Hunger Pangs

This is one proposal that seems to have some common sense in it, its chances of passing notwithstanding.

In addition to being annoying, vegetarians also appear to be unprincipled.

This is the band I saw with the Tims, and apparently they've been written up in the Wall Street Journal.

I'm posting this because it's about breakfast sandwiches, but I'm left mostly confused as to why this is a problem. (This article was mentioned in the above, and it's even worse.)

Responses:

1. I don't have a lot of thoughts about these people except to say that there are bad people everywhere, and I am sorry they had to experience them. I don't think the guy is a sex fiend - he probably likes porn, but he could get to his idea with just that and an appreciation for Pandora. The Chicago guy seemed like the annoying know-it-all friend that everyone has - not great, but certainly not a sociopath. The New Orleans guy was an idiot - I would have much preferred a blurb from her about how her stupid date was too busy being a vapid asshole to get to know her. As for waterboarding, I think the question of whether it is torture is beside the point because it's either definitional (in which case we are just talking about language, not whether it should be proscribed) or conclusory (i.e. if it's torture, then it has to be illegal, regardless of whether it should be on the merits). But if you're asking whether I think it should be allowed, then I don't really have a strong opinion. :)

2. There are some good choices in there. The Atlanta Motor Speedway is not one of them.

3. I'm not sure the tactics he deployed are persuasive or otherwise effective. As for the recipes, I certainly enjoy shepherd's pie and slow-roasted pork shoulder, but 1) my Southern and Puerto Rican heritages have yielded me two foolproof ways of roasting a pork shoulder to perfection, and 2) I'm not sure what value he adds with his shepherd's pie recipe.

4. I will build a tree house. Decorating it every year for Christmas? As impressive as this one is, that might be a bridge too far... 

R2R2R:

2. The idea that a father would be that magnanimous (there goes that word again) to a person with whom he likely found himself in competition, for better or worse, on one of the most important days of his life as a father where he discharges his final duty, is mind-blowing to me. Most stepfathers would have in their heads negotiated away any desire to walk their stepdaughters down the aisle, and I'm sure this one was plenty surprised.

4. I think some of these people thought that it was fair to ask for help when they didn't need it. I think of it as thinking you have a right to receive food stamps because poor people, who are poor through some unknown combination of bad luck and bad decisions (such combination varying depending on whom you encounter), get food stamps.

R2R2R2R:

4. I think it depends on the purpose of the speech and the foreseeable effects. Complaining to the manager won't get someone fired unless people are complaining all the time. Most managers understand that mistakes are made every now and then. Posting on Yelp has a more diffuse but also more public impact, but they have the added value of avoiding confrontation. In my view, if the purpose of the speech is to improve the next interaction, then speaking to the manager and not exaggerating is the way to go. They know how to run their restaurants better than they do, and I imagine that the only time someone gets fired is if he makes a huge mistake or else he's been making smaller mistakes for weeks. Also, most people who have a bad experience just never return, and I think managers appreciate feedback as long as the feedback is constructive. My fear with Yelp in some cases is that some reviews are so harsh that they risk having a bad publicity effect that overwhelms any attempts on the part of the manager to improve. I have definitely passed over restaurants that have one or two horrible reviews, and in retrospect realized that there are any number of reasons why those reviews could be flawed or, even if true, irrelevant to my experience. I have also seen plenty of attempts by managers to contact the reviewers in an attempt to solve the problem and make things right. So in summary, yes, I think talking to the manager is the best solution.

B