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Poor Radio Shack
I have purchased two items from Radio Shack in the past decade. Both were in quasi "emergencies." On Super Bowl Sunday a few years ago I bent the connection end of an HDMI cable while moving my TV for a party. Radio Shack charged me $29.99 for a six foot HDMI cable. Store brand. On Amazon the same or better cable is about $5 but I needed it then. I purchased a 16GB thumb drive for a presentation because I had misplaced my other drive. I believe it was $40 (2 years ago). Again, about 5x the cost of Amazon. Based on these experiences I view Radio Shack as the store of last resort. I imagine I am not alone. I am sure they have to charge the high prices to make up for declining foot traffic, which I see as downward spiral leading to even less traffic and crazier markups. Also, I believe they are to blame for lying to customers about they cost v. quality of "monster cable" brand. The associate spend several minutes fruitlessly trying to up-sell me to a $60 6ft HDMI Monster Cable. The argument was basically "it must be better - look how much it costs!" It was a bit of an insult and seemed commission-driven.— February 9, 2015 9:04 a.m.
Consider sales of Fritos and bean dip
Good thing there are no liquor stores or bars near these minor-oriented businesses. Won't somebody think of the children!— July 25, 2014 9:46 a.m.
Comic con?
I wonder if a plurality or majority of the protestors were even Murrieta residents? I thought a lot of them were non-local tea-party types like those who went out to support Cliven Bundy's crusade to dodge taxes that all the other area cattle ranchers pay because they are not delusional. I'd bet a large % of the most rabid nuts were not from Murrieta, but that's just a hunch.— July 25, 2014 9:44 a.m.
Craft, beer, ads and advertorial
Well-written article. I think the key is transparency. As long as the relationships between the sponsors/advertisers and the event is honestly stated then no one should have any serious issues with a "crafty" brand supporting a craft beer event. It takes more money than people realize to run events, and most mid to small craft breweries simply can't afford to bear those costs alone. Off the top if my head, I can think of fees for permits, insurance (esp. costly with alcohol being served), security, trash/recycling infrastructure, portable toilets, etc. No need to turn down money from those that are willing to pay, so long as it's in the open.— July 10, 2014 11:03 a.m.
Local Habit & Vagabond selling, Brabant coming
Thanks for the reply, well said. Cheers!— July 24, 2013 10:39 a.m.
Local Habit & Vagabond selling, Brabant coming
Gonna miss Vagabond. Nice spot, and a pioneer in upscale dining for the area. Wonder if Brabant will go all-import on Belgian beers as those are the only ones that are "tried and true for centuries?" Or will they tap some SD-brewed Belgians? I know Thorn St. Brewery brews both a Belgian Strong and Belgian Blonde just up the St. at 32nd and Thorn which I personally like. Brandon, I know you have been there recently and I trust your palate, so what do you think of the Belgian beer from Thorn St, or any SD brewery for that matter, in comparison to imports? Thanks!— July 23, 2013 10:38 a.m.
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Have heard very good things about Double Shaka but never seem to see it on tap. Guess I will keep looking...I tried Mucho Aloha HPA from a bottle, but found it so cloying and sweet I had to pour it out and get an Alesmith X. Of course, everything is subjective in tastes, so I look forward to trying some of the other Butcher's beers soon.— July 12, 2013 3:06 p.m.
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I look forward to having another place to stop and fill a growler at while I am on my way back to downtown with growlers from Alpine Beer Company. Best of luck to them. I am sure people in EC will be thrilled if the food and beer reach the level the new owners have reached in prior establishments.— July 12, 2013 2:50 p.m.
Bad service in San Diego
I feel that most of the time service I have received in SD is acceptably efficient and servers are polite and professional. We all remember the bad moments of service and forget the normal experiences where nothing of note sticks in our memories. In fact, often the best service goes somewhat unnoticed because the server is already filling your water before you asked, or is ready with a desert menu as soon as the table's entrees are cleared. I would much rather have a good-hearted server who lacks experience and polish over robotic, rude, yet efficient server. Seamless efficiency as a server comes with experience, but personality and good spirits are something you have or don't have. I note that Mr. Pike compares unfavorably to the service level in SF, DC, and NYC. I concur. But I know SF and DC having living wage laws. (I am not sure about NYC, but I think the density of restaurants w/in walking distance from ANYWHERE is such that if you have poor service you have no chance to compete.) Living wage laws result in service workers receiving a higher income than the national average for that job, and ideally they can support themselves with that living wage. If one is paid more for a job, one inherently (1) sees their work as more valuable, (2) appreciates their position more, and (3) islikely to be less transient in their jobs and thus, by staying at the same place, may develop a professional server skill set. In contrast, if you are being paid at the very lowest end, you probably are always looking to move jobs, if even only for $0.50 more per hour. Thus, servers in cities with no libving wage law likely have a shorter average time at each job, i.e., there is not stability in the service staff. Just my two cents. I will continue to look for the silver linings, and I vote with my feet. There are only a few places with service so poor that I will not return, and by "poor" I mean rude or condescending, not just disorganized. I also give 1 yr grace period for places after opening. Last note, I know the now-closed Sky Room at the Valencia was a equally praised for chef Luke Johnson's fixed-course menu as it was for the level of service. Reviews compared the food and the service to the best in any city, yet the hotel closed the restaurant because they felt the "high-end" nature of the service and food did not fit the "SD food scene" so there's that. Perhaps we are getting exactly what we DON'T pay for, so to speak, in terms of level of server skill in SD when a place with impeccable service and fantastic food does not make it...— June 19, 2013 11:02 a.m.
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Terrific idea. San Diego is huge, geographically-speaking (it's not much smaller than Connecticut, and is bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined) so the ability to taste beers from all over SD county under one roof is quite cool. I will definitely be stopping by to check it out soon. Best of luck.— April 23, 2013 11:42 a.m.