Unpopular opinions (non road related)

[interstatefan990]

The US beats both Canada and Mexico in terms of COVID vaccines. So, as for the pandemic and everything, I prefer the US because I have a feeling we're gonna get back to normal sooner than our neighbors to the north and south.

[andrepoiy]

The reason why I say the US is better than Canada, from a Canadian, are as follows:

1) Cheaper cost of living: We have to pay high taxes, consumer goods here are more expensive (for example fuel, or shipping), and property, especially in Toronto and Vancouver, is way too expensive.

2) Better job opportunities: The United States has a lot of companies and industries that Canada simply does not have. Want a job as an engineer for an automotive company? Welp, we don't have any domestic automotive companies. Same goes for a lot of other things. In addition, the pay in the US is almost always a lot better.


3) Way better economy: The GDP per capita of the United States is $60k compared to $45k in Canada. Texas' economy is already larger than Canada's, despite having 6 million less people. In relation to the 2nd point, due to the US's way more diversified economy, it could sustain itself better than Canada would be able to sustain itself. One very current example is vaccines: the US is able to make its own vaccines and quickly vaccinate its own population. Meanwhile, Canada is begging for vaccines from everywhere else, and we haven't vaccinated any large number of people at all.

4) The United States is the sole superpower in the world. It has both great hard and soft power around the world. With respect to hard power, it has like 700 military bases around the world, the best armed forces of any nation. With respect to soft power, the US' cultural influence around the world is not beaten by any other nation, with American bands, celebrities, TV shows, etc, being known around the world. Canada? Not so much.

5) Greater variety of landscapes in cities in the US: One can choose to live in a city or town that suits them most, since there are a variety of landscapes and lifestyles available in the US. Hate snow? Move south. Hate driving? Move east. Love the desert? Go to Arizona. In Canada, some things, like the cold, is inescapable.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

crunchy > smooth

For peanut butter, absolutely, unless I'm making the PB&J "sundae" that I would make occasionally as a sweet/salty treat. It's just a bowl of the two mixed together rather than putting them on a sandwich.

[index]

crunchy > smooth

Unless we're talking about cookies. Chewy cookies are miles better than crunchy cookies.

[kphoger]

cookies

crunchy > smooth

[webny99]

What even is a "smooth" cookie?

[Big John]

What even is a "smooth" cookie?

I think he means a chewy cookie.

[Max Rockatansky]

What even is a "smooth" cookie?

I think he means a chewy cookie.

The freshly baked chocolate cookie I had from a bakery last night was more smooth than it was chewy.  Really they only ever that way if you get them shortly after they have been baked.

[webny99]

To me, there are three textures of cookie, and none of them are smooth:  crunchy (or hard, if you prefer), chewy, and soft.

[Roadgeekteen]

crunchy > smooth

Unless we're talking about cookies. Chewy cookies are miles better than crunchy cookies.

Crunchy cookies are almost always some packaged crap like chips ahoy.

[webny99]

crunchy > smooth

Unless we're talking about cookies. Chewy cookies are miles better than crunchy cookies.

Crunchy cookies are almost always some packaged crap like chips ahoy.

Or Oreos. Or Trader Joe's almond cookies.

[Max Rockatansky]

Probably unpopular...Trader Joe's is incredibly overrated.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Probably unpopular...Trader Joe's is incredibly overrated.

All of those type of grocery stores pretending to be a class above your average box supermarket (Joe's, Fresh Thyme, Whole Foods, etc.) have never proven to me why I should choose them over a Cub Foods (MSP's legacy grocery chain).

[index]

What even is a "smooth" cookie?

I thought smooth was analogous enough to chewy. Yes, that's a stretch, but, welcome to my world.

[kernals12]

The reason why I say the US is better than Canada, from a Canadian, are as follows:

1) Cheaper cost of living: We have to pay high taxes, consumer goods here are more expensive (for example fuel, or shipping), and property, especially in Toronto and Vancouver, is way too expensive.

2) Better job opportunities: The United States has a lot of companies and industries that Canada simply does not have. Want a job as an engineer for an automotive company? Welp, we don't have any domestic automotive companies. Same goes for a lot of other things. In addition, the pay in the US is almost always a lot better.


3) Way better economy: The GDP per capita of the United States is $60k compared to $45k in Canada. Texas' economy is already larger than Canada's, despite having 6 million less people. In relation to the 2nd point, due to the US's way more diversified economy, it could sustain itself better than Canada would be able to sustain itself. One very current example is vaccines: the US is able to make its own vaccines and quickly vaccinate its own population. Meanwhile, Canada is begging for vaccines from everywhere else, and we haven't vaccinated any large number of people at all.

4) The United States is the sole superpower in the world. It has both great hard and soft power around the world. With respect to hard power, it has like 700 military bases around the world, the best armed forces of any nation. With respect to soft power, the US' cultural influence around the world is not beaten by any other nation, with American bands, celebrities, TV shows, etc, being known around the world. Canada? Not so much.

5) Greater variety of landscapes in cities in the US: One can choose to live in a city or town that suits them most, since there are a variety of landscapes and lifestyles available in the US. Hate snow? Move south. Hate driving? Move east. Love the desert? Go to Arizona. In Canada, some things, like the cold, is inescapable.

Thank you for that. Americans really don't know how good they have it. On a per person basis, they consume 36% more goods and services than their neighbors to the north. And they look at envy with Canada's low healthcare costs, unaware that that's because Canadians get half as much care as they do.

[kevinb1994]

I guess I'm not alone in not being at a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods in awhile.

Costco is much more preferable, and apparently a new suburban location is in the works here. Will be interesting to see if the proposed HOT lanes on I-95 will have an impact.

[andrepoiy]

I would also like to point out that the United States is the most popular destination for immigrants, and not Canada. Even though our immigration system might be easier to enter than the US.

[kevinb1994]

I would also like to point out that the United States is the most popular destination for immigrants, and not Canada. Even though our immigration system might be easier to enter than the US.

Yeah, and it's easier to read about too, having read about immigration ports such as Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, New York, and Philadelphia on the East Coast, and notably San Francisco on the West Coast.

[kphoger]

Crunchy cookies are almost always some packaged crap like chips ahoy.

Or homemade.

Also:    Chips Ahoy! blue package > Chips Ahoy! red package

[interstatefan990]

Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies > Oreos > Chips Ahoy

[webny99]

Probably unpopular...Trader Joe's is incredibly overrated.

Personally, I think Trader Joe's is slightly overrated, but that's partly because their stores are so small that there's lines and it seems crowded when it wouldn't in a larger store. They have certain unique items that are very good (Almond Windmill cookies are one of those), but it certainly doesn't make sense to do all your shopping there when the overall selection, prices, and crowds are worse than what you'd find elsewhere.

All of those type of grocery stores pretending to be a class above your average box supermarket (Joe's, Fresh Thyme, Whole Foods, etc.) have never proven to me why I should choose them over a Cub Foods (MSP's legacy grocery chain).

Since you mention Cub as your go-to, I'm curious what your thoughts on Hy-Vee are. Hy-Vee has been compared to Wegmans, but is it really that much better than Cub (which is also comparable to Wegmans IMO)?

[kphoger]

–  Trader Joe's is just fine, so long as you need one of the forty-six items they sell there.  I don't think I've ever bought more than about three things there at a time.

–  I think of Cub and Hy-Vee as roughly equivalent.

[interstatefan990]

I don't see how Trader Joe's has become successful as it is, considering how they only sell one brand of products, their own. That works for something like a clothing store or an electronics company, but I still don't get how it works for something like supermarket retail, which is literally just a collection of brands under one roof (at least traditionally).

[kurumi]

Trader Joe's sticks to more densely populated, wealthier areas (I remember Milpitas, CA wanting and not getting one because of the second point) so it's one of several choices nearby.

Replacing a Safeway, Kroger, Stop and Shop, etc. with a Trader Joe's would highlight deficiencies that otherwise don't matter as much when it's not the primary store in town.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Since you mention Cub as your go-to, I'm curious what your thoughts on Hy-Vee are. Hy-Vee has been compared to Wegmans, but is it really that much better than Cub (which is also comparable to Wegmans IMO)?

I haven't shopped at a Hy-Vee in around three years when I stayed over a summer in Madison, WI. None of the Twin Cities locations are convenient to me. My impression is Hy-Vee has superior deli offerings to Cub, more like the legacy luxury grocery store offerings in MSP (Lunds/Byerlys).