Politics

[gram2117]

The quality of the food and the service at low end to mid restaurants is definitely worse. Most will not survive.

I have noticed the same thing at even some more upscale places. Really doing a lot more eating at home than I did 5 years ago.

 

[Tanks]

And wait until the two oil refineries shut down there by the end of next year. I’ve read where $8+ gallon is forecasted.

It is actually 3.refineries. Phillips in LA area is actually two refineries a few miles apart. They had been a client since1997.

 

[SaintPanzer]

I am genuinely confused when I hear people saying the economy hasnt improved...

The stock market is hovering in the high 48,000's and has reached record highs in the last few weeks..

401K's are performing on average 8% better in 2025 than they did in 2024..

Inflation is hovering around 3% which historically has been considered a good rate, and is substantially better than what was seen in 22, 23, and 24..

Most food costs have increased at a rate lower than inflation.. and in some cases have decreased (albeit marginally) compared to 22, 23, and 24.. Eggs for example are 4.7% cheaper despite 3% inflation..

Gas prices are down and most O&G folks are saying that they will continue to go down in 2026..

Unemployment continues to hover around 4% which historically has been considered a reasonable number.. and is also the same as it was in 2024..

Interest rates are down from the previous few years... and are predicted to continue to come down in 2026.. most economists are saying mortgage rates will get below 6% by the end of next year.. considering they were hovering between 7.5 and 8% from the end of 2023 and through most of 2024, I'd say thats an improvement..

and all of this is despite the tariffs that leftists swore were going to cripple the economy and cause record breaking inflation, etc..etc..

I get that things havent recovered to pre-biden numbers.. and that we'll likely never see gas below $2 a gallon again...

but for anyone to think things arent better financially in this country than they have been over the prior 4 years is a bit beyond my understanding..

Some day, over a beer, let's you and I have a chat about Information Operations.

 

[SaintPanzer]

I am bummed that I missed all of the frostbite fun.

Well, welcome back.

 

[CJW]

Footage of the UPS plane crash. You can see that the engine is completely gone at this point.

 

[Brent in Az]

Not a millennial but to add a complaint does anyone else think the restaurant food has been crappy ever sense right after covid, not counting upscale restaurants, just your average chain . quality is way down.

The other issue across this country is the tip expectancy that is out of control.
I'm not cheap, but I'm not going to pay upwards of 30% for mediocrity.
I've seen a few news articles lately of server's getting fired for flipping out on customers who didn't leave a big enough tip.
Just saw another one where a Door Dash driver wrote "Go to hell" on a guys receipt because he only tipped $5 on a $12 bag of Taco Bell food.
It's gotten crazy.

 

[Tanks]

The other issue across this country is the tip expectancy that is out of control.

Agree. Especially, for purchasing stuff at a counter. This even goes for Africa. At a recent hunt I tipped everyone from the waiter, cook, groundskeeper, skinner to trackers and the PH. It was suggested I also tip the camp manager. That’s where I drew the line where I said I wasn’t going to tip him for doing his job.

 

[Brent in Az]

Footage of the UPS plane crash. You can see that the engine is completely gone at this point.

There should have been a blinking engine fire light in the cockpit going down the runway. Hit the fire suppression and abort, unless they didn't have enough runway left?
They didnt have enough lift at that point.

 

[mdwest]

Some day, over a beer, let's you and I have a chat about Information Operations.

Sadly that’s largely what politics have become… a game of combined Information ops and psyops… voters are too lazy to actually go look for supporting data for the “facts” they are provided.. and universities stopped teaching kids critical thinking methods a couple of decades ago…

So when idiots like AOC tell them “the world will end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change”.. they believe it..

 

[rookhawk]

The quality of the food and the service at low end to mid restaurants is definitely worse. Most will not survive.

I've definitely noticed this phenomenon is ubiquitous Specifically,

1.) Due to Covid's effects that were inflationary, service workers are hard to find, their wages are higher, and their attitude is lower. Nonetheless, my teenage kids have great attitudes and are hard workers at a local Culvers. At 14 and 16 years they are getting paid $14-$16 an hour when minimum wage is around $7. It isn't charity, the market says a kid on their first service job has to be paid double the minimum wage or they can't find anyone. A responsible adult service worker is going to make $20-$22 per hour to serve basic food and they are not pleased with their wages..

2.) Food prices have gone way up, portions way down. We went to a Thai restaurant last night and each entree was $16, a bit steep for rural strip mall dining. The curry literally had 2 pieces of chicken, beef, and shrimp in it, the rest was just sauce and a few vegetables.

We don't eat out often because the food at home is better and less costly. About the only "deal" in fast casual these days is Texas Roadhouse. Two people can get a couple cocktails, two decent steaks, and be out the door for around $80. We don't eat steak at home anymore, during and before covid choice ribeye was $7 a pound, now its $20.

 

[mdwest]

looks like UPenn got hacked...

Will be interesting to see the bottom part of that message is true and UPenn has been intentionally violating fed law..

 

[CJW]

There should have been a blinking engine fire light in the cockpit going down the runway. Hit the fire suppression and abort, unless they didn't have enough runway left?
They didnt have enough lift at that point.

The black boxes will tell all. I'm assuming they were past the point of no return at that point. The aviation guys on YT will probably have most of the information in the next few days.

I will guarantee that they NEVER expected to completely lose an engine. Someone has some 'splaining to do.

 

[Tanks]

So when idiots like AOC tell them “the world will end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change”.. they believe it..

Not to mention, when Sanders and AOC tell them schoolteachers pay 30% in taxes and billionaires pay no tax, they believe it.

 

[CJW]

This land whale has about 4 more months of starving before she's in trouble. Like most of these folks, I guarantee that if you inspected her personal belongings she has thousands of dollars of luxury items she didn't need to buy ans could sell if she needed money. Not to mention her phone and subscriptions.

 

[Tanks]

Why people elect candidates like Mamdani, AOC etc..

 

[skydiver386]

Why people elect candidates like Mamdani, AOC etc..

View attachment 725165

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Apparently Candace Owens show is now number one in the world.. Truly sad commentary on the state of affairs

 

[Red Leg]

Apparently Candace Owens show is now number one in the world.. Truly sad commentary on the state of affairs

She has turned into an antisemitic conspiracy embracing nut job. Charlie Kirk's murder is the latest. Read this quote of three days ago carefully. It is classic conspiracy theory methodology.

"Find me just one person with a platform who is pro-Israel who says I want the investigation into Kirk's death to continue. It's a bit weird right? Dogs very silent right now and there is steak on the ground and they're not moving."

To remind investigators have the assumed culprit behind bars. There is overwhelming physical evidence that he did it and was the lone perpetrator. (It is possible online gaming contacts may have had indications of intent, but no charges have been filed). There is significant personal lifestyle evidence to provide motive. But because the investigation is essentially over and moving to trial, that ending of the investigation constitutes "evidence" to the a conspiracy loon that something is being hidden. In Candice's case, an Israeli / Jewish operation, abetted by the Whitehouse and almost certainly Kirk's widow to kill and replace him.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

One thing I did not know about her (something I saw today) was that she started on the left and had a doxing site.. Allegedly

 

[CJW]

Average mamdani voter.