The End of the World News

Walking to the office today (yes, I do occasionally show my face there)

I was going to call you on the exercise part, not the working!

I think this is sad on more than one level... what is wrong with people that they think it's ok to throw their trash out for someone else (or nobody else) to deal with. I feel a metaphor coming on, but I won't go there.

I once had lunch at a KFC because my colleague wanted to eat there, circa 1995. The "mashed potatoes" were.... well... I wasn't even sure that was what they were trying to be!

Maybe they've changed for the better and I am being too harsh in my criticism...... hey, it could happen!

[Robin Garr]

Maybe they've changed for the better and I am being too harsh in my criticism...... hey, it could happen!

Hey! That company is based in my home town and helps the local economy!

Fact is, though, it's gotten even worse since your tried it in 1995. Yum! Brands (yes, their trademark name has a "!" in it), which owns KFC, Taco Hell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver's and A&W, has managed to kick all those brands down a notch, while attracting considerable criticism from both farmworker and animal-welfare advocates.

The colonel, himself, thought KFC went down the tubes after he sold it.

And Long John Silver? Don't get me started. I wouldn't step inside if you paid me. Absolute garbage.

[Robin Garr]

The colonel, himself, thought KFC went down the tubes after he sold it.

He was a crusty old b@stard, no question about that.

It's arguable that the initial buyout, by (later Kentucky Governor) John Y Brown Jr and a consortium of local business people, actually improved the brand at first by professionalizing the process and adding some quality control over the franchisees.

But as it grew into an international chain, the impact of the bean counters became too heavy a burden, and it went downhill considerably after Brown's Kentucky Fried Chicken was bought out by PepsiCo. When later corporate changes turned it over to Louisville's Yum!, it appears that the bean counters took total control, and whatever residual quality remained in the brands went down the toilet. They're consistently among the worst of fast food.

I didn't know the chain of events you elucidated, but the colonel would show up at some chain and pronounce their mashed potatoes as "library paste," etc.

I have to admit that if I'm dying for fried chicken, I'll head for Church's. We recently had Popeye's open up in Albuquerque, but I don't see what all the hullabaloo is about. It's okay, but pricey.

[Robin Garr]

I didn't know the chain of events you elucidated, but the colonel would show up at some chain and pronounce their mashed potatoes as "library paste," etc.

I think PepsiCo bought him off after just a little of that. To the end of his life, he was a "paid consultant" and used to make public appearances in full colonel attire. He allegedly had such a foul mouth that they had to send around a whole squad of handlers to take care of calming him and making apologies.

[James Roscoe]

Geez, and I thought the end of the world news would be Stuart Yaniger elected President......
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of France!