I Am Legend is a really good movie.  How Will Smith did not get nominated for his acting is beyond me.  The first hour of the film was pretty much just him and his dog.  Acting with an ensemble cast is tough, but acting by yourself, with only a German shepherd and some digital monsters as your co-stars, has got to be extremely difficult.  I know movies like this don’t typically get nominated for awards, especially this awards season being a “critics” season for Hollywood.  Kudos to Will Smith and the entire I Am Legend team: the story was good, the acting was superb, the visual effects were great, and the message behind the movie is great discussion fodder.

That being said, I recently purchased the special edition of I Am Legend on DVD, complete with an alternate version of the movie.  The first hour of both versions is the same.  However, the differences in the last half hour are vastly different.  The way I see it, the “Icy Inspiration” scene in the alternate version, which is an expansion of the “Marley’s namesake” scene in the theatrical version, and the different ending change the movie’s story and meaning dramatically.  I won’t spoil it for anyone, but it’s an interesting comparison, to say the least.  I’m disappointed that there isn’t a special feature explaining the director’s choice as to which version he decided upon for the theatrical release.  If anyone’s seen the movie and/or its alternate version, or knows anything regarding the alternate version, I’d be happy to discuss.  And if you’ve yet to see the film, I highly recommend it.  Even if the story doesn’t immdediately interest you, the acting (both human and canine…man I love German shepherds!) and the social commentary made by the film’s story is noteworthy.

The hardest part of my day is at the very beginning: getting out of bed is a chore, perhaps the most difficult physical task I accomplish every day. Snooze buttons were made for people like me, those who just can’t drag themselves out of bed without a reminder every few minutes. Every Sunday, ESPN’s SportsCenter has a feature called the “Sunday Conversation.” In it, a prominent figure (usually an athlete) is interviewed and asked to comment on a wide variety of subjects. This Sunday’s interview was with Tiger Woods, perhaps the world’s most recognizable active athlete. I didn’t think it was possible to be more amazed by him: his list of accomplishments on the golf course and his charitable foundation are enough to amaze and inspire even the most cynical people. But there was a part of the interview when Scott van Pelt asked Tiger about his motivation to continue golfing, when he’s already won a dozen majors and millions of dollar. Here’s the exchange:

SvP: You’ve got 64 wins on the PGA Tour, a fortune in the bank. How do you fight the human nature that says, “I’m going to hit the snooze button today. I’m going to take my foot off the gas. I’m going to coast for a while.” Where does the hunger inside of you come from?

TW: I don’t know how you can think any other way….I look at life [like this]: the greatest thing about tomorrow is that I will be better than I am today and that’s the way I’ve always lived my life. I have no understanding why people do hit the snooze button. You have the chance to become a better person…all the different things you can do to become better for tomorrow. I don’t understand why [people] don’t take advantage of that.

Man, the say I see it, if that’s not inspirational, I don’t know what is.

Damn snooze button…

While bar tending last night, one of the patrons made an interesting comment. Actually, it’s one of the strangest statements I’ve ever heard. Meagan and I were talking with another patron about the musical selections playing in the restaurant. He proceeds to turn to his buddy and ask him what kind of music he likes. His response: “Eh. I don’t really like music.”

Um…what?

My response: “Are you kidding? Really? Seriously? What do you mean you don’t like music?” Talk about shock and awe. Truly, I was flabbergasted by this statement. His friend and Meagan were, too. We all just stood there for a few seconds staring at this guy in utter bewilderment. The way I see it, it’s not like saying “I don’t like tomatoes” or “I don’t like baseball.” It’s music we’re talking about. Surely, he’s heard SOMEthing musical that piqued his interest at SOME point in his life. I just don’t understand. Now, I realize I’m slightly biased, being a music major and all, but for the love of all thing good and holy, to just dismiss music as a whole?!? I equate that with saying something like, “Eh. I don’t really like art” or “Eh. I don’t really like movies.” Perhaps you prefer books over the silver screen, or perhaps you may not understand or appreciate Monet, Picasso, or Warhol on a certain level. But to say as a general rule that you don’t like movies or art as a general rule? It’s mind-boggling to me. I will say this, though: You meet some interesting characters tending bar. People never cease to amaze me.

My shift at work tonight was one of “those” nights. You know, those nights when few things (if any at all) go well. My first table, a 2-top, was trying to be funny by “giving me a hard time”: by asking stupid questions, trying to stump me on my menu knowledge, and trying to put me on the spot. Normally, I don’t have too big a problem with this if it’s done in a manner that is clearly jovial; but the way they were going about it was not cool. They were trying to be funny and failing miserably. It was not a great way to start the night. I thought my night was going to pick up when I got a five-top, but alas, it was one of “those” tables. Five women, only four of whom at food, and those who did eat chose to only get one course…of appetizers. Awesome. On the bright side, however, the ladies were nice and tipped reasonably well. The one shining moment came from my next table, who ended up tipping almost 30%. Granted, the check wasn’t very big, but it was nice to get a fatty percentage. As my co-worker, 2-Dee, would say, “Good lookin’ out, ladies!” That euphoria was short-lived, however, as I got another one of “those” tables. This time, it was two-top, who, after asking for my suggestions, didn’t go with any of them and proceeded to ordered only one course: one entree for him and one appetizer for her. Again, awesome. The check ended up being a few cents short of $40, and as I was printing it up, I told the bartender that I don’t expect a lot from this table. “Five bucks,” I said. “I’m aiming low, so as to not get my expectations shattered.” Admittedly, this was not the best outlook on the situation, but after serving tables for a while, I’ve come to expect small tips from some customers. It’s horrible, I know, but it’s the reality of the game. So, the table leaves. I open the check presenter, and what greets me there on top of the charge draft? A wrinkled five dollar bill. I smiled to myself, partly because I totally called it, and partly because it sucked to be right in this instance. I’ve been surprised before, and I guess a little part of me was hoping against hope that this couple would pleasantly surprise me with 15%, maybe even 18%. Alas, no such luck. To make matters worse, my tables weren’t getting up in a timely fashion, thereby causing me to give up an 8-top that walked in late. Wonderful. Not only did I get crappy tips, but I didn’t even get a chance to redeem the night with a big table at the end of the shift. *sigh* Oh well. The way I see it, nights like tonight are part of the service industry, at least in Tallahassee. I’m taking solace in the fact that six months from now, I hope to be teaching somewhere and not worrying how much money I’m going to make at work. Here’s to hoping…

Well, the 2008 Major League Baseball season opened around the country yesterday (the Japan games and the Sunday night game were merely preludes to the REAL opening day). And in true Cubs style, as they have for 100 years now, the Cubs threatened to win a game in thrilling fashion. Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the ninth (Thanks, Kerry Wood. Your service over the years has been appreciated, but Carlos Marmol should be the closer. Marmol!), the Cubs’ newest and highest-profile acquisition, Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome hit a belt-high 3-1 fastball to right center to tie the game and to write a place into Cubs history. But the euphoria was short-lived, as the other closer candidate, Bob Howry, gave up the winning run in the top of the 10th. I repeat: Carlos Marmol is not the closer of the future. He’s the closer of the present. Thus began the 100th anniversary season of the Cubs’ last World Series victory. The Cubs have a shot to go far: they should win the Central and possibly even a playoff series. After that, however, it’s questionable. We’ll see. I’ll refrain from making specific predictions except for this one: despite the acquisition of Johan Santana, the Mets will NOT get to the World Series. Here’s to hoping Cubbie disappointment doesn’t last another century…

In other news, I was up in Blue Ridge, GA this past weekend, celebrating Amy’s birthday with some friends. Marty flew in from Ft. Worth, Jess flew in from Chicago, and we proceeded to laugh, play, eat, ride, sing, and drink ourselves into a great time. And just for future reference, playing hide-and-seek in a relatively unfamiliar house in the middle of nowhere with all the lights turned out (read: pitch black) with a dozen people is really, really fun. Freaky at times, but a very fun. The cabin was gorgeous, with an amazing view (when it’s not foggy and raining). Here’s what it looked like Saturday afternoon, during one of the breaks in the rain (Thanks to Little Mike for the photo):

Some quotable quotes from the weekend:

“The pig is the horse’s sidekick.”

“(It’s like) warm apple pie.”

“C’mon Amy…I know we’s kin and all, but we gonna leave yo’ ass!”

“Put it in my ass. No, seriously…put it my ass!”

“First time Vegas tranny sex”

As I type this entry, the atomic clock on my wall is telling me that it’s 4:45AM EDT. Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more of the wee hours of the morning, so, needless to say, I haven’t been sleeping well. I’ve found it very interesting the things that go through my head while I’m lying in bed trying to fall asleep, everything from relationships to church music to work to cars to sports to shoes to weather to…you get the idea. My mind cycles through quite a few topics when I can’t sleep. Then I think to myself, “OK, you just need to slow your mind down and not think of so many things.” So I try that approach, which works only some of the time; unfortunately for me, tonight was not one of those nights. Then I try watching a little TV or a familiar movie, which is usually pretty soporific, especially late at night. Again, tonight was not one of those nights. I then get up out of bed and do something completely unrelated to sleep, in hopes that my body will just break down and quit on me, forcing me to pass out. Tonight, I decided to work on my dissertation revisions, thinking that surely THAT would make me sleepy. Yup, you guessed it: tonight was not one of those nights. I’ve been revising now for about an hour and a half ago. On the bright side, however, at least SOMEthing positive is stemming from my inability to sleep. The way I see it, if I’m going to be up this late, I might as well make it worth my while.

OK, I’m going to try to get at least a couple of hours of shut-eye tonight. The clock now reads 4:56AM EDT. Awesome. If you’ve got any suggestions as to how to “cure” this “ailment” of mine, please share. I’m cranky when I’m tired, and no one wants that. Thus ends the ramblings of a raving insommiac. Good night…I hope.

P.S.  The birds have started chirping.  Ouch.

This entry is dedicated to all those restaurant and bar patrons who, whether consciously or otherwise, tip the servers and bartenders well. And by “well,” I don’t mean 15%. For those who don’t know or are unaware of how this works, here’s a crash course.

First and foremost, allow me to dispel any rumors about servers’ wages. We do NOT make $8.00 an hour. We don’t even make minimum wage. It’s in the neighborhood of $3.00 an hour. Pretty measly, I know, but that’s where the importance of tips comes in. Because of such a low hourly wage, servers are dependent upon their tips to make a living. The whole philosophy behind tipping is that better service is supposed equate to better tips (duh). But as I’ve found out, that’s not always the case, mostly because just aren’t aware of what a server actually goes through to get that “mid rare filet extra sauce 86 mash sub spinach side asparagus” out to you. 15% has long been considered the standard gratuity given to servers at sit-down, full-service restaurants. However, with the rising costs of, well, everything, 15% really isn’t that much. A 15% tip should be reserved for average to below-average service; in other words, 15% should be the bottom line, the bare minimum restaurant-goers should give. If your server provided good service, please feel free to pony up 18-20% or more. It doesn’t sound like much, but those few extra percentage points not only add a couple of bucks to the server’s already thin wallet, it adds a little sparkle to an otherwise difficult and physically demand job. Which brings me to another point: serving is tough. It is hard work. A typical shift lasts several hours, and during that time, the server is on his feet the whole time running around trying to manage several tables at once while running other servers’ food, filling and refilling drinks, getting extra silverware and napkins, grabbing  extra honey mustard, and bussing tables…which is why that extra 3-5% is so crucial. It may only be $1 or $2, but believe me, it brightens up our day when we get 20% or more. When in doubt as to how good your service was, just ask yourself, “How often did I have to ask for stuff, or did he just bring out extra napkins and refilled my Coke without my having to ask?” If your answer is “not often” or even “not at all,” then he’s a good server and deserves a little something extra. And the people serving your food are servers, NOT servants. Just because you are paying customer, that does not give you the right to be unreasonable, demanding, and rude. The way I see it, nice customers get better service, genuine smiles, and an all-around more pleasant dining experience.

As for your bar experience, if you go up to the bartender and order a drink or round of drinks directly from him, then the standard tip is $1 per drink, regardless of how much your drinks are. No matter if you order a $9 cosmo or a $1.50 draft beer, tip no less than $1 for every drink you order. That being said, bartenders remember people, especially those who are generous and those who are not. A word to the wise: tip extra on your first couple of rounds of drinks, and the bartender most likely will hook you up on the subsequent rounds, either with a free one here and there, or a perhaps a discount of some kind. “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours.” It’s that simple. Remember: At the bar, tip $1 per drink please, no less.

OK, with all that out of the way, I got worked tonight. Slammed.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve been weeded behind the bar, but tonight was one of those nights. The pop didn’t hit ’til late, but when it did, I was buried for about an hour. Between the service bar tickets coming four at a time, to the hammered off-the-clock co-worker who’d been drinking since 6AM (no lie) and was pestering me for drink, to the three groups of businessmen who decided to show up all at once, I was a little busy. But at the end of the shift, it was worth it because I walked with a nice wad of cash. So, many thanks to those who were generous and tipped well. Many thanks to the bar patrons who were friendly and patient and not too demanding. And many thanks to the servers on the floor who were patient with me as I tried to juggle 7 service tickets and a full bar. It’s a team effort, and although we got rocked tonight, it was fun.

I’m finding it tough not to get frustrated at this whole job search thing. But it’s tough. Every day I log on to a several sites and check the job postings, and I look over the list of who got hired where and think to myself, “Really? Seriously?” I think this not because those who are getting jobs are not intelligent, knowledgeable people, but because I think I’m on par with them, at least on paper. And that’s to say nothing of how I’d actually do in an interview or teaching demo. Yet, they’re the ones getting hired while I’m stuck waiting for some school just to ask for additional materials, much less schedule an interview. It sounds like I’m whining, I know, and I should suck it the f*ck up as Mike advises. But the way I see it, I’ve defended my dissertation and I think I’m a damn good teacher. All I want is a chance to show that; if I blow it, well then that’s on me. But sitting here watching other ABDers (and even some who haven’t even started writing their dissertations) get jobs ahead of me is extremely disheartening. Just give me a chance, that’s all.