OT: HFPens Community Lounge: The Summer is Magic

[Big McLargehuge]

Well I mostly grew up in something of a food desert and my parents were very particular about what they fed me. So like... no fast food or TV dinners growing up. I think that had an effect.

I also just really got into it during the college years because I could save so much money. Made a lot of curries, actually. Cheap, delicious and store-able.

I ate better than the stereotypical college kid. Lots of pasta and bison, usually together made in quantities to last 3-4 days...I just never progressed beyond that stage.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I understand prices are going wild, but I can't really excuse the outrageous price when I bought two filet mignon steaks from the grocery store for roughly 18-19 dollars.

They don't use the 'real' chicken breasts in these things, ya know? They are like those 'steak-ums' strips.... and fries / potatoes are not expensive... if they are even real, which I doubt, probably more than likely frozen and shipped in.

Maybe 30 with drinks / appetizer / delivery... I get that... but just a plain bare minimum meal... I was shocked. Still am.

On top of that, you know they don't cook with care, like you would at home... the fries would most likely be soggy... quickly thrown together... I mean...... and I'm done with it already after this... it's just there is no justification or rationale you could use to get me to pay 30 dollars for two sandwiches.

Labor costs are skyrocketing due to shortage of workers. Businesses aren't just going to eat that (no pun intended)

 

[Gurglesons]

$12-15 a person for anything close to a special meal... Which id class a fat philly cheesesteak as.. I wouldn't even bat an eye in CA.

Taco shops are the only place you are getting anything cheaper.

 

[LOGiK]

As if things can't get any worse... I just got a summons for jury duty.

Wasn't that a Pauly Shore movie?

ahhhh ****

 

[EightyOne]

Taco shops are the only place you are getting anything cheaper.

Still managed to spend $30 at my taqueria.. But that was four big burritos and four tacos and fed two adults for at least two big meals lol

 

[HandshakeLine]

I like a lot of things about going out to eat at a good restaurant. But I also love to cook and am not bad at it.

So like... it's often hard to justify. The best burgers I've had I've made... the best steaks I've had I've made... etc.

Usually when I go out I try to at least get something I won't/can't easily make at home.

Same. Though I gotta say American restaurant culture is kinda weird in many many ways and also not subsidized by the beer industry.

Like a Czech restaurant will probably only have 3 options for lunch. Those are the lunch specials and they'll run you about $4.50 -$5 for the entire meal. You can't sub things out, you can't ask for your special twist on things. They'll accomodate dietary restrictions to a point, but that's it. Dinner? Entrees are about $7 in most inns/pubs in Prague, but again, the menu is much, much shorter, even in specialty/hip/fine dining restaurants. The business model for most restaurants as far as I know here is to get the customer to drink as many beers as possible, food exists to keep you in the bar for longer and also make you thirsty for beer.

Also, customer service is decadent Western luxury, so don't even bother asking for a manager. I love it.

 

[Peat]

I've got takeaway the last two nights in a row because my second Covid jab hit me a lot harder than I was expecting and it's felt kinda nice to treat myself but at the same time I'm mad about spending the money I didn't have to.

On the plus side, got my first rejection on queries, which makes me feel a step closer to a writer who gets their work out there. Small steps.

 

[LOGiK]

Same. Though I gotta say American restaurant culture is kinda weird in many many ways and also not subsidized by the beer industry.

Like a Czech restaurant will probably only have 3 options for lunch. Those are the lunch specials and they'll run you about $4.50 -$5 for the entire meal. You can't sub things out, you can't ask for your special twist on things. They'll accomodate dietary restrictions to a point, but that's it. Dinner? Entrees are about $7 in most inns/pubs in Prague, but again, the menu is much, much shorter, even in specialty/hip/fine dining restaurants. The business model for most restaurants as far as I know here is to get the customer to drink as many beers as possible, food exists to keep you in the bar for longer and also make you thirsty for beer.

Also, customer service is decadent Western luxury, so don't even bother asking for a manager. I love it.

Sounds interesting.... this is how we make and you will like it...

 

[LOGiK]

About to download a futbol game...

Which is the best FIFA / PES game / year from each franchise?


Was stuck with FIFA 13 for years cause it felt 'right', but it's time to move on. Never disliked PES - not sure which year release I played though...

Mostly be gaming on pc so I know pc release can and does differ from console ports.... but still... which is the best in your opinions?


***If they get off their arses I'd play hockey games... but they, for some reason, refuse to release them on pc. Some I'm stuck with futbol.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I feel like FIFA peaked somewhere early in the PS4/Xbone era, but that may just be my disdain for HUT shining through.

 

[LOGiK]

I feel like FIFA peaked somewhere early in the PS4/Xbone era, but that may just be my disdain for HUT shining through.

Definitely peaked at some point, if not regressed. So I read.
PES at least admits that 2021 release is little more than a roster update, and charge accordingly (well, reduced).

That is the problem with sports games. Graphics are about as good as you need them to be. If you haven't mastered a sports game and the engine / physics in what, 20 some years.... what's going on?

I WISH 2K released a modern engine hockey game so it'd be fine to be played for the next decade, with community roster pack updates. PC community updates the HELL out of NHL 2014 or whatever the last pc release was. HD packs, etc etc... I so wish 2k8 would get an hd modern resolution update.

Just need an xbox 360 and 2k8 for all my hockey fix. Bought that game probably 4 or 5 times and managed to leave a copy at someone's house every single time. I just want to know which has the best gameplay / features.


Thats why I don't care what year it is post 2015 ish... graphics will mostly be the same - on pc at least maxed out.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Master's Degree:
PhD: pending starting in Fall 2022
My bank account:

 

[T1K]

About to download a futbol game...

Which is the best FIFA / PES game / year from each franchise?


Was stuck with FIFA 13 for years cause it felt 'right', but it's time to move on. Never disliked PES - not sure which year release I played though...

Mostly be gaming on pc so I know pc release can and does differ from console ports.... but still... which is the best in your opinions?


***If they get off their arses I'd play hockey games... but they, for some reason, refuse to release them on pc. Some I'm stuck with futbol.

I believe you can get EA Access for like $5 a month and as long as you have the subscription you can play FIFA 21 among other games. That’s prob the best value. I buy FIFA every year, but this might be finally when I tap out. Haven’t gamed at all since like February. I guess I’m getting old

 

[EightyOne]

Master's Degree:
PhD: pending starting in Fall 2022
My bank account:

And you're still at the easy part

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah, I feel like the real hidden final boss part getting a PhD is the job market.

 

[LOGiK]

Master's Degree:
PhD: pending starting in Fall 2022
My bank account:

PhD in ....... what!!! What? What???

Yeah, I feel like the real hidden final boss part getting a PhD is the job market.

You too!
Job in what field??

 

[LOGiK]

I believe you can get EA Access for like $5 a month and as long as you have the subscription you can play FIFA 21 among other games. That’s prob the best value. I buy FIFA every year, but this might be finally when I tap out. Haven’t gamed at all since like February. I guess I’m getting old

woah woah woah hey now.... I never said 'buy' or 'purchase'.... let's not get over zealous.

PES 2021 is free to download anyway. =]

Yeah when I was young, 20's, I bought every release year in sports, but that was because of the yearly advancements in tech and of the engines and better resolution and on and on etc etc.
THEN (and once I realized they were doing this)... they started removing features and movements or just gameplay elements and holding them behind updated or dlc pay walls, or just removing them entirely so they could 'update the game next year'.... nah f*** that man...(I stopped buying yearly sports releases) I pick the 'best' version of the most recent graphics I can stand to look at for its gameplay... don't care much for graphics over functionality / features / gameplay..... in sports games.


sports titles only need to be released once every 5 years.... just roster updates annually.

 

[LOGiK]

I know a few of you are from europe... but any of you been to dublin?

The book (series now (7 books I think)) I've just finished, 'Into The Woods' was so good it got me to wonder if I talk to anyone from Ireland or at least been there at some point.

Oh.. anyone who likes, mystery, thriller, a wee bit super natural (just a drop -- it's more reality based), whodunit, good ol detective story... I highly recommend the book (can't recommend the series yet, I just got books two and three yesterday).

Gave my grand mother books 2 and 3 to read first though.... she plows through books and she told me she really enjoyed the first when I let her burrow it before I started last time...

 

[Empoleon8771]

PhD in ....... what!!! What? What???

Mechanical engineering broadly, more specifically two-phase flow and heat transfer. Although that is still pretty broad in itself

 

[HandshakeLine]

Mechanical engineering broadly, more specifically two-phase flow and heat transfer. Although that is still pretty broad in itself

Ah, so alchemy!

Congrats on getting into your program, Emp, you’re going to kill it!

 

[Empoleon8771]

Ah, so alchemy!

Congrats on getting into your program, Emp, you’re going to kill it!

 

[LOGiK]

Mechanical engineering broadly, more specifically two-phase flow and heat transfer. Although that is still pretty broad in itself

Ahh cool.
An area that requires the difficult math's.

Only saying this because I kinda wish I could do math to be an elec/mech engineer... a past friend, no longer current friend, his father ran an engineering firm and they let me go on the commissioning jobs with them to do random stuff... checking the cad stuff and finding all the diffusers /and/or/ using a temp laser to check the temps on the diffusers (just odd stuff like that) on construction sites ... one was the bill gates tech center on cmu in pitt....

Ehh... only mentioning that stuff, which I talked to nubsy about before, because I thoroughly enjoyed that work. Very cool job... cool congrats.

***Man... how many engineers post on this site??? No wonder there are so many arguments / disagreements =P

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Bobby Eaton passed away...damn

 

[Big McLargehuge]

***Man... how many engineers post on this site??? No wonder there are so many arguments / disagreements =P

If math weren't my mortal enemy I'd have likely wound up chasing that path too

Ask me what I wanted to be when I was in 1st grade and I'd have either responded with hockey player or architect. To be fair the reasoning there is the same as the reason why I rooted for Penn State...I was oddly surrounded by Penn State alumni engineers growing up (next-door neighbors in both directions and a couple cousins). I was a builder as a kid. Not the kind that followed instructions, though. Give me a bucket of LEGO or K'Nex and a couple hours and I'd make some Frankenstein's monster of something or other.

As an adult this has mostly just manifested itself as a weird interest in engineering disasters...hey, at least I'm interested in the why and not the results. I'm the weirdo who has seen every episode of Mayday/Air Crash Investigation because I find knowing what could go wrong oddly comforting.

Congrats @Empoleon8771 for doing more than just talking about it

 

[AuroraBorealis]

This is like the 3rd driver I've had with an unfortunate name. This one taking the cake.
You have to wonder if the parents are trolling at this point.

Is it like this in your area too @Honour Over Glory?