Arent you describing the general harworking american boomer now ?
One thing i dislike. and i'm not saying you do it, but i just think of it, is how alot of pro democratic people really look down on the blue collar working class.
As a white collar engineer, its the blue collars who build, maintain and improve our world. I dont like this looking down.
I'll rant about small minded house wifes and karen's tho.
I think a lot of people are willing to accept Trump's deplorable nature because it's redemptive. It says that as long as he's a reprehensible dirt bag and doesn't judge me, I'm alright and I can't be too bad of a person.
Too much of the Democratic party is focused on making people feel guilty and inferior for things they cannot control.
Different cultures. Since the wait staff earns tips in the US, they may become what you call pushy in some instances. We're used to that here. When I go to Europe, especially places like France, I dislike the lack of promptness especially when I want another drink because I'm not used to it, but I do enjoy the feeling of taking my time, being invisible, and letting the food speak for itself.
Some of it is the tip culture. But there are cases like my very American brother who will avoid going into a store because the staff "look too helpful".
And the pushiness in American restaurants has more to do with the economic necessity to turn tables. Get your ass out of the chair for the next paying customer, basically. Something they don't do in Europe. That table is yours for the evening if you want.
Honestly I think most American food is horrendous.
Don't get me wrong, I like stuff like burgers or ribs or steaks as much as anyone. And I think a lot of American beers are just fine if you want something cool during the summer. But overall the quality is really lacking. And I think it has a lot to do with the way food is produced and the ingredients American chefs are provided with. We drink way too much coke as well, but at least there's actual sugar in the coke we drink. We overproduce meat and we overproduce cheese, but at least we eat actual meat and actual cheese.
There are few things that make me think "European troglodyte" more than somebody who saddles up to a nice restaurant and orders a Coke with dinner.
Not judging though.
It's because many are conditioned to eat garbage processed foods and don't want to pay extra for organic, non-GMO, even locally sourced produce and protein. Instead of going to a farmer's market, some would rather go to Costco. Hence why everyone is fat. This, along with the stranglehold big pharma has over the populace, are why we're just a sick nation. But notice how none of these things are discussed in any debate. Obesity and legal drug use are much larger issues than other matters, yet it's never discussed.
Some if it is eating habits and the US's world-dominating status on overprocessed foods socially engineered so you don't stop eating them. I think America also has a depression problem and an over-individualized lack of socialization that nudges people to fill an emotional hole with food.
And the car culture is a particular killer. Americans will start the car and drive two blocks to put something in a mailbox rather than walk. And it doesn't help that their communities are made more for cars than for walkability, so nobody gets off the sofa.
PRetty sure Lagunitas is up there as well.
They have Lagunitas here in Lisbon too. In fact, an Israeli guy a couple blocks down who sells the best falafel in town sells it.
Microbreweries have been slower to catch on here in Portugal, but they have under the American influence. There's a few that are really good. One I know is owned by a Canadian transplant though.
That's like saying there's wine everywhere. But it's the best in Frace and then in Italy. But countries like Spain, Portugal and some in South America also make great ones.
It's not a rocket science but it's totally different compared to other places.
Wine in Portugal rarely gets exported. Most of it is cheap and stays in country, and it delivers far more value for the price -- so the wine snobs tend to overlook it because they're turned off by the price, suspecting something is wrong with it, if they can access it in the first place.
Portugal is the 2nd biggest wine-consuming country in Europe, second only to Andorra of all places. So we do the wine thing alright.
French food is amazing, so if they mean Belgian food shares some common themes from the past several centuries, which they probably may, then maybe it makes sense. But I would think steak frites, moules, pastries, and the like are French-based.
French food can be amazing. But a lot of its good stuff is based on sophisticated techniques and culinary gymnastics. Unlike Italy or Spain or definitely Portugal, simple things aren't really done so well there where the ingredients sort of speak for themselves. But you have to admire how well the overwork things with preparation, sauces, etc. to reach the sublime often.
The President will go public in less than half an hour. Curious to see what he has to say
Is it time to invest? Or is he gonna open his mouth like Jack Ma and jam a foot in it?
I don't hate him, but I get annoyed with people who parrot his name all the time like he's a stat god.
Nate Silver is part of a problematic culture of horse-racing applied to political coverage. Instead of delving into policy, tradeoffs, issues, unfortunately the easy route has turned out to be the most popular: media coverage focuses on superficial betting odds instead like its a performative sport. Yet one more reason I want to see professional politicians replaced with a lottery system.
This is a nice critique of the practice that both exonerates Silver but condemns the industry:
https://zeynep.substack.com/p/stop-refreshing-that-forecast
Seems like Trump is getting some decisions in his favor...
Everything about that screams "911 breaking news: we spread the rumors fastest without thinking or even questioning if it's correct."
That's the worst of news behaviors, let alone Twitter habits.
The folly of authoritarianism is not having the military in your pocket.
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