fast food nation

Here it is, my short and sweet review of Fast Food Nation. If you're unaware of what the book is, it's an interesting take on the fast food industry and what it has meant to American consumers, even those of us who choose not to eat at such establishments. It has quite a bit of history on it, which was fascinating and disturbing at once. The business acumen and lack of ethics on the part of most of the magnates of the industry brought us what we know today. A McDonald's or 10 in every city, Ronald McDonald being second to Santa Claus in recognition, and the golden arches being one of the most recognizable corporate symbols in the world.

I can't say I'm going to be a vegetarian after reading this book. I don't have the willpower or the nutrition knowledge to make a go at it. Too much of my cooking skill involves grilling or roasting or frying. Pasta wouldn't cut it.

Some odd facts. Ray Kroc bought out the McDonald's brothers for a paltry $3ish million. His empire is clearly worth billions. Most franchisees go into debilitating debt to open a restaurant. There's a reason why immigrants staff the lowest levels of the American workforce; even managers in this industry make chump change and work lawyer-like hours. Ninety percent of children in this country visit a McDonald's every month. Why? Probably because they are the largest private operator of playgrounds in the country. A McDonald's hamburger is healthier than McNuggets.

Someone needs to import In-N-Out Burgers from California to the District. Their food is better quality, they pay their employees living wages, and their management style is ethical. Five Guys wasn't mentioned, but judging by the taste of their food, I bet they're in the same league. So what's this mean for Mr. J? As with all my reading on Wal-Mart, I'm avoiding fast food joints from now on. I haven't set foot in a Wal-Mart in almost two years, and I don't plan on starting.

My fast food corporation boycott starts...now!

faith restored?

i finally got around to checking my home voicemail. [yes, i have a landline.] four messages. cringing as usual because of collection agencies after someone named david. i generally don't answer toll-free numbers on the caller ID. anyhow...

message one. lady from sprint. they got my complaint i filed with the better business bureau. please call back.

message two. same lady from sprint. they received my payment, charges were valid, account is closed, no reporting to collection agencies. please call back.

message three. same lady from sprint. she's requesting that the $224.22 i paid as the early termination fee be refunded. should be here in 7-10 business days. please call back. (she's persistent!)

i'll wait with bated breath for that check to arrive. when it clears, consider my faith restored in one american company. yes, i've learned from this experience. don't trust cellular companies, but if something goes wrong, make enough noise that they hear you. i wonder how many of the 1,000,000 subscribers they lost in the last quarter got the same response.

david vs. goliath

hi, my name is david. i'm fighting a battle with a goliath of corporate america. unfortunately, my sling and rocks will not take down this giant. it will not even make a dent in their defenses.

i just watched "who killed the electric car?". if you haven't heard of it, it's a documentary on the birth and inexplicable death of the EV1, general motors' foray into the now-dead electric car market. it attempts to explain why all the major car manufacturers invested a hell of a lot of money in developing the new technologies to meet a california zero emissions mandate only to abandon that effort secretly and rapidly less than 10 years later. it implicates big oil, the big three, and the federal government as co-conspirators against the california air regulatory board that initially set the zero emissions standard. gm came up with an amazing small car with a devoted set of loyal lessees. those davids couldn't do a thing to save their beloved little car. great documentary. if you're a granola munching tree hugger like me, i highly recommend this film. i am smart enough to realize that as a documentary, there is an agenda behind it, and there are multiple viewpoints. i'd be interested to hear them, but they'd be hard-pressed to break my first impressions.

how appropriate that i watched this today, and my horns are locked in battle with sprint over my now-canceled contract and their contention that i owe them a $200 early termination fee for poor service after 4+ years as a sprint customer. i'm going to use any government means i can short of taking them to court, but as of right now, i'm conceding defeat in the first battle. their rebuttal of sending my account to a collections agency has me reeling. any advice on how to reload my sling for this ensuing war?

boomeranging

friends, countrymen, lend me your ears. last night i took part in the greatest incarnation of barhopping i've ever been privilege to. no limo, no lines, no cover charges. entrepreneurial opportunity for someone with a few coins?

the ride: a reconfigured school bus. seats torn out, replaced with benches facing inward. three "stability" poles in the middle of the bus.

the host: a gregarious former party girl. she apparently has an equally attractive husband that hosts the other bus when the group's big enough. mingling with the riders on the bus and in the clubs.

the trip: four bars/clubs. changes depending on drink specials and what kind of deal the company has worked out with the destinations. about an hour at each bar. now, it seems to me that this concept works best in a bigger city like d.c. because there are numerous nightlife districts that have both no nearby parking and are too far to walk between. gainesville, hmm. going between the redneck dive bars on the outskirts in a jacked-up short bus with rebel flags? nah, that'd suck!

like clockwork, we hit each watering hole for a power hour. skipped the lines, got frisked, partied like rockstars, and moved on. waivered away, we b'ed our o.b. in between stops. we figured they gross more than three grand a weekend to be a lower cost limo crossed with a d.d. and a club promoter. not a bad gig, and everyone has a blast.

...until they wake up the next morning!

sprint away!

anyone else hate cell phone companies? i do! three and a half years after signing my initial contract (and leaving sprint the first time), i got hit by an early termination fee by sprint (after they acquired nextel) when i ditched them a second time for sub-par service. if you're unhappy with sprint's service, good luck getting loose of their contract without paying dearly. if you're considering changing companies, avoid sprint like the plague.

if i can't get them to drop the charges, i wonder how much it would cost to ship $200 in pennies as a final act of defiance...

fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me.

more news forthcoming.