• Apparently the sensor on that toilet has been missing for a while: it didn't vanish at the same time the partition was most recently knocked down.

• Apparently Paradise Lounge's main room actually opened for business last saturday!

So, speaking of the toilet sensors... in addition to the one that's gone missing, we've always had trouble with the sensors on the toilets and sinks: with them activating too often, or not often enough, or with the batteries in them dying way faster than they should.

Yesterday, Jason was calling around trying to find a plumber who is an authorized dealer in these sensors, and what he learned is that we're apparently on a plumber blacklist! He left a few messages, and when he finally got an appropriate plumber on the phone, the guy said, "Sure, I can come out tomorrow. Where are you?" Jason told him, and the guy said, "Wait, is that a nightclub?" Yes... "Which one?" DNA Lounge... "Oh. Sorry, I can't make it. <click>"

How did this come about? Well, we have a theory...

We did a lot of business with the plumbing supply place down the street from us: we bought pretty much everything plumbing related that's in the club through them, from toilets on up, and we had a pretty good relationship with them. Then one night, several months ago, that business's owner and his pregnant wife showed up here, and we comped them in. He handed Barry a CD and said, "Hey, get the DJ to play our song, ok?" The night was Qoöl, a progressive house/trance night, and the song he wanted to hear was some salsa thing. Barry said, "Well, I can ask the DJ, but he's probably going to say no, because it's not the kind of music they do. It's their party, not ours." Plumbing man got mad and said, "Hey, you're the BOSS, just fucking TELL them to do it!" Barry tried to explain that that's not how it works. Plumbing man got absolutely furious and started screaming. He wouldn't settle down, to the point that the security guys had to throw him out.

So I guess he called up all his pals and got them to agree not to sell to us! Amazing...

Fortunately the main distributor of the sensors doesn't know anything about this nonsense, so he's willing to help us out. But get this: when Jason explained to him the kinds of problems we've been having, the first thing the guy said was, "You're not using these sensors with stainless steel sinks, are you?"

Why yes. Yes we are.

"It says all over the box and manual that you can't use these in a reflective environment. It makes them go nuts! Your contractor should have known that!"

We have so much love for the plumbers and general contractor we used during construction. So much love. Man, those guys robbed us good.