While ya’ll were sippin’ on your mojitos and checking out the cute bartender, yesterday, after a long day of interning, I spontaneously decided I was going to wait in line for my new iPhone 4. So at around 6pm, I hopped in my car and  drove to the closet store (Old Town Pasadena) where I was flabbergasted by the line that formed around, yes around, the Apple Store. The crowd had literally snaked past three other buildings and people were camped out with their fold out chairs, magazines and electronics.

No joke, for a moment I thought I took a wrong turn and ended up at the Eclipse premiere.

By the time I had parked, the line had tripled. But I knew that if I didn’t wait in line for my iPhone then, my reservation would be canceled and I would have to wait till the second week of July to get my electronics fix.

Which was not going to happen. Read More »

Easy on the soda water, homegirl.

A couple of days ago three bars at Penn State were fined for “lack of alcohol training.”

What?!

What exactly were those bartenders doing wrong to piss off the authorities? How hard is it to open a bottle of Bud Light or mix vodka and tonic together? It’s not like us college kids are ordering difficult drinks like mudslides and daiquiris at the bar. I think I speak for all of us when I say the only qualities I’m looking for in a bartender are speed and a heavy hand (well, the hand that’s holding the booze). And if they’re a bit slow at math and can’t add my tab correctly, that’s OK too.

The thing is, bartender experience is the least important offense when it comes to college bars. There are far more pressing and disturbing issues that should be addressed. And fined. And fixed!

The Line
I don’t mind waiting in line if the bar is hopping – I’ll just sip my 40 while I wait – but making people stand in line when the bar is empty only to make it look cooler? That should be illegal.

Watered Down Drinks
I did not pay $7 for soda on ice; if I wanted that I would go to the McDonalds down the street and get unlimited refills for a dollar. If I order a Cran-Vodka, I want it to sting as it goes down, not taste like I could put in my 3 year old cousin’s sippy-cup. So stop filling my mini-cup with ice to make me think I’m getting more booze and tip that bottle in there. I’m paying you more for this one drink than a full bottle at the liquor store so stop being so damn stingy. Read More »