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Post by Calidore on Nov 18, 2024 10:10:06 GMT -5
Very sorry about your loss.
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Post by MRPs_Missives on Nov 18, 2024 13:13:52 GMT -5
Cei-U!It doesn't seem possible, but we're only 11 days away from the traditional reveal date for the year's 12 Days of Classic Comics Christmas topic. Let the countdown begin! I'm anticipating this immensely this year. I need a big dose of comic joy and positivity for this holiday season. -M
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Post by EdoBosnar on Nov 18, 2024 13:36:33 GMT -5
(...) I need a big dose of comic joy and positivity for this holiday season. There's no "agree with this so g-damned much" button, so I'll just quote it for emphasis. |
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 19, 2024 20:13:28 GMT -5
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Post by Prince Hal on Nov 19, 2024 21:52:14 GMT -5
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Nov 19, 2024 22:03:24 GMT -5
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,202 
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Post by Confessor on Nov 20, 2024 1:48:21 GMT -5
The town of Amersham near me successfully prevented McDonalds from opening a branch in the town back in the 2000s. |
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 20, 2024 6:30:41 GMT -5
For me, it’s a deep issue pertaining to variety and support of independent businesses on my high street; I have had McDonalds meals myself (although Burger King’s burgers are better).
There are a lot of fast-food outlets on my high street, and it does seem like there is more litter than ever. Litter is a universal problem, but it doesn’t seem to be as bad when I’ve been to smaller places which have more independent, non-food outlets. It does seem like the proliferation of fast-food outlets has made my high street worse as far as litter is concerned. (And I don’t blame just them, there’s so many coffee shops, that discarded coffee cups are a problem, too)
Really, though, I do wish my high street could have more variety. There was a tie shop years ago. Computer repair shops. A bookshop. Independent outlets of all kinds. It seems that the big chains - and I am not singling out just one chain - have made British high streets a bit “cookie cutter”. I have driven to numerous towns and cities where it’s all very identikit: lots of coffee shops, lots of fast-food outlets, lots of pawn shops, lots of shops selling vapes, etc. And, of course, the big chains. One bookmaker, William Hill, was somehow able to have TWO shops on one street years ago.
I do like it when I go to a more independently-inclined town or suburb, where you might have an independent DIY store, a tie shop, an independent greengrocer, etc. So the proliferation of the likes of McDonalds is, for me, more about everything looking the same than any particular ideological opposition to one chain.
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 20, 2024 6:32:08 GMT -5
The town of Amersham near me successfully prevented McDonalds from opening a branch in the town back in the 2000s. I may need an eye test because I read “2000s” as “2000AD”. For a second, I thought you were referring to a Judge Dredd arc about a McDonalds being opposed (which sounds fun). |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
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Post by shaxper on Nov 20, 2024 7:14:20 GMT -5
For me, it’s a deep issue pertaining to variety and support of independent businesses on my high street; I have had McDonalds meals myself (although Burger King’s burgers are better). There are a lot of fast-food outlets on my high street, and it does seem like there is more litter than ever. Litter is a universal problem, but it doesn’t seem to be as bad when I’ve been to smaller places which have more independent, non-food outlets. It does seem like the proliferation of fast-food outlets has made my high street worse as far as litter is concerned. (And I don’t blame just them, there’s so many coffee shops, that discarded coffee cups are a problem, too) Really, though, I do wish my high street could have more variety. There was a tie shop years ago. Computer repair shops. A bookshop. Independent outlets of all kinds. It seems that the big chains - and I am not singling out just one chain - have made British high streets a bit “cookie cutter”. I have driven to numerous towns and cities where it’s all very identikit: lots of coffee shops, lots of fast-food outlets, lots of pawn shops, lots of shops selling vapes, etc. And, of course, the big chains. One bookmaker, William Hill, was somehow able to have TWO shops on one street years ago. I do like it when I go to a more independently-inclined town or suburb, where you might have an independent DIY store, a tie shop, an independent greengrocer, etc. So the proliferation of the likes of McDonalds is, for me, more about everything looking the same than any particular ideological opposition to one chain. A student yesterday was bragging to me that her boyfriend must love her a lot because he took her to Cheesecake Factory. "Cheesecake Factory?" I asked. "Wouldn't you like to go somewhere a little more special?" "Oh, he's taken me to Texas Roadhouse," she bragged. I tried to explain to her the idea of going to a small, locally owned restaurant with more robust flavors, lower prices, and a sense of uniqueness and charm you can't find at a major chain restaurant. I even asked her favorite food (Chinese), and tried to tell her about my favorite romantic place to take my wife for Chinese, but it all went over her head. Panda Wok is magical enough, apparently. This is our world now. |
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 20, 2024 7:40:08 GMT -5
One thing I do avoid are pretentious places that think adding a “glamorous” name to a food item (or drink) means charging a premium.
For instance, some coffee chains or quirky bars think that calling a regular coffee something else means they can charge a high price for it - even though they’ve probably just used regular milk and a coffee such as Kenco. Now, a small, independent cafe might just have “coffee with milk” on the menu, and charge £3 for it, but a chain or pretentious place might put some fancy name on that same coffee and charge double the amount.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
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Post by shaxper on Nov 20, 2024 8:22:19 GMT -5
A student yesterday was bragging to me that her boyfriend must love her a lot because he took her to Cheesecake Factory. "Cheesecake Factory?" I asked. "Wouldn't you like to go somewhere a little more special?" "Oh, he's taken me to Texas Roadhouse," she bragged. I tried to explain to her the idea of going to a small, locally owned restaurant with more robust flavors, lower prices, and a sense of uniqueness and charm you can't find at a major chain restaurant. I even asked her favorite food (Chinese), and tried to tell her about my favorite romantic place to take my wife for Chinese, but it all went over her head. Panda Wok is magical enough, apparently. This is our world now. It's good to share that there are other options out there, but I would still argue a smaller locally owned business doesn't make it a "better" experience per se. The problem is not that the student doesn't understand, but I think as people get older they sometimes forget the world is a magical place even if the "veneer" of the chains and whatnot are more sparkly than substantial in some cases. They are young and in love and probably going to have the best time with their selection of places regardless. Let's remember that for some of us, our life experience might give us a much richer "buffet" of culinary options, but if we become snobbish in the process, we have lost a little slice of the joy somewhere along the way. Good on them for going to the Cheesecake Factory, it's what works for them at this point. I don't think it's snobbish to suggest there is more out there than the six chains they've known for their entire lives. |
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Post by impulse on Nov 20, 2024 8:50:52 GMT -5
"Oh, he's taken me to Texas Roadhouse," she bragged. I mean, have you had their rolls? I still get excited when I get to go there (don't live near one anymore, sadly). But this has always been our world. Well, at least in my lifetime, this tracks. K-12 students have a much smaller array of experiences to draw from, and at least in the late 90s, awareness of major brands was more top of my mind for most of us than finding little-known secret gems (unless we were talking about music). There was pressure to fit in, have the right brands, match your friends, and it's easier to be more aware of that on a national name-brand level. I feel like exploring the old town square with historic buildings and quaint local shops and restaurants is more for those of us whose joints creak every time we stand up. I mean, geez, I remember thinking Olive Garden was a fancy dinner. Or Picadilly cafeteria because you always heard the clink and clatter of real plates and flatware. If proboards had a facepalm emoji or one for cringing in embarrassment, I'd use it here. Kids are gonna be kids, and they have to start somewhere. It's all good. |
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Nov 20, 2024 8:57:27 GMT -5
The first date I went on in 1997 I took the gal to Olive Garden. I don't like Olive Garden. Not because it's a chain, I'd just rather eat my mother's pasta than theirs. We then went to watch a movie. It ended up being Scream. I hate that film. I wanted to see The Relic. The compromises we men make for romance smh
I think taste is subjective. We all have to eat to live. But we might as well enjoy what we eat right? As a couple we've gone from a bucket of chicken at Popeye's for our anniversary to a high end Japanese restaurant that I had to make reservations at that ended up being a bill in the hundreds. I enjoyed both meals.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,871
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Post by shaxper on Nov 20, 2024 8:58:18 GMT -5
"Oh, he's taken me to Texas Roadhouse," she bragged. I mean, have you had their rolls? I still get excited when I get to go there (don't live near one anymore, sadly). But this has always been our world. Well, at least in my lifetime, this tracks. K-12 students have a much smaller array of experiences to draw from, and at least in the late 90s, awareness of major brands was more top of my mind for most of us than finding little-known secret gems (unless we were talking about music). There was pressure to fit in, have the right brands, match your friends, and it's easier to be more aware of that on a national name-brand level. I feel like exploring the old town square with historic buildings and quaint local shops and restaurants is more for those of us whose joints creak every time we stand up. I mean, geez, I remember thinking Olive Garden was a fancy dinner. Or Picadilly cafeteria because you always heard the clink and clatter of real plates and flatware. If proboards had a facepalm emoji or one for cringing in embarrassment, I'd use it here. Kids are gonna be kids, and they have to start somewhere. It's all good. Not criticizing the kids; Rather, I feel sad for them. I'm criticizing our world and the corporate stranglehold that I've seen tighten in my own lifetime. I still remember the days before "fast, casual dining" when restaurants HAD to offer soup and salad with an entree, or else they were considered a rip-off. And when food there had to actually taste good and service had to be good, or people would not go. Cheesecake factory does not need to offer, value, flavor, nor a quality dining experience because people will flock to it just because they know the name. And that's sad. |
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