Popular Things You're Just Not Interested In

[Bobby5280]

Sure, having a scene or two trigger mass trashing is a little different, but painting previous generations as saints in the theater is just silly whitewashing.

I never said cinema audiences in the past were perfectly behaved. Some viewers would carelessly spill popcorn and drinks or even smoke in the auditorium.

Nevertheless, cinema audiences today are definitely worse than those of the past. 20 or more years ago we didn't have social media apps inciting people to riot inside a cinema just to be part of an online fad. In the past there wasn't a constellation of lit up mobile phone screens throughout the seating area. I think people had better manners and social skills in past decades because they had to do far more of their socializing in person rather than via a smart phone screen.

Cinemas aren't doing themselves any favors with the movie-going experience either. Chains like AMC skimp on theater maintenance and staffing. Their pre-shows are now intolerably long -upwards of a half hour worth of movie trailers and TV commercials. In the 1990's and earlier viewers might have seen one or two movie trailers, a theater chain policy snipe and then maybe a THX logo before the show began. Decades ago the cinema business had a more sustainable business model, thanks in large part of a much longer exclusive theatrical release window. Today it takes barely a month between a movie's theatrical release and when it goes to streaming. Many theater locations are closing. If this overall nonsense continues it won't be long before commercial cinemas are a thing of the past. Movies will just be TV shows then.

[hotdogPi]

In 30 years, a full-length movie can be created with about five pages of text and a fixed seed (to eliminate the randomness), which would then be generated by a computer.

The movie would then "break" 10 years later since the five pages didn't specify what type of rooftop shingles were used, the most common type in 2065 is a different type from in 2055, and the difference in material would cause someone to just barely miss a jump they previously made, killing them and altering the entire plot.

[Molandfreak]

Apple anything

Agreed. Apple crisp is the only exception, and it's an exception despite the apples, not because of them.

Not a Dutch-style apple pie? It's pretty much apple crisp as a pie!

[kphoger]

mowing early in the morning when the grass is still wet

I think you missed the "popular" part. Not only is that not popular, it's a sure fire way to become un-popular with your neighbors.

I think you're stretching the word 'early' further than I intended.

I get into getting out out on my mower
In the early mornin' hours 'fore the sun gets hot,
And I like goin' down to the Kroger
When the carnival comes to the parkin' lot

[kphoger]

Apple anything

Agreed. Apple crisp is the only exception, and it's an exception despite the apples, not because of them.

Not a Dutch-style apple pie? It's pretty much apple crisp as a pie!

OK, guys!  Seriously.  I meant Apple, Inc.

[Rothman]

Apple anything

Agreed. Apple crisp is the only exception, and it's an exception despite the apples, not because of them.

Not a Dutch-style apple pie? It's pretty much apple crisp as a pie!

OK, guys!  Seriously.  I meant Apple, Inc.

Now this is funny.

[Rothman]

And, for most of these "talked about shows", most are quickly forgotten after their original runs have ended.

I mean, we're talking about those shows six years after their last episodes.

For the record, one of those shows is not like the others as far as perception both at the time and onward.

If a show is still talked about years or decades after their original runs have ended, then it's probably a good show. How many shows were in the top ten in decades past, but we rarely remember them?

Could you BE any more silly?

[Bruce]

Banks can make debit cards that easy. They just don't want to.

And in Canada, they do make them easy. It's only the US that lags behind.

Ask someone how much they enjoy the triple fees for Canadian debit cards being used abroad. At least my US debit card only charged a conversion rate, because I bank with a credit union instead of a corporation.

As always, the US is a big place and has a diverse array of practices. Broad statements really don't work.

[Scott5114]

Anime
Pickup trucks

In Las Vegas these are sometimes combined into one thing.

[vdeane]

Banks can make debit cards that easy. They just don't want to.

And in Canada, they do make them easy. It's only the US that lags behind.

Ask someone how much they enjoy the triple fees for Canadian debit cards being used abroad. At least my US debit card only charged a conversion rate, because I bank with a credit union instead of a corporation.

As always, the US is a big place and has a diverse array of practices. Broad statements really don't work.

Interesting.  I haven't been able to find any local bank where I am that issues cards with no foreign transaction fee.  My credit card doesn't, but that's because it's grandfathered in from when the bank I was with merged with another.  And of course Discover doesn't, but they're accepted very few places outside the US, so it doesn't really help.

[JayhawkCO]

Cruises

[Rothman]

Cruises

^This, especially with Carnival's Walmart-on-the-sea feeling.

That said, I do enjoy the Alaska Marine Highway.

[kphoger]

Cruises

Oh, yeah, totally.  I want to plan my own trip, thank you very much.

[JayhawkCO]

Cruises

^This, especially with Carnival's Walmart-on-the-sea feeling.

That said, I do enjoy the Alaska Marine Highway.

I'd like to camp on deck of the Marine Highway sometime. The only "cruise" I'd probably ever be willing to take voluntarily is an Antarctic cruise. (Rough goal for my 50th birthday, to hit my 7th continent.)

[JayhawkCO]

Cruises

Oh, yeah, totally.  I want to plan my own trip, thank you very much.

And on a similar note, guided tours. It's crazy when I plan my trips to developing world countries and I google itineraries, just to get an idea of what's worth seeing, and I see a trip that I could do myself for $500 being $3500 in a guided format. Cool. 600% more expensive and 600% less fun.

[kphoger]

And on a similar note, guided tours. It's crazy when I plan my trips to developing world countries and I google itineraries, just to get an idea of what's worth seeing, and I see a trip that I could do myself for $500 being $3500 in a guided format. Cool. 600% more expensive and 600% less fun.

My parents and I were very fortunate one year.  I had made friends with a Polish exchange student in high school, and then my family included Poland on a vacation to Europe the following year.  His mother was a licensed tour guide for all of Poland, and so was he.  So not only did he make all of the travel arrangements, but he also accompanied us everywhere and acted as tour guide for free.  There were a couple of places where only in-house tour guides were allowed but, after a bit of conversation and some cash exchanged under the table, exceptions were made.  So, for example, at no cost to ourselves, we were guided through the Oświęcim (Auschwitz) concentration camp for free by someone who had also guided former inmates of the same camp.

[JayhawkCO]

And on a similar note, guided tours. It's crazy when I plan my trips to developing world countries and I google itineraries, just to get an idea of what's worth seeing, and I see a trip that I could do myself for $500 being $3500 in a guided format. Cool. 600% more expensive and 600% less fun.

My parents and I were very fortunate one year.  I had made friends with a Polish exchange student in high school, and then my family included Poland on a vacation to Europe the following year.  His mother was a licensed tour guide for all of Poland, and so was he.  So not only did he make all of the travel arrangements, but he also accompanied us everywhere and acted as tour guide for free.  There were a couple of places where only in-house tour guides were allowed but, after a bit of conversation and some cash exchanged under the table, exceptions were made.  So, for example, at no cost to ourselves, we were guided through the Oświęcim (Auschwitz) concentration camp for free by someone who had also guided former inmates of the same camp.

That sounds awesome. I should specify, I very much dislike guided group tours.

[Rothman]

Cruises

^This, especially with Carnival's Walmart-on-the-sea feeling.

That said, I do enjoy the Alaska Marine Highway.

I'd like to camp on deck of the Marine Highway sometime. The only "cruise" I'd probably ever be willing to take voluntarily is an Antarctic cruise. (Rough goal for my 50th birthday, to hit my 7th continent.)

Sleeping on a hard deck doesn't appeal to me.  Neither does bringing enough gear to make the deck comfortable.  We got a cabin and enjoyed lounging around on deck.

[JayhawkCO]

Cruises

^This, especially with Carnival's Walmart-on-the-sea feeling.

That said, I do enjoy the Alaska Marine Highway.

I'd like to camp on deck of the Marine Highway sometime. The only "cruise" I'd probably ever be willing to take voluntarily is an Antarctic cruise. (Rough goal for my 50th birthday, to hit my 7th continent.)

Sleeping on a hard deck doesn't appeal to me.  Neither does bringing enough gear to make the deck comfortable.  We got a cabin and enjoyed lounging around on deck.

My backpacking gear is pretty bougie. I'd be plenty comfortable. But obviously to each their own.

[Max Rockatansky]

I enjoy minimalist camping.  It tends to be some of the best sleep I get.

[JayhawkCO]

I enjoy minimalist camping.  It tends to be some of the best sleep I get.

The best sleep I get is when I'm solo camping, because I hammock camp. I'd never slept 8 hours straight through camping before trying it in a hammock.

[Rothman]

I enjoy minimalist camping.  It tends to be some of the best sleep I get.

The best sleep I get is when I'm solo camping, because I hammock camp. I'd never slept 8 hours straight through camping before trying it in a hammock.

Perhaps my issue is my method...

[JayhawkCO]

I enjoy minimalist camping.  It tends to be some of the best sleep I get.

The best sleep I get is when I'm solo camping, because I hammock camp. I'd never slept 8 hours straight through camping before trying it in a hammock.

Perhaps my issue is my method...

I would highly recommend researching hammock camping if you're interested. It's way more involved than just putting up a hammock and sleeping the night away, as you definitely need an underquilt or some other way of getting insulation under your butt, otherwise even sleeping in 70 degree weather will make you freeze. I actually sewed my own underquilt as a Covid project. Also, there are different kinds of hammocks and I prefer a bridge hammock as it's way easier to sleep on my side. (I have a Warbonnet RidgeRunner, if interested.)

[formulanone]

Cruises

Oh, yeah, totally.  I want to plan my own trip, thank you very much.

There's a part of me curious how a cruise would go, having been on two "cruises to nowhere" that take about 6-8 hours and you party, gamble, eat, and stuff. But that was over 30 years ago; the novelty was being able to do all that stuff if you were over 18 and it was pretty cheap, all things considered. Bonus points for the docks only 30 minutes away from home.

With multi-day cruises...every time I hear of several hours of "hurry up and wait" and tales of "overpriced drink packages", I'm completely turned off before you get to the drunks, swarms of people, tiny rooms, and lots of outages. I suppose if you have gobs of money you don't think twice about getting up-charged for everything...Some people seem to swear by them but I guess I get enough uncontrollable travel madness as part of my job, that i prefer to mitigate those shenanigans when on time off.

And on a similar note, guided tours. It's crazy when I plan my trips to developing world countries and I google itineraries, just to get an idea of what's worth seeing, and I see a trip that I could do myself for $500 being $3500 in a guided format. Cool. 600% more expensive and 600% less fun.

I usually steer clear of guided tours unless there's no other way to experience something, it's more convenient (trolley-stop stuff), or a really gimmicky way to experience it (a city "ghost tour" in an old hearse? ...sure!) Sometimes you luck out if it's off-season; my wife and I were the only ones on two little daytime tours in New Orleans, but most sane people also wouldn't go in August.

[NWI_Irish96]

Cruises

Oh, yeah, totally.  I want to plan my own trip, thank you very much.

Have never been on a cruise, but the appeal to me is that you can visit multiple destinations while sleeping in the same place every night and not having to pack/unpack every time you visit a new destination.

That said, to get me interested in a cruise it's going to have to be very close to an itinerary I'd plan otherwise.

Something like Barcelona-Marseilles-Nice/Monaco-Pisa-Rome would appeal to me.
Also something like USVI-Puerto Rico-Dominican Republic-Turks&Caicos