20thStDad

I bet the opinions do range when you consider 3rd world type countries versus the UK, where I was. Even within those places there will be obvious differences in opinions. I just didn't hear a lot of positives when I was there, speaking both from people I actually talked to and from the Sky and BBC morning news programs that were on during hotel breakfast. Personally, I could care less whether he was there to sell Chicago or not. It just doesn't bother me. I think it would be great if it had worked, and I'm not one of the idiots who thinks it took that much away from his regular job duties. Obama gets the same treatment as every other high profile political figure right now. None of them are immune from criticism, and everything they do will get analyzed and over analyzed. I don't know why you would think this is any different than what's been going on the past 20 years.

E: I HAIF while I drink (slightly different than B ).

(1)You have your eyes closed if you haven't noticed that this effect is wearing off really fast. In fact having traveled abroad in the past couple of weeks, that is not the sentiment I detected at all. It was more of arrogance, most recently with his personal push for the Olympics bid for Chicago. People are glad as hell Chicago didn't win. (2) Definitely not this, I have never sensed that people feel this way. He's a friendly smile, a talking head, an opportunity to take advantage where previously things were difficult.

Giant ferris wheel.

How far outside? We're staying in Lakeview, and have publicly transited from here to south of downtown, and all of it is still great and walkable. I don't see why you'd need to go outside of that huge area. You just can't beat the style of early to mid 20th century dense urban growth. Any city trying to do it now isn't going to come up with near the same result (Houston), it's all strip malls, crappy apartment complexes instead of highrises, and master planned communities in BFE. Cold weather is fine. I don't think it kills the city near as much as the hot weather kills all the southern ones. The heat is the main reason they weren't developed as truly walkable, which is why they never had public transport worth a crap, etc.

Everything within 30 yards of the pet food aisle still smells like cat piss.

We'll be walking there, so hurry up and finish the kitchen/dining area before all that parking nonsense! We need some pie NOW! Welcome to the neighborhood.

We're all drunks, and sometimes drunk people fight, usually about stupid things. Improper use of the word "paradox" is almost always a trigger to a drunken brawl.

Is this about all the asian modeling agencies? If so, I vote yes.

I was pulling for UH, but how do you give up 58 to UTEP? Talk about not being able to handle success.

It's supposed to be sort of watery, if it's too thick and soupy then they didn't do it right. Only place I know in Texas to get good gumbo is at my house.

Just the fact that you think alcohol consumption means not cultured proves you are too young or too naive to understand any real answer to your question. You have started some really idiotic threads lately by posing pointless questions, this one might be the worst.

Woohoo LSU pulled out a good one today! Stupid Washington blew it, I can't believe ND got away with another lucky win. A&M is getting their asses handed to them. I didn't realize they were still that bad.

We're on vacation this week in Chicago. I would much rather live here (weather, niceness, architecture, public transportation, etc.). Houston is nice though, from October through April or so.

There are no other places, that's another reason they get away with the prices. In Baton Rouge there are tons of snoball stands and no size is even 3 bucks. Usually $1.25 gets you all you need.

Crappy houses are built nowadays, crappy houses were built back then. There is not a huge difference in available quality now vs. then. It just so happens that the only houses still around from a long time ago are the ones that weren't built like crap - imagine that. It's an off comparison when people say the older ones were built better. You don't have the older crappy ones around to compare to, I promise you they were there. There will most definitely be lots of houses built recently that are around for a long time, and a lot that don't last long.

I've never been bumped by a cart, but I did bump someone pretty good one time. I blame the cute 1 year old I had in the seat, she must have been doing something either really funny or really annoying for me to be not paying attention that much. The person I hit didn't get angry, neither did I. I get the AWP looks when I cross the parking lot. Yield to pedestrians? NEVER! I have to get my fat ass to Starbucks NOW!

Yes. Although I still believe they need to stop working it themselves and hire cheap kids to do it so their prices can come down to normal.

I didn't know BARC was also responsible for sewer/drain maintenance. That might explain where all the time and money went that they should be spending hunting down the infamous Heights 6-pack.

This sounds cool. But the name has Allan Parsons playing in my head now...sweet

Most of the angry white people are angry when a Starbucks isn't open or when they have to go more than 40 ft to get to one. I am angry that Starbucks exists, or that anyone would waste $4-$7 on a drink that has no alcohol in it. Dumb.

I hate Starbucks. Next thing you know they'll have some homeless looking guy singing and playing guitar on Sundays. Can't they just make it big and nice without catering to people that like that crap?

I love mustard. Spicy brown and horseradish are it for me right now, but when it comes to sausage poboys or hot dogs it has to be cheap yellow. But yeah, on topic, I agree that an expensive sandwich deserves better than packet condiments.

I love being mean to people who are asking for things like that, and also telemarketers. But with only cell phones we don't get much telemarketer fun any more. I think I hate the people who need new band uniforms, every year, 3 times per year, the most. Or the guy driving around the Kroger parking lot begging for gas money to get to Dallas for his kid.

As someone who used to work at an order-at-the-counter type place, I can say that tipping is not common or expected. Well, there is some middle ground like how Yia Yia Mary's does their lunch, you order at the counter and then basically a waiter comes and confirms the order, does drinks, etc. Either way, don't feel you have to do a full tip. If you see exceptional service or have a soft spot for people who bus tables (I do), you can leave a little something behind.