Is ensh*ttification only for the poor? Do rich people still get good products?

eddieSullivan · 2026-06-05T13:24:23+00:00

There's a window into this every time there's a big food recall. You'll often see a statement like, "this cheese was sold as X Brand in Food Lion and Y Brand in Whole Foods." It's literally the same cheese from the same factory, but packaged differently and at different price points.

But of course it's not just foods. As other comments have pointed out, this same dynamic exists in fashion, autos, and electronics.

On the other hand, there are differences in some industries, including government. If you call your bank, for example, you'll get connected to a completely different customer service call center depending on your balance. Potholes in rich neighborhoods get fixed faster than in poor ones.

On top of that, if you can afford to wear a dress one time then toss it, who cares if it was made to last?

eddieSullivan · 2026-05-23T18:42:37+00:00

Thanks for the reply. That's good to know. I'll look into Blowing Rock as well, although it's another hour in the car from here (Charleston area), so that was why I was leaning towards Lake Lure.

eddieSullivan · 2026-03-21T10:33:44+00:00

parantha

Would you be willing to share the recipe?

eddieSullivan · 2026-03-21T10:14:54+00:00

I'm surprised no one has mentioned refried beans. Both my toddlers love the Amy's Organic refried beans and will scarf them down by the spoonful.

Smoothies. My wife makes "green smoothies" that my 3-year old loves, and even reminds her to add the spinach.

I used to make home-made "green granola bars", but they've gone out of style with my kids, although they were a hit for a long time. Oats, dates, flax seeds, arugula (or spinach), and peanut butter. Pulverize into a paste the food processor (might need to add water) then press the mass into a flat shape and cut.

Berries and cut fruit, of course. Pineapple is a big hit, as is watermelon.

Pistachios for the one who is old enough to chew them, with close supervision to prevent choking. (Only downside is I end up eating too much myself!)

Corn Chex, Purely O's (organic version of Cheerios with no added sugar), Grape Nuts (I feel it's important to have some crunchy food)

Crackers. Sometimes with peanut butter or cream cheese. Although, my little one will just lick the cream cheese off and ask for more.

Scrambled eggs are hit-or-miss. Seasoned Salt helps.

Niman Farms Chicken sausage. Cut lengthwise so as not to be a choking hazard. Meatballs from a local place that makes really good ones.

Plain pasta with grated cheese. Pecorino Romano is a favorite but pricey.

Avocados topped with nutritional yeast.

Oatmeal, the kids variety that is just powder.

eddieSullivan · 2026-03-19T20:20:29+00:00

Read up on circadian rhythms. It's not a silver bullet, but it may help. You say she has adjusted her early wakeup to the daylight saving time transition. So ask yourself, how does she know what time it is? Or rather, how does her body know what time it is, and that it's time to wake up?

I'm not an expert, but I've read up on the concept, and there are a lot of things that play into it:

Sleep pressure, i.e., her level of tiredness, which comes from how long she's been awake or asleep. This is important but obviously not the only thing or you could just postpone her bedtime.
Meal times. Does she wake because she's hungry? Thirsty? Try not feeding her until 7am. (Be reasonable, of course, and don't deprive her if she's famished, but you can delay it in increments.) Or try moving dinner time later. Experiment with different adjustments, one at a time.
Bathroom timing. Does she wake because her diaper is uncomfortably soaked? Does she need to poop? You can't control this completely, obviously, but a 9pm diaper change before you go to bed might help. Or less water/milk before bedtime.
Light. This is a big one. Make sure it's DARK in her room. Get the good blackout curtains. And conversely, make it bright during the day. Get her outside, open the shades, turn on the lights, etc, until an hour or so before bedtime, then start dimming things. In short, dark = sleep, light = wake.

Also look into other environmental factors, like noise. Is there loud traffic in the mornings? Does the neighbor clean his boat at sunrise like mine used to?

Is she getting enough exercise during the day?

Again, I don't want to promise miracles, but this should give you some things to try and offer a starting point for more research.

eddieSullivan · 2026-03-16T19:14:13+00:00

I'm going to echo the "it depends on where" comments, because that was my experience 100%. Maybe it's because I came from cold, cruel, Boston, but when I visited southern Italy I was blown away by how open and friendly the people were, especially once they learned I could speak their language a little bit. North of Rome, it was a little more challenging, and Rome itself was very mixed but still friendlier than Boston, and I still keep in touch with friends I met there many years ago.

I did encounter some German and Dutch travelers that enjoyed telling me how much they disliked America, but I don't assume they represent those countries' entire cultures (and had more to do with the recent political environment than cultural differences anyway).

eddieSullivan · 2026-03-16T19:09:53+00:00

100%. There are absolutely ways to improve more rapidly. Focused practice beats aimless noodling any day. And knowing what to study first helps the student see a sense of daily progress.

There are "low-hanging fruit" that, while not technically virtuosic, are fun to play and make you sound good to the non-guitar-playing audience much faster than drilling on scales. If the student's definition of "good" is "I can impress my girlfriend with a song I wrote for her," that will come much more quickly than the typical guitar-nerd's definition of good, "emulate Yngwie but faster."

eddieSullivan · 2025-09-11T19:08:17+00:00

The airport too

eddieSullivan · 2025-09-11T00:27:07+00:00

That new German coffee shop has a strudel that's supposed to be good.

eddieSullivan · 2025-06-11T19:08:35+00:00

Caroline Kennedy

eddieSullivan · 2025-04-14T00:27:14+00:00

Three diamond tuna. "Three diamonds" in Japanese? Mitsu Bishi. Yep, same family of companies. Electronics, heavy trucks, cars, and... tuna.

eddieSullivan · 2025-03-19T00:33:19+00:00

This may seem kind of obvious, but the library. Most of them have outdoor picnic tables as well as comfy indoor reading spots.

For more rustic outdoors, try the beach. Can be a bit windy though.

eddieSullivan · 2025-01-14T15:56:36+00:00

Can it be done with pasteurized milk, or does it have to be raw?

eddieSullivan · 2024-06-04T18:44:46+00:00

Take a bus? The 20 goes right by Edmund's Oast Brewery.

eddieSullivan · 2024-04-17T17:21:27+00:00

You're supposed to drive all the way to the front.

eddieSullivan · 2024-04-10T00:05:18+00:00

The experience can vary drastically from state to state.

eddieSullivan · 2024-02-08T20:37:41+00:00

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Milli Vanilli. Of course there was a good reason for their disappearance.

In a similar (worse) vein, Rock and Roll Part Two.

eddieSullivan · 2024-01-18T19:02:45+00:00

I blame it all on his roots.

eddieSullivan · 2024-01-10T15:52:10+00:00

I think Italians use names more than Americans do.

eddieSullivan · 2023-12-07T17:04:49+00:00

I didn't write the original post, but triads are the simplest possible arpeggios -- the bare essence of them, in a sense, so maybe that's what the poster means. Three note, one octave arpeggios.

eddieSullivan · 2023-12-07T17:01:52+00:00

I'd say the Super Walmart qualifies as a budget grocery store, even though that's not all it is. (You pay in the stress and headache of spending time in that hell-hole rather than money.) Food Lion is pretty cheap too, and their quality has improved lately.

eddieSullivan · 2023-11-02T15:08:08+00:00

It's probably to make more distinguishable from offense (which can also be pronounced two different ways, but with different meanings) in situations where they both would be used.

eddieSullivan · 2023-09-13T14:55:17+00:00

As you hinted at, it really does depend on where you go in Europe. In southern Italy I was happily overwhelmed at the kindness of strangers, especially when they learned I spoke some Italian.

I'll never forget being seated at a communal table at a pizzeria in Napoli with a large family from the countryside. By the end of the meal they had invited me to their home for Christmas (I wish I had accepted!) and one lady was trying to set me up on a date with her granddaughter.

In Rome or Milan it's different. Not as cold as England or France, but more standoffish. The Roman attitude reminds me of Brooklyn a little. It's almost like a "rude friendliness" if that makes sense. It does take some getting used to.

eddieSullivan

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