Random Rants
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Hey @louisbosco - you will find this interesting then.
This is from Gemini...
Here are the five most expensive cities for travelers, based on recent global tourism and cost-of-living indices:
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Singapore
Why it's expensive: Singapore is a premier global financial and luxury hub. The cost of lodging in high-end hotels is notoriously steep, and dining out—especially at top-tier restaurants—comes with a hefty price tag due to high land costs and strict alcohol and vehicle import taxes.
Traveler Tip: Save money by eating at world-famous, budget-friendly hawker centers instead of traditional sit-down restaurants.
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Zurich, Switzerland
Why it's expensive: Switzerland's exceptionally high standard of living and strong currency (the Swiss Franc) make everything from a simple cup of coffee to public transportation and hotel rooms remarkably pricey.
Traveler Tip: Take advantage of Switzerland's incredible free public parks and stunning nature walks to offset the cost of indoor entertainment.
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New York City, United States
Why it's expensive: As America's premier cultural and financial capital, NYC commands top dollar for accommodation. Mid-to-high-tier hotel rates, theater tickets on Broadway, and upscale dining contribute to a very expensive daily travel budget.
Traveler Tip: Enjoy many of the city's best attractions for free, such as walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, visiting Central Park, or taking the Staten Island Ferry for views of the Statue of Liberty.
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Geneva, Switzerland
Why it's expensive: Like Zurich, Geneva suffers from the high overarching costs of the Swiss economy. Luxury watches, fine dining, and lakeside hotels push the price of a vacation here into the upper stratosphere.
Traveler Tip: Many hotels in Geneva provide a complimentary transport card for buses, trams, and boats for the duration of your stay.
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London, United Kingdom
Why it's expensive: London features some of the world's most sought-after real estate, driving up hotel prices significantly. Additionally, theater tickets, attraction entries, and dining out in central neighborhoods like Mayfair or Soho add up quickly.
Traveler Tip: Most of London's world-class museums (like the British Museum and the Natural History Museum) offer free admission to their permanent collections.
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City Pint of Domestic Beer Cappuccino / Coffee Burger / Fast Food Meal Mid-Range Hotel Night (Average) Singapore $8.00 – $12.00 SGD ($6.00 – $9.00 USD) $6.00 SGD ($4.50 USD) $10.00 – $14.00 SGD ($7.50 – $10.50 USD) $150 – $300 USD Zurich, Switzerland 7.00 – 9.00 CHF ($8.00 – $10.50 USD) 5.00 – 6.00 CHF ($6.00 – $7.00 USD) 16.00 – 22.00 CHF ($19.00 – $26.00 USD) $220 – $380 USD New York City, USA $8.00 – $10.00 USD $5.00 – $6.00 USD $12.00 – $18.00 USD $250 – $450 USD Geneva, Switzerland 7.00 – 9.00 CHF ($8.00 – $10.50 USD) 4.50 – 5.50 CHF ($5.30 – $6.50 USD) 15.00 – 20.00 CHF ($18.00 – $24.00 USD) $200 – $350 USD London, UK £6.50 – £8.50 ($8.50 – $11.00 USD) £3.80 – £4.80 ($5.00 – $6.30 USD) £9.00 – £15.00 ($12.00 – $20.00 USD) £150 – £300 ($190 – $380 USD) -
@hajduk my own search produced a list that also includes Oslo and Copenhagen
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I find that many of these AI queries end up with very biased information. How you postulate the question often influences the answer given and I have also seen examples of asking the same question numerous times resulting in different answers each time. I also wonder if there is a regional component to the answers given as well…
It’s no different than many of the stories seen in local news papers/journals/etc. where your local restaurant is voted #1 year after year. When you step back and look at the data and how the question was asked, the results are bound to be the same resulting in that restaurant always being #1, but only in the area that the sample data was taken.
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@Indigo-Alchemist every chainstitch will fray and fall, but this chainstitch….truly lived….
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@Bridger no wonder people think all Singaporeans are rich. by those measures, NYC should be cheap..n
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I kept getting this "page unresponsive" error probably for the past 6 months or so on the forum, I've been a typical caveman and just lived with it and came back to the forum 30mins later when pages would load... well, I finally deleted my cache tonight which was 3gb+ of stored images on chrome. Things are going smoothly now...
I gotta stop being such a caveman
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So I bought a battery from Batteries Plus in July 2025 for my 2019 GMC Yukon. About a month or so ago, I started noticing it just wasn’t turning the engine over as quickly as it should and was doing a few other quirky things.
I brought it in, they put their little reader on it, and told me, “Nope, everything’s fine.”
I said OK, whatever.
Fast-forward to an hour ago and I go to start my Yukon on a job site and it’s completely dead. Fortunately, my project manager was there and was able to jump me with seriously the cheapest set of jumper cables I’ve ever seen in my life. So now I know what he’s getting for Christmas, but I digress.
I go back to Batteries Plus, they put their new reader on it, and I basically have to explain to the guy running the test that, yes, the battery is bad and, yes, I need a new battery.
Guys, I’m not college educated. I barely graduated high school. I’d like to say I’m street smart, but I’m not even sure I can claim that. I grew up pretty damn middle to upper-middle class, so I’m not sure what kind of smart I’m supposed to be.
But even I could read this fucking printout.
After 15 seconds of me explaining why this battery was toast, they agreed to swap it out. Also, when did batteries start costing $400? At least it’s under warranty.
@selveldgesteps
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@GraemeE unless you´re 1,50m tall and working at a standing desk, then it would absolutely make sense
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@northsouthdenimguy fucking-
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I have to come clean. This is not the full story…
Was gonna post this earlier but got sidetracked. Hopefully I’m not annoying everybody with the update.
Long story short, the battery cables were part of the problem. I also had the starter replaced along with a laundry list of other things, about half of which I still need to address. I’m already $1,500 into it at the dealership, so I’m gonna take the rest to a mechanic my wife uses for her daughters’ cars and occasionally hers.
The annoying part is that with all the technology today, the battery testing really wasn’t very helpful. On the bright side, I did get a brand new battery under warranty even though the old one turned out to be fine, so at least that’s another $400 battery I won’t have to buy.
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Umm
