Who is the "Pasta Puncher?" Even He Doesn't Know!

     Anyone who's been reading my blog has read the story of the "Punching of the Pasta." If not, here's a link.  

     There were several eyewitnesses to this act of violence and intimidation, including myself, and when the story was relayed to fellow employees at this establishment, not one had trouble believing that the incident in question took place. Recently, I was informed by a former colleague that the person who perpetrated the pasta punching saw my post on the incident, and VEHEMENTLY DENIED that the story was about him.          

     This type of behavior is indicative of SOCIOPATHIC tendencies. Emphasis on points 2,4,5,6,7,8, 10, and 16. That's 8 points out of 20. Almost halfway to full blown sociopathy. As a matter of fact, most independent restaurant operators I've worked for show some, if not all, of these behaviors.

     This is what we are facing, people. A group of individuals whose behaviors are or border on a CLINICALLY DIAGNOSABLE MENTAL DISORDER!  It's one thing to lose your temper and apologize after the fact, but to categorically deny that the incident took place is madness. 

    I've tried to not name name's on this blog, but the denial of this incident pushed me over the edge.

    Jim Casciano, owner of Box Seats restaurants in Smithfield and Woonsocket, RI, IS the pasta puncher.

    He's also the man who fired me halfway through my recuperation for a broken ankle. He also has a tendency to berate and belittle his employees in front of customers. Whatever BS reason he gave me for letting me go, the real reason is the almighty dollar. After three weeks of not having to pay his kitchen manager, and seeing the payroll savings, I was let go to maximize profits. 

     Jim, if you read this, you are a sad, lonely, small child in a very large body. Your wife is a saint for putting up with your particular brand of bullshit. You should thank your lucky stars everyday she stays with you. Your employees don't like, or respect you.  The reason you've kept help as long as you have isn't out of loyalty to you, it's their own laziness. Every one of your employees has a story about you lying to their faces. Childish prevarication and tyranny is not an effective management technique. Keep watching the paperwork, I want you to have an accurate record of your business failing. Maybe if you weren't such a flaming asshole, I'd feel sorry for you. But I don't. 

     Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "A clear conscience is the sure sign of a bad memory." Smart man. Jim, I hope you improve your memory, and your conscience, by proxy.

Love, Peace, and Bacon grease!

Two International Crisises: The Business Is Broken, and So Is the Food

                These two things don’t have much in common, one is an economic crisis, and the other is an environmental and human rights issue, but nonetheless, they are both key to the survival of our nation as a whole, the overall wellness of the planet, and the right of all men to be free.

        
            The first, most pressing issue we face in these challenging economic times is outsourcing and the domestic hiring of illegal labor. But aren’t they really the same thing? They are a way for companies to pay lower wages to people, and in most cases, forego the business of paying payroll taxes in the States. This is loss of State, Federal, and sometimes, as is the case in Rhode Island, local tax revenue.

The “agreed upon” number of illegal immigrants in this country is about 12 million, but some estimates put that number at nearly 20 million! Now, we can’t assume that they are all working in these tough economic times, nor can we assume that they all don’t pay taxes. There are plenty of illegal immigrants in this country with real enough looking documentation to get a job on the payroll. So let’s just use half. That’s 10 million by the largest estimate. We’re rounding up.

If each of those 10 million paid $100 per week in payroll taxes, that’s a BILLION DOLLARS A WEEK in taxes spread across the local, state, and federal levels. The cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq approaches $1 trillion (That’s NINE zeros, folks! Write it down. It even looks big.) That’s just over $100 billion a year. We could cut that number by half with the FIFTY- TWO BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR we would get from taxing 10 million more people! (I changed the math in this statement the day after posting it. I was off by a multiple of ten!)  Not to mention, the windfall to Social Security and Medicare! I know of a couple of restaurants where a full third of the workforce is “under the table”!

The issue of illegal workers in the United States is a double whammy, because many immigrants in this country support families in other countries. They send money out of the country, by check, money order, or wireless transfer. I knew a Senegalese gentleman who sent as much as sixty percent of his pay out of the country! This permanently removes money from our economy.

Some may think that this is a veiled racist thing, but it’s not. I don’t want illegal immigrants of any color.  Canadian? Take off, eh! Irish? Erin go home! Japanese? Tachisaru mai kuni! The real problem is the employers who don’t think twice about hiring illegal labor. I wonder how it feels to fuck every American at once.

The second problem affects the entire food industry, and the way we’ve eaten and survived for thousands of years. Genetically modified foods are the number one reason to be scared shitless in America.

To all Beer and Food Enthusiasts in RI and SE Mass!

     If you like food and beer as much as I do, you'll be interested to know that this Saturday night, the Westport Rivers Winery and Vineyard in Westport, Mass. will be hosting a Beer Pairing Dinner, sponsored by GreenGal Events and Catering and Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project. 


     "What's on the menu," you might ask? Well, autumn is the time of year to pick pumpkins and pears, to hunt rabbits while they're fattening up for the winter, and also when steer get turned into steak.  For the first course, a Roasted Pumpkin Bisque accompanied by Pretty Things’ flagship beer,Jack D'Or, an American take on the Belgian saison. Next up, Braised Rabbit Ravioli served with  Baby Tree, Pretty Thing's Belgian-inspired dark beer brewed with dried plums. Their Babayaga Stout is the perfect match for a Wolfe’s Neck Farm Ribeye with Stout jus. Top it all off with Poached Pears and Dark Chocolate Ganache served with Just Beer’s 1602 Colonial Porter. As with all GreenGal events, all the food is locally and organically grown/ sourced.
     I had some input on the menu design for this dinner, and that gave me the opportunity to taste these beers a couple of weeks ago in a menu brainstorming session , and MAN ALIVE! are they ridiculicious! Anyone who has doubts about beer pairings should make reservations and be astounded at the breadth, depth, and complexity of these pairings! And beer lovers should not wait! Get your reservations now!Space is limited!
Reservations are available by calling Sonya @ (508) 294-7087  $70 per person, including tax.
Remember, "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."--Benjamin Franklin

Love, Peace, and Bacon grease!

Top 100 Employers in MA: Guess Which Industry is not on the List?

     Welcome back, it's been a while. It's amazing how a seemingly fruitless job search can lead to crippling depression, but I digress. Today's post is inspired by the Boston Globe's Sunday tabloid of "Top 100 Places to Work."

     Whilst perusing the tabloid during a particularly distressful evacuation, it occurred to me that of the top 100 jobs in Massachusetts, according to the Boston Globe, only one of them is in the Hospitality industry.

     The Wequassett Resort and Golf Club in Chatham offers its employees housing at a former motel for $130 a week. Included is free WiFi, free cable TV, free washers and dryers, and a free shuttle bus that covers the commute of a few miles.The motel is maintained by resort staff on the clock, and the employees are entitled to three free meals a day at the employee cafeteria, which serves fresh seafood and many dishes from the resort's restaurants. Not one other hotel, restaurant (chain or otherwise),  or catering company to be seen on the list. This struck me as odd.

     Now, the Globe conducted this survey by confidential employee survey of 86,000, from 269 companies, with questions ranging from "This organization demonstrates it values employees during difficult times" to "It's easy to tell my boss the truth." The employers were also invited to complete a survey on workplace practices.              

     The employers were then judged on six factors:

-Direction-

Do employees have confidence in the leader of the organization? Do they believe it operates ethically, and is moving in the right direction?

-Execution-

Do employees believe senior managers have a good understanding of what the company needs to do to succeed, and are they sharing information well?

-Managers-

Do managers listen to employees, praising superior work and making good use of people's skills?

-Career-

Does the organization offer formal training and other opportunities to learn and grow, and does it reward good performance?

-Conditions-

Is the work environment free from hostility, and does the company help workers to balance career and family life? Does the organization show its appreciation for employees?

-Pay and Benefits-

Are workers fairly compensated?

     Unfortunately, the survey discounted any business with less than 100 employees, which is the majority of privately owned restaurants. But ONE resort, out of how many groups and corporations own hotels and golf courses and inns and resorts in Mass? How does an industry that is solely designed to please the people it serves, fail so miserably at pleasing it's employees? It seems that the hospitality trade has a limited amount of respect for people, and they use it all up on the customer.

     Then it occurred to me that, if using the same criteria, they made a list of worst places to work, restaurants, and hotels would probably top the list. The privately owned restaurants that I've worked for fail on almost all of these questions.

     I've rarely had confidence in the owner of the business, in their understanding of what it takes to succeed, or in their ability to communicate effectively. I have frequently questioned their ethics, and sanity. I've often felt under- utilized, and felt that my good work went unnoticed. I have witnessed hostile behavior on the part of managers and employees alike. As far as a balanced life or career progression is concerned, forget it. Unless you think working every night, holiday, and weekend for the rest of your life is balanced, and moving forward. The pay sucks and the benefits are non- existent.

     Here's what Shirley Leung, business editor of the Boston Globe, had to say about the winners of the top 100.

     "If there is one thing the winners of the Globes 100 top places to work have in common, it's this: They all believe it's good business to keep employees satisfied, motivated, and working hard. Show them respect."

 She goes on to say, "The best employers know that loyalty is forged during difficult times. How you treat employees now is critical to surviving- and ultimately conquering, we hope- the toughest economy many of us have ever lived through."

     I think the Globe should publish a list of the Worst 100 Places to Work. It would be more helpful to job seekers. Here's hoping that things change. Happy employees make happy customers. There are 100 businesses in Massachusetts that know it.

Love, Peace, and Bacon grease!