i'm bored come talk to me

[spoonitnow]

check the sticky to get in IRC it takes like 90 seconds i'm bored as fucking shit what's up

or just talk to me in this thread jesus christ i'm about to go nuts

[spoonitnow]

hey so why did ftr get rid of the reputation system? were there some busto ass pussy ass broke ass busta ass bitch ass people whining about getting neg rep?

edit: hell yeah i'm an ftr qualified member because i'm qualified to fuck yo bitch

[OngBonga]

hey so why did ftr get rid of the reputation system? were there some busto ass pussy ass broke ass busta ass bitch ass people whining about getting neg rep?

Nah, said busto ass pussy ass broke ass busta ass bitch ass figured out how to get good rep and got to 4 green boxes so they pulled the plug.

Wanna game of chess?

[spoonitnow]

Nah, said busto ass pussy ass broke ass busta ass bitch ass figured out how to get good rep and got to 4 green boxes so they pulled the plug.

Wanna game of chess?

i don't play anymore also you're chopper-ish

Why did you leave and why are you back now.

Do you still program and what's the coolest program you've done lately.

Did you notice that I failed to use question marks in this post.

i didn't really leav ei just stopped posting much b/c i stopped playing poker and was focused on doing other shit, also yes i did notice the lack of question marks

i'm dating a chick who is learning to play scrabble really well, and along with that i've thrown together a few training thingies in PHP

lol anagrams - this one builds anagrams around 8-letter words from the north american scrabble dictionary since doing anagrams is one of the most common ways recommended to improve

Two Letter Word Scrabble Trainer - quick thing to help chick learn the two-letter words

Where the fuck is spoon?

sup

[supa]

sup

nothin

[spoonitnow]

okay why the fuck are you posting in a gay ass soccer thread when you could be talking to THIS

[bikes]

this is i feel about all my wells or ask my questions about poker.

[BankItDrew]

spoon:

how ya doin? Excited for the NBA season?

bikes:

what hands should I 3bet preflop with and why?

[spoonitnow]

spoon:

how ya doin? Excited for the NBA season?

bikes:

what hands should I 3bet preflop with and why?

shit missed your quote button, not really into nba, otherwise i'm ok

[bikes]

I can't explain how I do the damn thing.

[givememyleg]

no

[supa]

Where the fuck is spoon?

[supa]

Oh wait, there is no spoon.

[Galapogos]

check the sticky to get in IRC it takes like 90 seconds i'm bored as fucking shit what's up

or just talk to me in this thread jesus christ i'm about to go nuts

Why did you leave and why are you back now.

Do you still program and what's the coolest program you've done lately.

Did you notice that I failed to use question marks in this post.

[bikes]

Why did you leave and why are you back now.

Do you still program and what's the coolest program you've done lately.

Did you notice that I failed to use question marks in this post.

Do you even exist?

[Pascal]

Do you play Words with Friends?

[spoonitnow]

Do you play Words with Friends?

yeah but i'm not a huge fan

[rpm]

do you miss poker in any way at all? what aspect of it?

[spoonitnow]

do you miss poker in any way at all? what aspect of it?

it was fun but it stressed me the fuck out like idk what, my life is probably currently a net positive w/o poker, but if things changed in the usa then i could see myself getting back into it to some degree

I know you are from the sticks. What is the biggest city you've been to? Lived in? What's the farthest you've been from where you're from? What're you doing with your life besides scrabble apps and boning some cute nerdy chick?

lived in raleigh for about a year, #42 largest city in usa by population, have stayed in charlotte a lot, #17 largest city in usa by population, have been to philly for a week/week and a half at times for chess stuff which is top 5 largest cities etc and that's probably the farthest i've been from where i grew up, i don't really care too much for travel etc, i was in philly for chess events (the world open), i'm working for myself and doing alright with it, at a crossroads where i need to decide whether to expand with that or go back to school, leaning towards the first option

[MadMojoMonkey]

at a crossroads where i need to decide whether to expand with that or go back to school...

Why would you have to choose? There are a lot of options for continued education, these days.

Since you're self-employed, try to find a college that puts full courses up on youtube for free. There's no need to pay for an education you will ultimately give yourself anyway.

Be wary of an online degree. There are a lot of shady institutions online right now. Even when they're legit, they get no respect in the workplace.

[Penneywize]

Why would you have to choose? There are a lot of options for continued education, these days.

Since you're self-employed, try to find a college that puts full courses up on youtube for free. There's no need to pay for an education you will ultimately give yourself anyway.

Signalling (economics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Education might make you feel smarter, but without the degree you aren't accomplishing much in terms of job market prospects. Get the degree.

By the way Spoon I've always thought you to be a very intelligent guy. Give academia a try. Get your BA done and apply for PhDs, you'll be funded if you're a decent student anyway. And you'll do something you love. Give it some thought man.

[boost]

I know you are from the sticks. What is the biggest city you've been to? Lived in? What's the farthest you've been from where you're from? What're you doing with your life besides scrabble apps and boning some cute nerdy chick?

[boost]

What am I qualified for?

[bigred]

QUALIFIED TO WEAR THE BLUE HELMET

SORRY FOR THE VOLUME BUT I GOTTA ROCKKKKKKKKK

[boost]

I forgot about my blue helmet. I must have left it on a park bench somewhere. I should go visit some parks.

[boost]

I was curious about your claim that Philly is within the top 5 largest cities in the US.

Philadelphia is the economic and cultural center of the Delaware Valley, home to 6 million people and the country's fifth-largest metropolitan area.

Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with over 6 million people.[6]

oh, wikipedia...

[eugmac]

I was curious about your claim that Philly is within the top 5 largest cities in the US.





oh, wikipedia...

Am I the only one who gets a chuckle out of the thought of rounding up the Wikipedia editors for the two articles and making them fight to the death in real life in a ring with pitchforks and so on?

[spoonitnow]

I was curious about your claim that Philly is within the top 5 largest cities in the US.

oh, wikipedia...

I got my info from List of United States cities by population - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Signalling (economics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Education might make you feel smarter, but without the degree you aren't accomplishing much in terms of job market prospects. Get the degree.

By the way Spoon I've always thought you to be a very intelligent guy. Give academia a try. Get your BA done and apply for PhDs, you'll be funded if you're a decent student anyway. And you'll do something you love. Give it some thought man.

academia is lame as fuck and so are "job market prospects"

Why would you have to choose? There are a lot of options for continued education, these days.

Since you're self-employed, try to find a college that puts full courses up on youtube for free. There's no need to pay for an education you will ultimately give yourself anyway.

Be wary of an online degree. There are a lot of shady institutions online right now. Even when they're legit, they get no respect in the workplace.

because i can't put 100% of effort into both, also to this and the quoted part above, i'm most of the way through a BS in applied mathematics but i'm super disillusioned with the whole go to college -> get a job making someone else rich -> die scenario

[eugmac]

I got my info from List of United States cities by population - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



academia is lame as fuck and so are "job market prospects"



because i can't put 100% of effort into both, also to this and the quoted part above, i'm most of the way through a BS in applied mathematics but i'm super disillusioned with the whole go to college -> get a job making someone else rich -> die scenario

I've seen various documentaries and other sources talking about how in the US, basically colleges fees are reaching record highs, they are taking more students than ever, handing out degrees for anything and everything, and at the end the job market is so poor that there's hardly any real work you can get in your field and you end up having to take some crap job totally unrelated to your qualifications, and a couple hundred grand in student debt to make things worse.

Is it really that bad?

[boost]

I've seen various documentaries and other sources talking about how in the US, basically colleges fees are reaching record highs, they are taking more students than ever, handing out degrees for anything and everything, and at the end the job market is so poor that there's hardly any real work you can get in your field and you end up having to take some crap job totally unrelated to your qualifications, and a couple hundred grand in student debt to make things worse.

Is it really that bad?

I know this is spoon's thread, but yeah, pretty much.

[spoonitnow]

I know this is spoon's thread, but yeah, pretty much.

this

[Penneywize]

Spoon, I'd try to not think about it like 'make someone else rich' -> 'die'. I mean, I know this is somewhat of an exaggeration and you probably don't see it in black and white.

I guess we could argue whether it is an inherently 'bad' thing that your work would lead to another person's financial gain. I'd bring up points like, well, this individual who would theoretically profit from your work is someone (in general, of course) who took a risk to start such a company in the first place, risking his own financial ruin, etc, and that absent these type of long-run payoffs no one would be trying to start firms at all. Of course, there are counter arguments to this, usually in the vein of anti-capitalist sentiment, and we'd then be arguing over ideology and judgment calls and get nowhere. So there's no benefit to even going there really.

Instead, I ask you why don't you view it from a perspective of your own self-interest? Clearly, working a job that requires your quantitative skills would likely lead to higher income, and the subject matter might be somewhat interesting to you to boot. The hours might be long, but they'd be well-compensated. So you could, in some measure, have the potential for a more secure life down the road by completing your education.

Re academia, I find it strange you'd have such a negative opinion of it. Do you feel that professors of mathematics don't contribute anything to society, that research in math is trivial and inconsequential? Do you not agree with the lifestyle the professors enjoy (i.e. I know some people who hate the idea of tenure and feel it should be abolished)? Or is it that, at your age, you feel the time commitment would be too much for an uncertain future -- i'm referring here specifically to your pursuing a PhD?

I apologize if I'm assuming / asking too much here, just trying to understand your motivations. Feel free to ignore this if you think I'm being a pompous ass (not at all my intention though).

[surviva316]

I've seen various documentaries and other sources talking about how in the US, basically colleges fees are reaching record highs, they are taking more students than ever, handing out degrees for anything and everything, and at the end the job market is so poor that there's hardly any real work you can get in your field and you end up having to take some crap job totally unrelated to your qualifications, and a couple hundred grand in student debt to make things worse.

Is it really that bad?

Lol, yes this is how it is. It's kind of tilting that a Euro has to ask if it is really this bad like it's an apocalyptic scenario coming from your world. If you were an American talking to an American and were like, "I just came to the realization that . . . " and said all of the things you just said, then the other American would knock on your forehead and be like, "Welcome to the real world, Jeremy." They would, then, likely talk you into thinking that affairs are delightfully uncomplicated and give you a handy in the office break room.

Wait, I digressed there for a minute. Anyway, maybe one day Americans will realize that it doesn't HAVE to be like that in the real world.

[Pascal]

I've seen various documentaries and other sources talking about how in the US, basically colleges fees are reaching record highs, they are taking more students than ever, handing out degrees for anything and everything, and at the end the job market is so poor that there's hardly any real work you can get in your field and you end up having to take some crap job totally unrelated to your qualifications, and a couple hundred grand in student debt to make things worse.

Is it really that bad?

Sounds a lot like the UK heh!

[chemist]

Sounds a lot like the UK heh!

Yup, the moneywise advice now is that if you can manage the language it is cheaper to go to a non uk European University.

[spoonitnow]

Re: Penneywize, to clarify my exceptionally short reply, academia bores me and is turning into (already is?) a clusterfuck, see eugmac/boost posts, and I'm more of the type to take risks and make money off of people working for me than to be the one working for someone else/hating life. Hope that makes more sense now.

[Micro2Macro]

A piece of paper saying you completed 'x' does not guarantee you 'y'

you are taking a risk with your time and money whether you are completing further education or hustling some other way, so just do what you enjoy imo.

[spoonitnow]

i fucking hate when a waitress is giving you commentary about what you're doing or what you're eating, etc.

bikes gave a great example of the bitch saying you get the same every time and i'm like damn woman why don't you mind your fucking business and stfu

and don't even get me started on tipping

[boost]

Tipping as a system sucks balls, and this comes from a person who has had tipped positions for the majority of his jobs. That being said, not tipping as a boycott to the system is fucking ridiculous and just an excuse to be a fucking cheap bastard.

[a500lbgorilla]

Tipping as a system sucks balls, and this comes from a person who has had tipped positions for the majority of his jobs. That being said, not tipping as a boycott to the system is fucking ridiculous and just an excuse to be a fucking cheap bastard.

You call up your local Chinese food shack, some szechuan beef with friend rice and General Tso's for the lady, 18.95 for pick up. When you get there the receipt reads:

Subtotal: 18.95
Tip: ______
Total: ______

Not tipping is fully justified.

[boost]

You call up your local Chinese food shack, some szechuan beef with friend rice and General Tso's for the lady, 18.95 for pick up. When you get there the receipt reads:

Subtotal: 18.95
Tip: ______
Total: ______

Not tipping is fully justified.

I generally agree with this. I do tip for take-out sometimes, but not doing so is completely acceptable. I would never judge anyone for this.

[spoonitnow]

Tipping based on a percentage of your bill is the stupidest fucking thing ever invented.

Here's an example. I had a half-ass waitress not too long ago at this diner-type place who didn't really do a good job at all, and one of the people I was with bitched because I "only" left a $1 tip on a ~$8 ticket. First of all, that's more than 15 fucking percent for a woman who absolutely sucks at her job. Second of all, it's none of their goddamn business what I tip.

Now, if I had ordered a biscuit instead and my bill came to like $4, then a $1 tip would be just fine with these people. The waitress had to carry one plate to me and keep one drink full. Why should I have to tip differently based on the price of what's being carried on the plate? She did the same amount of fucking work. Stupidest shit ever.

If the waitress is bad, then I won't leave a tip because she shouldn't have a fucking job in the first place to get paid for. I refuse to tip for bad service. If the waitress is extremely bad, like if she's sitting on her ass while I'm the only person in the damn place and my drink has been empty for a couple of minutes, then I'll leave a tip worth somewhere between $0.10-$0.50 just so that she knows I did it on purpose for her shitty fucking service. In fact, if I'm going somewhere to eat and I think about it ahead of time, I'll make sure that I have a little bit of change in my pocket just for this.

On the other hand, if the waitress is good and does her fucking job, even if she isn't nice and sweet and whatever about it, I'll leave a tip based on how big of a pain in the ass her coworkers are and how much work she had to do to bring me my food and keep my shit straight. Random example, but I once left a middle-aged chick a $40 tip on a ~$10 ticket in a Waffle House because she threw out a group of like four teenage guys who were loud and being pains in the ass. If my order is fucked up, and the waitress handles the situation well, then I'll often tip extra for that too because I know it's not their fault and it's a pain in the ass.

I'm kind of ranting now, but I think that suggesting someone should have to tip is bullshit. If you had to pay that, then it would be added to your bill, but it's not, so fuck them. Insert the Reservoir Dogs scene with Steve Buscemi/Mr. Pink here.

[boost]

Tipping based on a percentage of your bill is the stupidest fucking thing ever invented.

Here's an example. I had a half-ass waitress not too long ago at this diner-type place who didn't really do a good job at all, and one of the people I was with bitched because I "only" left a $1 tip on a ~$8 ticket. First of all, that's more than 15 fucking percent for a woman who absolutely sucks at her job. Second of all, it's none of their goddamn business what I tip.

Now, if I had ordered a biscuit instead and my bill came to like $4, then a $1 tip would be just fine with these people. The waitress had to carry one plate to me and keep one drink full. Why should I have to tip differently based on the price of what's being carried on the plate? She did the same amount of fucking work. Stupidest shit ever.

If the waitress is bad, then I won't leave a tip because she shouldn't have a fucking job in the first place to get paid for. I refuse to tip for bad service. If the waitress is extremely bad, like if she's sitting on her ass while I'm the only person in the damn place and my drink has been empty for a couple of minutes, then I'll leave a tip worth somewhere between $0.10-$0.50 just so that she knows I did it on purpose for her shitty fucking service. In fact, if I'm going somewhere to eat and I think about it ahead of time, I'll make sure that I have a little bit of change in my pocket just for this.

On the other hand, if the waitress is good and does her fucking job, even if she isn't nice and sweet and whatever about it, I'll leave a tip based on how big of a pain in the ass her coworkers are and how much work she had to do to bring me my food and keep my shit straight. Random example, but I once left a middle-aged chick a $40 tip on a ~$10 ticket in a Waffle House because she threw out a group of like four teenage guys who were loud and being pains in the ass. If my order is fucked up, and the waitress handles the situation well, then I'll often tip extra for that too because I know it's not their fault and it's a pain in the ass.

I'm kind of ranting now, but I think that suggesting someone should have to tip is bullshit. If you had to pay that, then it would be added to your bill, but it's not, so fuck them. Insert the Reservoir Dogs scene with Steve Buscemi/Mr. Pink here.

This is akin to the misconception that legality and morality are the same. Just because it is not included in the price does not mean you should feel fine not paying for a tip. As I said the system is fucking retarded, but in any other customer/service provider relationship you don't get to chose the wage of the service provider. If you go to the grocery store and the cashier rings stuff up wrong and is rude, you can't deduct two dollars from your bill and have it come out of their pay. If you have a bad day at work, how would you feel if the people you interacted with could take away from your pay? Obviously there are exceptions, where the service rendered is just so bad-- but in general if someone takes your order and brings you your food, you should be leaving a tip.

I do appreciate that you don't tip based on whether or not someone puts on a fake smile or licks your asshole to satisfaction, but instead based on their duties performed as a server. And I do agree that in certain situations, tipping as a percent of the bill doesn't really work. If you order a coffee at a diner and sit there for two hours and the server has to refill your cup six times, then you should not be tipping 20% on your $1.50 coffee, this makes you an asshole. But the system does work in most cases besides those involving very small bills. In a fine dining setting, you have way more than just one person taking care of your table, and the tips are spread accordingly between the staff. So as the bill get a nicer place gets more expensive you can generally expect the service to be more detailed and consist of several elements instead of just your one server.

Anyways, like anything else that benefits you, make sure that you are justifying it because it benefits you, but instead because it is justified.

[!Luck]

Tipping is a great test, anyone who always tips well is a fucking pussy. Ps I always tip well.

[chemist]

The tip on the bill is an american idea, so that business men can tip without it coming out of their own pocket and go straight on the corporate credit card.
The staff didn't mind initially because they got bigger tips.
The restaurants like it because they were then able to pay the staff less.

But it is crazy, because the original point of a tip was to personally reward and say thank you for good service.

[supa]

I tip pretty well on a constant bases. In general I think food service workers have a pretty tough job and don't get paid well enough for it without some extra generosity. If you suck at your job I probably won't tip you at all with the exception of you being new to a place I frequent.

I have learned over the years that I actually have a better net cost by over tipping at local bars. Bartenders are happy to reward you for tipping well by pouring doubles almost always which actually saves money in the long run. I drink enough in bars for this to be a factor.

In restaurants it's different but it's nice when a waitress is really happy to see you come in and gives you a little extra attention.

I almost never tip for take out with the exception of lunch trucks at the jobsite. An extra buck or two can mean the difference between waiting 10 mins just to order and having the cook move your order to the front of the line as soon as he sees you.

So yeah, mostly I think tipping is a win/win situation.

[supa]

Spoon/mathwiz wtf? 1 on 8 isn't 15%. I never understand the reason not to throw an extra dollar their way.

[spoonitnow]

Spoon/mathwiz wtf? 1 on 8 isn't 15%. I never understand the reason not to throw an extra dollar their way.

meant 6 sry

[bikes]

bring me my tasty beverage
don't smirk or laugh at what i order
make sure my tasty beverage is not empty
if my food is going to be late just lmk
ask me once if everything is legit

congrats you earned a 20% tip imo

[spoonitnow]

Just because it is not included in the price does not mean you should feel fine not paying for a tip.

If something costs x, and I pay x, I shouldn't feel fine for that? Makes no sense.

If you go to the grocery store and the cashier rings stuff up wrong and is rude, you can't deduct two dollars from your bill and have it come out of their pay.

This is irrelevant to tipping. I'm not talking about tipping the person who rings up my bill. If they don't like that the people they are serving determine the majority of their income, then they should get another job. It's not my problem if they can't do that. No one has a moral obligation to tip.

...but in general if someone takes your order and brings you your food, you should be leaving a tip.

Edit: If they want a tip, they're going to have to do more than the bare minimum. Tips are for good service, not for service.

[boost]

If something costs x, and I pay x, I shouldn't feel fine for that? Makes no sense.

It doesn't actually cost X. This is a self serving view of the situation. Tragedy of the commons clearly shows that if no one tips then X will increase.

This is irrelevant to tipping. I'm not talking about tipping the person who rings up my bill. If they don't like that the people they are serving determine the majority of their income, then they should get another job. It's not my problem if they can't do that. No one has a moral obligation to tip.

Saying it is irrelevant doesn't make it so. This "if they don't like it, they can get another job" line of thinking is awful and you should see why. The person waiting on your table is not the problem, the system is. It's the same with teachers who have to spend their own money and time to teach the curriculum that they are obligated to teach without getting further compensation. The same "if they don't like it, they should get another job" logic is applied all the time here, and it fails just the same.

Edit: If they want a tip, they're going to have to do more than the bare minimum. Tips are for good service, not for service.

No, tips are for service for the majority of instances where a tip is given. Originally it was as you say it is, but that just is not the case anymore. I think tipping a plumber is different. They get a full livable wage, and you tip them because they cleaned up after themselves and didn't track mud all over your carpet with their work boots. This fact is reflected in the reality that in many states tipped positions such as valets and servers can be paid well under minimum wage. Their service is not fully included in the cost of the food, part of their wage and therefore the service they provide is directly paid for by the tips the receive.

Again, extreme scrutiny should be applied when you arrive at a moral conclusion which is self serving.

[Jack Sawyer]

When it comes to food, i tip and i tip well. Particularly if i intend to be back at said establishment.

Many reasons:

-) these people get paid like shit. I like to think: what if it was me? I still remember earning $3.50 an hour on my first job, and then taking home about $3 on my first day that i got from tips. And I was ecstatic, as it was the first money i'd ever earned.
-) I'm going to ingest whatever they are bringing me. Many adventures can happen from the kitchen to my table.
-) if i bring someone else along next time i'll be impressing them, skip the line, get the best seat in the house, freebies, etc: a lot of the little things will go my way if the waitresses are genuinely happy to see me.
-) I generally dislike being a miser. If i can't afford to tip, then i go to the grocery store and get my goods to make my own food.

That said, if the food is delicious, fresh, and prepared within three minutes of me hanging up and showing up to get it, of course i'm tipping on takeouts as well. It's a way of me telling the chef, " good job man" even though he will never see this money.

[Galapogos]

I'm with spoon on all his points.

Also, tipping a bad server bugs me even more in Canada because minimum wage in my province is like $10/h so the whole "ohh they make such a shitty wage argument doesn't quite apply." Its not like they're making less than any other unskilled profession. I'm making this point because it's my understanding that in a lot of States it's legal to pay them half of the minimum wage or something like that.

[spoonitnow]

I'm with spoon on all his points.

Also, tipping a bad server bugs me even more in Canada because minimum wage in my province is like $10/h so the whole "ohh they make such a shitty wage argument doesn't quite apply." Its not like they're making less than any other unskilled profession. I'm making this point because it's my understanding that in a lot of States it's legal to pay them half of the minimum wage or something like that.

Fwiw, down here if they don't make up the difference in tips, then the employer has to pay the difference so that they're making at least minimum wage.

[BennyLaRue]

I'm with spoon on all his points.

Also, tipping a bad server bugs me even more in Canada because minimum wage in my province is like $10/h so the whole "ohh they make such a shitty wage argument doesn't quite apply." Its not like they're making less than any other unskilled profession.

Yeah, it is. The minimum wage is generally about $1.25/hr lower for anyone who serves liquor as part of their job. Not sure about every province but this is true in most provinces.

I'm not justifying tipping, because I hate the 15% rule and really fucking hate how they now expect 15% on the total including tax instead of the subtotal but we don't need incorrect facts floating around on the internet here, people.

[Galapogos]

Yeah, it is. The minimum wage is generally about $1.25/hr lower for anyone who serves liquor as part of their job. Not sure about every province but this is true in most provinces.

I'm not justifying tipping, because I hate the 15% rule and really fucking hate how they now expect 15% on the total including tax instead of the subtotal but we don't need incorrect facts floating around on the internet here, people.

I was actually going to ask about tipping on the subtotal, if that's standard. I do it because I hate tipping on top of 12% tax but wasn't sure if I was being a cheap bastard or if that was how you're supposed to do it.

[Icanhastreebet]

Your two letter thing has an error. It tried to tell me ZA isn't a word when it is. Thought I'd let you know.

Now it's trying to tell me KI isn't a word . By the way I'm using the North American scrabble dictionary.

Edit: Okay the program keeps changing it's mind on when NA is a word. It worked when it was the last choice, and didn't when it was the 3rd last choice. Oh I see NA is in both lists hah. It is a word btw but you probably already know this.

^^Same deal with AW as NA

[spoonitnow]

Your two letter thing has an error. It tried to tell me ZA isn't a word when it is. Thought I'd let you know.

Now it's trying to tell me KI isn't a word . By the way I'm using the North American scrabble dictionary.

Edit: Okay the program keeps changing it's mind on when NA is a word. It worked when it was the last choice, and didn't when it was the 3rd last choice. Oh I see NA is in both lists hah. It is a word btw but you probably already know this.

^^Same deal with AW as NA

Yeah I caught a few of those. I made the fake list on a whim meaning to go back and revise it once I was done, but I never got around to it.

[spoonitnow]

You know what? I'm just going to go ahead and say it.

Fuck tipping.

[boost]

You know what? I'm just going to go ahead and say it.

Fuck tipping.

Like I said, I agree, but I'm not sure how we get away from it. And while it is the scheme employed in the society we live in, I think we are morally obligated to participate, and participate fairly.

[spoonitnow]

...I think we are morally obligated to participate...

I think this is the center of why we disagree on the topic.

[!Luck]

I think this is the center of why we disagree on the topic.

.

[lolzzz_321]

depends on what you go to college for

[Penneywize]

depends on what you go to college for

obv true, ask anyone with an engineering degree (with a relevant specialization) from a decent school if they think their education was worth their while. anyway I didn't think this was the place to argue about it, spoony thread etc

[chemist]

Do you tip the dealer?

Even after they've dealt you a series of bad beats?

[spoonitnow]

Do you tip the dealer?

Even after they've dealt you a series of bad beats?

I've never played live with a dealer.

[daven]

I've never played live with a dealer.

when i played in gotheburg, sweden, you weren't allowed to tip the dealer. What's with that.

[chemist]

when i played in gotheburg, sweden, you weren't allowed to tip the dealer. What's with that.

Good policy,
removing the incentives and reducing the risks for any corruption.

I think that is what's with that.

[spoonitnow]

Good policy,
removing the incentives and reducing the risks for any corruption.

I think that is what's with that.

Check your PMs.

[jyms]

I don't think I would enjoy eating in most places if the servers were paid higher and tipping was not a given even if it cost me pretty much the same. The servers job kinda sucks and the thing that makes people great servers is the tips they can earn to make the job a bearable employment. I've seen how some people act when they work for tips included, I can't imagine how bad it would be if they were payed more and didn't need tips to live. And any server that makes more than 15% most of the time because they are great, won't stick around for less money.

[Galapogos]

I don't think I would enjoy eating in most places if the servers were paid higher and tipping was not a given even if it cost me pretty much the same. The servers job kinda sucks and the thing that makes people great servers is the tips they can earn to make the job a bearable employment. I've seen how some people act when they work for tips included, I can't imagine how bad it would be if they were payed more and didn't need tips to live. And any server that makes more than 15% most of the time because they are great, won't stick around for less money.

Maybe it's just the area I'm in, but outside of higher end restaurants I can't see the servers getting any worse. I mean yeah, they can get worse, but there would be some level of accountability that management would hold them to that would stop them from getting to that point.

If I'm talking about a $15 meal type place (like say Boston Pizza), I get my order taken, food delivered, ask me how my food is like 2 minutes later, then don't see them again until I have to wave them over for the cheque. That is as basic a service as you can get without making me go up and get my food myself. I don't see how the prospect of a tip inspired any of that.

When I'm in a nice restaurant the waiter gives me more than uninspired small talk, actually refills my drink, has knowledge of the menu and recommends things, and is constantly doing other things around the table without being a disturbance. That, to me, is service worth tipping for.

[surviva316]

I don't think I would enjoy eating in most places if the servers were paid higher and tipping was not a given even if it cost me pretty much the same. . . .

I don't know how much I want to dip my toes into this conversation, but I will point out that people tend to way overestimate the correlation between tips and quality of service. The business is just much more complicated than that. Just as a couple of salient examples:

1) Scheduling servers is a very complicated thing to balance, and how many servers are on the schedule will much more highly correlate with your service than how much the servers give a shit. The reason scheduling servers is complicated is because staffing 4 servers for a night instead of 3 cuts into everyone's pay by 25%. Even hiring bussers, hostesses, bartenders, etc. has drastic effects on how much everyone in the restaurant makes. For any place that has managers that give a shit about their workers' morale and stuff, this generally leads to there being AS FEW help staffed as can possibly keep the restaurant standing upright.

I found this especially true in fine dining where there are far more corners to cut: not doing the french press at the table, pre-bussing silverware with by hand instead of using a tray with a black napkin for display, spending less time on the specials and wines and stuff, there's seriously like infinite corners that can be cut in fine dining, but people will still get their food and get charged the correct amount.

Anyway, this point isn't me taking a side because I'm not naive enough to think that changing it to a system where the restaurant pays for the servers' wages will lead to more staffing than necessary to keep the place standing upright, but I'm just saying that the guests don't hold the magic wand to decide how much the servers make. A lot of it is still about pleasing the managers so that they give prime sections and trust you with more tops and all that stuff.

2) And this one's important so I probably should have put it first: there is a MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH higher correlation between how much a server makes and how big their bills are than there is with how good their service is. This does not at all lend to great service. Again, this is ESPECIALLY true in fine dining where a glass of wine can range from $7 to $50. Much more of the game of going home with an assload of money is talking people into spending more (or even going so far as ringing up the second most expensive wine when a guest trusts the server to choose for them) than it is about bringing stuff out on time.

I think it's great that two people in here have said that they tip based on how good the actual service was rather than on how much their ass got kissed, but don't kid yourselves and think that you two people in the universe of billions change all that much about servers' attitudes on how to make money. Not all servers are cutthroat (I was not a cutthroat server at all, mostly because I wasn't living off of my wages), but there isn't a server in their right mind who thinks that they make their money by getting free refills out in a timely manner.

I don't know if this post takes a side or anything, I just thought I'd clarify some misunderstandings about how the business works from a server perspective.

[Penneywize]

I can't believe such a promising thread turned into one exclusively about tipping.

(I know, I'm a buzzkill)...

Anyway I tip always 15% regardless of level of service except in extreme cases. I will tip 20% if all goes well. I never tip less than a dollar unless the drink / meal cost less than like $6.50, in which case always increments of 0.25.

Tipping. Super simple stuff.

[Pascal]

to get this thread back on topic...

check the sticky to get in IRC it takes like 90 seconds i'm bored as fucking shit what's up

or just talk to me in this thread jesus christ i'm about to go nuts

Does anyone use IRC atm? Why didn't you go pinting or play a game?

hey so why did ftr get rid of the reputation system? were there some busto ass pussy ass broke ass busta ass bitch ass people whining about getting neg rep?

edit: hell yeah i'm an ftr qualified member because i'm qualified to fuck yo bitch

Cos some people could give massssive amounts of rep cos the more you had the more you gave, so you could get rep from like 20 people and an old reg could be pissy and neg you and you'd be minus rep suddenly. Grats on being a Qualified Member, you gonna play any games with us?!

okay why the fuck are you posting in a gay ass soccer thread when you could be talking to THIS

Soccer is the nut sport, what sports do you play?

i didn't really leav ei just stopped posting much b/c i stopped playing poker and was focused on doing other shit, also yes i did notice the lack of question marks

i'm dating a chick who is learning to play scrabble really well, and along with that i've thrown together a few training thingies in PHP

lol anagrams - this one builds anagrams around 8-letter words from the north american scrabble dictionary since doing anagrams is one of the most common ways recommended to improve

Two Letter Word Scrabble Trainer - quick thing to help chick learn the two-letter words

Why don't you play poker anymore? I like your training stuff - any other ways, is it worth doing crosswords and puzzles and stuf?

lived in raleigh for about a year, #42 largest city in usa by population, have stayed in charlotte a lot, #17 largest city in usa by population, have been to philly for a week/week and a half at times for chess stuff which is top 5 largest cities etc and that's probably the farthest i've been from where i grew up, i don't really care too much for travel etc, i was in philly for chess events (the world open), i'm working for myself and doing alright with it, at a crossroads where i need to decide whether to expand with that or go back to school, leaning towards the first option

Why don't you like travelling?

because i can't put 100% of effort into both, also to this and the quoted part above, i'm most of the way through a BS in applied mathematics but i'm super disillusioned with the whole go to college -> get a job making someone else rich -> die scenario

I'm completely with you on this - if you had to open a business right now, what would you open and why?

i fucking hate when a waitress is giving you commentary about what you're doing or what you're eating, etc.

bikes gave a great example of the bitch saying you get the same every time and i'm like damn woman why don't you mind your fucking business and stfu

and don't even get me started on tipping

Yeah I caught a few of those. I made the fake list on a whim meaning to go back and revise it once I was done, but I never got around to it.

You said you're not a big fan of words with friends, is it because you can try and make a word and it'll instantly tell you it isn't a word so people go from stupid stuff but with lots of connecting letters to get massive points when they'd never be able to do that in Scrabble?

I've never played live with a dealer.

Why not?

Check your PMs.

No.

[boost]

jyms, I don't think you appreciate how much stress the tipping system adds to the job. The job really isn't that bad, and if I were paid the salary equivalent of my wages+tips I would be a much happier worker. And that is coming from myself who actually has a grasp on the concepts of variance and financial planning. Think about the average person who is making $250 one day and $85 the next day. That shit is stressful.

And then we get to the true lynch pin of the whole tipping system. It essentially bequeaths the power to evaluate the performance of the tipped onto the unwashed masses. Sure anyone can recognize that a server should not roll their eyes when they are asked for a refill, but there are also a ton of things that go completely unnoticed by nearly everyone, but are hallmarks of great service-- or worse, things that the average person takes as a slight that they shouldn't. For example, if I have five tables, and I don't run right over to refill your drink, it may be because your, or someone else's hot food is sitting in the pass getting cold. On top of the fact that the system makes unqualified judges of the tippers, there is the conflict of interest issue of the tipper judging the tipped as I've mentioned above. Most people simply are not intellectually astute enough to even recognize this conflict of interest, much less employ the proper checks to make sure that they are not abusing it.