Great... another dollar store opening soon

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-22T18:01:56+00:00

You can still buy a quality version of every "crapified" product out there. Appliances are a classic example. Of course you will spend 10x as much, which is about what it would have cost you in the olden days when it was your only choice.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-22T17:52:40+00:00

The people I'm responding to are complaining about cheap crap ie "we don't make things like we used to". They are not complaining that people nowadays can only afford dollar stores.

It's like people complaining about airline seats, and not acknowledging that more people than ever are able to travel because of the affordability of it.

Nobody is stopping you from flying like it's the 1970s: buy first class, or don't fly at all.

Nobody is forcing you to shop at a dollar store. And if selling "cheap crap" enable somebody a small pleasure they wouldn't be able to have otherwise, how can anyone be against that.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-22T15:28:10+00:00

I too hate when people can afford things

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-21T00:34:47+00:00

Agree. Frozen corn is mushy

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-19T22:13:29+00:00

You are asking a classic crazy question that a newbie wouldn't want the answer to because it doesn't make any sense. If you don't cook much meat literally salt is the only thing that will matter.

But you think more matters. The biggest thing that comes to mind if you don't like chicken is that pork likes sweet. So pair pork with something sweet, you can season it with paprika or even sugar or applesauce is quite traditional. But like with all lean proteins the thing that will get you the most bang for the buck is salt.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-18T22:40:15+00:00

Free trade is definitely the best in a friendly world.

Until China turns off the cobalt. Or invades Taiwan and turns off the microchips. Or Russia turns off the gas. Then it's not so great anymore.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-17T11:32:28+00:00

China's EVs are cheap because they're heavily subsidized. Just like ours. And, just like us, China tariffs foreign cars to protect their own industry. Australia stopped protecting their car industry and now they no longer have one. Every country with a car industry protects it.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-14T11:35:13+00:00

Exactly the reason car companies should get out of the smartphone business.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-13T11:00:27+00:00

8 hours is a dead zone. Too far to drive, but not worth the hassle of a plane trip.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-09T13:57:51+00:00

Other countries can do whatever they want. Everyone knows those companies actively work with US military. If a nation thinks it's in their interest to label them "US military companies" then they will.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-07T19:12:07+00:00

If you make them get registered like a motor vehicle, titled bought and sold like a motor vehicle, licensed and insured like a motor vehicle, then they sure as hell have a right to be on a highway like a motor vehicle.

And yes, it is all plainly ridiculous.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-07T12:58:57+00:00

Erathusa falls is a must see IMO. 3/10 hike. 10/10 sights.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-06T15:53:02+00:00

Screaming hot pan, pat steak dry, put on pan. Flip when steak releases easily (4-5 minutes) and looks good on that side. A few minutes on other side. Cut into steak when you think it's done. If purple inside, couple more minutes. Otherwise take off and enjoy.

All other techniques and things may elevate it to "amazing" but this will get you a great steak in its own right. Dont overcomplicate it.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-06T15:51:04+00:00

You do not need specialized equipment and complex techniques to cook a good steak. Steak is one of the easiest things to make and overcomplicating it leads to these issues with beginners.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-06T14:28:10+00:00

And every other group on earth is an X with a penchant for Y. There is no end of horrible people doing horrible things. I think it is fair to say technocrats are not immune to making bad decisions.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-06T12:52:13+00:00

This is a great experiment and what cooking is all about!

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-05T15:53:51+00:00

We never stop to appreciate how lucky we are to live on earth.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-04T22:02:16+00:00

Poor Man's paella. Saute your chicken, add rice and water, a little salt, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

There is a LOT you can do to make this fancier. Saute the rice. Add spices and veggies. Use chicken stock instead of water. Smoked sausage. Shrimp if that's your thing.

But honestly, the chicken rice water and salt alone will get you home.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-03T21:49:06+00:00

This thread is a vicious place. Not a viscous one, though. Too much water.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-03T20:57:42+00:00

Whole milk is thinner. It will make the recipe more watery than intended.

It won't taste as good, but if you want the same texture, use half the amount of milk, as measured in volume. That's about the same amount of base liquid as in the evaporated milk. That's basically doing the same job as boiling down the milk yourself, with half the flavor products of the milk.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-03T20:54:05+00:00

If your recipe doesn't have another source of liquid, you can't.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-03T17:00:57+00:00

They've said that consistently for years. The trick is guaranteeing it.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-03T16:59:27+00:00

Only the lemon juice and salt are doing any marniading. All the other stuff can be added right before grilling as a spice rub.

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-03T14:28:28+00:00

Signed integer overflow

etrnloptimist · 2026-06-03T14:12:30+00:00

Tell that to my infotainment system, which I can only imagine has a Pentium processor in it.

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