tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692956.post1351649458135800421..comments2023-10-30T08:17:55.757-05:00Comments on Pictures on Silence: Coupl'a Things IVDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04239910727443310811noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20692956.post-76674583735550321772008-04-21T15:45:00.000-05:002008-04-21T15:45:00.000-05:00I'm more than willing to get up and move away from...I'm <B>more</B> than willing to get up and move away from anyone, especially kids. One of the strangest social phenomena I know is when I'm sitting alone in a restaurant, why does the next person who walks in choose to sit next to my table? Waitresses will look at a near empty set of tables, and then walk you right next to the woman with the goddamn wheezing goiter talking on the phone. (I can never tell if she's talking or if the goiter is holding court.) Public, one-sided phone conversations are a death penalty offense in my book.<BR/><BR/>I justify moving by how much I'm paying for the food. If I don't <I>have</I> to tolerate your kid, I won't. With today's prices, I also have no compunction about sending food back if it's cold, brittle, overcooked, etc. I pull out my pocket chess set and wait if they want to stall me. And at the counter, IF the manager/cashier asks if 'everything was all right,' I tell them no and ask directly for a discount or a coupon. This sounds petty, but when a fast food value meal costs $6 in my little town, then it should be perfect, meaning the teenager doesn't need to salt the fries until the shaker is empty.<BR/><BR/>On church, I'm wondering how long it will be before the whole enterprise becomes too expensive to maintain, among the cost of building maintenance, utilities, salaries, supplies, etc.?<BR/><BR/>Two cool links for today:<BR/><A HREF="http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/04/wolcott200804?printable=true¤tPage=all" REL="nofollow">Men Evolving Badly</A> by James Wolcott<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.ohgizmo.com/2008/04/16/monster-cable-threatens-blue-jeans-cable-gets-ass-handed-back/#more-10518" REL="nofollow">Monster Cable Threatens Blue Jeans Cable, Gets Ass Handed Back</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com