I used to eat out all the time in the 90s and early 2000s, and it was great. Chick-Fil-A had mouth-watering chicken and no reputation-staining political associations...yet. Ditto for Subway's reputation. Good, reasonably-priced sandwiches and a totally wholesome role-model LOL.
Taco Bell had that great Jazz design style that struck me as unbelievably tacky but also kinda endearing, like a so-bad-it's-good interior design.
(https://i.imgur.com/MDCz2oul.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/JuNnKpQl.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6Q8egI4.jpeg)
Their food was a fantastic value. You could easily get filled up for $5 and that was around 2000 or so. Adjusted for inflation, around $9 today.
But regardless of the exact restaurant, you came into a vibrant, inviting atmosphere. The service was better because they didn't skimp on the workers like they do now.
I'm trying very, very had not to misremember or look it at through rose-colored glasses, because I know things weren't always great back then - smoking indoors was a huge problem, people were still loud and obnoxious assholes back then, and yes, sometimes the orders were completely flubbed. And cash was more prevalent so lots of people fumbling for change or coughing on their bills. And oh so many mullets and day drinking.
But I also have very recent memories of loud and obnoxious people, just a couple of employees struggling with the herculean task of taking care of the drive thru and then dining room - long waits and flubbed orders associated with the strain of being understaffed and overworked - a dingy, uninviting atmosphere, etc. And I can't get anything decent for less than $12. Probably more like $15, which is comparable to some sit-down restaurants.
So you know what I do instead? I get a salad from Aldi for $3 and a drink for $2-$3. Or a bag of stir fry veggies for $3.50, put it in my wok at home, and throw a couple eggs on top. It's delicious, nutritious, and strangely enough, not any slower than fast food. So why bother with fast food?
And to zoom out a little bit, in America there's this cultural thing that meals are treated like a chore - you rush somewhere, stuff your pie hole as fast as you can, and rush somewhere else. Unlike most people in my state, I was raised with a more French-Canadian way of doing things, so for me, lunches are either opportunities for socializing or quiet me-time with a book or just daydreaming. Either way, it takes me about an hour for lunch, ideally. Sometimes, I wolf it down in less than 30 minutes just like almost everyone else, but it's such a wasted experience. I often think about the things wrong with American culture, and this one doesn't crack the top 20, but it's definitely in the top 50 imho. You get what you demand. Demand a crappy lunch experience, and you'll get it.
Maybe you just grew up?
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on October 09, 2025, 02:27:52 PMMaybe you just grew up?
That's not it. The whole video and anecdotes from me are how the fast food locations themselves have changed, and on the whole, not for the better. Hypothetically, if I were to step into a machine that made me 12 again and revisited the same locations, the experience would not be the same.
And here's a very good way to blow a big hole in my argument: name me one fast food place that's still just as good now as it was 20-30 years ago. (Or do me one better, one that's better now than it was in the past)
Alright, now name me one that's worse. Which question is easier to answer?
1Haven't been in one such in thirty years. When I retired from the USN in '89 I promised myself I wouldn't eat any more mess deck food, K-rations, or whatever had crawled onto my boat during the night. (Two out of three ain't bad.)
I seldom eat fast food, but I sometimes like Jack in the Box stuffed jalapeños. When I eat a burger these days it's a veggie burger. But that's once a month or less.
I put a picture post card of the Last Supper on our fridge. And a note:
"Be careful what you choose."
Gotta clean that bitch out some day.
Running a biology experiment? 🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠
I let one get out once. You probably don't remember the continent between Hawaii and the US...
Have you ever read a book by John Brosnan called The Fungus? A scientist tries to solve the problem of world hunger by genetically manipulating a mushroom, which then gets out of the lab and takes over London, and then starts spreading to the rest of the UK. Really scary stuff. 😱
Quote from: Nobody on October 09, 2025, 07:49:34 PMHave you ever read a book by John Brosnan called The Fungus? A scientist tries to solve the problem of world hunger by genetically manipulating a mushroom, which then gets out of the lab and takes over London, and then starts spreading to the rest of the UK. Really scary stuff. 😱
Kind of off topic, but I brainstormed a story of a small farming community which experienced poor crop yields due to highly unusual coastal flooding essentially salting the earth. Part of their solution was to build extensive mushroom growing operations with decaying wood left over from the flood in addition to foraging an unusually bountiful harvest from the surrounding wilds. And as a reference to Morrowind, they also cultivate a type of salt-tolerant rice that thrives in wetland environments. A sort of saltrice, if you will.
Keep us updated on the colony's progress.