fast food

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Morning Update: 10/30/24
October 30, 2024

Sucking Straws [2018]

Getting straight to the important stuff: Kat has a submassive pulmonary embolism. This is more serious than a standard embolism, but not as bad as a massive PE. She spent the night at the hospital and doctors will decide this morning what to do next. They may do a medical procedure, or they could decide to go with a drug regimen. This is immediately more serious than my Leukemia or anything else going on. Kat is the core of our family. We love and need her.

No one has told me yet what caused the embolism. Statistically, most are blood clots that move up from the legs. Kat does spend a lot of time on her feet, so that’s a definite possibility. However, she’s had Covid and pneumonia this month. Either, or both, of those illnesses could have caused the embolism. I’ll pass on more as we know more. The doctors say the clot has been forming for at least a month, which puts it at about the same time as when she had Covid.

Ginger at Biz on Fletcher has called everyone on Kat’s books and is working to reschedule everyone. No, we don’t know when Kat might be back at the salon. She’s been scheduling six days a week lately and that stress has almost certainly contributed to her current condition. If you have any questions about a hair appointment, you can call Ginger at Biz: 317.631.2775.

Our attempt at replacing the breaker failed as well. After a considerable amount of research, I was able to secure a replacement breaker, but when we removed the panel the dead breaker wouldn’t budge. We’re going to need someone who knows what they’re doing, which is something we can’t afford at the moment. A friend has volunteered to take a look at it, but there’s no promise they can do any better. So, our bedrooms are still in the dark.

I gotta say, I’m pissed at the situation. Covid was bad enough. Then came the ear infection. Then pneumonia. AND NOW THIS?? WHAT THE LIVING FUCK!? Kat didn’t have a chance to fully recover from one problem before she was hit with another! She deserves better. She helps too many people and provides too valuable a service to all her clients, especially her trans and other LGBTQIA+ people. She loves every last one of them. THEY need her.

I’m also pissed at my inability to do anything helpful. I thought I could take care of the breakers, but I can’t even get that right. What’s the point of me being here if I can’t help the person I care for the most?

I’ve been careful with what I’ve told the kids. I’ve been honest, but I haven’t let on how serious the situation is. They need to focus on school right now. I fear they would both melt down emotionally if they understood the severity of their mom’s situation.

Honestly, there’s not any news right now that seems more important than what we have going on here. Jaywalking was legalized in New York City, and if you’ve ever been there you understand why that’s such a big deal. Actress Terri Garr died from complications of MS. Her movies were a big part of my youth and it just doesn’t seem possible that she was 79. She had a smile that was contagious and a sense of comedic timing that was wonderful.

Think fast food is safe? A Teen is fighting kidney failure after eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. This was the week before the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria was detected. Maybe it’s better to just eat at home.

President Biden disappointed me yesterday when he suggested that supporters of the Orange Felon are ‘garbage.’ I understand the temptation to make such a comment, but the rhetoric has gotten out of hand the past week. Sure, a lot of people have really shitty ideas for government. Elon Musk and Steve Bannon are among them. But let’s be extremely clear that it’s ideas and concepts such as Project 2025 that are garbage, not people. Such statements, regardless of who makes them, are insulting to all of humanity. Just stop doing it.

The kids are on their way to school. Cats have been fed. Dogs are still asleep. I have coffee. My stomach is doing flips as I still worry about Kat. Hopefully, the doctor should be around soon. Until then, we all have to wait.

I’m fine. Seriously. I just have a cat hair in my eye.

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Morning Update: 10/04/24
October 4, 2024

Being Beautiful [2009]

Welcome to a Friday with no rain in the forecast! Well, not for most of us. Sure, there are a couple of showers coming in Northern Illinois and scattered wetness along the Gulf states, but nothing remotely close to what we saw last week. Overall, this should be a good weekend to grab the kids and go apple picking, select a pumpkin or four, take a hike, enjoy some art or live music, and take advantage of everything the first weekend of October has to offer.

The biggest question around the house yesterday was, “Is Tipper here or there?” She desperately wanted to go to her friend’s house. Her friend desperately wanted to see her. The problem was transportation. Kat was working, the friend’s mom was working, traffic was heavy, and in the end, she sat here and moped. They’ll try making a connection again today, perhaps with better luck. With the Eight-Hour Road Race at IMS this weekend, Tipper desperately wants to be somewhere other than around the track.

There is good news this morning: the Longshoremen have ended their strike against East Coast docks. This isn’t the big sigh of relief one might think, though. What they’ve done is postpone the thing until January 15. The official reason is to allow time for negotiations, but that’s bullshit. It didn’t take them long to see how the strike was going to be politicized and they didn’t want any part of that. Everything will keep moving for now, get us through the holidays, and then it will be a problem.

Everything else I’m reading this morning is a bit blah. There’s speculation about this and that, accusations about him and her, but the facts are missing so there’s no point in getting all angsty about any of it. Everyone has enough challenges in their own life. No one needs to be concerned with the affairs of people who will not affect their lives in any way. Just let it pass.

There is one frustrating note: Using the Uber Eats app can negate any action you might want to take against the ride-sharing company. A New Jersey couple is finding this out the hard way. This is the second time in the past two months that we’ve seen people getting stung by the fine print in user agreements. Such agreements might be legal, but they’re immoral as hell and need to be stopped. Congress could end them fairly easily, but they won’t. Why? Because cheating people out of what they rightly deserve is how the GOP defines capitalism.

Under food no one asked for, McDonald’s is introducing a Chicken Big Mac on the 10th. Why? Because chicken sounds healthier than beef. But it still has the special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle, and onion on a sugar-intensive bun. Pair that with the fries you know you’re not turning down and you have a day’s worth of caloric intake in about three bites. Don’t be surprised to see other menu additions from fast food vendors this fall. People have been eating at home more and they’re all desperate to get you back. Just wait, someone will come up with a pumpkin spice sandwich of some kind. Just in time for Thanksgiving, I’m betting.

Oh, in case you weren’t feeling old fast enough, Eminem announced that he’s about to become a grandfather. Tipper responded with, “All these music people are suddenly getting old.” I said, “It happens to the best of us.” She shot back, “Nah, we’ve known you were old a long time.” Damn, girl! Someone hand me my cane.

I’m going to stop here because I need to finish getting ready for my oncology appointment this morning. Whee! I get to give them more blood! I’m not expecting anything to have dramatically changed. We have six more months of this mess. I’m ready for it all to be over.

Meanwhile, does coffee count as a meal? I’m thinking anything after the fourth cup…

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Current Issues  /  pop culture  /  Social Commentary
Burgers Aren’t Cheap
March 14, 2024

Blooming [2009 with AI adjustments]

One doesn’t have to be as old as I am to remember a day when fast food burgers were the most inexpensive way to feed yourself or a family. Burgers were under a dollar. Fries might cost 85 cents. Drinks were maybe 50 cents if you got the large size. Those days have been gone for quite a while, but an article I was reading this week brought home just how much the cost of those fast food meals has increased. So much so, that in some cases, it can be cheaper to dine indoors with seated service, even with tip included.

Case in point, Chili’s has a deal called 3-for-Me, an entree, side, and drink, for a relatively low price. There are three burger combinations included with the deal that are listed as only $10.99. Understand, this is a decent-sized, well-complimented burger (equal to a double-meat burger in most fast food places), a healthy serving of fries, and a soda, with seated service and refills on the drinks. Even with tip and tax, you’re getting out for under $15 and don’t have the stress of trying to eat in the car, or waiting until you get home and having to warm up your food in the microwave.

How does this compare to fast food? I thought the best way to compare this is to make a table. We’re using a burger, fries, and drink or something equivalent for comparison. Take a look:

McDonald‘s Big Mac meal with large fries and soda$9.89
Burger King Double Whopper meal with large fries and soda$12.19
Hardee’s Super Star Combo$11.78
Sonic Double Cheeseburger combo with large fries and soda$10.89
Five Guys Cheeseburger, large fries and soda$18.77
Arby’s Double Beef ‘N Cheddar meal$10.99
KFC Three-piece chicken combo with side and drink$9.19
Applebee’s Neighborhood burger with fries and soda$14.98

Caveat: These prices are accurate as of March 14, 2024, in certain Midwest markets. Prices vary by location.

Sure, all of these places have cheaper options. However, we’re comparing burgers to burgers and it’s clear that fast food isn’t always your most economical choice. Fast food is really only advantageous if you have a legitimate time crunch. Otherwise, consider going inside and letting someone bring the food to you. Doing so is going to be less stressful, the food is going to be hotter and fresher, and you’re more likely to get the burger cooked the way you want it. Not to mention the fact that the burger may be healthier than what you’re picking up through the drive-thru. Who knows how long that Big Mac has been sitting there?

I’m not making any endorsements but be sure the next time I don’t feel like cooking, we’re going to consider our options a bit more carefully.

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Advertising  /  PotD
#BlackBunsMatter
September 29, 2015
charles i. letbetter - #BlackBunsMatter

charles i. letbetter - #BlackBunsMatter

Trying to Breathe (2009)

Man who invented the hamburger was smart; man who invented the cheeseburger was a genius.—Matthew McConaughey

[one_half padding=”4px 10px 0 4px”]You know, I generally try to stay away from the really tough, polarizing, hardest-hitting issues of the day because they get so much noise everywhere else anything I might say just gets lost in the mix. I couldn’t let this matter just pass by without comment, though. Fast food burger chain Burger King® has introduced a burger with A.1.® sauce baked into the bun. The result is that the bun takes on a black color, presumably without the bun tasting like burned charcoal. I think this deserves a movement. Therefore, I’m introducing #BlackBunsMatter

Here’s how BK® describes the burger on their website:

Introducing the A.1.® Halloween WHOPPER® Sandwich with A.1.®flavor baked into the black bun. The sandwich is a ¼ lb.* of savory flame-grilled beef topped with melted American cheese, ripe tomatoes, crisp iceberg lettuce, creamy mayonnaise, A.1.® Thick and Hearty Sauce, crunchy pickles, and sliced white onions on a soft sesame seed bun with A.1.® flavor baked into the bun.

The chain actually announced the seasonal burger a couple of weeks ago, but CNN and some other alleged news outlets didn’t really pick up on it until yesterday, and then it started hitting my news feeds. Trolling the comments section, it was obvious that no one was gathering the significance of this move. We’ve been eating white buns all these years as though they were the only option. Sure, we might put sesame seeds on some, or twist them to look like pretzels, but they’ve all been variations of the same white buns. Until now. Now, #BlackBunsMatter. Spread the word.[/one_half]

[one_half_last padding=”4px 4px 0 10px”]Of course, not everyone is going to be very fast to embrace #BlackBunsMatter. Obviously, there’s going to be a political divide. You’re not likely to catch any of the GOP presidential front-runners with a black bun in their hands, that would just be too controversial. Tensions are high in the bun world after all and not everyone agrees with the #BlackBunsMatter movement. That guy with the funny hair would likely call it ridiculous. The former governor of Arkansas would likely claim the bun is sourced from hell. And that Texas senator Mr. Boehner calls a jackass would probably try to shut down the government over it.  #BlackBunsMatter is bigger than any of them, though.

I’m sure someone will come along and try to derail the movement with #AllBunsMatter, but they just don’t get the point. For too long, buns of color have been shunned, especially by the restaurant and hospitality industry. Sure, I’ve created a black bun or two in my time, usually from being distracted after putting them on the grill, and no one would ever eat those black buns because they were prejudiced toward soft, white buns. But the time for buns of color has come. Let there be black buns! Let there be brown buns! Let there be red buns! Let there be tanned buns covered in butter! #BlackBunsMatter!

Yes, we’re joking, and we don’t mean to make light of some very serious and important racial issues dividing our country. It’s a hamburger bun, though. If we can’t have a little fun with this thing, we need to re-evaluate our entire lives. Be sure, if BK® didn’t have the trademark locked down, I would SO be selling #BlackBunsMatter t-shirts right now. Or maybe ball caps, in case anyone wants to run for president.[/one_half_last]

 

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pop culture  /  PotD
Pure Sweetness
September 23, 2015
charles i. letbetter - pure sweetness

charles i. letbetter - pure sweetness

Maternity Yoga (2014)

As a culture I see us as presently deprived of subtleties. The music is loud, the anger is elevated, sex seems lacking in sweetness and privacy.—Shelley Berman

[one_half padding=”4px 10px 0 4px”]I’m old enough to remember life before artificial sweeteners, back when sugar was what sweetened everything, not this fucking corn syrup used now. There was sugar in everything and people wanted you to know it. There were Sugar Pops and Sugar Smacks and Sugar Frosted Flakes and Sugared Sugar. Sweetness was something people took seriously. They expected it. They respected it. Diabetes? That was something someone else had, that poor kid in the classroom who had to have plain popcorn while the rest of us had cupcakes. They tended to be weak, puny kids, not very good at football, which was also sweetened.

Then some idiot decided that the world needed a sugar substitute. Why? Was there too much sweetness in the world? Were people just enjoying their lives too much and some fucking jackass decided they needed to ruin it? There was no reason to give us artificial sweeteners, but suddenly we had them. They told us it was healthier. So, my parents ran out and bought some. They tried it first in the sweet tea. It was horrible. Then, my mother tried it in cookies. We dumped those in the trash. Next, we tried it on Corn Flakes. Definitely not a good start to the morning. Artificial sweeteners aren’t sweet. They suck. Every last one of them. How can such a sucky flavor be good for anyone, except that it makes you not want to put that garbage in your mouth so maybe you eat less?

Sweetness is a constitutional right; I’m sure of it. Maybe it doesn’t say so in so many words, but the implication has to be there somewhere. We have an inalienable right to the unspoken affection that comes with being sugared to death. I remember once, in the 70s, when they were doing drive-by diabetes screenings at the health department, next door to where my mom worked. She wanted Poppa to bring my brother and I by to be tested, just to make sure we were healthy. So, you know what he did? He dropped mom off at work and then took my brother and I for donuts! We had two iced donuts each. So when we come back around and have our fingers stuck for the test, guess what? Our blood sugar levels were damn near off the chart! They said we were borderline diabetic. I wonder why![/one_half]

[one_half_last padding=”4px 4px 0 10px”]Here’s the thing: people think that sugar is the primary cause of diabetes, which is a horrible disease that kills a lot of people. In fact, high blood sugar is the fourth leading cause of death in the world; it kills around four million people a year. There are 29 million Americans with diabetes and that number keeps rising. You know why? It’s not because we’re eating too much sugar, that’s for damn sure. It’s because we’re eating too many McFattyFatFat cheeseburgers with fries soaked in corn syrup and we think we’re safe because we wash it down with a diet soda. All this pretend sweetness is killing us!

What makes all this worse, is that 1 in 4 people who are diabetic don’t realize that they have diabetes. They have no clue. Their diet consists of one fast food drive-thru after another. Their lives are sedentary, sitting in an office all day and their asses parked on a couch all night. The only time they see a hint of fruit is when it’s baked in a pie. They’re dying and they don’t know it. Pass ’em a Diet Coke®™. I’m sure that will help.

Even people who know they have Type II Diabetes don’t seem to care. I knew a lady once who was diabetic and kept wondering why she felt so bad. She smoked non-stop. She ate almost nothing but delivery pizza and cookies. She got absolutely no exercise. She didn’t take her insulin. No, I have no idea why she couldn’t even fucking walk and her feet were turning black.

I fucking like sugar. I like sugar so much my hood name should be Sweetness Letbetter. I’m not stupid, though. I know if I’m going to sit here with handfuls of chocolate during these damn fashion shows, I’m going to have to get up, move around, and eat some fucking vegetables to counter that crack. I like sugar, but I know there’s a limit and I watch it.  Apparently, not all of you fuckers are as smart because you’re dying off at a pretty alarming rate and you’re costing the world a lot of money in health care. Put down the damn diet soda, why don’t you. Artificial sweeteners not helping, they just taste bad. Talk to your doctor and get that shit under control.

The ultimate sweetness is being alive. Try staying that way.[/one_half_last]

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