I was at a sit down recently where the lowest tip selectable without entering a dollar amount was 18%. 10% used to be the standard for competent service, 15%-20% for outstanding service. Now the quality of service is worse because they're underataffed, and they expect me to tip more?? Get real.

Makes me think of a trend in FTP gaming, where there was a correlation between play time and $ spent, so gaming companies would try and optimise for time played. They'd psychologically manipulate their players to spend more time in game with daily quests, battle passes, etc, all in an effort to raise revenues.

What they didn't realise was that players spent time in game because it was fun, and they bought mtx because they enjoyed the game and wanted it to succeed. Optimising for play time had the opposite effect, and made the game a chore. Instead of raising revenues, they actually dropped.

This is why you always have to be careful when chasing metrics. If you pick wrong, it can have the opposite effect that you want.

I will save some fetid rotten tomatoes from the compost as a gift if these asshats ever come to my neck of town.

Some people have to learn to pull themselves up by their bootstraps! Isn't that the conservative way? Bootstraps, Giuliani, bootstraps!

You better hope I don't get no bullets on layaway!

This is why I have trouble trusting restaurants that aren't fully vegan. To them, veganism isn't about ethics, it's about marketing.

What have you done!?

^^....would, ^^though

Word of the year? OK, well, you're about a few years late, but better late than never I suppose.

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

Cool cool cool, looks like it's trade war time. Surely this'll be to the benefit of anyone.

Veggie tendies are too good. They're definitely my guilty pleasure vegan food. I love to fry a few up, and make a burger with red onion, tomato, pickled jalapeños, chopped lettuce, veganaise an sriracha. Also, toast the bun in the leftover cooking oil.

Definitely not the healthiest meal ever, but oh so delicious.

Yeah, for Das Boot, I was definitely thinking more of the movie, so maybe it wasn't correct to include. Then again, at something like a 4 hour runtime, it's nearly miniseries length. :)

I'm not sure I can think of many you haven't listed already that specifically qualify as ship-based, but I could certainly think of some that are closely (or perhaps less closely?) related. The Expanse, for example, is pretty darn good.

If you don't mind some anime in with your space ships, I'd recommend Planetes for your Kessler Syndrome alleviation concerns, or Legend of the Galactic Heroes for grand space opera.

Are non-space ships acceptable as well? I could certainly offer some good water-ship (Das Boot) or air-ship based shows (Masters of Air). And if lunar bases are your cup of tea, you could try For All Mankind.

Deal! Apologies for not sending our best.

I, for one, am happy to receive any of our progressive neighbours to the south. We'll need all the help we can to not follow in the US's footsteps.

OK, but what if I just add a 2nd moebius, and twisted them a little, and.... oops, Klein bottle!

Thank you! It's people like you who give others hope for a better future.

She died for Zundamon's sins. 🙏

Yes, I think that's probably it!

I recall hearing that there's a correlation with being good at sports and having a birthday earlier in the school year. Reason being, at a young age, on average there's a big advantage to being 6 months older, and that advantage can often result in a positive feedback loop. You get selected more for showing aptitude and thus receive more training, which results in being selected more.

The only thing that can stop a bad gun with a gun is a good gun with a gun.