Daily Dose of Common Sense

Coke has come up with a way to solve America’s obesity epidemic: smaller cans of soda. So, instead of slugging down 155 calories, you’ll get only 90 calories in a 7.5 oz can. Hooray, our problems are solved!

Face it, if you’re slugging down a Coke, you’re not worried about calories. I’m all for portion control, but how about switching to diet soda, instead? Or, (gasp!) water?

The beverage companies have been under attack as a major contributor to America’s bulging waistlines. So, it’s not surprising to see them try to shake things up a bit. But, in our bigger-is-better-and-supersize-it-please society, do we think folks will buy mini-Coke when regular-size Coke is still available?

Photo courtesy of businesswire.com

In New York City, a law was passed in 2008 that required chain restaurants post the calorie counts of their menu items. The early results are in, and it appears that most people don’t change their eating habits after knowing the amount of calories in the food.

A new study, performed by some NYU and Yale professors, tracked customers in four fast-food restaurants in poor neighborhoods of NYC:

It found that about half the customers noticed the calorie counts, which were prominently posted on menu boards. About 28 percent of those who noticed them said the information had influenced their ordering, and 9 out of 10 of those said they had made healthier choices as a result.

But when the researchers checked receipts afterward, they found that people had, in fact, ordered slightly more calories than the typical customer had before the labeling law went into effect, in July 2008.

Anyone who thought these calorie postings would be the end to the obesity problem in this country were deluded. People want to eat what they want to eat. Knowing how unhealthy it is doesn’t counteract the convenience and the cost. It will take a lot more than a few small numbers up on a menu board to educate people on how to make smart food choices. Also, these restaurants don’t offer a ton of healthy options. Even some of the salads aren’t exactly healthy in terms of calories.

Plus, it’s hard to order a salad when the smell of french fries is swirling around you like a cloud. A greasy, delicious cloud.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: ebruli

My grandfather always paid in cash. Never with a check, never with a credit card. He believed that if you didn’t have the cash on hand, you shouldn’t buy it. Well, my grandfather wouldn’t be welcome to eat at the New York City restaurant Commerce. The upscale Greenwich Village restaurant no longer accepts cash.

The owner sited security as a big reason for the policy. Whether he fears getting robbed by thugs or his own employees isn’t clear. Regardless, with no cash around, there’s less chance that some will go missing.

How about the customer’s security? When you use your credit card, you are giving vital personal information that could be sold or misused in the wrong hands. Having waited tables myself, I have witnessed other servers change totals on credit card receipts. I have also heard of servers who tracked down bad tippers (via the internet or phone book) to harass them. How did they track them down? The name on the credit card.

Speaking of waitstaff, I can only imagine that the servers at Commerce are none too pleased about this policy. Yes, the restaurant allows diners to tip in cash if they wish (thank goodness), but most people probably won’t. Why does this matter? Servers get a very (very) low hourly rate and the rest of their income comes from tips. When people tip with cash, the amount a server must claim for tax purposes is nebulous. The IRS assumes the tip was 15 or 20%, but they can’t prove it. However, credit card tips are there in black and white, which means the server pays more in taxes. (On the flip side, I’m sure the restaurant’s accountant is pleased because it makes doing the books a whole lot easier.)

The “privilege” to accept American Express, Visa, Master Card, Discover Card, etc. isn’t free. The restaurant pays a fee to the credit card company on every transaction. So, it would seem in this economy that businesses would be moving the other direction: cash only. Leave it to a New York City restaurant to buck the trend.

What really bugs me most about this policy is that it smacks of elitism. The restaurant’s co-owner said,

“If you don’t have a credit card, you can use a debit card,” said the restaurant’s co-owner, Tony Zazula. “If you don’t have a debit card, you probably don’t have a checking account. And if you don’t have a checking account, you probably shouldn’t be eating at Commerce to begin with.”

Yes, most upscale diners have credit cards and debit cards. But, this attitude is just plain snobby. Besides, shouldn’t the customer have a right to pay however he or she wants? The policy seems a little out of step with the old “the customer is always right” mantra. My guess is that this restaurant isn’t going to bend over backwards for your dining experience.

So, even if you stop by the bar at Commerce to have a $13 cocktail, plan on paying with your credit card. I could tell you what my grandfather would have said about that, but I’ve forgotten how to spell my Italian curse words.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: Andres Rueda

Summer is officially over. With some stores putting up their Christmas decorations in August, it seems as if summer is getting the bum’s rush. Besides getting shorter, summer is changing before our eyes. There are some traditional summertime staples that are fighting for survival.

The Clothesline

Remember your grandmother hanging her wet laundry outside to dry? The practice started to go out of fashion a few decades ago. But in the recession, you might consider hanging your clothes outside instead of running your dryer. Not so fast, say many towns and cities who consider clotheslines an eyesore. The opponents worry about the reduction in property values if everyone starts putting their skivvies outside. So, across the country, folks are fighting for the right to air their dirty laundry.

And, who can blame them? Summertime electric bills are no laughing matter. So, in not running the dryer, a reduction in power use would add up over time:

More than 5% of electricity used in homes goes to power clothes dryers, according to a U.S. Department of Energy report that looked at energy use in 2001.

Besides, have you smelled clothes that have been drying in the sun on a clothesline? There’s a reason why fabric softeners and laundry detergents try to bottle that fragrance.

Ease up, community powers-that-be. A few clotheslines here and there does not mean the neighborhood is becoming a tenement.

The Ice Cream Man

The sing-song jingle of the ice cream man is a memory we all share from childhood. You heard it and you ran like hellfire to find the truck. Well, the ice cream man is taking a beating these days. First, parents complained about the song the trucks play. It was too loud, was played when the truck was stopped, or played after dark. Now, many parents are railing against the continued presence of the ice cream vendors, especially if it happens to be nearby some kids. (I hate to point out the obvious, but isn’t that the target audience?)

The bottom line is that some parents want those sweet treats as far away from their kids as possible. (Apparently, the word “no” is hard to say to some kids.) And, in the times of rampant childhood obesity, people are listening. However, “according to Mister Softee, its typical small vanilla cone is 170 to 190 calories.” A lot of other snacks are much worse for kids than that.

We understand your kids drive you crazy when the truck shows up. But, the ice cream man only shows up a few months out of the year. Don’t ruin it for the rest of us who want the occasional frozen treat.

Reruns

The lazy days of summer aren’t that, well, lazy anymore. TV is no exception. It used to be that you could catch up on all the shows you missed during the year. Forget to see a few episodes of The Love Boat? This was no problem because you could see them (usually starring Charo) again and again over the course of the summer.

Reality TV mostly dominates the summer line up now. So, instead of reliving my favorite 30 Rock episodes, I had to run screaming from More to Love. Or, when I might have had a chance to check out struggling shows like, “Dollhouse” or “Parks & Recreation,” I had to take a shower after seeing the ads for “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here.” Yes, I have a DVR. But, it’s nice to flip around and catch an old episode of “The Office” or “Ugly Betty”. Catching up is all too rare in the new summer “reality” of TV.

Some scripted shows, like Mad Men, come back during the summer, too. So, while summertime used to be a time to forget about TV for a while, you really can’t anymore.

Photos courtesy of Flickr: Cyron, duluoz cats

A man in Florida claims he opened a can of Diet Pepsi, took a sip, and got a mouth full of rotting frog. Hmmmmm…. The FDA confirms the can contained amphibian parts, but I’m sure skeptical of how the frog got into the can in the first place. Chances are, based on the packaging process, the couple put it in there themselves. If not, the frog’s presence would have to be the result of a worker placing it in the can deliberately. Seems unlikely.

Most claims of this sort turn out to be hoaxes. Remember the woman who found a severed finger in her Wendy’s chili? Turned out the finger came from the husband’s friend, who lost it in an industrial accident. The big tip off? The finger hadn’t been cooked, so investigators smelled a scam.

The FDA has launched an investigation into how the frog got into the can. They have already checked the Pepsi bottling plant from where the can originated. No “adverse conditions or association to this problem” were found. Next, I assume they will be looking at the couple involved with a more discerning eye.

Speaking of the couple, they are seeking legal advice. Even if it were a legit case–which I doubt–is suing the company appropriate? To me, it just smacks of a desperate play to extort money from a big corporation.

So, drink up! The chemical additives and acid in the soda will do far more harm than anything else you might find in there.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: sailorbill