Thursday, July 11, 2013

Minding Their Business



This week, while looking around for what weird or unusual things that  are happening in the news, I came across a few stories in the business pages.  

Cafe Going to the Cats

Who knew?  Not me!  As I was looking around to see what odd things were happening out in the world this week, I noticed that a new cat cafe was being planned for Paris.  Huh? A cat cafe?  I hadn't heard of that but it turns out that there are a number of cafes around the world that have a staff of cats...(I know a group of cats is a clowder but I am talking about a clowder of cats that are working for the cafe)  to provide companionship for the cafe's patrons. In Japan alone there are 79 of the "neko cafes" as they are called there. There are also, cat cafes in London, Vienna, Taiwan, and Korea. 

As for the Paris cafe, a young cat loving French woman, Margaux Gandelon is creating a cafe for the stressed out urbanites which will be named  Le Cafe des Chats.



Cat cafes are more like tearooms that  allow a person to sip tea or coffee, eat sweet tarts and pastries while spending time with  furry little friends. The idea is that the cafes provide a de-stressing kind of therapy for frazzled city dwellers...a purr therapy, if you will.

While most Parisians like cats, there are some naysayers to the idea of cat cafes.  Christophe Marie, a veterinarian from the Bardot Foundation in Paris.  "What makes me uncomfortable is the animals will be reduced to being a teddy bear.  Cats don't have a particularly strong desire to be petted by customers at a cafe."

Gandelon is quick to come to the idea's defense.

Customers don't go to the cats.  The cats will decide their whereabouts.  They alone will choose to settle down in the lap of the lucky person. In addition, we are already working with a veterinarian who will follow the cats regularly to check their physical and mental health."

The cafe will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  According to Gandelon this is so the cats will not be disturbed.



So as a cat lover, I can see me being OK with a room full of cats.  I don't see that the room full of cats is going to be keen about having me in their space.  I found it interesting that the cafe owner is going to keep a vet on the task of tracking the cats mental health.  How does one know if a cat is in need of therapy?


Speaking of needing therapy

The Abercrombie & Fitch CEO, Mike Jeffries is back in the news.  He has banned the color black from the brand on the grounds he feels it's too formal.  The new policy not only is meant to restrict the sale of black clothes but discourages any of the employees from wearing black. This applies to wearing black winter coats to work in cold weather.

When the company was asked for a comment regarding the policy they explained their reasons by saying:
" Abercrombie & Fitch does not sell black clothing and discourages wearing it at our home office and in our stores because we are a casual lifestyle brand and feel black clothing is formal.  We have nothing against black clothing and feel it is perfectly appropriate for things like tuxedos."

This isn't the first controversial statement from Jefferies.  In a previous interview he said he didn't want "larger people" shopping in his stores. He went on to say "That's why we hire good looking people in our stores.
Because good-looking people attract good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people.  We don't market to anyone other than that."  He later tried to explain himself by saying "In every school there are cool and popular kids, then there are the not-so-cool kids.  Candidly we go after the cool kids.  We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends."


Of course, later he apologized for "any offense caused by comment made in the past." He pledged to "demonstrate a commitment to anti-bullying in addition to our ongoing support of diversity and inclusion."


Well, gosh, I can see how strong the company commitment is to diversity and inclusion...as long as you are good looking, popular and don't wear black.

Cheaters Never Win  But They Sometimes Score

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you might remember a post (link) about the web site Ashley Madison.com.  The site is for married people to hook up with other married people to have extramarital affairs. Yes, sleazy but evidently a very busy, website.

It turns out that they have conducted a poll.  You know how much I like surveys.

Well it turns out they did a survey to find out if men and women want to cheat with people more successful than themselves or less successful than themselves.

Drum roll please.....the results are in.


83.1 percent of middle class men want to cheat with working class women.
51.8 percent of upper-class men are looking for women that are middle-class.
42.4 percent of upper class men want working class women.

67 percent of the working class women want upper class men for their flings.
40.7 percent of the middle class women want upper class men.
53.6 percent of middle class women want middle class men.

So what does any of this mean. According to the analysis it shows that men overall want women that will admire them, praise them and look up to them (well not literally...OK maybe literally as well)

A large number of women also want to be with a person that they could admire and respect. (using the word respect very loosely here)


So the majority of cheaters want to cheat with people more successful than themselves. They say they want to be with people that they can respect.  They might want to start by looking to not be with people that are cheaters.



35 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I would never cheat on my cat Her Royal Highness by going to a cat cafe and petting another kitty.

Cheryl P. said...

And I am sure Her Royal Highness (love that name) respects you for being so faithful. My two cats would rather me visit other cats than have people come over here and visit them.

My Himalayan would greet them with a hearty GGRRRRRRR.

Just Keepin' It Real Folks said...

My hunch is that Jeffries is gonna end up shavin' his head and bashin' an umbrella against some cars like someone else we know. Just a hunch.

Wendy said...

Cats are calming. And I admire the idea of bring people in contact with animals, especially if they don't own one themselves. This is why dogs go to long term care and hospice facilities. But, I totally agree with the vet, cats are not teddy bears. They are also not dogs. Cats choose whom they want to sit with and like and want to 'allow' (note the word allow) petting. BUT, since you mentioned several cafes around the world with a staff of cat, I checked it out. It turns out there IS one in Canada. http://www.smallthings.ca/. Although this café is more a cat adoption office which sells refreshments.

So if cats are considered staff, do they get 15 min. and meal breaks ? Are they given a milk quota gratuity? How many customers are they required to interact with per day for their pay? what are the potential reasons for being 'let go'? Is there a 'cat employment' bureau somewhere?
Questions questions....

Cheryl P. said...

He clearly is delusional. I haven't quite figured him out. Was he one of the popular kids in high school and can't let it go. OR is he still trying to win over the cheerleaders and the jocks? Either way he needs to grow up.

Cheryl P. said...

I like the concept of the Canadian version of this.... Small Things. The cafe is open just on Saturday and the rest of the time it is focused on cat rescue. Also, the rule list is great. That would be one of my concerns that patrons don't understand cats want not to be picked up but want to do the picking.



I would assume the cats that work at these cafes demand 16 hour naps and kitty treat snacks. They probably are asked to vacate the premises if they bite the hand that feeds them. I wonder how they handle a flea infestation. Can't treat fleas around food., I too have questions.

Chubby Chatterbox said...

I've spent time in Paris and I'll just say that anything that helps the locals de-stress is a good idea. I've met some of the rudest and most unpleasant people there.

Cheryl P. said...

I haven't been to Paris but I have heard that from others as well. What if there cats are rude and nasty as well. Psssttttt....scratch, scratch!!! Could get painful.

babs (beetle) said...

I am a cat lover, but I'm not sure I am totally comfortable with a cat cafe. I would be concerned that they would walk all over, or sleep on the tables.

AletaObrien said...

Ehh, I don't know if that cat cafe will work. Are they going to declaw the cats? (hopefully not)... but cats are fickle.. and they will bite and have attitude. Lol

Jo-Anne said...

I am not a cat person and find the thought of cats in a cafe strange I would not like to eat here but as I said I am not a cat person, moving on Abercrombie & Fitch are not located anywhere near me remember I am down under.............but that is fine with me since I am a short fat middle aged woman who likes to wear black so I don't think I would be welcomed in their stores anyway....................they come across as stuck up bitches..... I am sure the men who work or shop there are the type many women would like to cheat with...........lol

Riot Kitty said...

So not just cheaters, but snobs? No women want to cheat with working class men? They need to listen to more Bruce Springsteen...seriously, that CEO was probably the school bully and has a tiny penis. What an asshole.



I think my cats would love the idea of a 24-hour cafe, if there were no humans there except to cater to their every whim.

Cheryl P. said...

That was where I was with this as well. That AND the fact, I don't think most cats crave total strangers to be their sudden BFFs. There just seems to be a disconnect between litter boxes and tea and pastries.

Cheryl P. said...

Really heavy on the attitude. I can't imagine my cats being nice to total strangers that want to interact with them. Luckily my 2 cats know how to hide under the bed when people come around.

Cheryl P. said...

I think you are lucky in a way not to have Abocrombie and Fitches in your area. I am not a fan of their stores at this point. I haven't been in a A&F in years and years. I think the CEO sounds like a real jerk.


You are probably right about the good looking guys that work there though.

Cheryl P. said...

I agree, Riot Kitty, that Jeffries has some issues and surely is trying to compensate for something. Tiny penis might be just the tip (no pun intended) of the iceberg. What adult excludes people from their company based on whether they are good looking and popular? I would bet fat and not popular money adds to profits as well.

lisleman said...

"in the lap of the lucky person" - I would be the lucky person sneezing with watery eyes in the corner.

The Abercrombie & Fitch signage should change colors then.
I and others I know wonder how you can trust and think long term with anyone who you know is cheating. They will just end up cheating on you.

lisleman said...

Oh have you seen this one?

http://youtu.be/yIIBwAO0tRM

Cheryl P. said...

You wouldn't be in the corner alone. Even as a cat owner, I am allergic to a lot of other cats. (evidently, I have developed an immunity to my two).



Hahah ...good point about the color of their signage. I just think their CEO sounds like a major a-hole. I wouldn't shop their just because of all his exclusionary statements...not that there is anything there geared for my age any way.


Ain't it the truth? I don't understand how people that get with cheaters think that they are above getting cheated on. Of course, with Ashley Madison, that is the point to meet other cheaters....dirt attracts dirt.

Cheryl P. said...

Hilarious!!! No, I hadn't seen that before!!! I am really bad about discovering You Tube videos. Thank god you find some really great ones and pass them on to me. I can't imagine how they put that one together.

Robyn Engel said...

I'd run to a teddy bear cafe and run from a cat cafe. Cats stress me out. And you'd think Aber. & Fitch would've closed its doors by now - given the CEO is such an idiot and snob.


xoRobyn

CaliforniaGirl500 said...

Abercrombie & Fitch...my father had a pair of gorgeous knee high riding boots from A&F dating back to just before WWII. Dad was in advertising and he often spoke of that incredible classy brand so many of his era aspired to. Just look at them now.

Cheryl P. said...

At least with a teddy bear cafe, the bears wouldn't get upset if someone wanted to pick them up. Plus there wouldn't be litter boxes involved.


Yeh, I don't get how anyone wants to do business with A&F at this point. This is just another in a long line of insensitive comments from the leadership of that company. Idiot and snob for sure.

Cheryl P. said...

Your right about that. The original A&F that was known for high-end merchandise went out of business in 1977 after filing for bankruptcy and the name was sold in 1978 and again in 1988. This current version has had a lot of problems brought on my their discriminatory practices and comments. I don't know how they have any customers at this point. I find the CEO's comments about only wanting good looking, popular people in the stores offensive but also find a little bit of humor in the fact that HE wouldn't be welcome to shop at a A&F. (at least I don't consider him good looking or one of the cool kids)

Agent 54 said...

You know I have always loved cats with barbecue sauce served with beans and guacamole but, now you have me interested in Clowder Chowder.

Just kidding, I wouldn't eat your cat,,, a cafe cat maybe.

My wife says I'm a Clouder after I eat mushrooms and onions.

I'm wearing a black T-shirt right now but NOT socks and sandals. Color me a rebel.

abeerfortheshower said...

We did a post on Ashley Madison once, and we visited the site for research. That place is just skeeze-city. I had to shower just after glancing at it.


Each person's profile has 'ratings' that other users can vote up, like 'down to play' and 'great in person' or something like that. And let me tell you, I'm sure everyone wants a guy or gal who's been voted 'a great lay' 100+ times. Pass the sloppy seconds, please!

Dexter Klemperer said...

One of our restaurant employees worked part-time at A&F. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but supposedly good looking according to the other youngsters in the restaurant. He was paid minimum wage and had to buy A&F clothing to wear for his job. He was essentially paying to work there. So I'm just glad the IQ of their employees goes all the way to the top.

Cheryl P. said...

Welcome Agent 54. Nice to have you come by. I see you are a Listener and a reader. I like that in a person. I don't see how to follow your blog on your site but I will put you into my feed reader to keep up with you.
Funny about the barbeque and Clowder Chowder. My cats didn't laugh but they are grouchy in the morning.
Socks and sandals never work. Even rebels would agree,

Cheryl P. said...

Yeh, I did a post a year or so ago on AM and went to their site. Back then you could get on it (that sounds bad doesn't it?) and kind of look around. Now they have a sign in gatekeeper. I didn't want on bad enough to create an account. I might catch something.

Cheryl P. said...

Every time I hear something about the CEO or others in the corporate office the more I feel like people need to send a message by NOT ever stepping into their stores. What's worse is the CEO is such a tool that I don't get how he possibly doesn't recognize that he is totally devoid of everything he wants in his customer. He isn't good looking, he isn't cool or young or ANYTHING.

meleahrebeccah said...

"So as a cat lover, I can see me being OK with a room full of cats. I don't see that the room full of cats is going to be keen about having me in their space."

Um, yeah. Cats are NOT cool with a bunch of people all up in their space!


Mike Jeffries = bat.shit.crazy.


I don't get the concept of swingers/or cheating on your partner AT ALL.

In fact, it totally grosses me out!

Cheryl P. said...

If someone wants to interact with pets, I don't know that I think most cats are up to being friendly with strangers.

Mike Jeffries is not only bat-shit crazy, he is the worst kind of snob.

I totally agree with you about cheaters. I have ZERO respect for people that are dishonest with their spouses/partners. I think everyone of the cheaters that are on the Ashley Madison site should all catch an STD. A nasty one that itches and burns. (of course, I wouldn't want them to give it to their clueless, monogamous spouses)

meleahrebeccah said...

"I think everyone of the cheaters that are on the Ashley Madison site should all catch an STD." --- I concur!

Agent 54 said...

I'm still trying to figure out how someone follows me too.


I switched to google plus. I don't know if that helps.


My stats say I have 0 followers :(


I actually do like cats.

Cheryl P. said...

I have avoided going to Google + because it seems to keep non-Google+ people from commenting. I don't know if its suppose to do that but that seems to be the case for me. However, I put your URL into my feed reader and I will follow you. It won't show up on your page as a follower but it will show up in your stats as page views. A lot of my followers don't show as Google followers. Such as those that get my blog via email. There are widgets on the layout page for email subscribers. (Maybe you already knew that)

Perhaps another blogger that is more familiar with Google + can shed some light the pros and cons.