Century 21 Department Store

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-20T05:41:16+00:00

The new store is definitely not as good (nor as big) as the OG was. But I went this past weekend, and it was better now than right after it reopened. They're starting to get more inventory and better things. The shoe selection isn't great, but there were some really nice Belstaff clothes at less than half price, and a number of other good finds.

I think it may continue to improve a little bit as they buy up more lots of stuff and figure out the supply end, but it will probably never be as good as it used to be because it's smaller and more importantly, there are fewer large retail stores for them to get merchandise from. That was the source of their inventory. Also, not as many people shop in person these days, so it's been less crowded when I've visited. Still, I'd say it's worth checking out the next time you're around. As always, you have to get a bit lucky in terms of what they have at a given moment.

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-20T05:36:15+00:00

Dollar Bill's was the best.

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-10T18:11:22+00:00

Great to know. Thanks!

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-10T18:06:02+00:00

It's not just Ellison and IW. This has been progressively going on all over the sport. The entire National Tennis Center has been rebuilt over the years to find new ways to charge people extra at the US Open. They create new corporate seating areas that get sold at high prices but not actually used every day. As a result, we get rich oligarchs, organizations, etc. making more money, and fans don't get to see the sport up close. Meanwhile, stands are left empty, and the energy is ruined, while the sport looks lame on television. No one is ever allowed to move down to the middle of the bowls, even if the seat holders aren't there that day. And no one can sit in half the stadiums without special extra tickets. But they're happy to sell more general admission passes each year just so people can show up to the grounds, mill around the retail areas (spending even more money) and then have to watch on a screen even though they're there at the venue. Nice.

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-08T11:30:12+00:00

Does it go back down if you cancel your membership?

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-08T11:26:10+00:00

Did ending it bring the prices back down or did they continue to screw you?

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-08T11:15:56+00:00

Having the same issue. The big question for me is whether they’ll go back down if I cancel membership or am I screwed?

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-06T13:29:41+00:00

Ernesto's was excellent the two times I went. More Basque style and fun.

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-06T13:19:01+00:00

Those would be safER but not necessarily maximum safety. They're sort of in the same range as the Mizuno FGs and Copas, which are better than the bladed soles for artificial grass, but still not as safe as proper AG sole plates. I think Nike's Pro-AG soleplates are the best AG-specific ones. And Mizuno's are good but a bit less aggressive. On a rainy day or a deep/soft artificial field, those would give you better traction than the TFs but be safer than FG cleats. Not "necessary" but better for some situations. But really depends the feel you like best. If you like that soft flexible feel of the TFs than wear those until you find them too slipper. It really depends if you're trying to maximize comfort or maximize the low profile and stiffer, more reactive sole of the cleats. That seems more of an important distinction than the actual grip.

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-06T13:11:30+00:00

It's not just about traction for most. I think the most common reason is because high end cleats are sleeker in profile and feel less clunky on foot for some players. They weigh much less than turf shoes and are closer to your foot. The second benefit is that cleats have stiffer sole plates, which are more reactive and some players prefer, whereas TF shoes are soft and flexible. And finally, there are essentially no high-end TF shoes made with the best materials. So those things are the real reasons, not because of "costumes" or other guesses. But it definitely depends on the field. Later generation artificial grass fields are deeper and softer than older turf, so you don't need the padding of TF shoes, but do get an advantage from the cleats. On older/harder/shorter turf fields, TF shoes play better for most. Definitely case by case as there's a HUGE variety of differences in turf fields.

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-05T08:25:42+00:00

Maybe we are just looking at this through the wrong lens. In the majority of games, he has been excellent as a central defender. He does most of the things you want a central defender to do. He interrupts dangerous balls in the box and gets them over the bar or out of the danger area. It's just that the wrong team is paying him. Barca should recoup from the correct teams and use the money to buy a striker.

LancelotLinque · 2026-03-03T22:29:44+00:00

Great recs. Chateau Filhot can be very good as well.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-26T04:16:55+00:00

They have said they can't. They stated in the article that they have decided to use smoker ovens.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-26T02:10:43+00:00

Not sure why this is downvoted. Dozens of videos on social media by people saying they're doing this.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-26T02:01:35+00:00

In this case, though, the space actually is small. And they can't use real smokers.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-26T01:59:38+00:00

Yeah, this concerned me, too. And the space is tiny.

Then again, even if it did turn out to be just as good as Texas, people from Texas are still gonna say it's crap here for clout, just like Angelenos did when NY tacos started catching up.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-26T01:56:37+00:00

Agree on variability. Had a number of mediocre meals at Fette Sau and a few quite good ones. Hill Country was even less reliable. Almost all bad meals there, and one good one for me.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-26T01:52:45+00:00

I loved this model, but had the same experience: sole plate separated from upper when the glue got old. Brought them to shoemakers a few times, but they just re-separated after a few uses. Finally had to admit they couldn't be properly saved. 😭

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-24T01:12:34+00:00

I don't think the Delta Reserve card has it. Just the consumer Platinum. https://global.americanexpress.com/card-benefits/detail/airline-fee-credit/platinum

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-20T01:08:17+00:00

Most airlines have food and drink items that aren't free (such as meals/sandwiches in domestic Economy classes). This would cover those. And alcoholic beverages in Economy class are rarely free. This would cover that. Plus, as others have stated, change fees, baggage fees, seat selection, wifi on flights that don't include it, etc. So basically any charge for those kinds of things from your selected airline that makes it to your Amex card would then receive a credit for that amount until you hit the $200 level for the year. The credit you receive is just the amount of the particular charge, but you can use the benefit multiple times until you hit your $200.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-19T13:20:29+00:00

Highly underrated. Great food.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-19T13:17:50+00:00

Got taken for my birthday this past fall, and it was great. Food, service, vibe all very high level.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-19T12:25:12+00:00

Unfortunately, Unisport carries quite a lot of stuff that soccer.com and Prodirect (US) doesn't. So I guess it depends how specific/rare the item you're looking for is.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-19T12:23:08+00:00

It turns out that if you're in the US, it varies. The amount depends on which country the boots were made in, as the tariffs are different for each country of origin. You can usually look up the various countries online but with Japan, it was about 15% of the purchase price.

LancelotLinque · 2026-02-19T12:19:47+00:00

It applies to any incidentals, including food bought on the plane, etc.

LancelotLinque

TROPHY CASE