Oh, yeah, it's nothing like the book. Hence my disappointment you linked to a story about the book, not the movie.

I mean, it's not one of the "best" movies of the 90s. But it's an incredibly interesting one, all the moreso because of the reaction to it afterwards.

Damn. I was hoping that was about the movie Starship Troopers, which remains one of my favorite movies of the '90s.

I firmly believe America would be a far more polite place if we adhered to the standards laid out in this Esquire piece:

http://www.esquire.com/features/man-at-his-best/punching1207

I appreciate not wanting to start a fight over a seat, but let's be fair: He's the one who started it.

As I said: Piano pop rules.

I prefer Lindsay Anderson's "If...." to Kipling's, myself.

Yeah, I was going to say I liked it more the first time, when it was called "the case for empire" but I wouldn't want to be snarky ...

We did go a bit long, didn't we?

Good to see he hasn't given up the Trig-Truther watch.

I've been making this argument for some time: We are in an absolute golden age of television. Sitcoms have never been this good; hour long dramas have never been this good; pay cable has opened up a whole new world of narrative possibilities. We've experienced a revolution in the format first hand.

And "The Shield" is easily top-three on any "shows of the decade" list.

Would it be fair to describe Media Matters as "gliberals"?

Perhaps I spoke imprecisely. The "conservative case" for "(Untitled)" isn't necessarily what I was arguing. "The case for conservatives to appreciate '(Untitled)' " might have been better. My argument isn't with "(Untitled)" but with how many of my friends on the right deem it necessary to view popular culture (which is all-too-often through an explicitly ideological lens). I guess that makes my use of the phrase "conservative case" especially ironic. My bad.

Thanks for the kinds words. I swear, that CYE kerfluffle was the last straw. This column has been percolating for a while.

As an aside, I'd be curious to know what the folks behind "(Untitled)" feel about someone making the conservative case for their picture. By that I mean I wonder what they would think if they ever saw the column. I'm not getting my hopes up.

I'll be without access to the Internet over the next couple of days...but since you linked I thought I should make clear that I have abandoned the pretense that the death penalty deters capital offenses. I used to make the half-hearted argument that it did, but I've given that up. In the case of heinous criminals -- murderers, rapists, etc. -- I don't think of prison as a place of rehabilitation but one of punishment.* And I feel that some people commit crimes so heinous that death is the punishment they deserve.

*You can rehab a 18-year-old carjacker. You can't rehab a multiple-felon first degree murderer/multiple-rapist. And really, even if you could would they deserve the chance?

This isn't "revisionism" so much as "preaching the truth." And Andy's in fine preachin' mode with this one.

Not sure if it changes things, but this Buschel isn't just some random customer complaining. He's "building a seafood restaurant," whatever that means. I think it means that this list is a set of rules for his employees. Does that make it better or worse in your eyes? Shouldn't a boss -- esp. one in the service industry -- have a right to dictate how his employees behave while they're representing his establishment?

Dude ... calm down. As someone who worked in the food services industry for three years in high school and college, I can honestly say I don't have a huge problem with most of the items on that list. Do you really want someone touching the rim of your glass with their dirty hands? The human hand is freaking filthy. I don't want to see someone's dirty fingerprints right where I'm about to put my mouth. That is gross.

I agree that waiters and waitresses have a tough job. I loved "Waiter Rant" (the book, not the blog) because I can totally empathize with that job. I've been there. It sucks. I'm not looking forward to going back to that gig when the newspaper industry finally collapses into a black hole of financial crapitude. I always tip 20%, even when service is shitty because I know that's how these folks make a living.

But c'mon...just because being a waiter is difficult, that doesn't mean there aren't basic rules that attend the duty. And I would say "Don't get smudgy handprints where the customer is going to put his lips to drink a free water/$5 soda/$15 glass of wine" is about as basic as it gets. It doesn't have anything to do with not wanting "a poor to touch your glass."

In short, Bruce Buschel isn't the worst person in the world. I think we all know that title is still held by Brett Favre. And whatever douche at Fox decided to create the "Favre cam" this weekend. Eff that guy.

No doubt. Kari Wuhrer was no Sabrina Lloyd.

I've seen it (and reviewed it!) and thought it was pretty great, for what it is. Try and catch it at one of the later screenings with a packed house.

I always thought the female lead in Sliders was underrated. Sabrina Lloyd was faaantastic.

Hey! I've seen every zombie movie ever. They don't get more expert than me.

Positively Fifth Street IS fantastic. Though I listened to the audio book during a commute one week instead of reading the book. So I guess I'm just assuming that the book is fantastic. Perhaps I should say that the audio book of Positively Fifth Street IS fantastic.

Mine literally popped out of my eye and fell into my champagne flute, cracking both in the process. I'm terribly perturbed.

Oh, also, they have the lamest drummer in the history of the instrument. Ringo Starr is right up there with the chick from the White Stripes in terms of "Worst drummer of all time in a major, well-respected act." I give this consideration extra weight since the drums are the only instrument I've ever even attempted playing in a more-than-cursory way.

I mean, to each his own. I just have trouble deifying a band whose initial triumphs were based on boy band slush, and whose later triumphs swing wildly from brilliant to unlistenable.