Thought about work

you

Well-known member
In fact, just to elaborate on this point a sec, this is how I see the drives (lol) for buying luxury cars.

Apart from impractical supercars that only the super-rich non workers can afford the middle range luxury cars seem to be a register of how people want to make means from work and not ends. People want reasons to work more than they want things from work. I say this because things like BMW's or Mercedes are really no different to other cars (in essence) they are not massively quicker, or quieter or safer. When you look at what they do compared to non luxury cars you ask yourself why people buy them. The answer lies in the way in which such cars are bought. For example, most BMW's are bought by working people on credit or payment plans. Middle-class, wealthier than average, workers - sure - but worker's nonetheless. To make a generalisation, I think it is safe to say that the target German car demographic is not the private island owning jet set billionaire but the 40k suburban toiler. Unlike the Ferraris the BMW's or Audi's are bought on credit. Here I see the creation of works meaning. It is a way to solve the running out of ends, if you have a certain amount of things you need (roof, food, heat) then very soon you need to find other ends to maintain your work as a means to. You have to find reasons to work. The rise of luxury cars on credit is a register of people's yearning to maintain their focus on the means and not the ends. People live up to (ends) their means so that they can continue their working life - at middle manager level, director, CEO or shareholder level. The rise of luxury goods is a register of peoples unimaginative clinging to the work as the prospects of their ends run dry.
 
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you

Well-known member
My luxury car suspicion is not negative, it's not to say that people are dumb and will buy anything and wind up trapped in a job. It's actually the opposite. People know full well that things are pointless luxuries but want them anyway for obscure and counterintuitive reasons.

This idea comes into definition when you think of the precarious background of work. I can't remember where I first heard the phrase but it goes something like "everyone has three careers now, simultaneous or consecutive". The point is that not one single vocation or career will sort your mortgage and you certainly can't imagine a single vocation or career seeing you through to retirement. Why commit to such absurd payment plans for luxury goods in light of this? But people do, many smart, shrewd, educated people do - oddly.

I remember in an office once (that was 70% contract work 6 months to 1year) my manager (6month contract) exclaimed, after buying a big new range rover, that he had no idea how he coped without a heated steering wheel before. He was a smart guy, I thought to myself at the time that he can't honestly believe such a thing. The car was expensive but on a payment plan - one that would outlive his contract. Apart from the nonsense of big shiny wheels and grills (that I know no one really buys into anyhow) I wondered what type of purpose the car served. ... it must be so that he had an end he must work towards even when his contract ran out.
 

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
This is a lovely pamphlet about sabotage in the workplace :

http://www.prole.info/pamphlets/sabotageinamerica.pdf

Temp Slave was also a fantastic zine about, being a Temp Slave :


and of course, King Missile :

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KIXz_vzROrw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

All these three I hope will make things better for you baboon. Luka is of course right in everything he's said on this thread.

Working in a busy service industry is an extreme sport, and there are very few thrills that I've found to match it. Working in a shop or a bar or cafe or restaurant front of house, maybe airhostessing, are promiscuity taken to its highest level.
 

slowtrain

Well-known member
Luka is right, but there is definitely a difference between hospo work (or rather - hospo work is a very good example of work where there is a clear outcome at the end of the day, the customers get their shit and you clean up and fuck off to get smashed) and vague 'office' work where your day ends and you have no idea what the results of all the shit you did was, you sent emails to the person done the other end of the room. Work that is kind of divorced from what it actually is doing (im sure there are some terms for this) probably lends itself to the exploitation (i.e, yr boss has to convince you you're doing something worthwhile - he knows youll never figure that out by doing the job) more easily than say hospo work.
 

luka

Well-known member
Hey guys- just a few things for everyone to focus on:

- Looking at the list of broken items from last month it’s getting very expensive- especially at Paddington- the colourful plates and glass plates cost almost £40 each- it seems there is something every day- please can everyone be more careful with the things that we have#

- Google Drive- this needs to be filled out in full everyday- please include all notes from the day- most people are getting this but needs to be religious

- Music- it’s not your party- it’s only the 80s radio that should be playing during opening hours. At Marble arch the music generally needs to be louder- especially downstairs and outside. At Paddington, please get the other sonos working and also make sure it’s loud enough all the time

- Punctuality- people are getting better but can everyone make an effort to be on time for their shifts

- Breaks-

- Clearing tables- outside table at Marble Arch needs to be monitored, all tales downstairs need more attention. Paddington table clearing is not good enough- the barista is in charge and needs to ensure all tables are cleared and cleaned- if busy it’s your job to get someone else to do please

- Plants- these need to be watered everyday- the ones at Paddington probably need twice for the next few weeks as almost dead

- Grass- grass at the sites needs to be swept/ vacuumed every day please guys

- Lamingtons/ brownies/ lemon cakes- these can be kept for 3-4 days but need to be rotated to make sure they older ones are being sold first please

Thanks a lot- hopefully some good days this week despite the next tube strike.

Cheers,

Prue
 

luka

Well-known member
it's not your party. she was my employer when i was working the coffee cart on Amwell street. you would have met her.
 

luka

Well-known member
Aussie. Banking background. Decided to put her ill-gotten gains into a chain of coffee shops.
 

luka

Well-known member
mind you by my calculations she shouted Edmund something in the region of 200,000 free espressos. unwittingly of course.
 

woops

is not like other people
i first started doing service industry work in '99 and in that time the shift in attitudes has been chilling. there is no collusion between workers any more. there is no solidarity.no antagonism towards management. no signs of life. i've been unemployed for months. i can't survive in this world any more.
never fear 2015 luke. the cavalry is coming from the quarter you least expect!
 

luka

Well-known member
thats the place! (albeit under new ownership) actually i found it very depressing there. grimy.
 
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