Worcester needs to think about the people who live here and not the people who don't. One of the biggest problems with the boondoggles we've spent on like the outlet mall and the baseball stadium is that they're predicated in bringing people into Worcester, but not necessarily making life better for the people who already live here. Meanwhile, too much of the housing/development discussion seems to be centered on people who don't live here ("people will want to move here from Boston since it's cheaper!") too, which is ridiculous.

To be honest, one of the things we need is for people to stop thinking they need to "fix" Worcester. That's one of the ways we end up with these grand schemes that end in disaster. That isn't to say this question isn't good; it's just that so many people think that XYZ is going to magically make Worcester better and we've seen from experience it doesn't. Instead if we want to improve Worcester we partly have to appreciate what we like about Worcester and look for smaller ways to make a change, which will hopefully all add up. And a big part of that is not trying to get other people to come in and fix our issues with their money or whatever, but do it ourselves.

One thing I'll say to that effect is that IMO Worcester needs a better understanding of what we do well. For example, people talk up the restaurant scene here, but I feel like I'm in a bizzarro world because the places that are usually discussed are the most mid yuppie shit I've had. Meanwhile, Worcester does casual hole-in-the-wall/diner/casual better than most places I've been. I'd much, much rather go to Dalat, Fatima's, Miss Woo, and their ilk than whatever mediocre trendy place just opened downtown. Why try to out-trend the big cities when we've already got other good stuff going on?

IMO that's largely because New England has a decent scene of locally-owned places. Most towns have an independent pizza place, for example, while in other parts of the country you're lucky if there's a Pizza Hut or Domino's.

Would much rather have fewer fast food choices but better local choices than vice versa.

When I was a kid in the mid 90s there was a rumour going around among other kids I knew that there was a cougar on the loose here in Worcester. Was this just my friend group or was this something other kids heard about?

Everybody wants to live in a cheap, shitty tent behind a Walmart. The issue is that most people who have houses don't also have cheap, shitty tents. The ones that get them immediately set up behind Walmart.

By removing their cheap, shitty tent you're removing the incentive to be homeless. They'll return to their 4 bedroom houses in the suburbs, and us normal folks will be able to shop at Walmart without having to look at them, which let's face it is the real tragedy.

By the way, I'll be running in the next Republican primary, I hope I can count on your vote.

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Regatta does one but I cannot vouch for how good it is. They tend to be a bit overrated but maybe worth a shot?

I think Emerald Meats has the chipper curry sauce from a powder, the closest you can get is probably getting chips somewhere and then doing that at home. That's what we do anyway, haven't found anything close to what you can get over there anywhere in the area.

Shaw's in Shrewsbury had about 7 or 8 kinds of root beer the last time I checked there, although it's been a little while. Your standard IBC, Virgil's, Stewarts, Jones, but also a few brands I hadn't heard of.