Useless Conversation

[Samwise]

Also, I love when I tell a waiter at a nice restaurant that I'm gluten free and they look at me like I just told them I was a Nazi.

That look is the waiter realizing that he/she has a crazy customer who will most likely not tip.

 

[bhodi]

It's so true. So very true.

If it's a health issue, I'd rephrase the way you say it to sound less like a lifestyle choice. If it's a lifestyle choice... I don't know what to tell you. I'm sorry? Also, being in the medical community, how and why? You're no hippie.

[Paelos]

Also, I love when I tell a waiter at a nice restaurant that I'm gluten free and they look at me like I just told them I was a Nazi.

That look is the waiter realizing that he/she has a crazy customer who will most likely not tip.

 

HA! Totally.

[Rasix]

If only I had the ability to grief title.

[Trippy]

I do; what are you proposing?

[Chimpy]

1/2" drywall has a structural capactiy of about 70psi according to testing, which is why the anchors are rated as such.  The anchors are stronger than the boards.  If shit hasn't fallen yet, it's a matter of luck or a lot of anchors.  

I am not talking about hanging a 60" TV from 1 anchor here.

It is about how you place the anchors and using a proper amount (I usually use 4 for a TV mount) to spread the load out appropriately.

I will add that most of my uses were in locations with steel studs where you can't just run a lag screw into a piece of wood.

[Minvaren]

On a date last year, one woman revealed herself to be gluten-free (completely intolerant).  Yet the way she treated the waiter (who didn't quite get what that meant), I'm surprised her food didn't get some "special sauce" as a result.  With her health depending on it, no less.

That said, you really can learn a lot about people by the way they treat waiters.

[Bzalthek]

I've always found that, 99% of the time, if you treat service staff like actual human beings, they fall all over themselves to make sure you're happy.  Even if they completely suck at their job.  My biggest gripe though, is everyone is always ready to complain, but so few bother to hunt down the manager to give good workers an atta-boy.

[Paelos]

Most waiters are pretty good at their job, but my coworkers often are in such a hurry at lunch they flip out about how long things take. I'm like, we go out on Fridays only, who gives a shit if we're 15 minutes over an hour?

[Ingmar]

The only time I ever lower a tip is when I get the combination of incompetent + asshole. Just getting something wrong without being a douchebag about it doesn't really faze me, if they're getting stuff wrong all the time that's an issue for their boss, not for me, and because of the way a lot of places do tip sharing you're usually screwing over some innocent cook or expediter or something by cutting the tip.

[rattran]

If he's gluten free, does that mean Lantyssa can kill and eat him safely?

[Selby]

The only time I ever lower a tip is when I get the combination of incompetent + asshole.

Yeah.  Taking our order, me asking for a refill on tea, and then us never seeing the guy again?  All the while I see him texting on his phone in the kitchen?  Yeah, I gave him a $0.32 tip.  Another waiter brought our food out after 4 other tables that sat down after us with more people got their food AND drink refills.  Manager didn't seem to give a shit, last time I went there.

[Nerf]

I really hope that the builder just got lazy when framing out around the chimney and had the retarded one-eyed kid measure for studs.  I've got one 19" on center, one 19.5" on center, and one of the 3 2x4s I opened the wall up to see is 1.25" wide.   

Fortunately, I don't need to worry about patching it back up all that well - we've decided to take the facade for the fireplace floor to ceiling, so I'll just need to build a frame for that just a hair short of the brick so I can cover it in tileboard and then cover the whole brick+tileboard combo in a 'stacked flat stone' facade.

Something along the lines of this:


But maybe shinier.

Still not sure if I want it to go floor-to-ceiling all on one vertical line, or taper/step to something slightly narrower.  11ft ceilings, 19'x19' room.

[Yegolev]

Countertop as hearth.  Fancy.

[ghost]

If it's a health issue, I'd rephrase the way you say it to sound less like a lifestyle choice.

You'd be gluten free for lifestyle?   Bleh.  It's fucking awful.  

If only I had the ability to grief title.

You don't?


This is fucking disgusting.

[Samwise]

If it's a health issue, I'd rephrase the way you say it to sound less like a lifestyle choice.

You'd be gluten free for lifestyle?   Bleh.  It's fucking awful.  

I know a couple of people who have gone gluten free on the advice of a witch doctor who used a dowsing rod to diagnose them with a gluten allergy.  That's essentially a lifestyle choice.

[ghost]

If it's a health issue, I'd rephrase the way you say it to sound less like a lifestyle choice.

You'd be gluten free for lifestyle?   Bleh.  It's fucking awful.  

I know a couple of people who have gone gluten free on the advice of a witch doctor who used a dowsing rod to diagnose them with a gluten allergy.  That's essentially a lifestyle choice.

So you hang out with insane people?

Edit:  And did I see on your website that you really teach banjo?  (not a jibe)

[Samwise]

So you hang out with insane people?

Not nearly as much since the separation.   

Edit:  And did I see on your website that you really teach banjo?  (not a jibe)

That's my dad.

[Nerf]

If it's a health issue, I'd rephrase the way you say it to sound less like a lifestyle choice.

You'd be gluten free for lifestyle?   Bleh.  It's fucking awful.  

If only I had the ability to grief title.

You don't?


This is fucking disgusting.

Not the countertop bit, just the stone bit.  We're really not sure, and just kind of spitballing ideas and trying to look at shit on the internets to get ideas.

I'll take some pictures and post more shit on Sunday night when we get back from Atlanta for a big party at the in-laws.  Lots of choices to make, we're redoing fireplace, kitchen, and master bath.

[Murgos]

I have friends in Cairo and was actually planning to go visit them next month (I already bought tickets).

I hope they are ok.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Today's update - fuck sinus colds and all that pressure.  My ears ache, my jaw and lower cheeks are sore as hell, the base of my skull feels like it's going to break and my damn chest hurts from all the coughing I'm doing.

Oh God, I hate that, especially when the jaw hurts. I hope you feel better!

Thanks, but I think I'll have to do the "it'll get worse before it gets better" thing. :(  I'm living with my blistex because my poor lips are so dry now.

Layoff bullet dodged!

wat

Uh oh, someone's busted.

I have friends in Cairo and was actually planning to go visit them next month (I already bought tickets).

I hope they are ok.

/crosses fingers.  Hope they are safe, that’s some crazy stuff going on there.

[Bunk]

That said, you really can learn a lot about people by the way they treat waiters.

Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes.

My sister spent 15 years in food service, from waitressing through managing a kitchen in a bar, so I consider myself sensative to this subject. Waiters are not being paid to be your personal bitch people.

The way his girlfriend at the time (now wife) treated waitstaff (and him refusing to say anything) was essentially the final nail in the coffin of a friendship I had with a guy since highschool.

[Paelos]

That's my dad.

Your dad sounds cool. I like the banjo.

[ghost]

That's my dad.

Cool.  I may ask you some questions about it sometime.  I'm thinking about purchasing one, and would like some input if I do. 

[Sky]

My biggest gripe though, is everyone is always ready to complain, but so few bother to hunt down the manager to give good workers an atta-boy.

That's pretty universal for people. My fiancee is constantly surprised by how much I go out of the way to compliment people who do a good job, no matter what the job is. One of my mottos is "If you're thinking it, say it." That works both ways, though  But if I'm thinking a waiter is doing really well, I make sure to tell them. And back when I had disposable income, I was a hell of a tipper, too. I actually had one waitress (our favorite) come back to the table and complain my tip was too generous (hey, it was xmas...we also give her seafood leftovers for her cats).

Most waiters are pretty good at their job, but my coworkers often are in such a hurry at lunch they flip out about how long things take. I'm like, we go out on Fridays only, who gives a shit if we're 15 minutes over an hour?

Your boss? Anyway, when we go to a restaurant on a work lunch, we always tell the waitress up front the exact time we'll be leaving. Normally only an issue with new help, since we know pretty much everyone who works there to the point where I can talk to the exec chef (part owner) after a meal and know he's got a new guy on sandwiches, etc. Going with what I was saying earlier, I also make sure to let him know how much we like (or don't) new menu options. (and steal ideas by picking his brain)

I'm pretty much done with Time Warner. We were paying $145 for tv (all but starz/max)/internet/phone. Last year they jacked it to $190. We had to drop all our movie channels and badger them for a half hour to put a couple $10 discounts to pull it down to $156. So we were paying $11/mo more for no movie channels. On today's bill, it's $167 and the guy said one of the $10 was still being applied (so with no movie channels my bill would be $177/mo). I began badgering (the yearly cable bullshit to reduce the bill, ffs) and he was adamant that they weren't applying any more rebates or signing anyone up for promotions.

So, that's pretty much that. We were planning on a tv-free summer anyway, so I'll pay the tolls for a couple months and then we cut the cord. If we re-connect in the autumn, we're going to be shopping satellite options (we only have fios on the state highway through town, Ched). They still have my balls for internet, though. If not for steam (and blood bowl), I'd considering ditching that, too. Going to a tracfone.

Best part? Article in the paper last night that TW's profits are up 22% while they're losing six figures of customers. Gee, coincidence they're jacking the bills?

[Paelos]

Your boss?

In tax season, absolutely. But we never go out during that time. Outisde of those 3 months, most CPA's have their thumbs up their asses looking for something to fill the void for the other 9 months a year. If it's mid-July, I'm not really concerned about 15 minutes, and the boss is usually on the golf course.

[Salamok]

My method for getting excellent service is to unleash the kid on them, a cute 4 year old girl who is actually behaving in a restaurant + likes to call the waitstaff by name + enthusiastically thanks them for the bestest food ever = great service every time.

[Oban]

Oh it's all fun and games until the kid finds out that the restaurant does not have balloons.

Until my daughter turned five, our choices for restaurants were quite limited while traveling.

[Yegolev]

I've merged the My Pictures directory from my old corporate laptop with my dropbox pictures, so get ready for the return of classics such as

,

and, of course

[Sjofn]

Ingmar had shoulder surgery today! He has spent the last half hour complaining he can't feel his arm.

[Strazos]

And then spent the subsequent half hour discovering what funny things you can do when you cannot feel your arm? amirite?

[Lantyssa]

How's the cybernetic arm look?  He wouldn't tell me if he was going for a natural look or a cool metallic.

[ghost]

So I just had dinner at a restaurant called the Iberian Pig in Decatur, GA.  Holy shit it was good.  I can't recommend it enough.  It is a Spanish/Moroccan type slant with lots of yummy pork dishes.  Very nice Tapas type menu as well as big meals.  If you're ever in Atlanta I highly recommend the trip to Decatur for this place.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Naperville salon accused of disfiguring Brazilian wax customer

The article is just a blurb really, but the comments are freaking priceless.  I'm amazed the moderators have let some of them through.

Although, the story did make me want to cover my lady bits for protection.

[ghost]

Brazilllian waxing.........sounds awful.