Welcome to the Monoculture

[Zan]

Content removed.

Zan,
Is nobody's 2d class citizen.

[Bluenose]

Big Mac - meah.  A proper hamburger is made thusly:

Ingredients (for 6 burgers):
6 large flat real bread rolls (no sugar added) with or without sesame seeds (your choice)
500g good lean ground beef
2 large onions
garlic to taste
marjoram
generous dash of Worcestershire sauce
tomato ketchup
7 eggs
6 rashers of bacon
6 slices of cheese (proper cheese, preferably cheddar - definitely not that strange plastic stuff used by Maccas)
2-3 tomatoes, sliced
Sliced beetroot
Shredded lettuce (or my favourite, shredded cabbage)

To make the patties, finely chop one of the onions, add to the ground beef together with the marjoram, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and 2 teaspoons of ketchup and one of the eggs.  Mix by hand until well combined.  Divide into six equal pieces and shape each on into a ball.  I have never understood Maccas pride in their "all beef patties" - I want some other stuff in there.

Slice the other onion, and fry until it it is well browned, set aside on the edge of the hotplate.  Meanwhile to make each burger, place one ball of the meat mixture onto the hot plate and flatten with an egg lifter (or whatever) until it is the desired size (largely determined bu the size of your bread rolls).  Break an egg and place a rasher of the bacon onto the hotplate as well.  Slice the roll and toast the inside.  When the roll is ready, butter it and then place some of the shredded lettuce (or cabbage) on it, a slice of beetroot and tomato, seasoning with salt and papper.  Meanwhile when the pattie is cooked, put some of the fried onion on top and a little of the ketchup and then a slice of the cheese.  Turn the egg then shortly after place it on the pattie stack again seasoning with salt and pepper then place the bacon on top.  Place burger "stack" on to the prepared bread roll, place the top of the roll and enjoy.  A proper "hamburger with the lot", Aussie style.

[Zan]

Why do you hate America™?

ETA:  Will try that, though.

[Bluenose]

 

Oh no, America has brought many wonderful things to the world, its just that not many of them are culinary and definitely not included are hamburgers.


When you try them, remember one important thing.  A good hamburger is always messy to eat, as it tends to drip juices.  Neatness and good hamburgers are mutually exclusive, so be warned! 

[Zan]

This thread is now about hamburgers.

[Bluenose]

of course.  All in the best Toadfish Monastery tradtition.  Topic drift is our specialty.  Here, have a beer while we think about hamburgeres.

[Aggie]

I beg to differ - cities are often vibrant, funky places - moreso than small towns.   YES there is a monoculture ESPECIALLY in the suburbs, but any rapidly developed town-to-city will be more intensely monocultural than a city with a large population. I am speaking especially to food and beer selection here, in addition to big-box retailers.   And sorry, but in my experience, mom and pop diners are crap that offer the same homogenized 'western food*' everywhere (with the exception of a few gems, but you could go for hundreds of miles in any direction between them).  When you're the only game in town, you don't have to be on top of your game. 


_{*even the Chinese-run ones - there is no such thing as a small town or village in the Prairies without a Chinese restaurant, and it's equally unheard of for them to neglect to put the words "Western Cuisine" and "Licensed" on the sign to placate the locals who remain suspicious of 'foreign food' (none of which has ever been served in China).  At least with the Chinese restaurants, you stand a fighting chance of getting something that involves a decent serving of vegetables, and some aren't bad.  I spotted a throwback to this near my current apartment (in the city) from WAAAAAAY down the block - the sign said "WESTERN COFFEE SHOP" (they serve Chinese food).}

All speaking from the perspective of the gorram oil-boom feedlot flatlands (HELP! I AM TRAPPED ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROCKIES!), of course.


Besides, monoculture in farming, animal husbandry and brewing concerns me far more than stoking Let's Buy More Crap-ism by having interesting quality goods and services to shop for - it's damned easy to stay away from monoculture-malls, so I don't spend money at 'em.  Ditto for restaurants - no point to eat out in small towns (besides necessary sustenance when traveling for work), because I can cook everything then can better and for less money.  Even in the city we only really eat at restaurants that serve food we can't cook for around $10 per meal, per person. 

Turn me loose in Seoul (for example) and I'll burn through piles of cash, because the quality-to-price ratio is amazing and there are millions of micro-entrepreneurs that you'd LIKE to support, with actual variety - you need to buy on the spot because you may never see that particular item again (I'm thinking specifically about clothing and shoes here - HATE shopping for wearables in North Amrika but go on shopping sprees there - in fact, I will NOT buy things for a year or more here to restock my wardrobe there).

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I dunno.

If you look, you can still find mom & pop stores.  Such as gun dealers, real gunsmiths, mechanics who have either their own, their father's or some uncle's name on the sign outside.

For the longest time, we had a cheese shop, that specialized in Wisconsin real dairy cheeses; sadly, they put their fine establishment in a stilted small town that had been raised to think velveeta was the height of cheesiness.  But other shops abide in other towns not so blind.

We have a local meat shop that was old when *I* was in High School-- still considered to be the best steak shop in the tri-state area.

We have local eateries, too:  my favorite steak shop is simply called Eddie's.   It's literally off to one side, and you'd miss it, if you didn't know it was there-- the "atmosphere" is a cinder-block building with worn carpet, and roughly painted walls.

But.  Real tablecloths on the mish-mash collection of tables and chairs.   Real stainless flatware-- no plastic here.  Real glass, real china.  And the best steaks I've even had.  Ever.   And?  I've met the actual cook (no chefs here).  Yes, his name is Eddie, and he's older'n the bible.  His older brother is the sort of head waiter-- and yes, he actually waits on you--   The menu is simple:  steak or seafood?   The steak choices are 3.  Pick one-- loosely based on size.  Seafood?  Whatever's in season this week.  Take it or leave it-- but if you take it, you'll not be disappointed.

For the most part, I purchase my firearms from pawn shops I've developed a relationship with-- no chainstores.  Shops who's owner still holds down the fort, and knows his best customers by name.   There's two or three.  The local gunsmith owns his own shop, too.  He'll happily spend a minute or an hour talking shop.  Advice is free-- he never seems to mind talking himself out of work-- he knows, if you need *real* smithing, you'll bring it to him.  

My mechanics are much the same-- they don't bother to advertise.  No need:  they are more than busy enough to keep their employees active, by referral and repeat business.  My favorite one isn't even in Tulsa, but about 8 miles north, in a small town, in a shop his father started.  He's not the guy to go to, if you need it fixed today, however-- one or two weeks wait *before* he can get to yours, is common.  Yet?  People are more than willing to wait.... why is obvious.

Diners, joints, local mechanics not under a chain-name?  They exist-- if you look.   Heck:  my favorite lawn mower shop has such an odd name, I can't pronounce it, let alone spell it-- and it's out of the way to get to, yet?  I wouldn't take my business anywhere else.

They rarely advertise-- no need.  People find them, and remain loyal, even if money is an issue.  Quality over quick, most of the time, always works.

Sure, I eat at McDonalds, if I need to refuel.  That's what it is:  a pit stop, topping up my tanks, no more.  It won't make me sick (in moderation), it will taste the same as last time-- adequate-- no surprises.   And it's cheap-- it won't break my budget.

That being said?  If one takes the time to ferret them out?  The local mom & pop shops are out there...

[Bluenose]

I live in Melbourne.  One of the characteristics of this city is that it is a very diverse place.  On the food front we have a tradition of excellent restaurants of all descriptions.  In fact, unless your restaurant is very good it will not last long here - we don't see why we should pay good money for cr*p when we can just go down the street a few doors and get something fabulous.  This food culture works right out into the suburbs, sure, there are a few sad cases, but but we are spoiled for choice and it is not hard to find something good.  We have benefitted from successive waves of immigrants starting post WWII (we have always had a significant Chinese population since at least the early to mid noneteenth century) with Italians and  Greeks (I believe we have the highest Greek population outside of Athens) followed up by various eatern european people, especially from the Balkans, then the Vietnamese in the late 70s and early 80s, Lebanese and other middle eaastern immigrants in more recent years and latelya significant number of African people especially of late from Sudan.  All these people have added to the mix and expanded out culinary landscape.  Many immigrants become successful business people or enter public life.  until just recently the Mayor of the City of Melbourne (the municipality for the CBD and very close in areas) was a chinese Australian John So.  (there was a rap song written - John So he's our bro)  There are significant groups of Indian, other Asian countries, the Pacific islands and (unfortunately) New Zealand.  

The idea of multi culturalism is simply a way of life here and I cannot conceive of what it would be like to livein a uniform society without all this wonderful diversity.  I don't think we are in any danger soon of "American Imperialism" taking over.  On the contrary, we tend to simply pick the eyes out things and we take and use what we want from your export culture and add our own flavour to it.  Sure, ther is way toomuch CSI on TV.  But that's OK, I don;t watch it.  (I prefer Silent Witness, anyday.)

This is not Utopia, we have our problems.  Lately there have been a few incidents of racial attack against Indian students.  Not all the attacks that have been reported as such were racially based, I admit, but that is not the point.  The average Melbournian has reacted with horror that a few of our number have indulged in this sort of thing.  I am however pleased in a way that even when the attackers were perpetrated by young men from non-caucasian ethinc backgounds, they were not identified assuch, they were simply called young men.  Although this distinction would likely be lost on those thugs, it is a good thing that we can see past such trivia as skin colour etc.

[Aggie]

For the longest time, we had a cheese shop, that specialized in Wisconsin real dairy cheeses; sadly, they put their fine establishment in a stilted small town that had been raised to think velveeta was the height of cheesiness.  But other shops abide in other towns not so blind.

LOL, velveeta is distinguished primarily by the fact that it melts into an indistinguishable, homogeneous mass with little effort.  That mindset applies to more than cheese.

We have local eateries, too:  my favorite steak shop is simply called Eddie's.   It's literally off to one side, and you'd miss it, if you didn't know it was there-- the "atmosphere" is a cinder-block building with worn carpet, and roughly painted walls.

LOL, at one of my favorite local restaurants (Cantonese) the highlight of my meal is if they bring a whole pig carcass up from the basement and carry it through the dining room on the way to the kitchen.

[Zan]

of course.  All in the best Toadfish Monastery tradtition.  Topic drift is our specialty.  Here, have a beer while we think about hamburgeres.

Well, according to my religion, it isn't possible to gain Slack unless you have the perfect cheeseburger.  Problem:  You need Slack to FIND the perfect cheeseburger.

[Griffin NoName]

London's diversity has been somewhat crushed by congestion charging. It's hell for small businesses. It's going to be abolished for West London but they say it won't happen for another 18 months which I don't understand as all they need to do is stop charging money.

I live in a part of London where there is a good diversity of shops. Trouble is I can't afford anything in them.

The next thing to hit us is residents parking to stop commuter parking which is great except we will have to pay for permits. There's no problem with parking except for the commuters so in effect we will be paying a tax. They could just ban parking for an hour or two in the morning, that'd hit the commuters, but wouldn't get the council any money.

[Zan]

London's diversity has been somewhat crushed by congestion charging. It's hell for small businesses. It's going to be abolished for West London but they say it won't happen for another 18 months which I don't understand as all they need to do is stop charging money.

I live in a part of London where there is a good diversity of shops. Trouble is I can't afford anything in them.

The next thing to hit us is residents parking to stop commuter parking which is great except we will have to pay for permits. There's no problem with parking except for the commuters so in effect we will be paying a tax. They could just ban parking for an hour or two in the morning, that'd hit the commuters, but wouldn't get the council any money.

Solution:  "Oliver Cromwell" the council, and get on with things.

[Bluenose]

Solution:  "Oliver Cromwell" the council, and get on with things.

Actually, I  would think it might be more effective to "Charles the First" them.   

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

As time passes I see the concepts of economy and society more and more like ecosystems, you get some dominant species that flourish under the current environment, others perish or are close to extinction, and others fill ecological niches, thus having a relatively diverse ecosystem.

The McDonalds and Starbucks are the rats and roaches of this ecosystem, others like the Walmarts are perhaps like the ubiquitous farm cows, etc, etc. The interesting thing is that despite the competition a significant amount of local fauna survives despite the invaders, precisely because they are best suited to survive in their local environments.

Certainly in some cases the local fauna is overrun by the invaders to extinction (akin to what happened in many islands and prominently in New Zealand) and the cultural homogenization doesn't help, but for the most part this processes are progressive enough for us not notice them immediately.

OTOH, I do see globalization as something inexorable that will likely transform us into a macro-culture populated with sub and micro-cultures within a relatively homogeneous framework. This isn't something you can fight as you don't stop the tide from coming, unless we want to stop boats, planes, telephones and that pesky internet thingy, so, get used to it.