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Greetings:

During my freshman year in college someone, on the very first week of dorm life, put a bag of popcorn in the microwave for over 8 minutes.

When it came out the bag just had this black slab of burnt popcorn all congealed together. He tossed it in the communal garbage room by the elevator and for that entire year the smell never came out of that closet. That burnt popcorn smell, when done to that degree, stained that room to such an extent that you could smell the apparition of that bag months later into May when we were leaving for summer.

Microwave popcorn was banned from the seminary after someone set off the fire alarms late at night when a bishop was visiting.

I think it is a required coming of age experience in all technologically advanced societies. Except, perhaps, in Germany. Whose folk, I understand, follow instructions.

Following instructions. How quaint.

I was in a German airport--I forget which--for quite a few hours waiting for a plane to take us farther on our pilgrimage. I noticed that the trash cans had instructions in English and French, but not German.

When all else fails, read the directions.

The only rule: 4 seconds between pops.

Greetings:

#2..socks.

bye

p.falk wrote: ↑Wed Feb 18, 2026 9:52 am The only rule: 4 seconds between pops.

3

Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Tue Feb 17, 2026 8:10 pm Following instructions. How quaint. ...

My experiences with German tourists and when in Germany has been that, in the Fatherland, conformity is the norm. In extraterritorial venues, such as ski lines, cruise ships, and the dome of St Paul's in London, their behavior becomes ... well ... remember the 1940's?

Highlander wrote: ↑Fri Feb 20, 2026 12:00 pm

p.falk wrote: ↑Wed Feb 18, 2026 9:52 am The only rule: 4 seconds between pops.

3

3 seconds? You'll be farming a bunch of old maids.

Come on, live on the edge - add that second!

It is a risk/reward problem. I'd rather lose half the kernels than ... that smell!

Most of the time I resolve the problem by not having popcorn.

Thus cleaving the Gordian Knot.

Also called the nuclear option.

Crossquad, your topic titles are often better than your links themselves.