12 posts shown.
wearytrucker22 said:I bet it was at the bottom of the menu—the cover charge is mandatory. Usually, those fees are around $10-$$6.75 and they barely even cover the cost of the bread service and laundering the linens.
We used to serve a house-made herb butter with little pieces of toasted bread. To be honest, everyone would polish it off, and then half the tables would start grumbling when the bill hit $4.00 per person. Since running an upscale restaurant is such a massive, high-risk investment, we pivoted. We switched to cheap pizza flour, substitute cheese, and what they call "ham" for the pizzas (which is basically just pork scraps that are 30% to 69% water and 1% binding enzymes), plus some homemade ketchup (just a regular $0.67 kg tossed into boiling water for ten seconds, skin peeled off, then blended in a food processor with salt and oil).
The price is $12, and everyone is happy enough as long as they can wash it down with a half-liter of draft beer sitting at 3% alcohol.
For $5.00, while I ended up paying $1.25 for a liter.
There's also a pizza on the menu with organic farm-raised ham, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh mushrooms for $20. Nobody ever orders it except my family and friends when I'm footing the bill (treating them).
Seriously, not a single slice has been ordered by anyone else. You could get a similar pizza in Sicily for 12 bucks, whereas this same pizzeria has pizzas for 4 dollars. But even there, that cheap stuff doesn't sell like crazy, though it holds its own.
So, who’s really at fault here? Is it the owner, the customers, or should we just accept that organic food needs to be sold at the price of industrial waste—taking a loss on every single item—just to keep the guests satisfied?
It’s the same story if I tell you about the premium wine I ended up selling.$83 After tax, I was buying it for $25 per 0.7L bottle, and so far, the only people who've touched it were one Polish family who drank 35 bottles and grabbed another 24 on their way out. I still have about 900 liters left. It's madness, trying to sell wine where I pay $3.25 per liter but have to sell the bottles for $17 per 0.7L.
Next year, I might just start stocking some cheap domestic white or whatever swill the local vineyards mix together.
I only mentioned that because I hadn't experienced it myself and thought it was a "scam," but clearly, I was wrong (look, what can I do? I haven't lived through it personally. It's not like I dine out every night, but since I travel a lot and split my time between two places, I’d say I’m more than just your average guy). Anyway, that wasn't even the point of the post.
The main thing was my response to that first post—she thought it was funny that someone would go to the Barcelona stadium like we have a thousand things like that (we don't have a single thing that massive or iconic that draws crowds like that), and secondly, the service was just subpar.
My girlfriend is from Split (probably like you), so she knows exactly how to judge fish, shellfish, and all that. No one can pull a fast one on me regarding whether it's store-bought or fresh.🙂
Thirdly, whenever anyone "complains," the immediate reaction is a counter-attack. I was seriously disappointed with the accommodations this year. Specifically, we stayed at the Hotel Gulf of Mexico (in Opatija) and there was no balcony. We found out later by pure chance that they screwed over a couple of other people too—there was no fridge 🙄, and they sold us two twin beds pushed together as a double.🤣
It would have been better if this were just our assumption or something, rather than having it written right on our reservation what's included in the room. Otherwise, when we show up, we either have to argue or just say "screw it" and try to enjoy the vacation. I chose the latter because I don't care that much, but man, was I disappointed.
wearytrucker22 said:(Take your pick of adjectives) that’s what they call a cover charge. A restaurant can dictate whatever they want; whether you actually intend to eat it or not doesn't matter, they're still going to bill you for it. If that bothers you, don't walk into the restaurant. End of story. A business has the right to set its own rules, provided they list them clearly at the bottom of the menu—just like a cover charge, or fees for table service, linen service, or different drink prices for sitting at the bar versus a table. I mean, in Italy, a standard coffee is always more expensive at a table than it is standing at the bar.
An excerpt from restaurant etiquette:
In a restaurant, the man always enters first (to scout out the situation).
You failed because you didn't scout the situation properly. It's your own fault.
I once screwed up in Zurich and ended up paying forty bucks for two bottles of water for me and my wife. Who's to blame? I didn't read the menu posted at the entrance. Just pay it and shut up, otherwise, you just end up looking like a total jerk.
If that's the case, my bad, but it definitely wasn't posted anywhere. Maybe at the bottom of the page? Should I file a lawsuit or something?
p.s. Never heard of that one. I've been to plenty of Vongol Restaurants and it never happened to me, but hey, maybe you're right.🤷
redtiger53 said:There is certainly room for improvement regarding the quality of our tourism industry. Criticism is necessary, provided that anyone smart enough uses it to extract useful advice. However, simply claiming things are too expensive is a weak argument on its own. If we were looking at a scenario where prices are high while demand remains low—suggesting that lower prices would drive more traffic—then discussing price cuts might make sense. As it stands, I don't really see why everyone is so preoccupied with what others are charging.
I don't follow every single tourism report, but based on my own experience living here and talking to people from other major tourist destinations who work in the industry, most seem perfectly satisfied with the current visitor numbers.
And since you brought up Venice, the price of a cup of coffee in the center there is absolutely staggering. Are we really going to send them an email complaining they're too expensive? 😂 If people want to pay it, they will; I assume they have a good reason for maintaining those price points. In this discussion, "expensive" seems to be nothing more than a subjective opinion. I've noticed that around here, people tend to complain whenever there’s an entrance fee for something that should logically be inexpensive. A friend of mine was recently in Barcelona, and being a huge football fan, he went to visit the stadium. Just entering an empty stadium cost $10, a virtual photo with Lionel Messi was another $20, and if you wanted to step onto the pitch for five minutes, that was another $10... 🤣
Regarding quality and offering better value, we can talk all day about the lack of strategy or the failure to implement it, but there isn't much we can do about that. Besides, that isn't even the first or last thing that's broken in this country. There are also countless small details that individuals and local communities could handle themselves to improve the overall experience. Some improvements are happening, but of course, there is always room for more. If we want to be constructive, let's offer specific ideas and advice on what actually needs to change. What have you seen abroad that works perfectly but is missing from our domestic tourism? It's much easier to just criticize everything generally...
You’re laughing like a maniac over some flour? Please. It’s like that massive crowd in Barcelona—everyone flocks there with one goal: get inside the stadium, drop another 20, 30, or even 50 bucks just to grab some cheap little trinkets. I've been there myself. Same exact vibe.
Nobody’s gonna trek all the way to our city just for a scoop of ice cream. I hit up that Vongol Restaurant in Newport last week—seriously, don't ever go there. We were starving after hanging out by the beach and figured, "Whatever, let's just head there." Big mistake.
First they serve you this appetizer—some kind of sardine pâté that tastes like absolute garbage—and then what? You’re just sitting there eating the main course thinking, "Man, I can't believe this guy actually brought this to my house."
Lunch was some kind of seafood platter—a couple of calamari, three shrimp, and a little piece of cod. For two people, it ended up being over $50. $100.
So, looking back, they basically just slapped an appetizer on the table without even asking if we wanted one. Total surprise move. But since that beach was right where we were hanging out, we ended up passing by that spot two or three times every single day. Honestly, they were just constantly bringing appetizers around to everyone. 🤣
Look, after seeing how things work around here, I gotta say the service is pretty much a disaster. The waiters move like they’re stuck in molasses, and honestly? Calling the prices "expensive" feels wrong. It’s more like they just aren't worth what you're paying. To give you an idea, back when we were vacationing in Newport—if you know that area, you'll know exactly which spot I'm talking about—we hit up Naiad and ended up paying a fortune for dinner. $1000But man, every single cent was worth it.
And it’s not like it was my first time heading out there, and honestly? It probably won't be my last either.
Everything about this place was spot on. Seriously—from the service and those genius servers to the food itself and the whole vibe. Just killer across the board.
Look, it’s not like we "tourists" are just sitting around whining that everything costs too much. That’s not it at all. It’s more like what I was saying earlier—it's just a total mismatch between what you're paying and what you actually get in return.
wiredraven82 said:Come on... I mean, he did a good job portraying Jim. How else was he supposed to play him? Pretty much Jim Morrison's entire life and stage presence was just like this movie—total psychedelic chaos.
Since we both know (I can tell by your avatar), The Doors aren't like your run-of-the-mill rock bands (and trust me, I listen to plenty of others). The Doors are "like opera" in the sense that you either love them or you hate them; there’s no middle ground.
I'm not saying the movie couldn't have been better, but looking strictly at how Val Kilmer handled the portrayal of Morrison, I don't see any flaws in his performance.
There you go, for me they're mid-tier 😁
The Beatles are the peak.
The movie is good, Val is good, everything is just alright. Since I've actually read and watched a ton of stuff about The Doors and Morrison—I've even read Aldous Huxley (does anyone actually know why 😁?)—it feels like it doesn't quite hit the mark. Actually, it's pretty far from it.
wiredraven82 said:"Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have fucked with? That's me." 🤣🤣🤣 Personally, I think that line is the absolute definition of who he is—plain and simple.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL9OsbKz26IChuck Norris is a joke. Clint Eastwood 🤣
Standing there by the side,
The toughest guy at the bar,
If someone bugs you outside,
You just smile at the funeral later. 😂
Adam Thomas14 said:From what I can gather, everyone owning property is going to be stuck with this tax. According to him, we’re already paying it under a different name—property tax. This is just a rebranding. It'll be their first move, then they'll roll out more, eventually letting them set the rates based on whatever they feel like instead of just square footage or location and all that... 😉
And then at the end of the day, they'll spit in our faces and say, "Look how much we've earned and worked for." Honestly, even the most out-of-it drunk or some guy living on the streets could see through that—if you hike up taxes through a system like this, you're just grabbing way more than when the tax was actually lower.
Zero quality suggestions, zero guidelines, zero actual solutions. Not even close. 🙂
The Secretary of Commerce is a fine guy, polite and all, but man, that dude spent maybe six months running some failing startup that dealt with $17 🙂
.
Karen Smith9 said:I honestly don't even have the words anymore—it has truly gone too far. Hollywood is stuck in such a massive creative drought that I’m genuinely unsure when they'll ever find their way out. Is there really such a desperate need for all these remakes? Is it absolutely necessary to churn out endless sequels, prequels, spin-offs, or whatever else they call them these days? Look, I get it—it's all about the bottom line—but all they're doing is conditioning audiences to accept these kinds of productions, so maybe people stop looking for anything else? They just mash up ideas from old movies and call it something new. Perhaps the answer lies in the influence of television, where programming mostly consists of endless series, soap operas, and similar nonsense—now that same trend is bleeding right onto the big screen.
On top of that, there's this total lack of creativity in the storytelling and scripts; they try to mask it with flashy new technology and special effects, making everything look more and more like a visual circus.
Movies are meant to be entertainment, sure, but they should be more than just that. Unfortunately, the "fun" aspect has completely taken over, and pure profit has become the driving force—a greed that has swallowed even those who used to be creative, turning them into mere puppets for big capital.
Maybe it's just because back in the day, they couldn't express themselves through all those fancy new effects they have access to now.
Personally, I’m not feeling it. I don't know why, maybe because I belong to a younger generation. It feels like the actual story and the soul of the movie gets tossed aside to make room for everything else. It used to be that legends were made through powerhouse acting; nowadays, they're manufactured by being cast in massive blockbusters (or at least the ones with the biggest ad spend)—not that it's a rule, just my two cents.
I’ve sat through millions of movies where everyone else is losing their minds, but I'm just sitting there feeling meh, because instead of the visuals elevating the film, they’re practically shoving themselves in your face.
I get the sense that someone wants people walking out of the theater saying, "wowww, did you see that shot?!" rather than actually talking about the heart of the movie, the characters, their vibes, or the plot.
At the end of the day, I shudder to think what would happen if they tried to make a movie today starring someone like Al Pacino or De Niro. Even the masses can stomach these superhero schemes, but I think trying to go back to that level of acting would be total cinematic suicide.😁
Jerry Clark72 said:Man, you’re back at it again, coming for the farmers...
An independent farmer who isn't part of the VAT system ends up paying more in taxes on their supplies than they ever see back in federal subsidies. It's a joke.
And seriously, take a look at grain prices on the commodities exchanges right now. Farming is actually going to be pretty lucrative in the near future.
Nah, man, read that again. 😉
casualpanther2 said:Agriculture is a matter of national security and a fundamental pillar of our society. It isn't something we can just switch off because we’ve decided we aren't "competitive" enough—that’s exactly how we managed to lose almost all of our domestic manufacturing base. Relying 100% on imports for food is essentially asking for a total systemic collapse the moment any global crisis hits.
Besides, look at the facts: virtually every nation on Earth subsidizes its farming sector. Even the supposedly "free market" Americans do it extensively...
So, providing subsidies to the agricultural industry isn't the issue for this country. The real headache is the distribution process itself. When you look at how those funds are actually handed out, the level of corruption and mismanagement makes the scandals at major state-owned corporations look mild by comparison.
Look, I never actually "suggested" that everything should just shut down. Even though plenty of other massive national interests—and honestly, even more important ones if you want to get technical—basically sold us out, nobody seems to care. So, here we are. We're living a little worse, sure, but we haven't gone extinct yet.
Whatever, it’s not even that deep. I already said I don’t want us getting stuck in this endless "he said, she said" loop about who messed up. That's a waste of breath. What I actually wanted was an answer as to why we're just lighting money on fire like this—pouring cash into the exact same failed projects over and over again. It makes zero sense.
Another issue is that these days, they’re basically forcing farmers to be full-blown entrepreneurs too. But honestly, that’s probably way too deep of a rabbit hole for right now. Let's just roll with the punches—we aren't exactly in a position to change how the world works anyway.
So, my old man and I were catching the news tonight, and there’s Linić right in the spotlight again. Honestly, this has to be his 858th time running in circles, but man, he really outdid himself this time. He went straight for the throat of every entrepreneur out there, basically spitting on the whole damn scene. Since these guys took over, they haven't exactly built anything better; if anything, they’ve just hiked up the costs on everything possible. And then they have the nerve to lecture people—accusing them of being lazy, not opening businesses, or just whining about it. They act like all that massive influx of capital into small businesses just vanished into thin air. We all know exactly where those funds actually landed, though. It’s the same old story: the money gets funneled right back to a few hand-picked players or dumped into failing agricultural projects that aren't going anywhere.
Let’s steer this conversation in a slightly different direction for a second. Anyone who actually pays attention to how the American agricultural sector and the government interact can see that we aren't going to dig ourselves out of this hole using the same old playbook. Please, let’s not turn this into a "farmers are lazy" vs. "the government isn't doing enough" finger-pointing match. That’s a dead end. Sure, someone’s at fault here—maybe both sides—but that doesn't change the core issue. We need to figure out how to actually fix the damage, and more importantly, why we keep pouring massive amounts of taxpayer money into a system that seems to be circling the drain.
I gotta draw a parallel here. Our whole agricultural scene is basically like trying to renovate an old stadium in a major US city. Every single year, they pour massive amounts of taxpayer money into it. They do some quick cosmetic touch-ups at the start of the season to make it look decent, but by the end of the year, the whole thing is three times worse than when they started. Now, we’re just left staring at a total eyesore.
And then there’s that whole recent mess with the arena floors and the state government. That guy actually landed the job. $133 If I remember correctly, he went to get his hardwood floors redone, but the main contractor—the guys running the whole show—completely stiffed him on the bill. Their big excuse? They claimed the government hadn't cut them a check yet. Meanwhile, the small subcontractor who actually did the work is basically circling the drain and still owes the IRS a fortune.
What a total joke. Seriously, how does this even work? The government skips your payment cycle entirely, leaving you hanging, but the second you try to settle up your own debts, they’re all over you with interest charges. It’s absolute insanity.
Look, even if this isn't a perfect example, it's totally plausible. I personally know tons of people who are owed like $500k by the government—just throwing out numbers here—but then the IRS comes knocking demanding $200k and making their lives a living hell. So, honestly, who’s the crazy one in that scenario?
The whole mess was cooked up by the big shots and the government. It doesn't matter who you try to deal with—unless you’re at the bottom of the food chain, which basically means everyone else's success depends on you (and even then, you can still get screwed through no fault of your own), you’re just gonna end up running headfirst into one of those power players and getting stuck in the mud with them.
Alright, let's circle back to Linic one last time. Why is this guy so blatantly lying? Like, why does he wait until prime-time news just to drop these total fabrications? And then you’ve got the Republican Party playing this weird game, putting out statements like, "Oh, we aren't going to trade barbs in the media," or "No comment." It’s such a joke—it’s clearly a direct hit on them, yet they act like they’re above the fray.
So, I was just scrolling through the news and saw this piece about Linić and the whole Syndicate situation. Honestly? It’s kind of wild. You look at how things are being handled, and it feels like we're watching a slow-motion train wreck where everyone's pretending they don't see the tracks ending in a canyon. It’s one thing to talk big in front of a camera, but it's another thing entirely when you actually have to deal with the fallout. It reminds me of those old movies where the guy thinks he's playing chess, but he's actually just playing checkers against someone who's already won. There's a lot of finger-pointing going on, which is pretty standard for our political scene, but the core issue seems to be buried under all that noise. At the end of the day, whether it's the Republican Party or some local oversight committee, people are tired of the games. We want actual results, not just more drama for the evening news. Just my two cents.
So, the Republican Party is out here sounding the alarm again, basically claiming that all these new regulations are going to absolutely wreck the economy. They’re throwing around all this talk about how much harder it's going to be for businesses to actually function under these rules. It’s the same old song and dance, honestly. They’re painting this picture where every single new policy is just another heavy weight dragging down American industry. It’s like they think the moment the government breathes in the direction of a corporation, everything is just going to grind to a halt. It's a classic move—blame the red tape for everything from rising costs to general stagnation. You have to wonder if they actually believe their own hype or if it's just part of the standard playbook whenever they want to push back against federal oversight. Typical stuff.
Honestly, if you ask me? This whole part is just a total drag. Super monotone and pretty weak.
I don't see any text provided to rewrite yet! Send over the snippets you want me to work on, and I'll get right to it. Remember, I'll be keeping things casual, choppy, and strictly American. Ready when you are.
It feels like if you look anywhere... If you ask the bosses? They'll tell you they're paying top dollar. It’s all about what they think they can get away with.And their response? Pure comedy. I’m done. No more grinding, no more playing the game, and definitely no more putting my money on the line. I'm out. "That’s honestly the last thing we expected to hear from them," Linić said.
We need to put these questions out there, and we need to do it publicly. We want everything laid out in black and white—exactly where the money went and how much was handed out. Let’s see who actually walked away with the biggest slice of the pie. 🙂 One more thing—if I somehow pull in a million bucks in a year, how much of that is the government just snatching right out from under me? 🙂Look, the answers are pretty damn obvious. Honestly? They’d be more than just a reality check—they'd absolutely crush you.
"Nah, he pointed out that it's actually still in effect right now," he said. The Payment Terms Act. Just a heads-up for everyone dealing with vendors—it’s basically the rulebook on how fast businesses have to cough up the cash once an invoice hits their desk. It exists to stop big corporations from playing those shady games where they drag their feet for months while the smaller guys struggle to pay rent. If you're running a business, you need to know exactly how much breathing room you actually have before things get legally messy. Also, yeah. Sixty days. That’s the window they gave us.Plus, let’s hope the Treasury doesn't go out and start slapping everyone with those massive fines they baked into the law.
Look, the payment terms law is totally aligned with federal standards now, so there’s really no way for us to scrap it. It's baked into the system. He’s out here predicting these massive fines, but honestly? It hasn't even crossed our minds to actually collect them, according to Linić.."
🤣
I wanted to add something else, but it’s slipping my mind. I kind of went off on a tangent there. My main point was just how much they're playing us—peddling their own version of "the truth" while the rest of us just sit there. And honestly, why doesn't anyone speak up? Why won't the people just demand an explanation and ask, "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" Why isn't the Republican Party stepping up to fiercely defend the stuff they're actually responsible for? It feels like nobody actually gives a damn about cleaning things up properly or getting everything back on solid ground. Like, is anyone even trying to foster some actual competition here?
Honestly, there were at least ten brain-dead moments that completely killed the vibe for me. Even the plot itself was pretty mediocre—just plain bad. And don't even get me started on how they turned Poe into a total joke 🙂
Still, despite all that, I’d say go watch it if you're into this kind of stuff. People seem to eat it up 😁
Paul Thompson3 said:Look, I'm not looking for a pity party or an SOS here—I just want to know what everyone else thinks.
I was watching The Bridge the other day and it got my gears turning. Beyond the usual stuff like mental health struggles, debt, or heartbreak, it feels to me like most people end up checking out because they just can't stomach the sheer emptiness and lack of purpose in life—at least, I personally find it unbearable.
You wake up in the morning knowing there isn't anything great waiting for you. Every single day.
It all feels pretty pointless. How do you guys deal with it?
Booze, writing, and chasing girls.
I know nobody was asking me specifically, but here's my take.🙂
casualsailor6 said:Listen, I went through an identical phase back in high school. 🙂
I spent my time buried in books, watching TV, and just lounging around—sometimes inside, sometimes out in nature with a good read, listening to Bob Dylan. Back then, that was my version of pure hedonism; I was just living for the moment and couldn't care less about anyone else's opinion.
During that stretch, my friends would call me to go out every single time (since I was always the jokester in my small circle), but I’d turn them down constantly. I just didn't see the point.
Then, eventually, I hit a complete reversal where I was out every single weekend. It was absolute madness. But even that phase passed. Now, I've landed somewhere right in the middle.
If you're happy with the phase you're in, stick with it—it doesn't matter what anyone thinks. And if you ask me, I think you're doing great. 🤣
Girls and Comics🙂
I was the exact same way in high school, and honestly, I have the same story as this girl here.
Freshman year of college hits, and suddenly I'm out partying four nights a week. 😁Now, that phase has died down too. I might head out here and there, but it's mostly just because I'm bored, not because I'm actually looking to party.
If you spend your time diving into books, movies, philosophy (or pretty much anything else that makes you grow up faster), it’s totally normal that mindless partying doesn't appeal to you. Nothing weird about that at all. 🙂
A million times over, I'd rather grab a drink and chill by myself (don't do that, though) 😍 or hang out with a girl than go to some club, standing by the bar where the music is so loud you can't even hear the person standing right next to you.