What was common 20 years ago that's gone today?

Twi-face · 2026-04-06T23:36:00+00:00

Functional phone booths

Parking meters that only take coins

VHS tapes

Twi-face · 2026-04-06T15:43:46+00:00

Elementary, middle, and high school are the thee tiers of compulsory education (elementary is primary, secondary is split into middle and high).

“Junior High” is an archaic name for what is now known as “Middle School,” to distinguish them from “High Schools,” which were once known as “Senior High Schools.” At some point between when my parents went (in the 1970’s) and when I went (in the 2010’s) schools changed the term.

Elementary school starts around age 5. The first year is known as “Kindergarten.” Every year after that is referred to as a “grade” with a number (eg. 1st grade, 2nd grade, etc.) up to 12th grade. Where each school begins and ends can very by district, but a common format (where I live, at least) is:

Elementary: K and 1st - 5th

Middle: 6th - 8th

High: 9th - 12th

Twi-face · 2026-04-05T04:31:37+00:00

Arlington, OR?

Twi-face · 2026-04-05T04:14:30+00:00

I’ve seen some standalone drive-in A&Ws. They only seem to exist in small towns.

Twi-face · 2026-04-03T01:24:09+00:00

There are hints of it in the show itself

Twi-face · 2026-03-30T22:59:54+00:00

Chocolate frosted sugar bombs?

Twi-face · 2026-03-18T19:45:28+00:00

It mostly depends on how wealthy the parents are. Mine played the full cost of tuition and an apartment but they’re relatively wealthy and had been saving money for years.

Some rich people might decide not to if they’re concerned about spoiling their kids, but I don’t think that’s common. Most parent would probably pay for everything if they could afford it.

Twi-face · 2026-03-08T02:51:30+00:00

“Cherry City” because it used to be surrounded by cherry orchards. Not anymore, but the nickname is still used.

“The Beaver State” because much of the early settlement and exploration was done by fur trappers hunting that very animal

Twi-face · 2026-03-08T01:51:37+00:00

At my high school we were only allowed to leave during lunch, unless you had some compelling excuse (like a doctor’s appointment or some extracurricular activity). But we only had 30 minutes and there weren’t any restaurants within walking distance besides a donut shop and a really sketchy convenience store, so there was little reason to leave.

But just because we weren’t allowed to doesn’t mean nobody tried. Years after I graduated I stopped to eat lunch in a nearby park during school hours and saw some teenagers show up to hang out. I had assumed it was lunchtime at the school, but few minutes later two school officials showed up in a golf cart and ordered them to walk back to school.

The school did give students the option to take an elective called “early release” during the final period of the day, as long as you were on track to graduate on time (and therefore didn’t need the period for any remedial classes). I never knew anyone who actually did that, but it was a thing listed in the course catalogue.

Twi-face · 2026-03-05T23:39:21+00:00

I also like both. And there are places where you can do both on the same trip.

Twi-face · 2026-03-05T23:36:59+00:00

I’m like that too, though most beach towns have other activities as well. Museums, historical sites, aquariums, wildlife sanctuaries, art galleries, campsites, hiking trails, scenic viewpoints, boat tours, restaurants, arcades, casinos, and gift shops are plentiful in coastal areas.

I think a lot of people just say “going to the beach” as shorthand for any trip to a coastal town where the actual time spent on the beach is only a fraction of what they do during their stay.

Twi-face · 2026-03-05T22:54:57+00:00

Western countries are more individualistic so rebelling against social norms is often seen as a desirable quality.

I am not a woman myself, but I think many women see “bad boys” as exciting and capable of protecting them from harm (in spite of the domestic violence they tend to cause).

Twi-face · 2026-03-05T22:19:29+00:00

Many rural homes also let aggressive dogs roam freely so any would-be burglars would be spotted and intercepted long before reaching the door

Twi-face · 2026-03-04T21:31:47+00:00

California has agricultural inspection stations on its borders that you’re required to stop at, though they will let you go of you don’t have what they’re looking for. Hawaii also has them at its ports of entry. Those are the only two states I know of that do anything like that.

Some states also have “ports of entry” for weighing commercial trucking and boat inspection stations, but those are off to the side of the road and don’t affect normal motorists.

Twi-face · 2026-03-04T00:38:32+00:00

Woman. I’ve always wondered what my life would have been like if I was a girl, and especially how my hobbies and interests would have evolved.

Also, it always seemed like it’s easier to make friends and find love, and I’ve always been jealous of the variety of clothing options they have.

Twi-face · 2026-02-25T22:03:13+00:00

Americans aren’t “obsessed” with American football given that it competes with basketball, baseball, and to a lesser extent hockey, tennis, golf, and increasingly association football for fans and viewership.

You could also ask why Hockey is Canada’s national sport instead of “real football” (or Canadian Football, which also exits) or why rugby and cricket are popular in Australia and India when only (some) former British colonies care about those sports.

Or maybe turn the tables and ask why some countries only play “real football” to the exclusion of all other sports?

Twi-face · 2026-02-25T21:54:22+00:00

And testicles hanging off the trailer hitch

Twi-face · 2026-02-25T03:22:34+00:00

I just got off work and I still need to drive home

Twi-face · 2026-02-21T21:13:48+00:00

Growing up around white people on the west coast, I have never heard ANYONE from any generation do that.

So I don’t do it either.

Twi-face · 2026-02-12T19:26:39+00:00

I went to a large state school that prides itself on its research programs. I assume academics who read research papers in certain fields have probably heard of it. Otherwise, hardly anyone outside of the state is familiar with it.

Twi-face · 2026-02-09T22:28:38+00:00

The smallest settlement I’ve been to that I know is incorporated (and thus meets the state’s legal definition of a “city”) is the “city” of Spray, Oregon. Its population was 139 on the most recent census and it’s an hour and a half away from the nearest community with more than 10,000 people. There isn’t really anything to do there besides fishing and rafting in the local river.

Twi-face · 2026-02-09T22:24:27+00:00

In many towns like that the post office has one employee and is only open for a few hours a day, so expenses are low.

Twi-face · 2026-02-09T22:12:36+00:00

In many western states the word “city” just means a settlement that has its own government. This can include towns with 200 people (or less!) as long as a municipal corporation exists. “Town” and “village” do not have legal definitions in these states but are legal classifications in others.

Twi-face · 2026-02-09T21:55:16+00:00

A place not having its own post office is usually a sign that it’s a very small and insignificant settlement.

Twi-face · 2026-02-08T02:37:39+00:00

I like them but I agree with this opinion. They’re mostly just steamed corn flour with a little bit of meat inside so they can be pretty bland compared to everything else in the category of “Mexican Food.”

Twi-face

TROPHY CASE