The general decline in standards today

[LoveMyHats2]

This is a very important lesson to learn, if you ask me. Nobody wants to discipline their kids and tell them 'No.'They wanna be the 'cool parent' and all that stuff. You can be a cool parent and still have rules. My parents were plenty strict on me. Did I hate it at the time? You bet your bippy. However, they always said, 'someday, you'll thank me' and I have.

Just because your kid throws a fit doesn't mean they should get their way. In my youth, I would have gotten my back porch painted red for that!



With all due respect, if you look at the world, money makes the world go 'round. Now, I come from a business running family, so perhaps I'm a bit biased, but our rule of thumb always is 'go where the money is.'

It seems 'big business' is always attacked and made out to be this big bad wolf who's gonna get us all. Now, especially in the world we're living in now, we should have at least a tiny iota of appreciation for big businesses. Odds are, if you work for a living, they affect you in one way or another and we need all the work we can get! It affects me. Among our company contracts is producing process slice for McDonald's and Burger King. Nothing different goes into it than any other process cheese you buy. And for anyone wondering, process cheese is made of cheese (go figure), butter and whey powder (derived from milk). It's all dairy.




I am in favor of healthy fast food, BIG TIME. Now, I like to eat fast food now and then and if it could be healthy, all the better. I think it just comes down to two things. Supply and demand, and cost. A lot of people like a good ol' greasy burger, fries, and a soda-pop and they like it cheap. Now, if you can make a burger, fries, and pop that is healthier and about the same price, you'll make a huge business (and I would love to see it happen, I'd be a lot thinner if that fast food wasn't so gosh darn bad for me)



Now, I never saw an issue with them taking candy machines out of the schools. What I did find to be a bit silly was when they wouldn't let them sell candy in the fund-raisers. The parents are buying it and are mature enough to make the decisions. When they stopped allowing this, Wisconsin Cheeseman, in business since 1949, and where my mother worked almost all my life, folded within a couple years.

I think fast food falls right in with booze and tobacco in the fact that know it's bad for you. This is America, it's a free country, you're free to eat it, you're free to not eat it. Same goes for booze and tobacco.

At least the cheese you are talking about is some real cheese, some places use what is called, "cheese food" which is not cheese! No cheese in it. Now ask yourself, what is cheese food? Do you feed it to cheese? No? Well then I don;t want it either.

The worst fast food place is Burger King. I can tell you why I make this statement. Drive near one and just "smell" the air from what they cook there. Do you notice that sort of stench? You say to yourself, it seems to have some sort of stench with a side smell added to it...and it makes you want to "ralph" to say the least. I have my own secret suspicions about Burger King. They say they serve "char" broiled burgers. I think they do something to that meat. I think they salvage some materials for that meat. I think it is sprayed on that meat before it gets cooked. I think it is made from many non food things, like old metal particle shavings, motor oil (for the darker coloring of the spray), some used foot powder fresh from sneakers recently worn, and last but not least some "earthabate", the polite label for earth worm meat. They must spray the meat with this and then when they are cooking it, THAT is the smell you smell. (hack cough and hack some more while gagging).

 

[AtomicEraTom]

That's the poster child for it.

I believe there is such a thing as overregulation (i.e. California).

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

With all due respect, if you look at the world, money makes the world go 'round. Now, I come from a business running family, so perhaps I'm a bit biased, but our rule of thumb always is 'go where the money is.'

It seems 'big business' is always attacked and made out to be this big bad wolf who's gonna get us all. Now, especially in the world we're living in now, we should have at least a tiny iota of appreciation for big businesses. Odds are, if you work for a living, they affect you in one way or another and we need all the work we can get! It affects me. Among our company contracts is producing process slice for McDonald's and Burger King. Nothing different goes into it than any other process cheese you buy. And for anyone wondering, process cheese is made of cheese (go figure), butter and whey powder (derived from milk). It's all dairy.

I've found that you're generally hated in direct proportion to how much you're needed. Some people hate the rich but no poor man had ever signed their paycheck.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I don't hate the rich, or the poor. It's not right to hate groups. Certain people deserve to be hated, for sure, but not groups. Hating any group is a prejudice.

I've found that you're generally hated in direct proportion to how much you're needed. Some people hate the rich but no poor man had ever signed their paycheck.

 

[sheeplady]

It seems 'big business' is always attacked and made out to be this big bad wolf who's gonna get us all. Now, especially in the world we're living in now, we should have at least a tiny iota of appreciation for big businesses. Odds are, if you work for a living, they affect you in one way or another and we need all the work we can get! It affects me. Among our company contracts is producing process slice for McDonald's and Burger King. Nothing different goes into it than any other process cheese you buy. And for anyone wondering, process cheese is made of cheese (go figure), butter and whey powder (derived from milk). It's all dairy.

I actually see this attitude from some students all the time. If it is a big business, it is obviously evil. I've actually seen this attitude trickle down into smaller business too. You can't judge an entire class of businesses (large or small) anymore than you can judge an entire industry as "bad." You judge companies and organizations like you judge people- on a case by case basis.

Now that doesn't mean that you can't be critical of what an organization does or the impacts of that business on society. But you have to be knowledgeable about what you are talking about, and not decide that one business is evil based upon their size alone.

 

[Feraud]

Criticism of Big Business is justifiably based on the negative impact it has on citizens and society.
Unfortunately the dialogue is skewed and people expressing such opinions are cast as hippies, Socialists, or somehow un-American.

It's a simple logistical fact that Mom & Pop's candy store on the corner is less likely to abuse workers, dump waste, and monopolize... unless we are discussing the fictional MomCorp from Futurama.

 

[Marzena]

I've found that you're generally hated in direct proportion to how much you're needed. Some people hate the rich but no poor man had ever signed their paycheck.

I 'd say it is mostly because , as the saying goes, people will forget what you said and will forget what you did but will never forget how you made them feel. And it is THERE where so many rich people offend. The check thing is one thing, the way it is handed to you can be just...brrrrrrrrr.

 

[1961MJS]

I don't hate the rich, or the poor. It's not right to hate groups. Certain people deserve to be hated, for sure, but not groups. Hating any group is a prejudice.

That's the way I work it Tom, I dislike people based on any previous interaction with them. It takes a few meetings that I've liked to get to were I like someone.

Later

 

[sheeplady]

Criticism of Big Business is justifiably based on the negative impact it has on citizens and society.
Unfortunately the dialogue is skewed and people expressing such opinions are cast as hippies, Socialists, or somehow un-American.

It's a simple logistical fact that Mom & Pop's candy store on the corner is less likely to abuse workers, dump waste, and monopolize... unless we are discussing the fictional MomCorp from Futurama.

It might be less likely, but not impossible that Mom and Pop are abusing their employees or dumping waste. My city's lake (the most toxic in the US) was polluted by small companies. Of course, they did get bought out by a large corporation that is cleaning the lake to the best of their ability, but let's forget about that.

My point is that you have to judge businesses on an individual level. Small organizations do dump chemicals. Small organizations do abuse their employees. Just because an organization is small doesn't mean that it is somehow by nature run by more ethical people.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think it's a question of attitude. No one is *entitled* to be rich. Not even those who were born that way.

 

[Nathan Dodge]

I've found that you're generally hated in direct proportion to how much you're needed. Some people hate the rich but no poor man had ever signed their paycheck.

Seems like the poor signed a huge check recently recently when they bailed out those capitalist banks and auto companies with what amounted to a socialist handout.

 

[1961MJS]

Seems like the poor signed a huge check recently recently when they bailed out those capitalist banks and auto companies with what amounted to a socialist handout.

Hi

The bank bailout actually made the smaller banks mad. To quote one of the local bank presidents (central Illinois): "We could have bought Bank of America's assests for $0.25 on the dollar, sold them off for $0.40 on the dollar and everyone would have made money."

This also begs the question, is it socialist to "steal" from the taxpayer to give to a capitalist?"

Later

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Hi

The bank bailout actually made the smaller banks mad. To quote one of the local bank presidents (central Illinois): "We could have bought Bank of America's assests for $0.25 on the dollar, sold them off for $0.40 on the dollar and everyone would have made money."

This also begs the question, is it socialist to "steal" from the taxpayer to give to a capitalist?"

Later

I think the large banks, auto industry, and oil companies keep the politicians' pockets filled, so of course those entities are going to get that bailout.

The many ironies of big corporations is that they are unfailingly conservative and capitalistic, with such laughable slogans like "Buy American", yet they ship jobs overseas, are rewarded with tax breaks for doing so, and sell the world sex via their 24/7 advertising-- thereby undermining all the "family values" and "morality" of the religious right, who support them...but when things get tough, these same companies depend on socialism to bail themselves out of their own incompetence.

As usual, the rich exist on a double standard, but since they're running the show via their bought and sold politicians, who can stop them?

I fear I've gotten too political and will refrain from doing so in the future. Sorry, but those slobs really make me sick.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

This great need to be heard...'politically'...no matter what...is exactly what finally caused politics to be 'banned'..or supposedly prohibited. Not everyone agrees on specifics or opinions of what has caused what..or what the solutions might be. In fact..opposing views seem quite far apart causing a great divide that has a tendency to become heated. I think that is what is trying to be avoided here.

 

[scottyrocks]

It's all about greed. What drives the businessman is wanting to be a bigger, richer businessman. It's what drives the average politician, as well. All through history there have been economic ups and downs, and left to right and back again swings of the pendulum. Mankind is not cut out for balance. Excess is the buzzword, no matter what side one is on. A society goes down in flames, the reaction is to go the opposite way to 'fix' things, there is a recovery, and then the cycle starts all over again. Blame is placed, although everyone in any position of power has at least part of that blame to shoulder, denying it all the while.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I think it's a question of attitude. No one is *entitled* to be rich. Not even those who were born that way.

I like that viewpoint. Here in the USA a big part of what many think are "rights" come from a false belief that they have the rights to all sorts of things that lately those in power are trying to force upon us.

What rights we have that should be a guideline is the right to be free and live a free way to be able to reach any level of success without restraint from the powers that be. Sadly things have become a "run away train" and we have allowed it to get that way.

Many years ago, one of the best food sources was salt water fish. Now even the fish have mercury in it. We all did that. The fish had no say in it what so ever. And no, I am not pointing a finger at any one person. It is that we allowed the way things work, to be able to pollute and sat without speaking up to stop it.

Here in my home State, a while back, one of the major power companies got caught dumping those transformers that were on telephone poles, into all the lakes. It put some real killer crud in the water and then it spread to fish and to live stock. For a few years it was not lawful for the fish or livestock to be used for food. They say that it is much better now and no main harm done. However, I think it very odd that according to those times of this, that Michigan had an increase of people that got MS and other sorts of medical problems by over 300 percent beyond the national average. I looked at it, as it was certainly not do to any magic rabbit making that happen. Yet to date, there has been little of no accountability from that. But as an individual now living in this State, I take it upon myself as a resident and business owner to be very involved in looking into things and making my voice be heard.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

For the most part corporations (i.e., the people who work in them) care far more for profit than they do the common good. It is that which makes government regulation necessary in so many areas. If it costs money to ensure that a factory isn't destroying the nearest body of water through chemical releases then the company won't want to do it and have to have regulations enacted to force them to do so; perhaps the fast food/junk food industries are areas that will find they need to either change on their own or find change forced upon them as well.

Excellent post IMO, and the quote above really resonates with me.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I think the large banks, auto industry, and oil companies keep the politicians' pockets filled, so of course those entities are going to get that bailout.

The many ironies of big corporations is that they are unfailingly conservative and capitalistic, with such laughable slogans like "Buy American", yet they ship jobs overseas, are rewarded with tax breaks for doing so, and sell the world sex via their 24/7 advertising-- thereby undermining all the "family values" and "morality" of the religious right, who support them...but when things get tough, these same companies depend on socialism to bail themselves out of their own incompetence.

As usual, the rich exist on a double standard, but since they're running the show via their bought and sold politicians, who can stop them?

I fear I've gotten too political and will refrain from doing so in the future. Sorry, but those slobs really make me sick.

A few things I personally felt was was a wrong move. Never bail out a business that should have been able to hire the proper staff to over view and correct the problems.
Never spend taxpayers money without allow the tax payers to have the final say so in it.

Math supports that the bailout amounts could have been in such as way that everyone as a resident, over 21, could have been given a hefty check, thus saving the housing industry (people could have then paid their homes off), purchased a car and paid off the one they currently owned. I think I recall the amount per person as far as checks they could have issued was around $115,000.00 now stop to think how much of a natural help that would have been to the economy?

But you are right in the sense that really big business has a way to hold hands with the powers that be, and it is a pay peter to rob paul ordeal.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I have my own secret suspicions about Burger King. They say they serve "char" broiled burgers. I think they do something to that meat. I think they salvage some materials for that meat. I think it is sprayed on that meat before it gets cooked.

According to an investigative book called Fast Food Nation, your statement above is correct. A charbroil 'flavoring' is sprayed on those burgers to make them smell and taste, well, charbroiled. Not salvaged materials, but a cocktail of chemicals concocted by flavor chemists (or "flavorists") who make food essences for a living ... and are very good at it.

More information about flavorists here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavorist

 

[LoveMyHats2]

This great need to be heard...'politically'...no matter what...is exactly what finally caused politics to be 'banned'..or supposedly prohibited. Not everyone agrees on specifics or opinions of what has caused what..or what the solutions might be. In fact..opposing views seem quite far apart causing a great divide that has a tendency to become heated. I think that is what is trying to be avoided here.

Yes you are right. So to maybe steer something into a new thought, I have wanted to ask you, as I know the town you live in have had some events that are really great for those that attend. Question: Do you have the Cobra Clubs coming to your town for an annual event? (not a cobra mustang, the real cobra cars).