March 23, 2008

Sunday Music:: "Pump up the Volume"



I didn't understand this song when it came out. I still don't understand it. That's why its so great.

  • Is the Olympic torch going to pass anywhere near New York City? If so, I want to join any protest that greets it. The Genocide Olympics is nothing to celebrate. The unelected Communist government of China will soon wish it had never been awarded the Olympic Games.
  • The Symphonia Restaurant on 68th Street and Fourth Avenue in Bay Ridge appears to be doing well. I stopped in on Wednesday and ordered a gyro sandwich to go. It cost $4.50 and was very good. Kirk tells me that the restaurant owners own two gyro restaurants in Manhattan, so they know what they're doing.
  • Why can't Whole Foods manage the lines in its stores? Today I stopped by the location at Houston/Chrystie. There were long lines that did not appear very organized. Same as the Whole Foods at Union Square and the one at Columbus Circle. They claim to manage the lines well, but I don't think they do at all. The only acceptable line is one with one or at most two people ahead of you. If there are more than four people in front of you, you should walk right out. If the store doesn't respect your time, don't give 'em your business. See you at Fairway Red Hook, or Key Food Bay Ridge. Never at Whole Foods.

6 comments:

Mark said...

Bad news about the Torch route. The only city it goes through in North America is San Francisco. But reading the list of cities it goes through sounds like Johnny Cash's song "I've Been Everywhere."

Can't wait to try the gyros. We had take-out from the Chip Shop and it was brilliant.

The Whole Foods on Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks, CA has very orderly lines.

The Phantom said...

Hmm...I think that the people in San Francisco may choose to make a very loud statement! I'll be there in spirit.

Mark said...

it'll be interesting to see if the Chinese community in SF will protest.

The Phantom said...

That will be interesting. Some of the local community groups may have ties to Chinese entities and may not dare

I think that there are plenty of Chinese / Chinese Americans who are very angry with what is happening--and I expect them to be pretty active.

Erin Gallagher Illustration said...

I work at Whole Foods Market Union Square, so I am definitely biased, but we have approximately 75,000 customers a day. A day! I think our cashiers do a pretty good job considering the amount of people they process constantly. And the people that choose to wait in line at Whole Foods Market shop there, not Key Food, for specific reasons. I know I will, even after I'm no longer an employee.

The Phantom said...

Erin

I would shop at Whole Foods --but I just cannot tolerate lines like that. Which is why I shop at Fairway Market in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Very high quality food and lines that are manageable. I am willing to travel to that kind-of-remote location for a number of reasons, including short lines.

I understand the unique issues at Union Square, where there are many residents and so few supermarkets --I see the equally long lines at Trader Joe's.

But, I don't know why there can't be more manageable lines at places like Houston Street.

I cannot criticize the employees, who are all working very hard. I do criticize the WF management- they have assumed that people don't have a problem with waiting in line, so they don't expend the resources it would take to minimize the lines.

I blame the people for standing in the lines too--I would live on potato chips and White Castle burgers for the rest of my life before I waited on superlong lines at any market!

Thanks for visiting, and your website looks pretty cool.