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Joe's avatar

Ben & Chris are treasures... As a poor restaurant worker who worked around the corner from MAC 15 years ago I was in there a LOT during my decade in the City, almost exclusively shopping the sale rack. They treated me as they would any other client, showing me things they knew I would like and even letting me know, "hey you know we're putting this or that on sale in the next couple of days, we'll hold one for you." Met Cookie Mueller AND John Waters in there on separate occasions, they gave my partner & I tips & hook-ups when we went to Antwerp one year, and are generally just incredibly sweet, genuine folks. The Bay Area certainly has it's drawbacks (I mean, where doesn't?) but the Ospital family-sui generis, regular generous, real deal real ones-are a vital thread in the very special fabric of SF.

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Lolo's avatar

Excellent reporting. Re: declining to tell people your rent (which in this case I'm sure is for a good reason re: their relationship with their landlords or something)-- reminds me of a fave maxim: tell anyone who asks what you get paid, what your rent is, etc.

The culture of silence around expenses in this society is legit a tool of capitalist and anti-union forces. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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