Bank has many definitions, but the one that applies to all is: a supply of something held in reserve. I’ve got bank. I have money in my account but more importantly I have absences to use. Not waste, use. Wasting absences is not showing up to class because you want to go out instead of attending to your responsibilities. Wasting absences is missing the first week of school because your not mentally prepared to go back to school. Wasting absences is not showing up for school for any reason that doesn’t leads to productivity. Wasting absences is like wasting money, spending all of your money on a weekend binge of fun. Fun is fun, until your fun gets in the way of your funds. You have funds to have fun but the purpose of funds isn’t fun. Money is meant to take care of responsibilities. When the debt of responsibility is fulfilled doesn’t mean that the rest of the funds are for fun. One has to consider the unexpected; when something unforeseen arises and demands your funds, but you don’t have the funds because you spent all your money on fun. That’s what the bank is for, to store your funds away from fun so that when the unexpected arises you have the funds.

I have absences in the bank so that when something unforeseen happens I have enough absences in storage that my grade isn’t effected by my absence. I have been given four absences in a four month period which is more than enough funds in the bank that I can take one or two for fun. The class is at 8am, so how much funs can one have at 8am.  However, the night before is the night before. The time to have fun is at night and that is usually when people need funds because fun at night demands funds. But like most people that use their bank funds for fun there comes a time when something unexpected arises and they have to tap into their bank funds for something not fun. If these unforeseen circumstances arise, often people will curse themselves for using their bank funds for fun instead of using their fun-funds for fun.

I’ve choose to sleep in twice for this class because sometimes I just need a break from getting 5 hours of sleep. One of the two times I was pressured to go out after work and the other time I was exhausted. Half of my funds are gone but I was at the halfway point in the semester so I still had funds in the bank. Until an unforeseen circumstance arose, my alarm didn’t go off. Well it went off but I turned the sound off the night before at work and forgot to turn it back on when I got home. I woke up at 9 and realized that I missed class. That’s why I have absences in the bank, but now I’m low on funds and have no room to use them for fun; which is ok because the purpose of funds isn’t fun.

How long can someone go without the proper amount of sleep? Sleep is essential to quality time. One can always be awake, but being alert and productive is more important. Woody Allen once said that 90 percent of success is just showing up. That’s not true. One can always be on time and never miss a day, but eventually people will demand contribution, useful contribution. Otherwise you might as well not be there because even though you are physically there you are not there.
I work at least 40 hours a week on a good week. Well a bad week. As an hourly employee the more I work the more I get. If I work over 40 hours a week I get overtime; time and a half pay for each hour of work. That’s where I want to be because I work off tips so my weekly check usually isn’t worth a trip on my off-day to pick it up. When I do 50-65 hours a week, I’ll make the trip, but that usually isn’t necessary because if I am working 50-65 hours a week I’m at my job every day.
Between school and work I don’t have much time to do anything else, even when I want to. I usually don’t want to do anything because I’m tired. That last time I didn’t have any responsibilities for the day, no school or work, I sleep and laid in the bed all day, all day. I wanted to go out and run errands, but I couldn’t my body needed a day off. Caffeine and nicotine is a short-term cure for tiredness, but the long-term cure is rest.
But when do I rest? When I have responsibilities to fulfill, when do I take time to have 8 hours of sleep? The answer is when I cannot go any longer, when my tiredness turns into exhaustion. I’m young so I have the belief that I don’t need 8 hours of sleep, and I don’t. I can do a double shift at work, get home at 1am, toss around in the bed until 2 am, and then wake up at 6am-7am and make my way to school for my 8am class. I knew that I would tired for class and subsequently at work because of my limited amount of sleep, but I never considered when I would reach exhaustion. The point when the body aches and the mind can’t focus on anything but day dreams because ultimately the mind wants to dream; being unconscious while conscious.
We all have are limits and usually we don’t know them until we reach them. I’ve awoken to my limits. The point where your health is at risk because your not taking care of yourself; drinking coffee and Redbull chain smoking cigarettes to complete a task while taking your body to task. Sometimes you need to shut down. Instead of constantly being on the go, slow down and rest. That may mean that you show up less than 90 percent of the time, but when you are there you are there: alert and productive.

(WARNING) This is a very inflammatory piece. It will offend some.

Too fucking bad, because you have to read it. Enjoy bitches.

People are a product of their environment. That has been the truth from my experience working in the restaurant business. I’ve waited tables for a long time but just recently I have realized that I have become more judgmental than ever before. I use stereotypes and racial remarks as if they were acceptable adjectives in life. I am not a racist. I am a waiter.
If you have ever waited tables there has been a time when you prejudged the people sitting in your section. It doesn’t affect your service to them until they give you a cue that they won’t tip.
“Is there free refills”? Sour cream is an extra fifty cents? Does it cost me to have water? Do you take EBT? All cues that your guest is a bad tipper and a broke/cheap son of a bitch. I’m not being judgmental. If you want sour cream, but you are unwilling to pay an additional fifty cents then you are a broke/cheap son of a bitch. That’s a fact.
I’m not racist but colored people don’t tip. You don’t. You may tip, but your people don’t. Talk to your people. Asians may be the exception. The better your English the better the tip. Americanized second generation Asians typically know how to tip. Broken English Asians are like foreigners of all races, bad tippers. I don’t know if they are bad tippers because they want to be or because they don’t understand, but either way they need to get it together.
Arab people have a decent tipping average. Good job. You should tip well considering how much your charging us for gas. And 9-11.
Women typically tip more than men. Maybe it’s a domestic thing. They can relate to my job and the lack appreciation I receive for doing it. Taking food to a table with a smile is one of the hardest jobs in the world. First I have to pick up the food, walk about 5 yards and drop it off. Tough work. Getting napkins and refills don’t get me started. I don’t know how housewives can do it. To me it’s impossible. They don’t even have busboys, or a kitchen staff or a slave, excuse me I mean a dishwasher. Most dishwashers are ex-convicts or illegals so screw them. Let them clean the vomit from the floor and the diarrhea on the walls.
Let’s go back to more racism. Black people don’t tip. They call each other nigga’s for a reason, because they don’t know better. They especially don’t know how to tip. When I get a good tip from a black person I surmise to what they do for a living. They must have a good job, degree or work in the restaurant business. That’s it. At the very bottom of the tipping hierarchy, no surprise, Hasidic Jews. They don’t tip. If I see a Yamaka and curls I’m giving you bad service. They say Jesus was a Jew. If I ever find out he didn’t tip I swear to God I will worship another religion. Maybe Buddhism because I know that bill will be high. Or maybe the Greek gods because that automatic gratuity.
White people congratulations once again you are at the top of the totem pole. You are the best tippers. Not all of you tip, but as a people you are represented well. When I see white people in my section I become the perfect house Negro; dedicated to serving every request hoping that they’ll get comfortable enough to hand me there credit card.
(Side note; if you have an American Express card and you don’t tip then you are cheap; because only people with their shit together have American Express cards.)
I’m not racist. I’m a waiter. Judge me if you want, because I am certainly going to judge you and your people. At my job they call me the Mexican, and I feel proud every time I hear it. It means I’m hard working and willing to work when ever and where ever. I’ve got a deep respect for Mexicans now because that’s my nickname; until they sit in my section.

What is a movie star?
By Kerel “Cali” Cain

What makes a movie star a movie star? Most fans think that it’s something as vague as staring in a movie but there is more to the criteria. A movie star is bigger than the movie they are in, which eliminates any actor that is made the face of a franchise; or a property already known in pop culture. These types of movies, Spiderman, Harry Potter and Green Lantern, are bigger than the actor that stars/leads the movie. These pop culture titles can be rebooted are made into sequels without fans arguing over the title character. If fans do argue its for the sake of the pop culture character portrayed and not the actor portraying them (Ben Affleck in Batman). Pop culture characters, titles or franchises have built-in fan bases that studios can expect on a certain profit from. When known actors are chosen for these roles it is mainly for the marketing of the film with appearances on late night TV shows; their lack of movie stardom also makes them relatively cheap compared to a true movie star. Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern is cheaper than Will Smith and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk is cheaper than Ed Norton (even though Ed Norton is not a movie star).
A true movie star also doesn’t need another properties fan base to propel a profit because they have their own fan base; however, fan bases are only a small part of the equation. Taylor Lautner proved this when he couldn’t get enough of his Twilight fans to make his movie Abduction a success. If you didn’t know who Taylor Lautner was would I have to tell you he was in Twilight for you to know who he is? For a movie star connections to their work aren’t necessary because they are the brand.

Movie stars transcend their fan base because no fan base is enough to bring big returns on a big budget movie. They count on their name (brand) to appeal to large audiences that are comfortable buying their product; similar to grocery shoppers buying Pepsi or Coke over Sam’s Cola. Bringing a return on one’s investment also doesn’t make a movie star or else over 50 percent of Hollywood would be movie stars. Even if you bring in a return in the majority of your movies that doesn’t make you a movie star; allow me to explain, but first ask yourself this question: is Ice Cube a movie star? He has brought returns in almost all of his movies. In the 16 movies he has been the lead or co-star in only four haven’t made a profit. 9 of out of 16 have more than tripled their investment; however Ice Cube stars in movies that have 10 million to 15 million dollar budgets and they only make about 20 to 50 million dollars in profit. He’s known for his Friday movies which never cost more than 10 million to make and they make about 30 million dollars in profit. He’s only been the lead in one movie that cost over 50 million, XXX: State of the Union, which was a flop, barely making back its budget. The label of a movie star is more than staring in a movie, making a profit and being a brand it is also about competition. Competing in the summer (the time or year where most big budget movies are put out) against pop culture titles that bring in big returns like Tom Cruises Oblivion. Even if you’re not competing in the summer the ability to get a big budget (or small budget) for your movie and bringing back big returns majorly defines a movie star.

The criteria of a movie star are three things: Can you headline a movie that’s not tied to popular culture? Can you bring in 100 million dollars in profit consistently, and do you have the ability to repeat these returns more than five times in an eight movie stretch.

(DVD sales don’t count into what makes a move star it’s purely box off numbers or else the Oslen twins would be movie stars along with Bill Nye the science guy).

Big budgets with big returns is a major factor in determining a movie star because big budgets means that Hollywood insiders view you as a movie star that can bring back big returns. Big returns mean revisits to the theater and world wide appeal. Jonah Hill once said in an interview that he was humbled by his celebrity status when visiting oversees because no one recognized him or even heard of him. That’s because Jonah Hill is not a movie star, along with his celebrity pal James Franco. Jonah’s last hit movie was This Is the End an ensemble movie. 21 Jump Street was a hit, but was already established in pop culture. Jonah’s next big hit was Moneyball, a great movie with a great performance, but he was opposite Brad Pitt (a movie star) so how much was he a part of the success?. All his other movies that he’s lead either didn’t return a profit or barely made over 10 million (I don’t count animated movies for any actor as proof of movie stardom). His only true hit movies were Superbad which he co-stared with Michael Cera an actor as famous as him at the time and Get him to the Greek, back when Russell Brand was still relevant (the trailers with P. Diddy also help).

Franco has never been in a big movie that has had a big return unless its a reboot, has Spiderman in the title or costars Seth Rogan (the closer of the three at becoming a movie star).
General audiences mix acting ability with movie stardom and that’s wrong. Everyone agrees that Daniel-Day Lewis is probably the greatest actor of his generation but he’s not a movie star. He’s been in four movies that made a profit. Four. One was tied to pop culture and had a director with a brand, Lincoln. The other one starred Leonardo Dicaprio; a true movie star.
If I wanted to make 100 million dollars in the movie business there are only five bona fide movie stars I would bet on Cruise, Smith, Denzel, Depp, Sandler and DiCaprio. Depp is arguably the most controversial name on this list, but remember two things: he made the Pirates franchise it didn’t make him and his international appeal is underrated. All of his movies in the last 10 years make money overseas even when they don’t domestically. Sandler on the surface looks controversial but he makes 50 million to 80 million dollar comedies. Comedies. That bring back over 100 million dollars consistently even when critics hate his movies.
Denzel, Smith and DiCaprio enough said. Smith last movie, After Earth is considered a flop and it still made over 100 million. That’s a movie star. Hell, the last movie Will Smith was in that didn’t make a profit was Ali, which he got an Oscar nomination for. Leo almost a certain 100 million dollar return unless it’s an independent studio; see J Edgar or Revolutionary Road two movies with modest returns. Denzel, a movie star, but he would be the last person I give 100 million to in the category of movie stars. 1998’s He Got Game was the last movie he did that didn’t earn money; however every movie since then has earn a profit and only two of those movies weren’t original scripts but remakes of obscure movies. 8 out of 20 made over 100 million but unlike any other movie star he doesn’t do sequels or movies tied to pop culture. Similar to Sandler, Denzel is the movie and relies on his brand alone. Cruise is the second biggest movie star behind Smith having a few movies in the last decade that didn’t earn over 100 million (Rock of ages, Lions for lambs) but he, more so than any other actor consistently triples 100 million dollar budgets, even outside of the Mission Impossible franchise.
Ultimately, what makes a movie star is based on perspective. Generally audiences don’t recognize the differences between a movie star, a star, a great actor or a known celebrity but these differences are evident through an actor’s brand and their movies being a part of pop culture even though the movie didn’t come from pop culture. Identifying a movie star is a vague criteria and even if you disagree with my criteria one should be able to identify that there is a difference between a star in movies and a movie star.