In addition to great food, In-N-Out has some really crazy and awesome products

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when the people at In-N-Out marketing start tossing around ideas for new products.

 

There's the burger mug I mentioned in a previous post:

 

This attention-grabbing beach towel:

 

Your dog can dress just like an In-N-Out associate (they don't call them employees):

 

 

Even if you're not the kind of person who dresses up your dog, your furry buddy can still sport some In-N-Out accoutrements:

Can't lie, I really like these bags:

 

 

 

All these and more can be yours at the In-N-Out Burger Company Store.

 

For once, a positive customer service story

This just popped up on my social media, although when I checked to see if it's a true story (it is!) it turned out to be from 2022. But it's such a heartwarmer that it warrants revisiting, especially after losing Sophie earlier this year.

 

Apparently this isn't unusual. Chewy does this stuff all the time. In fact, in the linked article, there's a shelter worker confirming that they get many donations from orders that originated from Chewy that normally would be returned.

 

I can confirm how much genuine compassion is helpful after the loss of a pet. As I mentioned in this post, Hearts and Halos and Dr. Sarah (Sophie's in-home euthanasia) were beyond compassionate and helped make an awful experience that much less traumatic.

 

Then there was the reaction from Sophie's long-time vet. One of the services Hearts and Halos offers is to notify the vet of the death, so that I didn't have to make that call. A few days later I got a card in the mail from the animal hospital, with a message scrawled by some random employee (not from her vet or the hospital as a whole) and that was it. Never heard from them again, in spite of the fact that Sophie had been in there less than a week before her death and had been a patient for over a decade. It wasn't that I was expecting something as much as I was shocked that this otherwise well-run animal hospital didn't do. Given her age and how recently she'd been in there, I was surprised the vet didn't call. Maybe they were concerned I'd give them grief about not realizing Sophie was nearing the end and recommending more meds and labs (expensive meds and labs) but honestly, Sophie had bounced back so many times I was willing to give it a shot, plus that shouldn't be a reason not to hear from them. To this day I'm shocked they went so silent.

 

So props to Chewy for taking the time and making the effort to acknowledge a customer they never actually met. Class move and something that I can vouch made the loss a little less painful.

 

Greening Philosophy

Yes, apparently "greening" philosophy (and apparently other topics) is a thing. It's a thing I'd never heard of before I opened the welcome email from the professor for the Philosophy 1 (Knowledge and Reality) class I was supposed to start next week. 

 

Here, from Santa Monica College's class catalog, is the description for the class I signed up for:

 

This course introduces students to the analysis of various metaphysical and epistemological questions and problems in philosophy, typically including the nature and limits of knowledge, the existence of God, the Mind-Body Problem, the Freedom vs. Determination debate, and the Absolution vs. Relativism debate. Related topics in ethics may also be included.

 

What I got was a syllabus with a banner announcing "Greening Philosophy: A Fresh Introduction to the Field". The "Knowledge and Reality" title was under that. I had no idea what "Greening Philosophy" meant as there was no mention of it in the class description. 

 

Well, I found out.

 

In the syllabus, mixed in with all the actual philosophy stuff, this was listed under Course Description:

 

*Ecological Literacy for Sustainability: Above section will provide foundations in ecological literacy and help prepare students to live more sustainably. 

 

You know when I needed to know that this was part of this section? When I was signing up for classes months ago. Not now, a week before the semester starts and when all the other Philosophy 1 sections are filled and closed. Also, if I wanted to take a course on ecological literacy I would have signed up for a class on ecological literacy, not philosophy.

 

And under Learning Outcomes, in addition to the philosophy stuff, students are expected to:

 

Assume responsibility for their own impact on the earth by living a sustainable and ethical lifestyle. 

 

So how did this happen? Why is ecological literacy and sustainable living included in a class about philosophy? The answer was provided in the description for the textbook, which is where the banner title came from: 

 

Greening Philosophy...is part of an emergent project in higher education...the goal of which is to incorporate environmental awareness, or ecological literacy, into existing courses without changing the primary objectives of those courses.

This reader (book) offers the reader an opportunity to learn philosophy and at the same time to cultivate an environmental consciousness for global citizenship.

 

In other words, they're co-opting a topic I'm actually interested in to shoehorn in their propaganda. Got it. But hey, they're still offering readers the opportunity to learn philosophy. Thanks bunches, textbook, for giving me the opportunity to study the subject that I signed up for and paid for.

 

What I didn't sign up for or pay for was being subjected to propaganda. Using buzz words like "an emergent project...", "to incorporate...awareness...or literacy, into existing courses..." and "global citizenship" doesn't change what it is. There's no reason to incorporate an unrelated subject into another topic. You know what you could do? Just offer courses on environmental awareness, ecological literacy, and sustainable living. But if you did that, your influence is limited only to students who enroll in those classes. So, no, "greening" a subject and pushing "global citizenship" does in fact change the primary objectives of the courses it infiltrates, regardless of the book's claim. It changes it by bringing in a separate topic to deliver propaganda. I wonder if the class's philosophical approach includes any criticism of the greening movement. I'd bet good money it wouldn't tolerate that at all. As I mentioned above, the desired outcome is clearly stated in the syllabus.

 

What's the point of all this? The point is they have a captive audience of mostly young, malleable minds who are more receptive to being brainwashed than someone older (me) who long ago learned the importance of learning how to think, not what to think. Who learned a long time ago not to blindly follow without thinking for myself. Who learned to be objective, educate myself, and develop intelligently considered opinions rather than parroting what others tell me I should think.

 

And if this "emergent project" is so vital to making us all better people, why not include it in the course description? I've double-checked the class schedule and catalog and there's no mention of the ecological literacy aspect of the course in any description of it. Why hide it?  I also can't help but wonder what aspects of philosophy I'm missing out on during the portion of the class that now has to be devoted to ecological literacy. What philosophy material did the instructor have cut out to accommodate the greening aspect?

 

Another thing I found telling was that in her email, the professor requested that students review the syllabus to see if the class is a good fit for us individually. It seems like an odd thing to say until you realize that there's a component of the class that hadn't previously been shared. The problem again is that this is the kind of information I needed when I was signing up for the class, not the week before the semester starts and other classes I could have taken are full. I could have chosen another class at the time of registration. Now I'm out a class because, no, this is not a good fit for me. Philosophy is a good fit for me. This class, not so much.

 

One of my big concerns when I started taking classes online with SMC was due to numerous stories I've heard in recent years of how college professors pushed their personal and political agendas on students, up to and including threatening poor grades for students who held opposing views. I have to say that my experience at SMC has been relatively free of this kind of stuff. A few times something would come through. For example, I didn't need to know nor did I care that my Shakespeare professor was Hispanic and gay. Contrary to what he seemed to believe, I didn't think it was odd that someone like him was into Shakespeare. He's entitled to be interested in Shakespeare as much as the next person. Nor did my Poli Sci professor (an older Black man) seem to have any sort of agenda. What all my teachers at SMC have had is an amazing amount of knowledge and enthusiasm for the subjects they teach, without any other agenda being inserted. And that's all I want. 

 

And that's pretty much what I got until a week before my Philosophy class was to begin. Apparently that's not what I'm going to get from Philosophy 1. And that's not going to work for me.

 

I haven't heard from my other instructor yet. I can only hope they haven't gotten around to greening Art History.

 

Updated 8/31/26: Good news - no greening of Art History 1! Hooray!

 

  

The McDonald's CEO/Big Arch fiasco

So this has been all over the internets lately, popping up repeatedly on my social media and I finally have to offer up my two cents.

 

First up let me say that I don't know who in the CEO's office or Golden Arches marketing watched this video and thought it would be a good idea to send it out into the world, but they did and the backlash has been pretty much universal. Some of the observations I keep seeing (and agree with): 1) The guy doesn't look like he's eaten red meat in his life, 2) He takes the tiniest bite ever, and that plus his unconvincing enthusiasm gives the impression that he can't stomach the burger, 3) He refers to it as a "product" instead of food. Overall, it's a disaster.

 

 

 

A few more of my own observations:

• The burger looks like it's been roughed up. It's lopsided and flat. How do you as a McDonald's employee serve this sorry-looking thing to your CEO? And how, as CEO, do you put in on camera? I know that's probably how it would realistically look by the time you get it home from the drive-thru, but you'd think for this video they would make sure it looked pristine. I mean, check out how they present it on the website - quite a difference:

Now THAT'S a big burger!

• How to "attack" it? It doesn't appear to be any bigger than a Big Mac, which has been around for decades. Plus, they already sell a double-quarter pounder, so having two of those patties isn't anything new. If they're trying to pass this off as massive compared to those two, it isn't working, especially when you compare the burger in the video to the image from the website. And him saying he took a big bite when he barely made a dent in it is just too obviously false.
• The fry carton is only partially filled. Again, is this what we can expect our large fry order to look like when we get home? Staging, people.
• Overall, he does a terrible job of describing what's on the burger that makes it unique, like he's seeing it for the first time. The Big Mac was famously launched with an ad campaign jingle that was simply a list of it's unique ingredients, so earwormy that people of a certain age (me) can to this day tell you exactly what makes up the Big Mac: 🎵 Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun 🎵 Couldn't they have just given him the list from the website?

The guy is just not persuasive in terms of selling the Big Arch as a heavenly burger experience. He may be good behind a desk, but not on camera. I don't for one minute believe this guy enthusiastically tucks into McDonald's food on a regular basis. Like many other people who watched this video, I don't think he eats this stuff at all. He honestly looks repulsed at having to consume his "product". 

 

I also notice they're promoting it as a limited time item, but given this anemic launch (more attention being paid to the flawed video than the burger itself) I don't think this is going to be the next McRib. I also wonder why it's limited time. Do they not have enough faith in it to launch it simply as a new addition to the menu? Is it a ploy to cover their butts if it's not successful and has to go away without admitting it flopped? Sure seems that way. 

 

Bottom line, I have more questions than appetite about this launch, which is the exact opposite of the effect it should have on me, the consumer.

 

Farewell May 70's Dance Party!!!

It was fun while it lasted!

 

Monday, May 26: "Got to Give It Up" - Marvin Gaye

Tuesday, May 27: "Shining Star" - Earth, Wind & Fire

Wednesday, May 28: "The Boss" - Diana Ross

Thursday, May 29: "She's a Lady" - Tom Jones

Friday, May 30: "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" - Barry White

Saturday, May 31: "Last Dance" - Donna Summer (Well played, 70's dance party!)

 

Already had Shining Star (always loved EWF, what a great band) and Last Dance. 

iTunes got my money: The Boss, She's a Lady, and several others by both artists.

 

 

 

May 70's Dance Party penultimate episode

Monday, May 19: "You Make Me Feel "Mighty Real" - Sylvester

 

Tuesday, May 20: "Some Kind of Wonderful" - Grand Funk Railroad

 

Wednesday, May 21: "Love Rollercoaster"- Ohio Players

 

Thursday, May 22: "Ring My Bell" - Anita Ward

 

Friday, May 23: "Superfly" - Curtis Mayfield

 

Saturday, May 24: "Take a Chance on Me" - Abba

 

Sunday, May 25: "More, More, More" - Andrea True Connection

 

 

What a great week. Already have You Make Me Feel, Some Kind of Wonderful, Ring My Bell, and More More More. Have the Red Hot Chili Peppers version of Love Rollercoaster from Beavis and Butthead Do America. May download Superfly. l do have a bunch of Abba songs but this one was just never one of my favorites. 

Just one week to go!

Week 3 - The May 70's Dance Party rocks on!

Yikes! I totally blanked on this! Almost a week behind.

 

Week 3!

 

Monday, May 12: "Love Machine" - The Miracles

Tuesday, May 13: "Crocodile Rock" - Elton John

Wednesday, May 14: "Listen to the Music" - The Doobie Brothers

Thursday, May 15: "He's the Greatest Dancer" - Sister Sledge

Friday, May 16: "Turn the Beat Around" - Vickie Sue Robinson

Saturday, May 17: "Let's All Chant" - The Michael Zager Band

Sunday, May 18: "Shadow Dancing" - Andy Gibb

 

Have Crocodile Rock, Listen to the Music, and Let's All Chant, and I'm good.

Customer Service Fail, Magazine Subscription Division

I have a bunch of magazine subscriptions. I love hard copies; digital magazines don't do it for me. I also constantly receive urgently worded renewal notices that make it sound like my subscription is expiring RIGHT NOW, only to check and discover (more often than not) that I'm nowhere near the renewal date. I get why they do this - cash flow. If you renew early, they get their money sooner. I often wonder how many people fall for that. You must be in danger of having your subscription expire, because otherwise why would the publisher be sending you an urgent renewal notice, right? (Because $$$, that's why).

But the notice I got yesterday really blew me away with not only the harsh tone, which I found unacceptable from a customer service point of view, but also by the blatant deception. Check this out (caps and bold are theirs):

 

Melinda Loomis

This is your THIRD RENEWAL NOTICE

Melinda 

AVOID SERVICE

INTERRUPTION:

RENEW TODAY!

RE: SUBSCRIPTION STATUS: EXPIRING 

 

This is the THIRD NOTICE we have sent about your (name of magazine) subscription. We have yet to hear from you.

 

The next paragraph advises that, "Because time is now a factor..." they are generously offering a renewal savings deal. There's just a couple of problems with that.

First of all, am I being hypersensitive because I find this tone unnecessary and unacceptable? Seriously, who wrote this? Who thought it was a good idea to use address a customer like this. I have a customer service background, and I would NEVER have taken this tone with a client. EVER.

 

Second, and here's the real kicker: The reason they have yet to hear from me is because this magazine doesn't renew until OCTOBER. It is currently mid-May. I ordered this subscription last September. And this is the THIRD renewal notice they've sent me? And they have the nerve to state that my "subscription status" is EXPIRING? It is nowhere NEAR expiring. This is a blatant lie. But if I hadn't checked, I would have likely sent the check out the same day.

Another thing I noticed is that one thing they DIDN'T include on this extremely important notice is the actual subscription renewal date. You would think that would be worth mentioning. That they purposely omitted it just adds to the deception, and isn't how I want to be treated as a paying customer.

On the back of the notice there's information I hadn't been previously aware of. They have a money-back policy. "We guarantee you may write to cancel your subscription at any time, for any reason, and that you will receive a full refund for all unmailed issues". I've never cancelled a magazine pre-renewal, if I don't want it anymore I just let it go at renewal time. But after this notice, I'm thinking of taking them up on their guarantee. This is a lifestyle magazine, not something important like a writing magazine. I can live without it if I have to, and I'm giving serious thought to doing just that.

Week 2 of the May 70's Dance Party has come and gone

Week 2!

 

Monday, May 5: "Magic" - Pilot (if you're going to be a one-hit wonder, make it a memorable one)

 

Tuesday, May 6: "Young Hearts Run Free" - Candi Staton

Wednesday, May 7: "Rock Steady" - Aretha Franklin

Thursday, May 8: "Do Ya" - Electric Light Orchestra

Friday, May 9: "Born to Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez (I will never be without this song)

Saturday, May 10: "Saturday Night" - Bay City Rollers

Sunday, May 11: "Fox on the Run" - Sweet

 

Already had: Magic, Born to Be Alive, Saturday Night

 

Threw money at iTunes for: Do Ya, Fox on the Run

 

BTW, I tried putting together an 80's Dance Party Month playlist and there was so much great music in that decade I could easily do an entire year of 80's songs. I have a lot of respect for how hard it must have been to pick only 31 songs from another great musical decade.
 

Week 1 of the May 70's Dance Party is in the books!

I can't believe it's May already!

 

Thursday, May 1: "Boogie Oogie Oogie" - A Taste of Honey (already own it)

 

Friday, May 2: "Best of My Love" - The Emotions (already own it)

 

Saturday, May 3: "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" - McFadden & Whitehead (a rare pass)

 

Sunday, May 4: "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" - Chic (another pass, but downloaded two other Chic songs...iTunes will never go broke as long as I'm around)

 

Want to take a writing class taught by Agatha Christie? Of course you do, and so do I.

BBC Maestro, which I would describe as a British version of MasterClass, has brought the Queen of Mystery back to life to share her writing secrets: Writing with Agatha Christie.

From the course description:

 

The course has been curated by leading Christie scholars Dr Mark Aldridge, Michelle Kazmer, Gray Robert Brown, and Jamie Bernthal-Hooker, who have painstakingly reconstructed Agatha’s philosophy on writing, using her own words.

 

For the first time, audiences will hear Agatha Christie impart her insights on story structure, cast creation, plot twists, red herrings, and the art of suspense, drawn directly from her own writings and archival interviews.

According to this Deadline article, the BBC used a combination of AI and actress Vivien Keene to bring Christie to life. The course consists of 11 lessons and 12 exercises, and runs 2-1/2 hours. You can purchase the course as a stand-alone for $89, or subscribe to BBC Maestro for $120 for all-access for a year, which also provides courses from live people including Lee Child, Ken Follett, Harlan Coben, Bill Lawrence, Brian Cox, Sir Tim Rice, Mark Ronson, and that's just in the creative arts. They also offer courses in Food & Drink, Business, Wellness, and Art & Design.

I have two college classes (complete with live professors) going on right now, but I'm thinking once the semester is completed this will be my next course.

I also think it will be interesting to see how people react to the idea of someone like Christie being recreated by AI. AI itself is an extremely touchy issue with a lot of people, especially writers. Given the people behind it and the apparent care put into it, I'm willing to at least give this a shot. I guess I'll find out how I feel about it this summer.

Sophie cheats death yet again

Sophie punched another space on her 9-lives card last week. The latest trip to the vet was due to her refusal (or inability) to eat solid food. She had an appetite, in fact constantly demanded fresh food, then she would just lick the sauce off and leave the solid portion. I was concerned she had a bad tooth and was in pain, so off to the vet we went.

A little background - Sophie has been medically healthy most of her life, but has had a lot of issues with her teeth. She's lost some on her own and has had four dental surgeries to remove bad teeth (2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020). The 2020 surgery was dicey because her blood pressure became unstable while she was under anesthesia. She got through it, but I've worried about her not being able to survive another surgery if needed. And because she clearly hadn't lost her appetite, I was concerned she had a bad, painful tooth that was making eating uncomfortable.

As usual in these circumstances, my fears turned out to be largely unfounded. The vet checked what few teeth she has left and found nothing more serious than tartar. When he pushed on the teeth, she didn't react as if it hurt. The vet thinks the eating issues are probably related to her kidney function, a common issue in older cats, and suggested giving her fluids a couple times a week to make sure she has enough fluids in her body to comfortably digest and pass her food. I've actually had a bag of fluid for a while, but since Sophie really hates getting jabbed and I don't enjoy it either, I've only used it when she was visibly in distress, something that has only happened a couple of times, but it looks like we're going to have to bite the bullet and do the fluids on a regular basis. Sophie will be 19 years old in less than two months and I'll do anything to keep her going with a good quality of life. 

I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that if she does need a surgery in the future, it isn't necessarily a death sentence. The vet indicated that if that became necessary they would send her to a major veterinary hospital in West L.A. (which is also the 24-hour emergency vet we've been to in the past). It's a big place and apparently they have specialists, equipment, and drugs that most of the smaller locations don't have. 

 

While all this was going on, I discovered the wonderful world of pureed cat food! Bought a couple of packets and Sophie hoovered them up, so after the vet visit I headed over to PetSmart to stock up. I thought I'd really hit the jackpot until the vet informed me that they don't have the calorie content that regular food has. No kidding - one of her "normal" cups of food has 80 calories, while one packet of the pureed food has 16 calories. So I've been using it as a supplement, mixing it with her regular food, and it seems to be working great - she's been scarfing food down since then.

So again, another trip to the vet where I feared the worst possible outcome, and another result that was a best possible scenario. Sophie lives to fight another day!

 

Too adorbs to die.

Recent reading: "The Mystery of the Blue Train"

The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

I'm a couple months behind on #ReadChristie2024 - this one was supposed to be the March read. 

The Mystery of the Blue Train is a Poirot mystery about the murder of a rich American heiress aboard a French train. Ruth Kettering is murdered en route to the Riviera and the prime suspect is her estranged, cheating husband Derek. But there's an additional crime - the theft of Ruth's priceless rubies, and the prime suspect for that one is the Comte de la Roche, the lover she planned on meeting up with in France. Others caught up in the murder's orbit include Rufus Van Aldin (Ruth's millionaire father), Katherine Grey (a young Englishwoman making her first trip abroad), Mirelle (Derek's lover, a famous dancer), Richard Knighton (Van Aldin's secretary), Lady Tamplin and her daughter Lenox (relatives of Katherine's), Ada Mason (Ruth's maid), Papololous (a jewel dealer) and his daughter Zia, and the mysterious le Marquis. Was Ruth murdered by a husband about to be divorced and left broke, or was she killed for her rubies by jewel thieves? Fortunately for everyone involved, Hercule Poirot was also aboard the Blue Train at the time of Ruth's death and he's on the case.

 

This was a new one for me and made me eager to seek out the TV episode, but judging from the imdb description and reviews, it looks like not only did they take numerous liberties with the story but the results were less than impressive. I'll still check it out, but it doesn't sound good.

The Mystery of the Blue Train is the March selection for #ReadChristie2024. Each quarter features Christie novels from a specific decade(s). First quarter is the 1920's, second quarter is the 1930's, third quarter is the 1940's-1950's, and fourth quarter is the 1960's-1970's. The complete list is:

 

January: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Poirot)

February: The Secret Adversary (Tommy & Tuppence)

March: The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot)

April: The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple)

May: The ABC Murders (Poirot)

June: And Then There Were None (stand alone)

July: Taken at the Flood (Poirot)

August: A Murder is Announced (Miss Marple)

September: Ordeal by Innocence (stand alone)

October: The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side (Miss Marple)

November: Third Girl (Poirot)

December: Elephants Can Remember (Poirot)

 

My FOB haul

Last weekend marked the first time I got back to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books since I don't know when (pre-COVID?) and I think I actually used some restraint in buying books, especially on Day 1 when the only book I bought was the Mike Farrell autobiography.

 

The haul:

 

• Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist by Mike Farrell
• Behind the Door: The Dark Truths and Untold Stories of the Cecil Hotel by Amy Price (she was on an L.A. based panel and worked at the Cecil Hotel for ten years, including during the Elisa Lam disappearance)
• The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels by Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans (also from the L.A. panel) 

And from the discount bookstore:

• The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard by John Birdsall
• Let Me Feed You: Everyday Recipes Offering the Comfort of Home by Rosie Daykin 
• Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits by Reese Witherspoon (I usually don't go for celebrity cooking/lifestyle books, but the aesthetics of this one snagged me)

 

I tried to get an autographed copy of David Mamet's Everywhere an Oink Oink after seeing him interviewed, but the bookstore sold out before I could grab one. Bummer.

 

It was really good to get back to the FOB. Next year's festival is April 26-27, 2025 at USC and is the 30th anniversary. Looking forward to it!

I was today years old when I found out there was a Tower Records in Marina del Rey

Never knew. It's a DSW Shoe Warehouse now. 

Spent a lot of time and money at the West Covina location back in the day.

Some good news and some bad news and some mind-blowing news

The good news: This is the first I've heard of this project, but after reading this article it instantly went on my must-see list: SNL 1975, a backstage look at the launch of the legendary Saturday Night Live, from Jason Reitman. If done right, this should be awesome. I loved Reitman's Thank Your for Smoking, and if he brings that sensibility to SNL 1975 this should be amazing. Not gonna lie, it was heartening to hear about a film that isn't a woke remake/reimagining/reboot or yet another superhero CGI-fest.

For once, this isn't applicable. Good times.

Bad (end of an era) news: Sports Illustrated may be done for good. More info here. I remember reading their coverage of Secretariat and Ruffian as a kid. Hard to tell from these articles if they can save the magazine, but it doesn't sound good. 

Crazy news: A then 13-14 year old Jodie Foster was offered role of Princess Leia in Star Wars. Imagine the Star Wars universe with a teen Leia leading the rebellion and how it would affect not just the first film, but the sequels as well. And what does it say about two-time Oscar winner Foster's talent that she skipped being in what turned out to be one of the biggest films of all-time and still has had an amazing career. I think the big question is what kind of career Carrie Fisher would have had if Foster had taken the role. I'd also love to know George Lucas's logic behind a child leading the rebellion and how they planned on making that work. The whole story is just kind of bonkers.

Not creepy at all...

Don't ever think you have privacy on the internet.

I was reading an article on Deadline about the death of actor Tom Wilkinson and just look at the ad that popped up in the middle of it:

Guess what I was looking at online just yesterday? Yep, this:

 

I ended up not buying it, but if you've ever wanted the Breyer version of Secretariat, he's still available.

Totally creepy, and not cool at all.

Updated 1/2/24: Breyer ads still popping up on various websites. Not cool at all.

Any idiot could program a day of classic Christmas films...

...uh, TCM? You got some 'splaining to do!

 

This schedule for Christmas Day was posted on the Turner Classic Movies Fan Site on Facebook, and I wasn't alone in wondering who the heck programmed this and/or why. A lot of the comments bore out that I wasn't the only one who thought some of the choices were odd for Christmas.

Fortunately, TBS and TNT are embarking on their annual "24 Hours of A Christmas Story" in a few hours, so there will be plenty of quality Christmas viewing available for those of us who want it.

 

Recent reading: "The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger"

 

The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger: The Inside Story of California's First Drive-Thru and How It Became a Beloved Cultural Icon 

by Lynsi Snyder

 

It may sound weird (especially if you've never had the pleasure of eating at In-N-Out) but one of the best things about being a Californian - especially in this sorry age of the not-so-Golden State - is the ability to claim the In-N-Out Burger chain as our own. 

Lynsi Snyder had the great fortune to be the only In-N-Out heir born into her generation and after her uncle, father, and grandparents passed away, she inherited the successful and beloved chain while only in her twenties. Now forty-one, she has stepped up and grabbed the baton, continuing the high standards set by previous generations and has led In-N-Out to even greater growth than ever imagined, and without any compromise. After reading this book, I have a great deal of admiration for her. She works hard, she works smart, she holds herself to high standards, and she doesn't let it overwhelm her. If you check out her social media, you'll find someone who is having a blast and living her best life.

 

Lynsi repeatedly praises the In-N-Out workers (known as associates) and the customers, always giving them credit for the continued success of the company. Before I even finished this book, not only was I craving their food, but also found myself wondering why I never applied to work there. My first-ever real job as an unskilled sixteen-year-old was at McDonald's, which is the perfect place for someone unskilled and inexperienced. It was actually pretty good training. But In-N-Out is on another planet in terms of how they train, treat, pay, and promote their associates. The examples of In-N-Out's beyond the call of duty way of doing things are too numerous for a blog post - read the book and learn.

To her credit, Lynsi also addresses some of the issues that have plagued her family, including drugs and abuse, her ill-advised early and unsuccessful marriages, and she does it simply, without apology, and with grace. She is currently in a happy, healthy place, and has become the great leader that In-N-Out needed after losing both members of the second Snyder generation before their time, leaving the company in a potentially vulnerable position. She has also dedicated her company and herself to multiple non-profit organizations that combat against and aid victims of child abuse, substance abuse, and human trafficking.

Snyder has four children of her own and I imagine they are being groomed to continue the glory that is In-N-Out Burger without compromise for generations to come. And that is great news for Californians and fans of great burgers, amazing service, and high quality food. 

From the book:

Together with my team, I began studying our menu on the most intricate level to see if we could improve quality even more, making items better and healthier. We discovered a number of practices we were using were outdated. For instance, we worked with all our bakers to remove calcium propionate (a mold inhibitor) in our buns and replaced it with natural enzymes. With our chilis and pickles, we removed artificial Yellow 5 and replaced the additive with natural turmeric. In our strawberry shake syrup we removed artificial Red 40 and replaced it with natural fruit juice. In our vanilla shake we removed ethyl vanillin and replaced it with natural vanilla. In all our shakes and lemonade we cut out high fructose corn syrup and replaced it with natural sugar.

 

October Words of Wisdom

Bedrooms are our sanctuary. They should evoke tranquility, calm, warmth, and beauty. It's where we greet each new day and close the day we leave behind. I find great value in simplicity of the room where we sleep. Subdued lighting and little distractions, our beds are our sacred place. I consider the bed in which we sleep one of the most considered and and valuable possessions. --Rachel Ashwell

 

Being at peace is the ultimate power play. --Unknown 

Life tried to crush her, but only succeeded in creating a diamond. --John Mark Green

 

Never regard study as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn. --Albert Einstein 

 

When one door closes, another door opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we don't see the ones which open for us. --Alexander Graham Bell

 

I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape. --Charles Dickens

My silence doesn't mean I agree with you. It means your level of stupidity rendered me speechless. --Unknown

"I don't need anyone" is a statement made by those who at some point needed someone but no one showed up. --Sara Kuburic

 

Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution. --Albert Einstein 

Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. --William Penn

 

Until then, paint it black. --Eddie Muller, The Czar of Noir