[QUOTE=chappy;326986]Tips are part of eating out, if you aren't going to tip stay home and eat flat meat on white bread.[/QUOTE]Or stay at home and cook whatever you like.

Cooking good food isn't that hard.

[QUOTE=chappy;327066]and the story that started this discussion was still about the US. I understand that other countries do things differently. But, that has no bearing on the situation at hand, unless you or others want to suggest that the US start charging more for the meals and paying the waitstaff a decent wage. I'd be okay with that.

Might need a mod to take all this to a different thread. I hesistate to think about what it will be titled.[/QUOTE]

and you statement about me is outside the US ( that's right the US doesn't own Canada!)

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;327031]Don't go to the same place twice. You might get something special in your food if you don't tip.

I know that Olive Garden pays that $2.13 per hour to wait staff and tries to keep them from going over 40 hours a week. Like the extra $1.06 an hour would cause the company too much.[/QUOTE]
You are forgetting that while the wait staff may only get paid $2.13 per hour, IF their tips do not bring them up to minimum wage, the restaurant is required to make up the difference (though that server probably won't last long if this occurs too often).

Also, there are a lot of other considerations you aren't adding in. Places of employment are required to match SS and Medicare payments that the employee has withheld.

Another thing to consider:
[QUOTE]A Maryland Congresswoman has introduced a new bill to amend federal law regarding the way “tipped employees” are paid. The bill – known as [URL="http://www.govtrack.us/users/events.xpd?monitors=bill:h112-631"][COLOR=#0066cc]WAGES[/COLOR][/URL] [working for adequate gains for employment in services] would require employers pay a base salary of at least $5.50, up 158% from its current $2.13.[/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/feb/04/europol-investigation-football-matchfixing[/url]

Biker stops traffic to propose to his girlfriend in California - video
 

From the sidebar to the above football story:

[url]http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/feb/02/biker-stops-traffic-propose-girlfriend-california-video[/url]

BTW: The match-fixing story just reinforces my jaundiced view of professional sports in general, and especially the adulation, glorification, and worship accorded them. In other words, "I'm shocked. SHOCKED!" :razz:

[url]http://news.yahoo.com/pastor-apologizes-role-prayer-vigil-connecticut-massacre-021918940.html[/url]

[QUOTE=Xyzzy;328277][URL]http://news.yahoo.com/pastor-apologizes-role-prayer-vigil-connecticut-massacre-021918940.html[/URL][/QUOTE]

OMG/WTF in spades! "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" -WS

Organized retail theft groups are [URL="http://nymag.com/news/features/tide-detergent-drugs-2013-1/"]stealing[/URL] Tide detergent to trade for drugs.

[QUOTE=schickel;328469]Organized retail theft groups are [URL="http://nymag.com/news/features/tide-detergent-drugs-2013-1/"]stealing[/URL] Tide detergent to trade for drugs.[/QUOTE]
Haha, nice! And well written (does not seem to let any lose ends, every case is disputed).

You want to hear the conspiracy theory side? Article is ordered and paid by P&G.
The situation is not such dramatic as described, one drunk guy stolen few bottles of Tide as he believed is whiskey, they caught him. Of course there are problems with shop lifters, but no more than anywhere in the world, and no more than for other utility products. And drug dealers sell their products for physical goods or commodities since ages (since the dollar and all paper money is daily going down, in fact).

But the reality is that P&G is facing huge competition from the "unknown" manufacturers. What is the conclusion of the article? Did they caught all the thieves? Can't they put RF labels to the bottles? They cost nothing and you can't remove them in the store (the tracking labels can be removed at home, but RF labels you can't get them out of the store or of the shelves). Well, the conclusion is that the stores who buy "obscure" bottles (to re-populate their shelves (sic!), but please read it at it should be read!) will suffer the consequences. The "magic liquid" is just water and some lauryl sulphate soap that anybody can do, and P&G can't cover it with a patent. People can replicate it easy, everybody can do it, and some clever "pirate" can put it in a Tide bottle to be sure he sells it. Customers stay to their brands when they are confident about. There is nothing to be "not confident" about water and soap. But wait! Are you a shop keeper? [B]Don't sell Tide if you did not bought it from P&G![/B] Or you risk your shop to be closed and you going to jail. That is all about.

Charlie Sheen (of [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Sheen#Meltdown"]meltdown[/URL] fame) says call me, maybe: [URL="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/09/charlie-sheen-reaches-out-to-ex-lapd-officer-accused-in-killings/"]Charlie Sheen reaches out to ex-LAPD officer accused in killings[/URL]

There's nothing like a mother's love....
 

....oh wait: I meant [URL="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/12/police-ohio-woman-accused-helping-daughter-in-classroom-brawl-will-be-held/#ixzz2Ku5Ij9Dj"]this[/URL] is [i]nothing like a mother's love[/i]:[quote]
CINCINNATI – A mother is accused of bursting into a high school classroom and helping her teen daughter beat up another student, even holding the other teen and instructing her child strike the girl in the face with a combination lock, police said.[/quote]Sheesh!