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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   12339 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 3, 2026

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There's really nothing to this. You're comparing a nostalgia-tinged view of your childhood to your current situation where you're the adult, and finding the former to be better. With no numbers, so it's all vibes.

Here's the kicker: My father was an individual contributor, software developer. I am a Director-level at a mid-market software company; This isn't title inflation, I manage an org of about 25, including multiple layers of leadership.

Yes, software is a funny field that way; an IC in the right place can make more than a middle-manager elsewhere.

As for burritos, a steak burrito in Midtown Manhattan is $13.50. Not $20.

No, I'm not. I know the numbers, Im just not going to write an autobiography here. Again, I am very close to a natural experiment. I know what cost what then and now. No I'm not going to deanonymize myself to show my reciepts.

As for burritos, a steak burrito in Midtown Manhattan is $13.50. Not $20.

Holy fuck. way to just do the meme.

'Tsk.Tsk. Afforability is fine.' - is going to bring us DSA rule, and fuck it, we deserve it because of this shit.

'Tsk.Tsk. Afforability is fine.' - is going to bring us DSA rule, and fuck it, we deserve it because of this shit.

The DSA is dealing in unreality. I am not a politician and would prefer not to. That you perceive a problem, or that a lot of people perceive a problem, does not mean that problem is even real, let alone that it looks like what they claim (see also: food deserts). That's true even if someone can get power and wreck everything by promising to solve the problem. In this case referring to "do the meme" is just a new way of engaging in the fallacy of poisoning the well; that you can anticipate the response does not mean the response is incorrect.

That surprises me. It’s around $12 where I am, and I want to believe my cost of living is further from NYC.

DFW is a surprisingly expensive fast(or fast-casual) food market nationally.

Coastal California here and there's no way I'm getting a steak burrito for less than $16; $20 totally normal especially after tax.

Now, machaca burrito will be a couple dollars less, but not worth the savings IMO.

Chipotle charges $15.60 plus tax for a steak burrito (with guac) in my part of coastal California. A place I like in SF charges $16.25. You can hit $20 with various additions but it's on the high side of things.

My favorite spot is a particular truck (Las Pencas) in Daly City, can get a solid veggie burrito for $12 (no promises about whether the refried beans have some pork products in them, though, depending on how strict you are).

The downfall of 99% of veg burritos is that they replace the meat with lettuce instead of a veg protein and Las Pencas is in the same boat.

Hah, as another vegetarian, I prefer replacement of meat with lettuce over tofu or some meat substitute.

As an omnivore, if you're going to replace the meat, please use some sort of beans. Beans as found in nature, not processed into tofu.

"you can't press the beans into bricks, okay?? You just can't!"

Not a Chipotle enjoyer, generally, and when I go I don't get a burrito but I believe you.

Where do you like in SF? I find that the tortilla matters more than almost any other particular.

I've been a vegetarian for a number of years now so I can't speak to the meat options, but the veg burritos at Senor Sisig are quite good.

Ah -- yeah, haven't cared for them the couple times I've tried, but that mainly did have to do with their, uh, take on meat. The 'tocino' was particularly egregious. Can totally believe their veggie options are good.

As for burritos, a steak burrito in Midtown Manhattan is $13.50. Not $20.

Man, I didn't think my area was higher cost than that. Granted, I deliberately looked at the trendiest place I could find.

A steak burrito runs $16.25 (cauliflower burrito would start at just under $15), and adding guac & salsa would bump it above $20. Place down the street doesn't offer steak burritos, but it does have two beef burritos served with sides of rice and beans for $17. Also a full restaurant on main street with bowls that can be turned into burritos, a steak burrito will run you $28. But presumably we're not talking sit-down establishments here.

I picked a Chipotle I've been to as a benchmark; certainly you can get fancier burritos than that.

Ah. $12.15 for the basic steak burrito from the Chipotle, then.

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