Thank you. Tipping is essentially a way for businesses to shift labor costs onto customers, and it is not O.K.

I don't disagree with this matrix, but I find it irritating that labor costs are being offloaded more and more onto the customer.

I agree that stories like this supply an opportunity for robust, intellectual debate and discussion of important societal issues. However (and this is where I sorta agree with OP), there aren't enough facts or information in the story as it's presented to truly supply an informed discussion about said story. While it…

I think paragraph 2 is tough. You could certainly measure some aspects of personality (cognitive processing, etc.)and attempt to prove or disprove correlation, but others (feeling, mood, etc.) are more difficult, unless you are strictly limiting your scope to the physiological responses (heart rate, etc.). If a person…

Yeah this is bad. It sounds really condescending and like a type of humble-brag: "I hate that I'm in the dominant group! I wish that I could be as interesting as you people." Ew.

I'm more of the outlook that there are some mysteries of life that cannot be empirically proven/disproven, but I'm really not looking to be proven right. You seem to clearly, fundamentally disagree with this mindset.

It's not even a matter of competing beliefs. It's the whole mentality of "my belief is right, no matter what." If you actually believed in the teapot, I would be intrigued to hear more, but this example is just brought up for the sake of proving a point, so I don't know how to really engage with it. I guess I'm more…

I agree with you. All of the stuff you mentioned in the second paragraph fills my life with mystery, wonder, meaning, and excitement. It is fascinating. Don't get me wrong, I respect scientific innovation, but I enjoy thinking that there are spheres of reality that exceed the physical world.

"too" oops

I had a similar dead end conversation with this person about something (energy work I think?). I wish people around here would be more...genuinely interested and open-minded sometimes. Skepticism with a capital S is just to trendy, I guess. :\

I know! Conspiracy theories are my reality tv.

Shots fired! I was scrolling down in anticipation of this post, or a post like it.

Ha ha, exactly!

That's bad, too. I once had a dude approach me while I was reading on the bus. He proceeded to inform me that he thought I was taking too many notes. Sigh.

I fucking hate it so much.

Wildly off topic, but it is a HUGE pet peeve of mine to be approached by strangers while eating alone. And it happens, literally, every time I am eating alone in public. I wonder if, subconsciously, there is some thought like "how dare this woman be feeding/enjoying herself?! She must exist to answer MY question about…

I have thought this before, but then I remember that the reality would probably be more like Loco described downthread, and less like OITNB. :(

For my husband and I, it was the only way to keep him safe, content, and immobilized (high chair) while we cooked, cleaned, paid bills, etc. We both have to bring a lot of work home, so that was an issue as well. He cried if left in the pack n play and would have gotten himself killed if roaming freely. It wasn't a…

To each his/her own. Although, if I had my druthers about how other people spent their money, religious/new age stuff is NOT what I would take aim at.

That's your prerogative, I suppose.