10 Cents for a Toy!

I was researching some interesting storys that I can refer to in my Book Club group's final presentation and I came across this New York Times article about how McDonald's in San Fransisco will begin charging parents for the toy that they use to include for free in the popular Happy Meals. San-Francisco's law makers have signed for an ordinance which bans fast food restaurants from giving away free toys. The article states that the proceeds from the toys will go to the Ronald McDonald House of San Fran which is a national nonprofit charity group. I suppose the McDonald's giants arent so bad...or maybe its just that they know that the toys are the whole appeal behind the Happy Meal. I couldn't imagine the horror that would come over my daughter's face if she opened up her Happy Meal and there was no toy. In fact, I use to use the toy as leverage to eat her meal. "If you eat all your chicken, you can get your prize!" Well I thought the article was interesting so if you want to check it out, heres the link. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/business/toys-to-cost-extra-in-san-francisco-happy-meals.html?_r=1&ref=fastfoodindustry

Bolivia is McDonald's Free!

The global effects that the Fast Food industry creates are often forgotten with how dependent the U.S has become on the convenience, affordability that Fast Food restaurants provide. This dependency is often contributed to how well the Fast Food industry can market their products. When you flip on the t.v. every other commericial is fast food, "Burker King's famous Wopper!" "Grab a McDonald's Snack Wrap when your on the go!" These often comical commericials bombard the public with images of juicy burgars made with the "freshest" ingredience and made fresh to order. This article (http://www.topix.com/forum/food/fast-food/TDH1NBMR558L62L48) is about Bolivia becoming the first McDonald's-free Latin American nation. 20% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed for the purposes of building exactly 8  McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. Most of this destroyed forest was located in Brazil but a good portion runs through Bolivia. Either way, Bolivia went under great scrutiny and critisizm by Libertarians and "rightists" who defend fast food buisnesses by basically crediting them with cultural diversity and wide consumer choice. The article seemed interesting and definatly relevant to many of the same horrid truths expressed in Schlosser's FFN. This article was easy to read and had some interesting info on some of the economic and cultural effects of expanding our homegrown fast food problem and imposed across the planet.