Thursday evening roundup

I'm always consciously grateful, whenever I go in for a major dental procedure, that I live in an era of anesthesia. It turns out I also need to be grateful that I live in a land where anesthesia is standard and available.

Belgium is f*ed up.

I'd posted an article or two the other day about how little things can set off big fights. Here's a companion piece about how one's behavior in a restaurant can be an indicator, or be interpreted as an indicator, of more substantial personality traits. I find this especially interesting because I've observed various extremes of restaurant behavior, from (what I'd consider) unnecessary curtness to excessive sugariness.

When you rely on couplehood, or material belongings, as an anchor, it's hard to say which is more precarious.