Oooo Shiny!

We got a nice new computer at work, and I convinced them to let me use it. By nice new computer I mean large behemoth that makes me wonder if we are starting to regress to the days of a computer filling an entire room. The monitors are even bigger, it has something like four feet of monitor. I feel like I am in a cubical only I am surrounded by monitor, its like being in a digital isolation chamber. I also figure that there is at least a fair chance I will get a tan sitting in front of these things. You can feel the light and heat on your face, it is like sitting in front of a campfire all day. If the heat goes out in the winter no big deal, I’ll just scoot my chair a little closer.

I am moving in a few weeks! This is exciting for a few reasons. The new apartment is practically three times the size of my old one, but more importantly it is allowing me to stick to the man, twice. I get to cancel my Comcast service (I use the word service loosely) and I get to move out of my retarded apartment building. I am moving out because they wouldn’t let me sign a 10 month lease, they demanded a year. Now could someone please explain this to me, they could have me move out now or 10 months from now hmm… which of those is better for them? It isn’t like the building is full and they have a waiting list of people dying to move in. It is the idiocy of it that offends me more then anything, I am actually getting a much nicer apartment for almost the same price. It reminds me of the saying “a fool and his money are soon parted”, which in turn reminds me of my stock portfolio, but that is another story.

Tipping Is a City in China!

The idea behind tipping is a good one, you give someone who is serving you a little something extra for good service.  The important words in that sentence are “extra”, “good service”, and maybe “little”.  Somewhere along the line tipping has morphed into this terrible beast which will smite you if you dare oppose it.  Everyone wants to be tipped if they do anything at all, I had a taxi driver demand a tip, and the worst part is I gave him something.

Restaurants are the nexus from which this cancer is spreading. The whole idea of a “mandatory tip” for large parties (to the tune of 18%) is both an oxymoron and plain insulting.  Not to mention that the level of bad service that is required before not tipping is acceptable is for the waiter to light your hair on fire, on purpose, then laugh at you.

I would start on a campaign and boycott tipping.  This would have the advantages of striking out at an evil situation and saving me 20% when I go out to eat. However, this tends to upset others in the party resulting in me being called names (cheap) and cries for the poor waiters (How will they eat? How will they feed their children? Oh the humanity!).  So instead I will merely grumble about it on my blog.