The nearly inevitable wait for dinner (two or three hours at prime time, unless you e-mail ahead for a reservation) is made more pleasant by a free kegger.

NEWYORKER: Mission Chinese Food

On the very first morning of the sequester, the U.S Customs and Border Patrol, also under DHS Secretary Napolitano, reduced staffing at several major international airports, leading to wait times in excess of two hours for 70 flights arriving at JFK, and 55 flights at Miami International Airport.

FORBES: The Audacity Of Power: President Obama Plays The Bully

Dial the 800 number, work through a dizzying array of menu choices, choose to speak with a human being and wait on hold listening to music for 20 minutes to two hours (it happened to me once) and you might reach a person who can (in only 70% of my cases) provide definitive, final help.

FORBES: Time Wasters, Time Savers