Best part of the Monty Williams angle is that he’s probably just using the Suns as leverage in his negotiations with the Lakers.

Once again, the Lakers screw over the Suns and Robert Sarver defecates in James Jones’s office.

Yeah, Japanese curry was developed and popularized as part of the Meiji government’s plan to both: 1) get Japanese people eating meat, which was seen as necessary for individual and national vigor; 2) to feed lots of farmboy conscripts for its burgeoning navy. The Imperial Japanese Navy’s curry could be produced in…

To be honest, spicy Japanese curry is basically an oxymoron: most Japanese people have a very limited spice palette, and Japanese curry is an adaptation of naval curry by the British, who aren’t known for their spice palette either. Japanese curry roux or powder (powder is better) does come in extra hot, but it’s…

Why not Melo?  He qualifies as “former” by now.

Luckily for you, the enterprising minds at BIG HIPSTER RESTAURANT do not feel so constrained by traditional plate shapes. If you go out to Cask & Hickory or wherever the fuck, they’ll bend over backwards to serve you food on anything except a regular-ass plate.

I put an onion ring and fried egg in the burgers I make at home. I use an egg ring when frying eggs, and I can drop the egg into the onion ring sitting on top of the patty. Maximum taste for a minimal verticality cost.

Also, pineapple works well. It can be okay on pizza, but it’s great in burgers because you won’t get…

Dan Gilbert sucks, but what did he ever deny LeBron in his second stint? Since you don’t give any evidence of how Gilbert “was never going to facilitate building the team he really needed,” let’s look at some of the moves Cleveland made that LeBron pushed for:

I think you make an excellent point, so let’s expand on it: What kind of an owner/executive will LeBron be? He’s long said that he wants to be an owner, and as difficult as that may to be in this current environment where even crap franchises are running $1B+ and being a minority owner gives you zero power, it’s…

“Made free throws are all alike; every missed free throw is missed in its own way.”
                                                         - Leo Tolstoy, probably

My Taiwanese friends tell me they feel similarly hoodwinked when they find that their Five Yuan tires for their motorscooters are actually made by Goodyear on OEM in Tonawanda, NY.

Is it a keeper league? Because if it’s a re-draft league and you got all those guys, I hope your friends play poker too.

(Please invite me)

Third round is too late for chicken tikka masala (or any kind of Indian food). Kevin’s reasoning for ordering food that is a PITA to make at home is well-reasoned, but the food should also keep relatively well, which fried chicken does not (loss of crispiness). Keepability factor is what makes pizza the obvious…

I’m not sure if the chef you mentioned at first is the owner/manager; if he is, then I would first try to reach out to him maybe at the end of lunch service when things are quieter and have a word with him. If not, the regular management works too, though you don’t have a personal relationship with them.

Yelp reviews…

Other events:

Jim Arbuckle-themed Speed Dating
Throw the Nermal
Lecture Series: “Reheated Mediocre Comics as Retirement Annuities”

Pittsburgh’s definitely the Midwest as it’s west of the Appalachians.

You can break it down more finely and claim that Pittsburgh and Cleveland are more “Old Northwest” and that they have elements that recall the older east coast cities like New York, Boston, Philly, even Baltimore. This is evident especially in…

Agreed, I definitely have an easier time speaking than listening/comprehending in the local language. I do what you propose sometimes, but usually I find it tough to continue speaking the local language after the servers switch to English because I start worrying that I’ve overestimated my language skills and don’t…

Agree with Salty here: if you can reasonably slog your way through ordering in the local language, you should do it. Just be patient with your servers as they’re trying to understand you.

Of course, there have been cases where I’ve tried to order in the local language and the server cut me off with his/her rendition of…

Agree with this approach: making an earnest effort to communicate in their language and being patient with the waitstaff’s efforts to understand you and confirm your order goes a long way.

Incidentally, you mention “a smile goes a long way”—that’s actually one of the hallmarks of an American that singles us out abroad. …

Here are some events that Bre Tiesi-Manziel can choose to cheat in.

Ah, got it. He was before my time in Tokyo and he’s now moved to Hyogo. Saw him on a variety show last year and added it to my to-visit list because it looked amazing.

But honestly, other than 69RnRBilly1 and the closed Sora in Tokyo, feel free to talk and snap photos in a ramen shop. Just don’t be an idiot about it.