Meditations

[Anteroinen]

That is like finding a bank with the worst credit score and saying "you're our guy!" Why does this continue, why haven't nations called us out on the debt?

WE also have the largest and most well equipped army in the world. ... I hate this country sometimes...

I think you partly answered your own question. While that was a joke, it isn't insubstantial either. Then there are financial and general political aspects. One does not simply call others bad in politics. In Europe it seems we're just trying to not sink into another depression so American debt isn't exactly a priority. Trying to save Greece has been a hot potato for a while, so to speak.

EDIT:

I also read that articles that Rooster posted and this caught my eye:

It began Jan. 25 when a customer who described herself on the receipt as a pastor shared appetizers with eight or nine friends at an Applebee's in south St. Louis. Applebee's spokesman Dan Smith said Friday that the group was large enough that an automatic 18 percent tip was added to the bill.

I get that in America it is customary to tip, because culture, but that you have to tip? You are told to tip a certain percentage in the bill? Why don't you just add that to the price of the food in the first place, if it is too expensive for you to keep up? I'm perplexed.

[Oleander]

You don't get 'told' to tip a certain percentage, it's just on the bill when you get it. The check will say "food blah blah $$$" and then at the end it will say "+18 percent gratuity". It's part of the cost of the meal, and separate from tipping I think.

[Anteroinen]

That... totally defeats the purpose of tipping as I understand it.

[Vurn]

The tip is never a part of the cost for the meal here. It is, however, nice to tip waiters and hairdressers.

[Anteroinen]

The tip is never a part of the cost for the meal here. It is, however, nice to tip waiters and hairdressers.

That's how I've understood it so far. If it is mandatory - or included in the bill as "gratuity", which is the same thing really - it stops being nice.

[The Abacus]

That... totally defeats the purpose of tipping as I understand it.

That's the way I understood it

[zombyrus]

Not that I agree with mandatory tipping, but every time I go out I am haunted by the fear that I will completely forget to tip, and I never like to tip less than 15% anyway, so it's not such a bad deal... and servers are paid massively less than minimum wage on account of their receiving tips, so the tips are entirely necessary for them to earn a living.

[Oleander]

and servers are paid massively less than minimum wage on account of their receiving tips, so the tips are entirely necessary for them to earn a living.

We just had a conversation on the last page discussing why this isn't true.

[zombyrus]

My mistake, my fine stallion. I used to go back and read everything I'd missed on this thread, but 67 pages is a little too much for that.

[Oleander]

Stallion? Do you usually call people that?