Tag: McDonald’s

Saturday’s Theme Music — The Age

Ashland, southern Oregon — Saturday, November 7, 2026.

Wow, it was a bright and sunny morning this, um, morning. Sunshine blazed across the surviving leaves, giving a gift of beautiful colors. Temperature was in the high 30s but has already jumped to 63 F.

Since those early hours, clouds have hazed the sky’s clarity. Rain might come after sunset.

My sister, Gina, provided an interesting Mom report yesterday. Gina took Mom to another doctor appointment. Hearing of Mom’s constant UTI issues, he asked, “Why do they keep giving her antibiotics that don’t work?” Good question, doc. Put it to your colleagues.

Gina took Mom to McDonald’s afterward for a Big Mac. Mom loves McDonald’s and KFC. Always startled me when she’d inform me, eyes glowing with delight, that we were having KFC for dinner. Regardless of my opinion of it, Gina knew Mom loves it and treated her, which made Mom happy, which is a win.

Thinking about McDonald’s does trigger memories of our first McDonald’s visit. Sometime in the 1960s, Mom took my sisters and I to McDonald’s. We were all a little mystified and skeptical about this new, unusual eatery. But we enjoyed ourselves and the food seemed tasty.

Later, though, returning to the US from some overseas location in the 1980s, I ate at McDonald’s and disliked it. I tried again but either it had changed or my taste buds were changed. I only ate at McDonald’s two more times since then that I remember. Each time, I grimaced and swore never again.

Mom is also finally getting the private room she’s been after since moving into Heritage Grove earlier this year. The price is higher than she was quoted back then. My sisters all weighed in about the costs and the pros and cons of being in a private room, such as socializing. Gina’s contention, and I agree with it, is that we think Mom wants it so Mom will be happier in it. Fingers crossed.

Two songs competed for attention in my morning mental music stream today. One came about after the blue wave emerging from the midterm elections told Trump exactly what We the People think of him and his agenda. The second song came from a news article I read the other day.

The first song is “I’d Love to Change the World” by Ten Years After. Yes, Republicans lost on Tuesday in the US in a large way, but on reflection, we need to consider the rest of the world. Right-wing hate and agendas have emerged in multiple nations. It’s not surprising that in this turbulent period, a song about changing the world would pull The Neuron’s focus. Alvin Lee and Ten Years After came out with the bluesy rock song back in 1971. I was fifteen at the time and invested in social change and hope for a peaceful future, which is probably a weird thing for someone who joined the US Air Force to claim.

“Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” is the other song, two really, a medley released by The Fifth Dimension in 1969. The songs emerged from the musical, “Hair”. Their entry into the morning mental music stream was triggered first by that amazing early morning sunshine but its foothold was cemented by an article about “The Age of Aquarius”. From what I read, “The Age of Aquarius” is an astrological concept referring to a cosmic era defined by a shift in global consciousness, technological advancement, and humanitarian focus. It began in 2022 and has to do with where Pluto is and the alignment of planets. It happens about every 250 years and when it last happened, we saw the American and French revolutions.

We’ll see what happens, of course. May you enjoy felicitous weather for whatever you’re trying to accomplish today, along with a little harmony and understanding.

Cheers

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Wednesday’s Political Thoughts

If I were religious or ascribed to a diety, I’d say that they might be pissed after Trump’s Micky D Sunday stunt. First there was an E. Coli Outbreak, forcing them to pull quarter pounders. Next came some crashing stock.

All started with Trump’s appearance there. Just sayin’. Also, as others noted, while Trump wore an apron, he didn’t have the rest of the required gear, like hairnets. Just sayin’.

Of course, under the Trump administration and Project 2025’s goal to reduce regulations, this sort of things might happen more often. Just sayin’.

Vote blue.

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Tuesday’s Political Thoughts

Donald Trump is cancelling things. Some reports claim it’s exhaustion.

I’m not surprised. Of course he’s feeling exhausted. He pretended to work at McDonald’s for fifteen minutes.

Snark aside — and yes, that was snark — as this article points out, he’s been canceling many interviews and appearances. Seems like he lacks energy. Not a good sign to me for someone who wants to occupy the Oval Office and its high demands.

What’s really fucking hilarious is that this poseur — that’d be Trump — has his campaign put out a statement about Kamala Harris lying about her McDonald’s employment in her youth. Isn’t it laughable how someone stages a stunt like this and lies about it, and then claims the other person is lying about? Seems like clear projection, doesn’t it?

The simple truth that Trump and his campaign are trying to hide is that he’s too old and in poor physical condition. Certainly looks too old and in poor shape, AI creations showing him as a buff individual aside. His reported diet is not one of a healthy individual. Certainly the person in that AI creation that shows Trump as a Steeler player would not be too exhausted to keep campaigning.

What is that word that Trump likes to call others? Oh, yes: LOSER. Yes, that’s it. Trump is a fake and a loser. As we close on election day and the pressure increases, he shows more and more cracks. His mask keps slipping, and he’s falling apart in the national arena.

Put a younger person in office. One not tainted by felony convictions as Trump is. One who has the energy for the job. Vote blue. Elect Kamala Harris as President of the United States.

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Friday’s Wandering Thoughts

I was born in the U.S. in 1956. I’ve seen many changes. I never thought I’d live in a time when people would be ordering fast food from a place like McDonald’s on their phone, and it would be delivered.

Course, I didn’t expect to be typing about it on a computer in a coffee shop and sharing it with strangers, wirelessly, at that.

Didn’t think phones would be called cells, either.

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The Commercials

Watching television yesterday, I saw a McDonald’s commercial. It’s surprising that I heard and saw the commercial. I’m fond of muting the commercials or leaving the room as they play. But I decided to stay and watch a few.

In this commercial, the young customer was celebrating as if he’d done something great, in this case, making a basketball shot from half-court. As he celebrated that fantasy, McDonald’s employees said were trying to get his attention to tell him his order was ready.

So, essentially, my takeaway is that you have to be delusional and living in a fantasy world to enjoy McDonald’s.

Next up was an Amazon ad. This one told me that the problems at work, such as being marginalized, can be solved by work, by Amazon. Yeah, really? Fuck me, isn’t that amazing? They’re touting that the businesses and industries that created the problems will now turn around and solve them, and that Amazon can help.

Right, I believe that.

The other commercial that made me groan aloud was a Dodge Ram commercial. In this one, a voice-over talks about how Americans love sports as different games and athletes are shown. Then, rhetorically, we’re asked, “What’s America’s favorite sport?” Their astounding answer is, paraphrasing, “None of the above. Work is America’s favorite sport.” They said, “We were born to work.”

*snark alert*

Yes, that’s what I’ve always heard from others. “Play football, baseball, or golf? Heck, no, I want to go to work. Go to see the Olympic games? No, I’d miss work. Watch the SuperBowl when I can go to work? No way.” 

Perhaps only truck owners think this, though. I honestly can’t say that I’ve ever encountered someone driving a truck, Dodge or otherwise, who said, “My favorite sport is work.”

Dodge — and the other companies — have gone into deep holes of delusion. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I don’t know what’s going on.

Maybe there are millions of Americans who do think that a six dollar McDonald’s meal is so fantastic that they dance and celebrate. Maybe there are millions of people buying the idea that Amazon can help solve the vexing problems of pay inequity, being marginalized, and glass ceilings. Maybe millions of people agree with Dodge, that their favorite sport is work. Or perhaps, these companies believe that if they say it enough, they’ll convince people of the truth behind their visions.

One, I hope no one is buying this new wave of shit.

Two, I really doubt that they are.

I believe most American sit back, watch these commercials and think, what bullshit. Most of them, getting ready to go to work, sigh, and think, one more time.

 

 

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