got a black coffee, which cost her around a buck.
But it started to bother her when the girl at the counter wouldn't shut up about it. She said, "Geez, I should go buy a uniform. Would you then buy my stuff?"
She said it got to a point where it was awkward for the both of them, and she didn't want to look at the guy behind her again, for fear he would think he had to continue thanking her.
As he left, he did thank her again. And the Starbucks girl continued going on about it.
When she told me the military guy was African-American, she then said to me, "I hope he doesn't think I bought him the coffee because of Obama getting elected. No, I think he understands."
I then laughed and said, "I would've said, 'Before I buy you your coffee, let me ask...how did you vote on the various Propositions?"
I told her about the various clerks I've had over the years that said inappropriate things. The one that comes to mind immediately is 20 years ago, when I was in a used CD store, and purchasing the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack for a woman I was dating. The guy behind the counter was wearing a Clash shirt, and had about 18 piercings. And that was just in his lip.
He smirked as he rang the order up. But it wasn't until his co-worker came up from the back, and he held it up and made a comment. I said, "Hey idiot, since when is it good customer service to make fun of someones purchase? It's for my girlfriend. And you know what? You think you're so bad ass with your Clash shirt on. I probably know more about the Clash than you."
I named a few obscure facts about the band, and he seemed impressed. But he said something negative about the Bee Gees. I said, "Listen, dude. Her and I were kids when that movie came out, and even if it's a guilty pleasure for us to like those songs, do you realize how lame it is to make fun of someones purchase? I mean, at least wait until they leave before you go on about it. Or, reserve the comments for the person that has 10 CDs, and all of them are lame."
He finally said, "Okay, man. It's cool."
I have to admit, though, when I was going to purchase ABBA Gold a few weeks later for my stepbrother, I made sure he wasn't working that day.
Ha! I have the Bee Gees Greatist Hits! And it was purchased just a year ago. That guy is probably getting his check from the government to go buy his Clash Greatist Hits CD and wondering "what happened?" Kids are not getting common courtesy taught to them anymore. Mankind is getting lazy. I just watched "I Am Legend" this morning. It is amazing in the lessons it teaches.
I like the Clash a lot more than the Bee Gees, but the rest of the world disagrees. I've heard Bee Gees all over Europe and Asia, but it's rare to hear The Clash outside its natural habitat.
The best fun is changing Bee Gees' lyrics...like a song for geriatric disco fans:
Ah, ah, ah, ah Barely alive Barely alive
or maybe the proctology theme song:
I really want to know How deep is my glove?
:-P
Now you just can't do that with the Clash, can you? Rebel Waltz? Magnificent Seven? London Calling? Change those lyrics?
No way...
You're right about those early Clash tunes, but go to Combat Rock, and lyrics can be easily changed. I mean, Rock the Casbah could be anything. It can be Barrack the White House...okay, that was lame, but the lyrics could be cool.
Regarding How Deep is Your Love? It could be a great ballad, if it weren't for such crappy lyrics. It doesn't make sense to say "And it's me you need to show...how deep is your love?"
It would've had to be "it's me you need to show/how deep your love is"
Sure, it doesn't rhyme...but still, you can't ask a question after the statement "but it's me you need to show..."
Okay, who, no matter how exclusive they think they are, does not like ear candy, eye candy, etc?
Unless you're a douchebag at a record store, then everybody has at least that one song and one movie you would die if anybody found out about.
My tastes are very eclectic. When I like something, I do not worry about how other people are going to like it. I do not play it for them. My music collection, for example. Everybody that takes a look at it likes most of it, wow's at 25%, and scratches their heads at the other 25%. Now, mind you. It is NEVER the same 25% in both cases. Why?
Because, you cannot tell somebody else what is and what is not art. Art is subjective.
Working in a record store is not art.