Stop complaining about theater concessions.

Every time I go to the cinema, someone makes a smart-ass comment about the price of concessions. As if no one has ever made the statement that movie theater food is expensive before, they chime in with hilarious indignation. I'm quick to explain to them why theaters have to do this.

Here's something you probably didn't know about the cinema: they almost invariably don't see a penny of that ten dollar ticket you just bought. All of it goes to the film distributor. 

Think about the implications of that for a minute. This means that the only way for a movie theater to actually make money, and stay in business, is to sell something else. This is why theaters sell concessions. It's not that they want to sell you crunchy snacks that make entire lines of the movie inaudible to you and everyone around you; it's a thing of necessity. Running gigantic movie screens in a colosseum-sized building from noon to midnight every day costs enough as it is, but the theater company doesn't even have ticket sales to help them out.

You might be asking, "Why are those concessions so high-priced?" The reason for this is that a lot of people go see a movie and don't buy any concessions at all. They're essentially using the theater for free, at least from the business standpoint of the cinema itself. In order to make up for all the people who don't buy concessions, concessions have to be expensive. Theaters would go out of business if they only charged a dollar or two for popcorn because it's simply not enough money to make ends meet.

You also might be asking, "Why popcorn?" Well, popcorn has a lot of salt in it, which will make you thirsty and want to buy a drink. Call it a cheap trick if you want, but when you buy a popcorn and a soda at the theater, you're helping them stay in business, thus enabling you to see movies in the future. That's what you'd like to happen, right? 

So. Next time you go to the theater with some candy and a drink from home tucked away in your bag, think twice. They didn't make money off that ticket you purchased. It might put a dent in your wallet to buy concessions, but you're helping to ensure the future of the cinema. 

They gotta make ends meet, too.

Why is it that every time a business does something to make a profit, someone labels them a bunch of greedy corporate whores?

I was just on Facebook and someone had made a post about the advertisements. Now, anyone who's ever used that site will know that the ads are extremely limited in size and quantity. There's usually one small advertisement per page. Nothing I can't deal with, or anyone else can't for that matter.

The post stated that Facebook, obviously, had the ads up to make a profit. This person lambasted them for being money-grubbing pigs who didn't care about their clientele and just wanted to make a quick buck. 

Never mind the fact that Facebook is a free service, and didn't put up any ads, there wouldn't be any money to keep the site going. Actually, mind the fact. 

There are many businesses today that actually do give the middle finger to their customers in order to increase profits. This makes the entire corporate world look bad, as anyone who legitimately does something to make money is labeled greedy.

When a company increases the price of their hamburgers from 89 cents to 99 cents, it's because beef prices are going up and they need to make money. Lash out at them for ripping you off an extra dime, but that's how business works.

Not every business is out to get you. Almost all of them are just out to keep their doors open and make the rent. Stop being so damn critical and suspicious.

Playstation 3 needs a multiplayer game.

The Playstation 3 has many strengths. Its graphics are superb, the hard-drive based system structure makes things so much easier than on the PS2, the controller recharges instead of guzzling batteries... if you want a solid machine that can pretty much do it all, the PS3 will do the job.

However, what it really needs is that one great multiplayer game that makes it worth buying. Halo 3, an exclusive on the Xbox 360, is an incredibly entertaining game that lends itself perfectly to an evening with friends. In a sense, it's a social game; so many people enjoy playing it, that you can basically guarantee a match somewhere. The same thing applies to the Wii's excellent Super Smash Bros. Both games are incredibly entertaining and addicting, especially when you have a group of people over. Spending a Friday night playing Brawl has become just as viable as hitting the club or going to the movies, and it sure beats sitting inside by yourself playing an RPG.

As for the Playstation 3, I've yet to see a title rise to such prominence. There are some excellent single-player games (Ratchet & Clank), but I'm still waiting for the game everyone comes over to play. When people think Xbox, they think Halo. When people think Wii, they think Super Smash. When people think PS3, they're not quite sure what to think. 

Someone needs to craft that title. I don't think it would be too hard to come up with one. They did it before on the PS2; I remember playing SSX with my friends all the time. Come on, developers.

Why wait?

One of the most common problems I see from a romantic standpoint is unrequited love. In many cases a boy will meet a girl (and vice versa), fall for them without a parachute, and proceed to do nothing about it. An explanation is often offered to me, “I don’t want to face the possible rejection.” I’ve used this excuse before, though I’m well aware that I’d be better off if I hadn’t.
Let me outline the three possible outcomes of just going for it and asking her:


1. She says yes. 
This answer is a romantic jackpot. She replies. Sure, why not. Oh dear me yes. Come to bed with me now. Or just to Starbucks. When you properly ask a single girl out with confidence and polite manners, she’ll probably say yes. Isn’t that what you want? This should be enough incentive as it is to ask her out. Ask her to dinner so you have plenty of time to socialize.

2. She says no.
While unlikely that she will blatantly refuse, it’s a possible scenario. Think about it, though. If she was going to say no, aren’t you glad you didn’t waste any time getting that answer out of her? Suppose you’d waited months on end to hear the same rejection. You’d be much worse off. Plus, now you’re in a position to get over her. Don’t continue to ask; find someone who will say yes. There are plenty of other girls who are begging for it from you already.

3. She says maybe.

If you haven’t taken the time to get to know her, or even introduce yourself to her, she might just not be sure yet whether to say yes. This is your cue to take action and make her see you in a different light. Ask if she would like to go see a movie or something with little pressure yet plenty of opportunity to socialize. Pay for her ticket like a gentleman and work your magic.

Situation one is what you’re gunning for of course. Situation two sucks, but it allows you to make progress towards someone else who is actually worth your time. Situation three offers you an opportunity at the very least. In the end, each possible scenario is a good one. 

What doesn’t work, however, is letting the whole thing simmer on the back burner. If you don’t have the courage to ask, there’s no chance of things ever working. If you ask, you’ll at least give a relationship the best chance it had. It was once said that “you miss 100% of the shots you don't take”. This applies to your romantic situation just as well as it will ever apply to your field goal percentage on the court.