McDonalds Facts

My recent book love is, who can be surprised, Fast Food Nation. Anyone who knows me is aware of my advocacy against the fast food industry. I have previously blogged on McDonalds and childrens' devotion to McDonald's products at such young ages.

Listen, I am not completely against fast food. I will eat some from time to time, not a lot, but rarely. I think that some of it can be therapeutic on rough days, and it's a guilty pleasure food to have sometimes as a treat. Not all food from fast food is terrible for you, but the vast majority of it really is. Food prepared that fast can't be too good.

I think I just have major issues with where we're going as a nation. We need instant gratification, and food is becoming too much. Obesity is steadily increasing, and our diets are becoming worse and worse. Something needs to change here...

Since I have such a strong opinion against the fast food industry, I decided to pick up a book that would shed light on the facts. I needed some evidence to back my arguments. Perhaps I am too harsh or severe, or perhaps new windows would be opened to my strictly focused opinion.

Fast Food Nation is blowing my mind with facts and statistics. I can't help but make noises to myself as I am reading it (I know, how much of a nerd am I?). This will be one of many blogs on the data I will find from this fascinating, eye-opening book.

Well, check out some of these facts. Tell me if you think they are absurd too, or if you think they're too inflated or off.

McDonalds' facts according to Fast Food Nation:

McDonalds...

-has 30,000 restaurants worldwide, with 2,000 opening per year.

-hires more than one million people per year, more than any other American industry.

-is the nation's largest purchaser of beef, potatoes, and pork products.

-is the largest owner of retail property in the world.

-spends more money on advertising than any other brand.

-operates more playgrounds than any other private entity in the country.

-is responsible for the nation's best-selling children's clothing line (McKids).

-started in southern California where the McDonalds brothers single-handedly created drive thru, paper-product fast food containers, and assembly-line construction of foods.

-has a Hamburger University in Illinois where its managers are trained.

-had their first mascot as Speedee the chef with a hamburger hat, but later switched it after a popular TV clown received much popularity from children.

-hosted one of the most successful promotions in the history of American advertising with Teenie Beanie Babies in Happy Meals, grossing over 10 million Happy Meals sold per week.

A couple more staggering facts to leave you with:

2/3 of the nation's fast-food workers are under 20 years old.

In a survey given to American schoolchildren where they were to identify characters, Ronald McDonald was recognized by 96% of children. The only higher character was Santa Claus.

Comments?????

Daria Quotations

After yesterday's post, I felt compelled to share Daria quotations I found on the internet. For your viewing pleasure...

"Don't worry. I don't have low self-esteem.... I have low esteem for everyone else." -Daria

"I like having low self esteem. It makes me special." -Jane

"Careful with that hair scrunchie." -Daria

"Even though I'm more popular, we do have some things in common." -Brittney
"Breathing?" -Daria

"Can you teach me how to twirl my hair and stare vacantly?" -Daria

"But, Quinn, your father and I want you to follow in our footsteps." -Mrs. Morgendorffer
"We have to walk!?" -Quinn



"Look at the jello! It's jiggling!" -Brittney
"Afraid of the competition?" -Daria

"I don't like it when I say people should die and then they do. I don't want that kind of responsibility. At least not until I've got a job in middle management." -Jane

"I don't like kids. I didn't even like kids when I was a kid." -Daria

"Well you know, condition people to expect nothing and the least little something gets them all excited. Ask, Pavalov." -Jane
"The custodian?" -Quinn

"Their sunny 60s optimism tends to cancel out my bitter 90s cynicism." -Daria

"Thank God for standardized tests. Otherwise you'd never know who your real friends are." -Daria



"I came to the realization that, given a choice between sharing shelter with my fellow students or risking death by blindly marching into a blizzard, it's blizzard 'ho for me." -Daria

"Where were you girls been all our lives?" -Boys
"Waiting for you. We were born in this room. We grew up in this room. And we're going to die in this room, alone." -Daria

"Does anyone notice anything special about me?" -Quinn
"Yes. From just the right angle, I really can see through your head." -Daria

"So, as part of the school district's first annual Awareness of Others Week, I'm asking each Lawndale High student to sign up for an extracurricular activity to make the world a better place." -Ms. Li
"Let's start by rounding up all the psychotic school administrators and putting an end to their suffering." -Jane

"God, Daria. Even your imaginary friends are embarrassing." -Quinn

"I don't like to smile unless I have a reason." -Daria
"Daria, people judge you by your expression." -Helen
"Yes, and I believe there is something intrinsically wrong with that system. I have dedicated myself to change it." -Daria

Favorite? Add one?

Daria

If you were a teenager in the 1990s, you knew Daria. You understood characters in Daria. You could hum the theme song to Daria. You could even act out the introduction to Daria.

And then, they took Daria off the air.

Don't ask me how my strange mind landed on the topic of Daria (perhaps some are not too upset because Daria had a cult-like following and fan-base), but I wish we had a cartoon satire that was comical, intellectual, and represented the teenage generation as well as this television show did.

The theme song randomly popped in my head, and when I put Daria in my away message, I was bombarded by a massive response. Thus, the blog post.

What do you remember about Daria? What did you like about it?



I will unload my thoughts and recent learnings on the program.

First, Daria was a spin-off of Beavis and Butthead. Daria was a minor character that had potential for her own show. Daria's cynicism and representation of a typical 90s teenager proved well at MTV who gave the green light to the pilot. I wish Jeannine Garofolo really did play the voice of Daria herself.

Daria was almost called The Esteemers. Good choice not to choose that.

Daria aired from 1997-2002, where Nogin picked up it and aired it for a while. Unfortunately, it only now airs in foreign countries like the UK, although I'm sure someone could purchase a bootleg copy of Daria's various seasons. Check out Daria's website if you are interested in recapping the memories of Lawndale High.



I will then make a list of reasons why I love Daria and why they should either put re-runs back on the air, or launch new episodes that focus on 1990s teenagers. The 2000s generation wouldn't really cut it:

1. Daria had the coolest single outfit, especially because none of it matched.

2. Trent was such a cool guy. Who wouldn't want to hang out with him?

3. Who else wouldn't want a best friend named Jane Lane who was incredibly amazing at artwork?

4. Daria lived in a bedroom with padded walls. Enough said.

5. The Morgendorffers portrayed suburban families to a T. Clueless. Hilarious.

6. Brittany and Kevin could not have satirized popular teenagers any better than they did, acting as head cheerleader and football captain.

7. Daria would always launch into these sophisticated rants that always confused the listener, but they were so true about life and our culture! Such wisdom...

8. They always made fun of popular music at the time, i.e. Will Smith's "Getting Jiggy with It."

9. Cartoon cameos never hurt anyone, especially if the writers were making fun of them as a pop icon. Otherwise, it was cool to see stars like Dave Grohl get incorporated into cartoon television.

10. The titles, that were puns, were always so witty and clever.

11. The end slideshow of characters dressed in obscene costumes always added an extra laugh at the end of the show.

12. Daria's favorite show, Sick Sad World, always depicted our culture in its true, natural, twisted state. How much more true is this now with reality TV?

13. They portrayed wacky teachers in an eerily accurate light, like Dr. Demartino with the bulging out eyes. Ah!

14. Quinn and Daria couldn't be farther from one another. Isn't that true with a lot of siblings? Quinn was so embarassed of Daria too, who always pushed her farther in order to embarass her more. Amazing sister.

15. We all loved that high school band that we thought would make it big but never would. Daria had Mystik Spiral. Trent, of course, made the band irresistible.

16. The love triangle between Tom, Daria, and Jane was so realistic, even though it was painful to watch, it portrayed teenage reality all too well.

17. We all had a gross nerd in high school like Upchuck. Unforunately, geeks like Upchuck are going to be richer than us someday. Sad but true, or sick sad world?

18. The Fashion Club, Quinn's popular clique of four, really showed how important cliques and popularity are to teenagers. In reality, they're not really all that smart, are they? At least it made us on the outside feel justified.

19. Didn't someone always have a crush on the older sibling? Daria was definitely victim to this misfortune with Trent...

20. Jamie, Joey, and Jeffy, Quinn's following boys, really showed how far boys will go for a girl's attention, yet the writers cleverly crafted their names to symbollically represent how similar they all really are with their near-identical names.

Did I miss any good ones? Care to add any?

Please respond to Daria. She has been neglected far too long from being cancelled. Something needs to be done to bring her back.

Beg to Differ

We all hear redundant phrases that have been cliche, but what about this one:

I beg to differ.

Isn't that such a strong thing to say. You beg to differ. Beg?

No, don't be modest. You are incorrect, and I will beg in order to persuade you otherwise. I know phrases don't always literally mean what they say, but I was just thinking about this phrase today, and I never stopped to think about its literal translation.

On a second glance, is it weird, or do even the smallest things get my mind to reflect on trivial and silly matters?

Farewell to Fall

I love fall when it's in its height, but watching the leaves slowly fall off the branches and the branches become bare and naked is a bit sad as well. The days slowly grow colder, inching closer and closer to winter, as frost collects on my windshield in the mornings. I didn't even pack my winter outdoor-ware. Fall, my favorite, is hard to watch slip away with each increasing day that leaves fall in more abundant amounts off of the branches.

In tribute, here is a collection of artwork I have stored on my computer that could be considered my farewell to fall.

My background

I'm Not Myself These Days

This phrase may not mean much anymore, but I couldn't put down this book: I'm Not Myself These Days.

A memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell, also a best-seller in 2006, this memoir tells the story of a drag queen living in New York City with his male escort boyfriend. How interesting and bizarre. It might sound a bit strange, but the absurdity really caught my attention.

I love to read about bizarre tales that are so far from my own, especially if they are true stories. I also enjoy reading about lives in New York City, because it's such a crazy lifestyle that I envy but honestly do not see myself pursuing. I am not cut out for that life, even though I love to peer inside its lens.

If anyone has read it, throw some comments here. I'd love any feedback.

If you are an Anthony Burgess fan, I would definitely put this memoir on the top of my list.

Across the Universe

Okay, so do you want to see an increible, deep, breath-taking, allegorical film?

Across the Universe is it.

This film is a musical triubute to The Beatles, using Beatles songs as a story-line to represent the 1960s through characters with Beatles songs' names: Jude, Sadie, Lucy, Prudence, etc.

If you are fascinated with the 1960s, The Beatles, or thought-provoking films, this is a MUST see.

I don't want to give too much away, but I think pictures from the film sells it itself, so I will paste some here. Honestly, there is still some I need to figure out seeing it a second time around. I loved the creativity and artistic talent of the filmmaker. I love the sounds of the singers and the adaptations of The Beatles's songs. I wish I had this much talent to compose something so deep and meaningful. I want to own this movie, and I never really enjoy owning movies.

The film is so fantastic with 1960s representations, some that could even be used in the classroom. For example, portraying the Vietnam War and the draft--brilliant. Detroit race riots, racism, hippies, sex, drugs, music and musicians. And don't forget random appearances by Bono and Salma Hayek.

Check out these incredible pictures too. Please see the film, and if you do, throw me a comment here.

Bob Dylan in a Commercial?

Bob Dylan is in an Escalade commercial? Really?

Watch it.

What do you think? This isn't sell-out status, is it?

Fast-Paced World

Okay, yes, our world is becoming faster, which is a good thing, but how far can we go here?

Tools like the internet that make things more accessible and faster are good, yes; they are not hurting anything to most extents. However, some things really, I think, have gone too far.

This blog was inspired by a Go-Tarts, Pop Tars On-the-Go bars, wrapper that I saw on the lawn this morning as I walked into school. Were Pop Tars not fast enough to consume before? Aren't they easy enough to snack on by themselves? Why did we need to make consumption faster?



In the same respect, what about Gogurt (yogurt on the go)? Gogurt: Portable yogurt. What are we doing so quickly that we can't just sit down for even ten minutes to consume our food? Are we really running so quickly from point A to B that we can't eat a quick meal? Perhaps it's a convenience thing, but I think it's just becoming too extreme.



As if fast food wasn't bad enough. Drive-thrus and easily snackable fast food packages. I won't even go there.

Can anyone think of any more examples of on-the-go snacks/foods?

What do you think of these foods becoming easily accessible/consumable? Am I the only one who thinks this is utterly outrageous?

Marla Olmstead

Is anyone familiar with Marla Olmstead?

Marla is a now seven-year old painter from Binghamton, New York. She started painting randomly, like any seven-year-old would, but she ended up making thousands and thousands of dollars in the process.

At first, her artwork was displayed at a local coffee shop, where locals questioned the price for the pieces (which seemed like a joke at first). Eventually, Marla opeed her own show which caught media attention of the New York Times, and her name spread world-wide.

Then, 60 Minutes came out with a bit on the "scandal" of her paintings. Apparently, some analyst came to the conclusion that Marla was not painting the pieces, but she was receiving help from her father due to inconsistancies in the paintings and from video footage watching her paint. Her parents say that she does not perform the same when on camera.

It's really your decision. Who knows if she really is painting them? Do we need to know? Is this really a big scam to make money, or is she a child prodigy? I'm curious to see what you think.

For more information, check out this article, view the artwork below, or view the documentary My Kid Could Paint That, of which I have viewed, and it left me puzzled and still searching for answers.

What do you think?

Is it special? Significant? Does it matter that she does/doesn't paint this? Do you like it? Is it too abstract? Is it crazy that they're selling for thousands of dollars? Anything?





Lollipop House



Asian Sun



Sick Teeth



Ode to Pollock





Zane

Give Me Truth

Before I put Into the Wild down and pass it on to others who need to read this incredible book, I wanted to record some passages that I found rather interesting and fascinating. They're thought-provoking, so I hope to provoke some thought and/or discussion amongst anyone reading.

The following is a passage highlighted in a book found with Chris McCandless's remains. It's a quotation from Henry David Thoreau in Walden:

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. I sat at a table where were rich food and wine in abundance, an obsequious attendance, but sincerity and truth were not; and I went away hungry from the inhospitable board. The hospitality was as cold as the ices."

I would prefer good conversation over food any day. You can smell insincerity as much as you can the aroma of a delicious dinner looming into the dining room. Conversation feeds the soul, especially if it is meaningful, and perhaps a bit deeper than a surface "how was your day?" conversation. Offer more than food to your guests.

"You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships. God has placed it all around us. It is in everything and anything we might experience. We just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional living." -(Alex) Chris McCandless

Don't you feel this whenever you truly have a moment in nature? When I feel really connected and centered when I am hiking or somewhere outside, I really get this feeling that happiness and joy really is constructed everywhere. Reading passages like this make me feel less alone, that I'm not the only one who thinks that one can find joy in anything, anywhere.

"For children are innocent and love justice, while most of us are wicked and naturally prefer mercy." -G.K. Chesterton

How true is this quotation after what Alex went through in his death? He did not burn a fire down to draw attention to himself. He died an honorable death, not causing harm or destruction to anyone around us. I don't think I am as noble as that by any means. I think our natural instinct is survival, not necessarily what is always right for everyone and anything involved. This is one reason why I truly respect Alex.

"Happiness is only real when shared." -(Alex) Chris McCandless

Really? Do you agree with the above statement? I am normally in complete agreement with Alex, but I don't really know if I agree with happiness only being real if you share it. Share it with someone else? I think a person can truly feel happiness by oneself. Some forms of happiness can really only be truly understood and felt by the individual. Love, perhaps, is not one of those things. Perhaps happiness and joy for other things, like winning or excelling at something personal, could be experienced by oneself. Why does it have to be shared?

Any comments or questions to add to my further probing?

Apple Picking

Apple picking is definitely one of my favorite fall activities, hands down. I love getting out during the fall season, climbing trees, picking off delicious apples, sampling them, walking around the orchard, and taking some awesome fall photos.

I went apple picking a couple weekends ago, and I want to share the photography that we took.

Does anyone else love apple picking, or just apples in general? What is your favorite kind?

(I'm a personal yellow delicious fan. There's no denying that.)

Into the Wild

Okay. I am absolutey FASCINATED by a new book: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.



I recommend this book to every person who reads this. I am utterly astounded. I can't put this book down, I can't stop thinking about it--it follows me everywhere, in my mind of course.

The cover of the book basically reveals the background of the story: In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in his savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, buried all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter...

The book retraces his hitchhiking escapades, completely based on interviews and experiences had by all of those who encountered him. His life absolutely amazes me. This man was such an amazing, brilliant, free-spirit who died at the hands of being different and seeking adventure. I wish I had that much devotion to a cause or passion to live a certain way that I would give up material things for it.

This passage stuck out to me, and I felt that I really need to share it with as many people as I can. This passage was written by this man himself to a friend of his, giving him wise advice:

"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one piece of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty."

Wow. Wise. Can it be better said?

Change is such a scary thing for people, but taking risks (like threatening your stability through creating change) brings the greatest rewards. Taking chances (like instigating a relationship) may bring negativity (rejection), but sometimes it does work out. Don't those experiences bring us the greatest highs?

We have to keep changing our horizons, otherwise we will be sucked into a life of monotony, like he describes, and how can we change and learn if we remain so stagnant? Does it mean that we have to keep traveling? Not necessarily. I think we need to be open to try new things and experience, adventure, and explore our surroundings, including the people in those surroundings. Our neighbors can teach us the most valuable lessons.

And, so many people DO live with negativity because they refuse to let go of it. It's all up to that person to release that negative energy within themselves. Some situations are harder than others, but when we learn to forgive, then we can truly be happy and peaceful with ourselves.

Like another book I'm teaching with my class writes, something along the lines of, "We can only be truly peaceful when we find it within ourselves." (We talked about that in class today, which is ironic because it has to do with my rant on another fabulous book). Literature intertwines with life. That's a secret.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. What do you think or make of the above quotation? Please give me some feedback--it's too monumental and interesting to ignore.

Here is the brilliant, deceased man himself.