Month: October 2003

Classical Music Inspires Spending

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Over-Spending at Restaurant: a Classical Problem?

I wasn’t sure which weblog this should go to, but in the end I decided to put it here. There’s been a study that shows people have a tendency of spending more on dining out when there is classical music playing in the background. The theory is that classical music is associated with the “high class,” and people have the need to fit in with their environment. Next time I go out, I’m going to pay more attention to this.

I will relate one story. I was eating at a TGI Friday’s or Bennigan’s or some other restaurant of that ilk, in the afternoon, and the bartender (at the empty bar) kept turning up the rock music so loud that people throughout were complaining. Our waiter explained to us, “It’s been a constant battle.” It kind of made me want to leave the restaurant without eating or paying, just because of how annoying it was. But I was hungry.

I’d like to go to a bar that blasts classical music. That might be fun.

This Weekend Is My Weekend

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I apologize for not writing much, dear readers. This graduate school thing is kicking my butt. I just have to keep reminding myself that (as long as I keep working at my current job) it’s practically free and it’ll be worth it in the end.

I saw Lost in Translation, which was a little slow, but very sweet and fun. That’s about all there was to my weekend. Like I said, classwork is consuming my life. It’s not like the regular classes I’m used to, where you attend a few days out of the week… I have to keep up with discussions, do research, and write every day.

Transportation

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Do I really want to spend $40 on taxis to go to and from my dentist appointment tomorrow? I guess even taking into consideration the occasional taxi ride, riding the bus every day, and my monthly train pass, it’s still cheaper than owning a car and paying for car insurance. I just don’t like the idea of laying out that much money from to have my teeth cleaned.

In other news, the following phat words have been added to or changed in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, probably a while ago, but I haven’t been paying attention: Waitron, barista, oy, NIMBY, punditocracy, McJob, goth, brewski, tweener, tankini, funplex, and bubkes.

Here is an example. After realizing I make bubkes from my McJob as a barista, I quit and headed for the hole downtown where the goth waitron offered me a brewski and complained about the local NIMBY punditocracy, but all I wanted to do was make my way to the local funplex where all the tankini-wearing tweeners hang out.