The title indeed comes from a painting. The original artist was Edward Hopper and his painting "Nighthawks," was of a diner in Greenwich village:

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/hopper/street/hopper.nighthawks.jpg

That painting was adapted into "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," by Gottfried Helnwein and featured Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Elvis Presley and James Dean.

Here:

http://angel.enredados.com/images/bbd.jpg

the dopamine "reward" systemis not always what makes people do altruistic things. If I've already eaten and I opt to make diner for the family, trust me, I'm not getting any kind of "good feeling" or dopamine; I'm doing my responsibility. The dopamine "reward" system is only in place for things you don't normally do or are new to you; over time and repetition, the surge of dopamine is no longer necessary for the person to perform the task. Otherwise we'd constantly be doing "altruistic" things whether they needed to be done or not.
Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine when people try that whole "there is no such thing as altruism" argument; it's fallacious. People actually do perform unpleasant tasks merely because it is "right" or their perceived resonsibility. THere isn't always a good feeling to spur them on. Ask any parent of a newborn on the second week of 2am feedings and diaper changes.

diner colors-Wham!

yea, this is actually so fucking sad. sweet jesus, what a fucking heavy dose of lonelyness and general dementia. God damn, pure sadness. No wait out for them. Just the Wait. Get these people the fuck Out of that house, far away, I don't know. Are her children in Jail for life ? Her condition seems like it took a long time to develop, God Damn Bill how many diners did you sit there not saying a word ? Your wife is loosing it man.
I dont know anymore. And the way the TV spun it around to be this happy fucking thing, so sick, imagine what the camera crew thought. Oh man, did I just see that.
One last time, Oh Man too much, too much. She must of planned so long. Poor poor woman.

This Sushiboat-thing is totally about the experience. This clip captures it's ephemerality quite well. A little restaurant in the mall in San Francisco's Japan Town, Isobune, "claims" to have invented it some 60 years ago (though coveyor-belt & train-type previously existed).

Can't quite put a finger to it, but it puts a smile on my face. Maybe it's the gentley wafting waves or the local-diner-like atmosphere. Anyways, I dig it, even though no water was employed in the making of this flick.

Way to go, Sir Knight! Some of my Farhad Favorites:
Trying to Shop with Super Mario Coins
Parappa the Rappa
Suzanne Vega: Tom’s Diner
Love Letters from Bob
And the most recent:
Silence of the Lambs, Buffalo Bill final scene

*dead http://www.videosift.com/video/Suzanne-Vega-Toms-Diner

replacements:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNDh9krPYYw (seems ok)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbVrDlVJhUQ (RFM logo, contrast is wack)

As many times as food service has been a hat worn, never had the chance to really get a jerk-off for a customer....that's waiting, sous-chef, grill....and worked at a diner as head grill man in a tourist stop in Colorado for about six weeks....the whole time, the only thing brought back was some oatmeal that yer's truly, put in a bowl that had bacon bit for toppers in. Made some fresh oats, and gave the guy a free meal.

Now THAT might be grounds for banning him from the Hall of Fame.

Incidentally, I don't think Mel's Diner is in Cincinnati.

Demetri cannot be stopped.

Interesting Demetri Martin story:

"The son of a Greek Orthodox priest (note: Orthodox priests can marry prior to ordination) and a nutritionist, Martin grew up with his brother and sister in Toms River, New Jersey. His parents co-owned a Greek diner with his grandparents and uncle. Martin, the prototypical good Greek boy, served as an altar boy at church and bused tables at the restaurant. He studied maniacally and, to his delight of his family, received a full scholarship to the New York University School of Law. After completing his second year, however, he said, Fuck it. Im going to be a stand-up comedian.

My wife and I argue about whether it is "more ballsalicious" or "less ballsalicious" to drop out of a top-tier law school after your second year to do open-mike nights in NJ.

For more, see http://www.believermag.com/issues/200602/?read=interview_martin

We have a smaller portion of this (part of the diner scene) here, but this is the whole clip without distracting laughter from a chat show studio audience.

(Ugly Betty fans: Maggie may look familiar to you.)

i was just thinking .... (krupo's post made me think this) ... when someone hits the momentous occasion of reaching their diamond ..... we should honor them with a * promote!!!!! anyone and everyone that has a *promote handy!!!

like this!!!

this is my new tradition!

Errr, this was done wayyyyy back in the 1982 movie "Diner"

I can't help but seeing Blood Money and Mule Variations as his best... But Nighthawks at the Diner is also pure genius...

This vid started to make me angry.

Damnit.

Wonder where they found that diner?