The Comeback Thread

[Harmony]

What is something that has gone away or been cancelled in your lifetime that you would like see come back?

When I was a kid, my parents brought home a case of these.  Vanilla, Caramel, and Peanut Butter.  Damn they were delicious desserts.




I'd also like to see civics being taught in schools.  I think basic biology is still being taught but from some of what I see people posting, it doesn't appear to be getting into the grey matter.

At any rate - your choices can be fun or serious or both!  Just list them here. 

[Stadler]

Civics for sure.

My grandmother used to have these crackers we'd call "milk crackers".  They are great with soup.  Can't find them anywhere. 

The TV show "Emergency!".

Being quiet in movie theaters; it's not a rock concert!

Manual transmissions on cars.

[XJDenton]

Owning a house? #millenial

[SoundscapeMN]

[hefdaddy42]

Marathon candy bars

[TAC]

The TV show "Emergency!".

I watched that. Don't know why Randolph Mantooth popped into my head.


I loved these!





@ Harmony, I honestly don't remember Jell-O Spoon Candy.

[Skeever]

Forums 

At least there's this one! 

[romdrums]

Saturday morning cartoons.

[TAC]

Saturday morning cartoons.

I remember that before each season started, there'd be a preview show, I think in Prime Time with scenes from the upcoming cartoon schedule.

[pg1067]

I vaguely remember that Spoon Candy stuff.  Don't remember if I liked it, though.

These would be good:




I'd also LOVE if Wendy's went back to its pre-2005 (or thereabouts) meat recipe.  Wendy's used to be my absolute favorite fast food burger, but they changed things sometime in the mid-2000s, and it's not nearly as good.


Also...this one's going to sound weird (maybe even gross).  Back in the '80s and maybe into the '90s, Carl's Jr. made its French fries using something called Frispos.  That's a term I didn't know at the time, but I've seen it since then.  The way it worked is that there was a 5-pound (or so) back of these pellets, which I assume were made from dehydrated potatoes.  You'd pour them into a machine and, when you wanted to make some fries, the machine would dump a certain amount of the pellets into a cylindrical chamber and also add a certain amount of water to rehydrate the pellets.  The mixture would then be extruded through a crinkle cutter mechanism and down a little conveyer belt into the fry basket.  Those fries fresh out of the oil were the absolute best fries I've EVER eaten, and anyone who brought them back would make a lot of money from me.

Saturday morning cartoons.

I remember that before each season started, there'd be a preview show, I think in Prime Time with scenes from the upcoming cartoon schedule.

Those were the absolute best!  I also remember that, at the Scholastic book fair, you could get a book that had little blurbs about all the new TV shows for the upcoming season.

Marathon candy bars

These are mostly sold in the UK, but you can occasionally find them in specialty candy stores, and they're pretty much the same thing:

[T-ski]

Saturday morning cartoons.

Yes!

[pg1067]

I'd also like to see civics being taught in schools.  I think basic biology is still being taught but from some of what I see people posting, it doesn't appear to be getting into the grey matter.

I'm going to preface this by saying that, when I was in HS (class of '85), our senior year social studies class was a semester of geography and a semester of what we called "Government."  I never had anything called "civics," but I assume that's what the Government class was.

Fast forward...my kids graduated HS in '20 and '22, and, as seniors, they took a semester of economics and a semester of Government/"civics."  The Government class is a requirement to graduate high school in California.  I don't know about other states, but I'm wondering why you think it isn't being taught?

As for biology, I managed to avoid it in HS (we were required to take two years of science, and I took chemistry and physics).  I satisfied the life science general education requirement in college with a marine biology class.  My kids both took biology as freshmen (their graduation requirement was one year of "life science" and one year of "physical science").  Again, I don't know about other states, but I'd be surprised if you can get through HS anywhere without taking a biology class.

[Skeever]

Garage Bands.

[T-ski]

Common sense.

[hunnus2000]

Common sense.

AMEN!!!!!! 

[bosk1]

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor.  Remember the place where they took Napoleon in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure where they brought the obscenely huge ice cream sundae?  That place.  They called it something different in the movie and changed a couple of things to avoid intellectual property issues, but it was totally Farrell's. 

[wolfking]

Marathon candy bars

These are mostly sold in the UK, but you can occasionally find them in specialty candy stores, and they're pretty much the same thing:

These are a common item here in Oz.  I've sold them before at the pools too.  They are amazing. 

[Harmony]

I'd also like to see civics being taught in schools.  I think basic biology is still being taught but from some of what I see people posting, it doesn't appear to be getting into the grey matter.

I'm going to preface this by saying that, when I was in HS (class of '85), our senior year social studies class was a semester of geography and a semester of what we called "Government."  I never had anything called "civics," but I assume that's what the Government class was.

Fast forward...my kids graduated HS in '20 and '22, and, as seniors, they took a semester of economics and a semester of Government/"civics."  The Government class is a requirement to graduate high school in California.  I don't know about other states, but I'm wondering why you think it isn't being taught?

As for biology, I managed to avoid it in HS (we were required to take two years of science, and I took chemistry and physics).  I satisfied the life science general education requirement in college with a marine biology class.  My kids both took biology as freshmen (their graduation requirement was one year of "life science" and one year of "physical science").  Again, I don't know about other states, but I'd be surprised if you can get through HS anywhere without taking a biology class.

This might help explain it.  https://www.aft.org/ae/summer2018/shapiro_brown

I had a government class in 1982 which consisted of a high school football coach teaching the period after lunch and actually showing up about 40% of the time.  I'm pretty sure I pulled an A but not by learning anything helpful but for getting extra credit for donating blood.  I'm only exaggerating a little bit....

Taking a biology class in high school and understanding basic biology are not the same thing.  LoL.  I get these classes are offered and like most things some people study/learn/evolve and some don't.  Without delving into P&R territory here, lately I've been running into people who don't know the first thing about human biology pretending that they do and even wanting to go so far as to tell medical doctors how to practice.  Houston we have a problem....

Ok - I thought of another comeback.  I caught a bit of an old Friends rerun the other day and as I'm watching the gang hang around the apartment or the coffee shop, I notice something strange.....NONE of them had a phone in their hand.  Remember those days??

[Cool Chris]

Computer FMV/Point-and-click adventure games that were big in the early/mid 90s. I loved those games. I remember when Tex Murphy: Overseer came out on 5 CDs, and 1 DVD. A game... on a DVD! You mean... I don't have to swap out CDs all the time?!

There are some great games out there that seem to be the spiritual successors to this genre... I just finished Firewatch, and that felt very much like playing a game in that style, updated for contemporary systems and sensibilities.

[Implode]

The seafood bisque from Panera Bread.
The old recipe for the vanilla chai tea from Dunkin.
Being able to purchase a lifetime license for software.

[hefdaddy42]

Marathon candy bars

These are mostly sold in the UK, but you can occasionally find them in specialty candy stores, and they're pretty much the same thing:

Yeah, I managed to snag one of those in a candy store here a couple of years ago.  Of course, the store is now closed.

[hefdaddy42]

Another thing that I really liked years ago was Wild & Mild Ranch flavor Fritos.  I guess I was the only one that liked them lol

[Chino]

I fear that Chunky bars will be discontinued in my lifetime. Sometime in the next 7-15 years. That will be a sad day, so I'm preemptively answering with that.   

Also, while Friendly's are still around here and there, the three in my city have all shuttered, as have the ones in many neighboring cities. I miss the Honey BBQ Chicken Supermelt (with waffle fries). 

[TAC]

Friendly's was tremendous and I miss them too.

[pg1067]

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor.  Remember the place where they took Napoleon in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure where they brought the obscenely huge ice cream sundae?  That place.  They called it something different in the movie and changed a couple of things to avoid intellectual property issues, but it was totally Farrell's.

Ziggy Piggy!!!



There was a Farrell's near Knott's Berry Farm until about 5 years ago (give or take).  We took the kids there about 10 years ago (they were 8 and 10ish), and it was absolutely intolerable.  The food was fine, but the place was SO DAMN LOUD!  Someone kept walking around with a bass drum and cymbal, and another person had an air horn.  We got done eating, and even the kids didn't want to stay for dessert.

This might help explain it.  https://www.aft.org/ae/summer2018/shapiro_brown

Interesting.  This subject inevitably makes me think about Schoolhouse Rock (which, if you were in HS in '82, I assume you remember).  That gave a lot of us strong foundations in "civics," grammar, etc.  I remember having to memorize the Preamble in 8th grade, and it was a piece of cake for everyone because we all knew it from Schoolhouse Rock (the only thing that threw folks off was having to remember to add "of the United States of America," which isn't in the song).  Anyway, I think the lack of civic engagement is a result of things other than "civics" education or lack thereof, but that's a subject for another thread (in simplest terms, I think political advertising turns kids off from politics - and hence, civic engagement - before they become adults).

Friendly's was tremendous and I miss them too.

My wife grew up in the Albany, NY area and was living in Boston when I first met her.  First time I flew out to see her, she had geared me up for Friendly's.  But it wasn't the food.  She was excited about the Reese's Pieces sundae.  After she moved out here, every time we flew back for a visit, we HAD TO go to Friendly's, and I always thought it was quite mediocre.  She even got my daughter hooked.  When I took her out to visit colleges in 2019, we stopped at Friendly's in Mystic, CT, and when we moved her into her dorm in August, we stopped for a visit with my wife's aunt and went out to lunch at Friendly's.


One thing I'd love to see come back is video game machines and arcades.  I know everything is focused on home consoles and PCs, but I think arcades could make a comeback.  After all, it seems there's some market for pinball machines, and if folks can be deceived into thinking vinyl records are worthy of coming back, why not arcade games?

[Chino]

One thing I'd love to see come back is video game machines and arcades.  I know everything is focused on home consoles and PCs, but I think arcades could make a comeback.  After all, it seems there's some market for pinball machines, and if folks can be deceived into thinking vinyl records are worthy of coming back, why not arcade games?

This is happening all over, but it's mainly for "Barcades" or similar establishments. They're a lot of fun, but if it's the type of place where you're paying full freight for the game ($1.00+), it gets old pretty quick once you factor in the price of the drinks as well. My favorites are the places where you pay like $10 at the door and all the machines are opened and unlocked. I've played through a few entire games that way, the most fun probably being House the Dead while dual wielding both guns/controllers.   

Sitting in the airport the other week, I couldn't help but think that'd be the perfect location for cabinets. I'd love to play while waiting for a flight.   

As for pinball though, that's getting really tricky. Parts are scarce, and the number of people who specialize in the machines' transport and their repair gets a little smaller every year. Arcade cabinets are much easier and cheaper to keep in operation.

[Anguyen92]

One thing I'd love to see come back is video game machines and arcades.  I know everything is focused on home consoles and PCs, but I think arcades could make a comeback.  After all, it seems there's some market for pinball machines, and if folks can be deceived into thinking vinyl records are worthy of coming back, why not arcade games?

This is happening all over, but it's mainly for "Barcades" or similar establishments. They're a lot of fun, but if it's the type of place where you're paying full freight for the game ($1.00+), it gets old pretty quick once you factor in the price of the drinks as well. My favorites are the places where you pay like $10 at the door and all the machines are opened and unlocked. I've played through a few entire games that way, the most fun probably being House the Dead while dual wielding both guns/controllers.   

Yep.  That's a thing.  I actually went to one a couple months ago in Arcadia, CA called EXP Barcadia for a family party.  I liked the vibe.  Actually watched the entire Game 7 of the Penguins/Rangers hockey game that day there.  No Pinball machines though.

[MetalJunkie]

I think this belongs here. Short, but worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TZNv86-OmI

[pg1067]

This doesn't entirely fit the thread, but....

I stopped at the grocery store for something else a couple days ago and bought one of these:



I ate these a bunch as a kid (although the version with just one Salisbury steak patty), but I don't think I've had a TV dinner in probably 25-30 years.  I've occasionally thought about buying one but usually refrain because of the insane amount of sodium.  I was going to put it in the regular oven, but that's a 45 minute commitment, so I went with the microwave.  The first couple bites were ok, but I barely ate any of the second patty.  And, for all the sodium in the thing, apparently none of it was in the potatoes, which were bland AF.  The brownie was fairly tasty.  It'll be a while before I eat another one of these.


P.S. In googling for the picture, I came across this article from a blog about making shitty foods pretentious.  It gave me a good laugh!  http://www.shittyfoodmadepretentious.com/pretentious-recipes/hungry-man-salisbury-steak

[Anguyen92]

Ahhhh, hungry-man.  I remember that.  When I was a kid, those were pretty expensive for our budget, so we went with the cheaper Banquet ones.  Those weren't really good now that I recall them.

Now I go with the lean cuisines or the smart ones frozen dinners, but the stores that has them never has those on sale at a price I like.

[hunnus2000]

El Paso Enchilada Dinners!

I grew up on these and thought they were yummy!!