Write a controversial opinion

[MelissaBaby]

Isn’t the traditional Italian pizza based on olive oil and garlic anyway? Adding a mandatory tomato flavor at the bottom strikes me as an American invention, and it’s equally weird as putting ketchup on top.

The original modern pizza in Naples was topped with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Red, white and green, the colors of the Italian flag, in honor of a visit by Queen Margherita.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

If it is, hopefully over there there are a bunch of neopolitan ice cream cartons with 1 flavor all scooped out and the others ignored as well

Not popular since the 1980s, when we learned (along with Adam in Good Omens) that there were flavours other than chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. To be fair, there were also coffee, raspberry ripple and mint choc chip, if you were fancy.

Late 80s, Haagen-Dazs and then B&J came along. There were a few Baskin-Robbins, but they never took off beyond a few cinemas and one shop at Waterloo Station, and have now vanished, sadly.

One odd thing about HD and B&J is they've never sold mint choc chip here, when it's the 4th most popular flavour.

 

[AwkwardMD]

The original pizza was invented by Michael Pizza. He was trying to improve on the design of the three-wheeled bicycle (importantly, not a tricycle). The mixture was supposed to be a lightweight and load bearing frame element when cured, but he added flour instead of white phosphorus (a perfectly reasonable mistake) and it turned out delicious.

source: ChatGPT

 

[Kumquatqueen]

And just because the Winter story contest kicked off today, and there is major controversy each year in my household ... I never decorate for Christmas until after the American Thanksgiving.

People decorate before that??

No home decorations until December, thank you. Now that trees hold their needles longer (and sell out by the 15th), I'll happily decorate in early December rather than the week before Christmas, but not before that. One advantage of Halloween becoming more commercialised here is it holds off the Christmas stuff in shops until 1 November.

And of course decorations are taken down on 5 January, not because of Epiphany but because then the council come round to take your tree away for recycling.


Music controversy: I prefer Cathy Dennis' Waterloo Sunset to the original.

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

Ronnie James Dio was a better Black Sabbath vocalist than Ozzy (RIP), but Melody Cristea of Liliac outshines them both.

 

[Erozetta]

As an accomplished weirdo, I like taco pizza. Refried beans and taco sauce for the base, piled with cheese, lettuce shreds, diced tomato, a few jalapeño pepper slices. Some put taco beef or chicken on it, but meat makes it too heavy and oily for me.

My favorite is spinach, onion, bell pepper, mushroom, and feta over a seasoned ricotta base topped with fresh mozzarella, basil, and enough garlic to kill a family of vampires. Pillowy crust with crunchy edges, baked until the cheese is brown not golden, and cut into squares.

 

[StillStunned]

The original modern pizza in Naples was topped with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Red, white and green, the colors of the Italian flag, in honor of a visit by Queen Margherita.

One of the worst pizzas I ever had was in Naples.

 

[alohadave]

Ronnie James Dio was a better Black Sabbath vocalist than Ozzy (RIP), but Melody Cristea of Liliac outshines them both.

Being a better a better singer than Ozzy is a really low bar.

 

[Statius]

People decorate before that??

No home decorations until December, thank you. Now that trees hold their needles longer (and sell out by the 15th), I'll happily decorate in early December rather than the week before Christmas, but not before that. One advantage of Halloween becoming more commercialised here is it holds off the Christmas stuff in shops until 1 November.

And of course decorations are taken down on 5 January, not because of Epiphany but because then the council come round to take your tree away for recycling.


Music controversy: I prefer Cathy Dennis' Waterloo Sunset to the original.

From Michigan here. Christmas stuff was in stores 2 weeks before Holloween.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

People decorate before that??

No home decorations until December, thank you. Now that trees hold their needles longer (and sell out by the 15th), I'll happily decorate in early December rather than the week before Christmas, but not before that. One advantage of Halloween becoming more commercialised here is it holds off the Christmas stuff in shops until 1 November.

And of course decorations are taken down on 5 January, not because of Epiphany but because then the council come round to take your tree away for recycling.


Music controversy: I prefer Cathy Dennis' Waterloo Sunset to the original.

As crazy as it may seem here where I am at in the northeastern US, the entire retail industry converts to Christmas once Halloween is over

There are so many stores I refuse to go to because it is Christmas music. It’s Christmas decorations slam dead in your face as soon as you walk in the door it’s too much for me.

 

[TheLobster]

As crazy as it may seem here where I am at in the northeastern US, the entire retail industry converts to Christmas once Halloween is over

There are so many stores I refuse to go to because it is Christmas music. It’s Christmas decorations slam dead in your face as soon as you walk in the door it’s too much for me.

Mid-November is when the Christmas season begins in stores in Europe. Halloween is much less of a thing here, if it's even celebrated at all, and Turkey Day is of course completely irrelevant. (Our Turkey is mostly a vacation destination).

 

[SimonDoom]

As crazy as it may seem here where I am at in the northeastern US, the entire retail industry converts to Christmas once Halloween is over

There are so many stores I refuse to go to because it is Christmas music. It’s Christmas decorations slam dead in your face as soon as you walk in the door it’s too much for me.

It's too much. The song that makes me want to go on a killing rampage is the Paul McCartney tune, "Simply having a wonderful Christmas time."

 

[Voboy]

As crazy as it may seem here where I am at in the northeastern US, the entire retail industry converts to Christmas once Halloween is over

There are so many stores I refuse to go to because it is Christmas music. It’s Christmas decorations slam dead in your face as soon as you walk in the door it’s too much for me.

Same.

Let us have our pleasant Thanksgiving, retail managers of New England!

 

[Erozetta]

Same.

Let us have our pleasant Thanksgiving, retail managers of New England!

I guarantee the managers want no part in this bullshit. It's all corporate and based on analysts saying people buy more when reminded that Christmas is just around the corner. It's retail psychology to encourage people to spend more than they want on shit their intended recipient neither needs nor wants.

 

[StillStunned]

I guarantee the managers want no part in this bullshit. It's all corporate and based on analysts saying people buy more when reminded that Christmas is just around the corner. It's retail psychology to encourage people to spend more than they want on shit their intended recipient neither needs nor wants.

Like mince pies with a sell-by date in late-November. I mean, I get that there's an argument to be made for buying Christmas things before the big rush starts, but if you can't even keep them until Christmas, what's the point?

 

[yowser]

The first few months living in England (as a Yank) the locals were exaggeratedly polite about my 'Americanness' and US politics, leaders, etc. I never heard negative commentary or a joke at the US expense (although I could see the mindgears turning at the pub). Until one day a fellow said to me:

'Do you know we celebrate Thanksgiving Day here?'

I told him I was not aware of this.

'We don't do it the same day you Yanks do, however.'

'When then?'

'The Fourth of July.'

 

[MillieDynamite]

Why won't you be a good thread and just die‽

 

[Kumquatqueen]

From Michigan here. Christmas stuff was in stores 2 weeks before Holloween.

Is there still that part of Frankenmuth where it's Christmas all year round?

So far, only heard one ad for a Christmas radio station and no Christmas music out in the wild. If I ran the country, only classic carols would be allowed during the day, and Christmas pop songs would be reserved for evenings, if that. Possible exception for Fairytale of New York.

 

[Britva415]

For me I cannot listen to someone singing a song Freddie Mercury sang

I didn't expect to like Queen with Adam Lambert, but I hella do!

 

[intrepidgoodtime]

The before picture is often hotter…

 

[Statius]

Mid-November is when the Christmas season begins in stores in Europe. Halloween is much less of a thing here, if it's even celebrated at all, and Turkey Day is of course completely irrelevant. (Our Turkey is mostly a vacation destination).

Wait! They don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Europe?! When the pilgrims were saved by the native Americans before wiping them out and stealing the land?!

Is there still that part of Frankenmuth where it's Christmas all year round?

So far, only heard one ad for a Christmas radio station and no Christmas music out in the wild. If I ran the country, only classic carols would be allowed during the day, and Christmas pop songs would be reserved for evenings, if that. Possible exception for Fairytale of New York.

Yep. But I'd rather visit the small town of Hell, Mi. It's real, Google it.

 

[Statius]

I didn't expect to like Queen with Adam Lambert, but I hella do!

Yeah I know. He's got a good voice, great range. But man, I've been a Queen fan since I was old enough to appreciate music, it's tough lol

 

[SkyBubble]

I haven't been able to tolerate cola in general in years. But I still occasionally want an RC cola when we're walking down the grocery store isles and I see one.

Unfortunately, they just killed Diet Rite.

 

[SkyBubble]

Give me a smooth, buttery Irish whiskey.

What's wrong with bourbon?

 

[SkyBubble]

My latest controversial opinions. There is no way on earth that 1 person (Laurel) can read every story submitted each and every day, There is not enough hours in a day. Also, some stories, probably no pattern, go down the rabbit hole of purgatory (aka pending queue) and never see human eyes and/or the light of day (probably a technical cms glitch)

Agree 100%.