Messages

Istabraq.

Main issue with tipping nowdays in the US is the increasing lack of good service, while still in full expectance of a 20% tip.

Efficiency, helpfulness and courtesy, the x3 essentials should determine the tip level, not just being alive.
 

Last time I was in NYC was Christmas 2016 and one day we were eating in a sandwich shop in Brooklyn. Order, pay, iPad flip around to select your gratuity (probably got 20%) and it was a collect at the counter job.

After about 20 mins when we were close to finishing up, girl who'd taken the order called out "when you guys are done you can just drop your trays back to the counter". My now wife, who never gets riled up, told me that in no uncertain circumstances was I to even consider lifting the tray.

I hate tipping culture but I've no bother with it in the States where it's accepted as the societal normal in hospitality and is by and large known and understood enough for travellers to factor a tip into the true cost of a meal. However, I refuse to tip where the service role has been automated. The petrol pump shown previously is a disgrace. Who receives that gratuity like?!

The "discretionary service charge" that is increasingly common at home also pisses me off. This used to be something that would be added to parties of 8 or 10 or more and it would be flagged on the menu. Used to be 10% but has been going up the last few years. It has crept in more and more where it can just show up on your bill unadvised. Servers/wait staff are also trained to bring the bill and card machine at the same time, subtly pressuring you into just getting it over with rather than allow you time to check a bill. If I see a service charge on a bill, I'll always ask the service staff if they get that or it goes to the house. If it goes to the house I'll ask them to take it off and tip cash or on the card.

Oswald did a plethora of things on the day, you wouldn't expect an assassin to do.

Such as?

What exactly do you expect an assassin to do?

Both Kelly and O'Donnell took about 10 steps FFS.

Can't imagine anyone really fancied a wee bonus trip to f**king Basra

I couldn't watch live so just endured the whole thing. Was thankfully able to skip Nesbitt and, perhaps even more importantly, David O'Doherty.

I'm sure there were a few phenomenals thrown in there but "audacious" was the word of the day.

Hyperbole. Excitability. Over exuberance. Mixed metaphors. Blathering on about nonsense. He's just awful to listen to, the poor lad.

[Limerick]

I flicked it on too BBC and heard t nibs say the block was beyond belief so straight back to rte I went.

Niblock was absolutely brutal. Minimum of 20 distinct "what the f**k are you talking about?" moments. For the double block he screamed "goal for Clare! Goal for Cork!"

Towards the start he was talking about Aidan McCarthy hitting a 65. "He didn't miss a free in the semi final win against Limerick". Approximately 15 seconds later he was on the ball again. "It's Aidan McCarthy again, he came under scrutiny in the semi final for his free taking performance against Limerick". He hasn't a clue.

The extra time, nailbiting finish and fact it's not Limerick will mean it'll live long in the memory but I thought there were long stretches of very sloppy play throughout. Terrible decision making, awful execution at times. Two Clare goals should have been frees out. Ref rode Cork a good bit.

Watched the hurling on BBC. A really special effort from Niblock.

Zombie - woeful song
Fields of Athenry- hate it

Can I second Fields of Athenry

What's wrong with fields?

It's twee shite.

Jet fuel doesn't melt steel beams.

He's just a class apart this year. Think he's already said he won't do the Vuelta but Christ you'd love to see him try it. Would be a huge favourite.

This is brutal.

The Hulk Hogan video couldnt be real - could it?

https://x.com/PicturesFoIder/status/1814041707110949129

Most of the states in play won't swing because of bible bashing. Trump, soldier of god and living embodiment of the christian spirit and ideal, has all those lads sewn up already.

Trying to set a bar at 'no worse than Trump" is a truly bizarre thing to do.

https://x.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1813823718050918591

Love that Maitlis just left him hanging there with the stupidity of it. Twice. Good to see Nigel is working hard for the good people of Clacton already though.