The Crown's Getting Tarnished

No, I'm not talking about the British royal family. Who really gives a shit about them anyway? I'm worried about real royalty:

Burger King.

I used to love eating at Burger King. It was my absolute favourite fast food restaurant and the Whopper my fave item. Flame broiled, mushy, crunchy, tasty. Yummers. Much better than McDonalds.

Well, I gave up on most fast food several years ago.

I'd only have McDonald's on the road, and even stopped that much. A couple of years ago, I went in there for some fries on my way back to Shitcinnati from Lexington, KY. It's been years since a visit to Burger King. Maybe the one on Boulevard Greber in Gatineau, Quebec or off Oil Well Road (pronounced "all-well") in Jackson, Tennessee. As I've said before, no ground beef at all for me after reading Fast Food Nation.

Sometimes I still stop in to Pizza Hut or CiCi's and even take a chance on Little Caesar's for a large [yet almost tasteless] $5 pizza.

But I always figured somebody would love Burger King for me. Lately, though, I've noticed that when I drive by practically any Burger King in any city at any time of the day, it's quiet; the parking lot is empty.

I was right.
The local franchisee closed down five Burger Kings in this area this past Wednesday and announced that they're selling 12 others.

Yow. Is everybody like me?
'Couldn't be, because the McDonald's - diagonally across the street from the one in my neighborhood they shut down - is always busy. And the Wendy's, too. This is the midwest, a meat-and-potatoes "red state" with an even redder one just a few miles away.

When did people stop loving Burger King?????
How can this be?

-M!

A Real Find

PoopReport.com.

Clever stuff.

But don't visit it around mealtime.

-M!

Internet Threat to Libraries Analyzed

From my beloved grad school alma mater, University at Buffalo, hopefully more good news about the future of North America's public libraries to wave in the face of those (some even library administrators) who attempt to marginalize us.

-M!

All the President's Newsmen

Excellent Frank Rich column from today's NY Times.

"...an exceptionally ripe paradigm of what is happening to the free flow of information in a country in which a timid news media, the fierce (and often covert) Bush administration propaganda machine, lax and sometimes corrupt journalistic practices, and a celebrity culture all combine to keep the public at many more than six degrees of separation from anything that might resemble the truth."

-M!

Southeast Asia Disaster Relief

"The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) announces its top-rated list of charities currently offering relief services to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that has devastated parts of Southeast Asia."

-M!

Quotable Quote!

Let's take a moment to salute and thank journalist, teacher, humorist and fellow blogger Jake Novak for this brilliant observation:

A new device is being sold
called FOXBlocker,
which attaches to cable boxes
and keeps you from watching
the Fox News Channel.
Of course most people already have
something that should help them
avoid watching the FOX News Channel...
it's called a "brain."

-M!

Ho, Ho, Ho

•Even Sinclair investigates Williams.

•Williams being paid to promote Bush administration policies in his columns is just one part of the behemoth marketing effort that the right wing has perfected.

•Williams says "I am not alone." How many other right-wing pundits are on the administration payroll?

•A spot-check of the newspapers that had been publishing Williams' column indicates he may have a tough time self-syndicating, as he has said he hopes to do.

Maybe he can also augment his income by endorsing some potato chips...or opening for Celine Dion in Vegas.

-M!