I think I agree with this, but there are also other causes.
Some time ago, I left a toxic shop to join a new company. I found myself aggressively fighting against things that I perceived as toxic based on my previous experience. Even if I was 100% correct (and I certainly wasn't), adding to the negativity wasn't helpful.
I think you're spot-on. Naturally, people from NY are going to have their favorite spots (just like everyone else, everywhere, for anything). Those preferences, though, come from many experiences over time. For an out-of-towner who isn't a NYC pizza connoisseur, practically any spot is going to give you a solid experience representative of the NYC pizza scene. The overall consistency of quality in the city is something that you just don't find in most places.
I'd go as for to say that looking for "the best" NYC pizza is not what you want to do (at least, not for your first NY pizza slice!). Experience just how good an average slice is; if you're not blown-away, at least it's not "the best" and the disappointment won't be as great.
One last point is that "the best" might refer to something very specific. Atop many "best pizza (in the US)" lists is Frank Pepe's in New Haven, CT. While their pizza is very good, nearly every writeup is specifically talking about their white clam pie.
Your last point, about the possibility of rescue, is really interesting and I wonder if there's any clever ethical way to control for that in a study like the one in the podcast.
That isn't unique to Radio Shack or the TRS line. Lots of systems (including Atari, Sinclair, Commodore) used cassettes well into the 80s, especially in Europe.
"The Feather Thief" by Kirk Wallace Johnson is the book that piece is about. It's a much more thrilling and fascinating read than you might expect. Absolutely worth a read/listen!
One thing that might be an option is to suspend the desktop/door from above rather than support it from below. Attach the rear of the desk to the wall (you can use blind shelf supports, french cleats, piano hinges -- so many options!), and the front of the desk can be anchored to the wall or ceiling with some cable and eye-hooks or the like.
This article is what made me decide to major in CS. I very much remember reading it in my high school library during the final few days before graduation. Every time I see it mentioned somewhere I get that feeling . . . not quite nostalgia, but a reminder of why I love what I do.
I did something similar. I returned to college in my late-20s to get my degree, and started at trig and worked my way back up. It wasn't strictly necessary, but I'm glad I did it.
Good luck with your studies, and never feel embarrassed to better yourself!
I was in the same boat. I had the top PBA (parts, batteries, and accessories) sales in my district by 3x over #2. Even though PBA was the stuff with the highest profit margin, I still had to go to those cell phone meetings because I only sold about one phone a month, on average. Nobody else in my store would go near the parts section, so that was essentially my job. And we had enough business in that area that it was my /full time/ job. So I had two choices: help those customers, or don't because I'm too busy trying to sell cell phones. As anyone who's ever bought or sold a cellphone knows, it's a long process to get everything set up and see the customer out. When a cellphone transaction is happening, everything else stops, so customers looking for help finding a fuse or battery are SOL and end up leaving.
In my (anecdotal) experience working at 2 different Radio Shacks in different parts of the country with vastly different demographics, RS didn't need cellphones (or laptops, or TVs). I would claim that the cellphone business drove away more customers than it brought in. If RS was a simple, no-hassle PBA retailer, I am convinced that it wouldn't be in the shape it is in now.
I remember reading this article in my High School's library a few weeks before graduation, all those years ago. It was what convinced me to major in CS. Even though it took me until last year to finally earn my BS, my very final project was inspired by that memory. I love when I see references to the article, or related work, because it is not only a reminder of my journey, but of how amazing the things we do are.
This isn't the most aesthetic site, but the content really is top-notch. If you really want to learn assembly (MIPS, in particular), I can't recommend this enough:
Another point to consider is that eating at your desk could be a major source of illness: your phone, tablet, mouse, keyboard, etc., are all great sources for all sorts of germs.
For me as well. And I have three grandmothers, courtesy of my stepmother. Two of them died while I was in college, the third is 97 y.o., and I've got two more semesters to go, so there's a chance I may be one of those people who dips into the "negative grandmothers" category.
Some time ago, I left a toxic shop to join a new company. I found myself aggressively fighting against things that I perceived as toxic based on my previous experience. Even if I was 100% correct (and I certainly wasn't), adding to the negativity wasn't helpful.