Fast Food Nation QTPC 27 December 8, 2009

Quote – The real McDOnalds bears no resemblance to anything described in Schlosser’s book.

I really wonder why is right, Schlosser or McDonalds. In the documentary we watched, you could tell that the McDonalds rep was get frustrated and wanted people to understand that they are not like how Schlosser depicts them.

Talking Point – My talking point goes along with the picture on the opposite page of the beginning chapter: epilogue. I laughed when i saw the picutre. McDonalds does not help with our nations obesity. Neither do all the other fast food resteraunts. Granted, some have made changes like McDonalds has to cut fats and certain oils, but McDonalads should not have their logo on an american flag support over weight habits.

Connection - I was able to make a connection on page 245 where the London Greenpeace distributed a leaflet with name calling towards Mcdonalds. My friends and I have certain names towrds Mcdonalds and some of the sandwhich they sell. I got a kick out of some of the names they had come up with.

Fast Food Nation QTPC 26 December 8, 2009

Quote – They’re trying to deter you, period, from going to a doctor.

Talking Point – I really found it interesting injured workers in the slaughter house were dealt with. I understand that being injured, they are slower and pose and even greater threat of getting hurt again. But usually if you are hurt on the job, bills are paid for. Here with hispanic people working, and they probably being illegal, dont get a chance to go to a doctor. They are almost forced to quit or fired for getting injured.

Connection – I was able to make a connection with the horror stories about workers tampering with the food. I knew workers that were employeed at mcdonalds in my hometown. I know of several gross things that they had done to peoples food for pissing them off or asking for a complicated order. So when i go to mcdonalds, i keep it simple.

Fast Food Nation QTPC 25 December 3, 2009

Quote - “Inside the building, a maze of red conveyer belts crisscrosses in and out of machines that wash, sort, peel, slice, blanch, blow-dry, fry, and flash-freeze potatoes.”  So that’s why the french fries don’t taste very well.

Talking Point – On page 170, when the author begins to talk about the kill room, i had to pause several times. I am not a PETA person, i like meat and i feel that they are an important aspect of the agriculture economy. But as he described it, i got a little grossed out. I could not imagine working there, or even walking through on a tour.

Connection – I really didn’t make a connection with this reading assignment.

Fast Food Nation QTPC #24 December 1, 2009

Quote - Within a year, DeRose had nearly tripled District 11′s ad revenues.

Talking Point – I found it interesting that in chapter 2 towards the end of the chapter the author was talking about deal made with Coca-Cola. I had to write a AP essay on the sponorship of companies like Coca-Cola in schools and how they influenced the kids. When the principal talked about making the coke machines more accesibile so students could drink coke during class, it reminded me of my essay and how sometimes this influence isn’t always beneficial for the students.

Connection – I was able to make a connection with my talking point. Our school always partnered with Coca-Cola and their machines were everywhere in our school. They were easy to see during passing period, making you want to go spend money and get a pop. I rarely broke-down and bought one but some students would make a daily habit of getting a pop before or after class.

Nickel and Dimed QTPC 23 November 11, 2009

Quote -  As Gail, one of my restaurant coworkers put it, “you give and you give.” Someday, of course, they are bound to tire of getting so little in return and demand to be paid what they’re worth.

Talking Point – I find it interesting how on page 195 she talks about how co-workers told her not to give away how much knowledge she had to management because they could “use and abuse you.” It is like people dont want others to know how good they are at somehing so they wont be used for their skill or asked to do more.

Connection – I can kind of make a connection with my talking point. When i was working in Subway, there were times when all the employees wouldn’t out do themselves because no one wanted to become another one of the manager pets. We all did are jobs well but we didn’t do anything outstanding to draw attention to ourselves.

Nickel and Dimed QTPC 22 November 10, 2009

Quote – On the reason-able assumption that none of us is planning to go home and curl up with the “Wal-Mart Associate Handbook” our trainers start reading it out loud to us, pausing every few paragrapghs to ask, “Any questions?”

Talking Point – I think it is interesting how she gives the line about helping people with asthma when she is interviewed for Mountain Air, and is not given the job, but put on the waiting list. It seems as though Todd wants the sellers to lie to the potiential buyers so that they buy the product and he gets more profit.

Connection - I was able to make a connection when the author went through orientation for Menards. It reminded me of my first day at Subway and I was given the rules and was only allowed to do certain things. I didn’t like that day because i felt like I was being treated like a child being taught simple tasks.

Nickel and Dimed QTPC 21 November 5, 2009

Quote - The big question is why Ted’s approval means so much.

Talking Point – I like the subtle sarcasm that the author puts into this book. She is handling a pretty heavy dreary subject and I like how she plays up words to make things seem funny in a dry humor way. I think it really adds to the book.

Connection – On page 54 when she was talking about the book Concrete Island and how hard it was to cross to the other side of the street to get to the Shop-n-save and Pizza Hut, reminded me of walking around on Purdue Campus. Granted it is not as difficult as her description but walkers have to deal with bikers, busses, cars, other students and now the Zoombies vs. Humans crap. It is frustrating.

Nickel and Dimed QTPC 20 November 3, 2009

Quote – This seems to be a fairly general rule: if you want to stack cheerios boxes or vacuum hotel rooms in chemically fascist America, you have to be willing to squat down and pee in front of a health worker (who has no doubt had to do the same thing herself.)

Talking Point – It is interesting to read how the author gets by day to day on her wages from waitressing. With only $5.15 an hour she barely gets enough money to pay for nessities. She goes on to explain that she will be 100 dollars short of her rent and can’t afford to even pay a large stock pot, a ladle, or pot holders to make a stew. That is ridiculus. I dont understand how people can live off wages like that. But i also think people get stuck in a hole that they can’t get out off.

Connection – I made a connection with the movie Fun with Dick and Jane and my quote. The character in Dick and Jane had to pee in a cup just to get a job at a quicky-mart and both the movie and the book so the side of low paying jobs that people do.

When the Levees Broke QTPC 19 October 28, 2009

Quote – “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” Kayne West

Talking Point – My talking point goes along with my quote. I am not sure if Kayne West was in the right to say such a drastic thing. Granted, nothing was being done within the first several days to help the victims of Kartina, but he did not have to take such a drastic stand to make a point. Also, black people where not the only ones affected by the disaster, whites were too.

I also found it interesting that Baraba Bush said what she did about the blacks living in the Asto Dome. This women is old and stubburn but she had no rightt to say that about them being better off in the dome, because some were poor and didn’t have good living conditions to begin with. She needed to be put down into the middle of everything and have her eyes opened as to how bad it really was.

Connection – I was able to make a connection with a few of the New Orleans people. They said that they would never leave, they were born there, their roots were there, and they couldn’t leave. I am from a small town, and thats how it is there somewhat. You have those that leave for school, but come right back to raise their family, because they feel it is a safe place to raise their family and that they too, have roots there.

When the Levees Broke QTPC 18 October 26, 2009

Quote – “The people that were caught in this were of no social importance or racial importance.” I think it’s pretty sad that this was directed to the government system. Being Americans mean that we are there for each other in time of need. The government was not, at all there.

Talking Point – I really found it interesting that the documentary showed what certain government officials were doing during the suffering of Katrina. This goes along with my quote and how much thought and help actually went to the victims within the first several days of the disaster. It wasn’t until the mayor spoke his mind that the government made an effort. How much does our country care? Obviously not that much.

Connection – I wasn’t able to draw a connection this week.  I got too caught up in the video to draw a connection between anything.