Fast Food Nation?

Lately the fast food industry has been behaving very strangely.
First, I see this KFC TV ad the other day. It was triumphing the — yeah, hold on to your seats — diet properties of their fresh fried chicken for low carb diets! C’mon Atkiners, line up for a grease-filled bucket and watch the pounds fall off! Oh, and I bolded that fresh part because at the bottom of the screen, in the small print, was: Fresh claim may not be applicable in all areas. Um, just WTF does that mean? And how do I find which locations are “fresh” participants? *shudder*
Then I’m watching the news tonight and all asudden McDonald’s and others have decided that shoving 9 chickens in one cage was perhaps just a little bit cruel. (Apparently 7 per cage is not cruel according to “scientists.” [cbs.com]) The Mickey D’s Director of Social Responsibility (I really enjoyed that one!) was describing how the geniuses at HQ had finally figured out that their customers actually liked animals and preferred they not be treated like utter shit:

It’s a part of doing business. It’s not a fad. It’s not just a nice thing to do. It’s not a left field idea. It’s mainstream.

Oy vey.

Worst Album Covers Ever

Scary stuff. [cenedella.com]
Um, is it possible for Devastatin’ Dave… the Turntable Slave not to suck?

Wal-Mart commits voter fraud?

While most have heard about Wal-Mart’s slave labor problems [nytimes.com], today’s Chronicle spotlights a local bay area community which said “no” to Wal-Mart [alternet.org] and it’s hidden costs to taxpayers. Wal-Mart’s response was nothing short of moral bankruptcy: an underhanded campaign to purposely mislead public opinion which could very well be just downright illegal.
Not only have they disguised their campaign as a do-good government program called “CAN”, but they are participating in what may be outright voter fraud:

You also get a chance to fill out a voter registration application, which is conveniently mailed to Wal-Mart’s CAN, rather than to the registrar of voters. If you want more information, you are referred to an 800 telephone number.
But 20 calls to the number elicited the same response: “Only ‘Kathy’ knows about the program, she’s on the other line, so just leave your name and number.” Is it conceivable that Wal-Mart has hired only one person who is familiar with CAN? Or is this just a ploy to gather names and phone numbers to enlist shoppers in its political campaign?

Pretty despicable stuff. But Americans have proven over and over again they’re too stupid to tell the difference between a real bargain and a boondoggle laden with hidden costs. Just look at our current administration! Of course, Wal-Mart knows this and they also know they’ll win. And guess what? That 22 cents you saved on Scope is going to cost you $22 in taxes and community services.

San Francisco Elections

Here’s the returns [sfgate.com]. About 10% reporting.
Natch, Newsom is out in front. I personally find him and his plastic wife unpalatable, but whatever, there will most likely be a run-off between the ultra-coifed Gavin and “Angry Angela.” She’ll loose, but were this Fight Club my money’d be on her.
All the propositions are passing, with the exception of the bizarre Taxi permit “protection” for the disabled — which was nothing more than a thinly disguised extortion racket by the permit holders.
Gavin’s dimwitted Prop M — the “Aggressive Solicitation Ban” — is good example of what’s wrong with this boy. It’s a popularity ploy touted to get those 2-toothed homeless begging for quarters outta your face, but it can do real damage to organizations such as The Salvation Army and The Girl Scouts. Yes, that cute little 8-year old is “aggressively soliciting” Thin Mints to you in front of Mollie Stone’s — lock that bitch up!
I found Angela’s Prop J, which promised to provide shelter for the city’s homeless youth, seniors, and disabled to be just soooo San Francisco. The entire legal text of the proposition was no more than 3 paragraphs and offered absolutely zero implementation details. In other words, it was nothing more than sympathy vote and guilt-removal for all us who step over and ignore these people every day.
UPDATE 10:43pm: Thankfully, Matt Gonzalez will be Newsom’s opponent in the December runoff. Good for Matt.

Wanna exploit my scar, little girl?

I heard the line of those waiting to piss on my grave was lined up around the corner, but alas, I did live through my surgery on 10/14. Still recovering… but not dead.
Oh, and Happy Halloween!

Amazon’s Sales Rank and Fat Liberals

Last week, Michael Moore’s new book Dude, Where’s My Country? hit #1 on Amazon, even before it’s release this past Tuesday. Today, it’s #2 shoved off it’s perch by… (drum-roll!)… The South Beach Diet.
Oh, MANNNN! So Amazon’s overrun with fat liberals, who are apparently more fat than liberal. And to think, I was starting to have faith in you.

What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?

For the next four days, San Francisco is under attack…
It’s Fleet Week, the most notable event being the frequent full-throttle low-passes the Blue Angels make over the city scaring the bejesus outta everyone, setting off car alarms, and compensating for their inadequacies… [and I dare them to prove otherwise! :-)]
At any rate, enjoy! No doubt biz in North Beach will be brisk this weekend.

The Real Beneficiaries of the Iraq War

One of these days, I’m gonna stop spewing politics, maybe around November 2004, or perhaps when I move to Canada.
But not today. Check out Divvying up the Iraq pie [alternet.org], a detailed report on who the real winners of the Iraq war. (HINT: It’s NOT Iraqis!)

America’s Iraq-sticker-shock may turn to anger when taxpayers discover the small group of men and companies reaping the benefits of President Bush’s newly found appreciation for nation building. While Vice President Dick Cheney’s company, Halliburton, has attracted most of press attention for its Iraq-related contracts, Halliburton is hardly the whole story. Halliburton’s share is but a slice of multi-billion dollar pie being divided up among a brotherhood of unusually well connected and economically related individuals and entities.

Salon also notes To the cronies go the spoils.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch: SURPRISE! SURPRISE! Phone logs and records related to the Plame leak investigation will be given to White House lawyers before being turned over to the Justice Department. Some have fingered the Bush camp in the leak, calling it an act of revenge. But you knew we’d never really know what happened, didn’t you?

Gov. Arnold: Mmmm… Misguided Frustration

It appears Schwarzenegger will take the governorship of California. He ran as an “independent” Republican, a for-the-people, “let’s take back California” kinda guy. Bush “won” spewing this ideology in 2000, which was clearly utter bullshit, so why Californians are buying it this time around is beyond me. Ugh, misguided frustration, me thinks. But I digress…
Unfortunately, I don’t really think Arnie understands what he’s up against: This is a solidly Democratic state. The assembly and state senate are heavily Democrat, and I hate to break the news to him during his victory lap, but listen up Arnold: you’re only going to get as much done as they want you to…
But anyway… bygones. Let’s see what happens.
As for Gray Davis, for better or worse, his political career is effectively kaput.
Some interesting nuggets:

• Election Results [cnn.com]
• Prop. 54 went down, the so called “Racial Privacy Act” which really amounted to nothing more than “racial discrimination without a paper trail”
• San Francisco, where I live, is as Democratic as always, saying no to the recall by a 4-to-1 margin (80%). The rest of the Bay Area also said no to the recall, but by not nearly the same margins. The rest of the state was ~60/40 for, with Los Angeles being nearly 50/50. Just look at this SpatiaLogic map, and you’ll get an idea of why the Bay Area is so unique in this state.
• CNN Exit Polls: 64% of voters said Schwarzenegger did NOT “address the issues.” (Uh, then why’d you vote for him, fool!?) 47% thought the recall was a waste of money, and more believe we can’t solve the budget crisis without raising taxes than those who do not
• CNN Quick Vote [unscientific]: 83% believe the recall will NOT solve California’s problems
• Democrats are already circling their recall wagons… as if you didn’t see that coming. Target: 3/04. To get you started: Procedure for Recalling State and Local Officials [www.ss.ca.gov]
• Many pro-lifers voted for Arnold even though he’s clearly pro-choice. Usually a deal breaker. Republican win at any cost?
• Cruz Bustamante is still Lt. Governor and will continue to serve under Arnold’s administration
• Support Arianna Huffington’s Clean Elections Initiative for the March 2004 ballot
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight: “This just in… Schwarzenegger has been accused of groping Hitler inappropriately.”