Scene from Ratatouille 2

(Late afternoon at La Ratatouille, a small bistro that is just wrapping up its lunch service. Among the half-bussed tables, Linguini can be seen sitting down with Chef Skinner - the former in a waiter’s uniform, the latter in “business casual” with sunglasses. Behind them, a black luxury car dominates the alley beside the bistro. In the rafters above, the rat Remy watches the conversation unfold.)

Skinner: Your new restaurant seems to be doing well.

Linguini: We’re doing great, actually. Why are you here?

Skinner: Straight to business. It seems being a working man has changed you. Very well.

(Skinner produces a folder, labeled “Skinner Restaurant Supply”, and hands it to Linguini.)

Skinner: I’ve come with a business proposal. My company supplies half of the restaurants in Paris with high quality artisanal-

L (defensive): -low quality ingredients that make every single restaurant taste the same. We’re not interested.

S (amused): You seem quite certain of this.

L: Well, because we do things the right way here! We work with actual farmers, that’s why the critics all love our food so much.

S (shrugs): Yes, I’ve read your reviews. But you need more than critics to keep a restaurant running.

L: Our customers love our food too! All the neighborhood regulars, plus the tourists-

S: And how much do your customers pay? What is left over after the farmers take their cut?

L (proud): More than enough!

S (pitying): …my boy, it is never enough. Listen to me: I ran Gusteau’s for many years, I know exactly how you feel right now. You feel invincible. The customers keep coming, every night the register is full, the reviews are raving, soon you will have your own stars to place on the restaurant sign, I’m sure of it.

But will it be enough a year from now? When “La Ratatouille” is old news, and the “regulars” are pinching their pennies? You need to plan for the future, and in the restaurant business, that means cutting costs.

L: We’re not firing anybody!

S (waves his hand): That wouldn’t solve your problem anyway. You run a very (glances at the rafters, where Remy is watching the conversation) lean operation. And since you cannot reduce the cost of your ovens or your space, you must reduce the cost of your ingredients. It’s simple math.

L: If we compromise on our ingredients, our customers will leave. That’s simple math.

S: Will they?

L: Yes, they will! In fact - I think I see what’s going on here. You’re trying to sabotage us, aren’t you?

S (sighs heavily, removes sunglasses): Listen, Alfredo, four years ago… Yes, four years ago, I was very sore about what happened. But holding a grudge doesn’t make money - just like you, I need to pay my mortgage.

L: I pay rent.

S: Same difference. My point is that I’m not here to sabotage you or whatever you’re thinking, in fact I’m here to help you. I can cut your ingredient costs in half, I can stabilize your food deliveries. No more waking up at sunrise to haggle with farmers, no more apologizing to your customers that there is no fish today because the supplier is late-

L (defensive): That’s what good restaurant owners do!

S (wistful): That is what they did. I should know, I was one of them for longer than you’ve been alive.

(beat)

L (calming down): Listen, I appreciate the offer, but we’re just not interested. We’ve got investors who believe in us.

S (nodding): So I’ve heard. How is Monsieur Ego these days?

L (proud): He loves the restaurant!

S: And all of his money is invested in you, is it not?

L: Yes! He really believes in us. He’s a really nice guy, you know.

S: He’s nice now, with quarterly profits increasing. But will he be “nice” later, when they’re not?

L: That’s not going to happen.

S: Of course it will. The tendency of the rate of profit is to fall, you know. That goes for you, me, and all the farms and fishermen too.

(standing) But if your mind is so made up, I won’t waste any more of your time. Good day, Fettuccine. And give my regards to the rat.

Patching up my fav pair of jeans with white material and sky blue + pink thread, subtlety is for cowards etc.

Im such a fucked to death piece of fucking shit. My partner had a colonoscopy today and i told them i’d go with them even though their parents were taking them because it’d make them less anxious and yea i didn’t go (they said it was fine but that’s why i say they’re too nice to me and i suck) because i couldn’t sleep because my neck and shoulder feel like they’re turning into a gravel pit and my brain feels like mush

I should have just gone though because i’ve just sat around still not able to sleep while also worried about how much everything has to really suck for them and how i just chose the wrong thing to do like usual

I’m happy I never started smoking, not because it’s deadly or highly addictive, but because I would be really stuck up about it. I’m already super particular about coffee, where the beans are from, local roasters, grinding it myself. I would be one of those guys who hand rolls his own cigarettes. I would be judging people at the gas station for their choices. Just all around insufferable.

Been reading the Rust for Rustaceans book

Ok textbook. You and me, we’re making a deal. You won’t describe any more organs as “crispy” and i won’t find out where your author lives.

I’ve been studying the Russian language. It’s a very interesting language, kind of like Latin with its lack of articles (e.g. no words like “the” or “a”). I already know its alphabet so I can sound out a lot of words. I previously tried to study it back in high school but didn’t get very far. Hopefully this time is different. :3

what breed of dog is best for implementing neoliberal market reforms?

still workshopping how to update this one for zionism

my body is really going to push me to the limit in finding out how bad neck and joint pain can be before a person has to go “no, no, i can’t wait until july to see a doctor”

i haven’t noticed this pain before but now it feels like there’s a painful bony lump in both shoulder blades and also it feels like my head is being pinched and twisted from my neck by a cruel and angry giant

i bought a cervical support pillow that’s getting here today but I expect it to do nothing but make it worse

Oh, it’s pride month? What’s Vegeta’s favorite beam attack?

Happy Pride Month everybody!

🏳️‍⚧️

Behold. The bible (With monthly appropriate pronouns)

He took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face he said: […] Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon

Happy pride!