Spoken Word

While I was sitting at the spoken word event I noticed that most of the readers were from the English department. While they was reading I also noticed that they were reading pieces that they did in class. One reader poem really caught my attention. The way her poem flowed was different. It stared out as one sentence then some one else would write another, and etc. The poem started out talking about words then it switched up to talking about some sexual activities. The way her class made the poem really flowed. I didn't stay for the whole thing but while I was sitting there it made want to write some thoughts down and go up there, but a little scared to do that. Maybe I can be like my Prof. and write something on a movie, now that was a real interesting poem. In the end I had a good time listening to other people work.

What? Soda tax? Are you serious?

So I hear that there is going to be a tax on soda. I believe it's the most craziest thing that I ever heard. I dont think that there should be a tax on soda because it's not going to stop people from buying what they would like to have. Personally i don't drink soda, but if I did I would be upset but i will still buy it because it's something that I crave for.

I remember a few years back cigarettes prices went up, and people was upset but that didn't stop them from buying them. It probably reduced how frequently they bought it but in the end they still bought them. In the article Soda Taxes Are Nothing More Than A Money Grab the author says "these taxes are little more more than a money grab by increasinly desperate government looking to plug holes in their budget". Which I believe is true because the economy is in a bad state right now. To me it is just a way to get the economy back on it's feet by taxing everything.

Don't get me wrong soda is high in fructose and there are health issues containing this like obesity, type2 diabeties, and etc. This is something the everyone is educated on. We as adults can make our own decisions and we take the risk that comes with it. Everyone is going to think for themselves and do what they want to do at the end of the day. Yes our children are being poisioned by this but it is our job as adults to re-educate our children what will happen if they continue to eat the things that they eat and the things that they drink. Just like and adult, are children making their decision. In the same article the author states again "soda isn't a silent killer, but taxing soda isn't a miracle cure for the budget gaps". This isn't going to cure it, the government need to find something else to raise the price because food and drinks are a crazy idea.

What's important, the equipment or the training?

As I read “Behind the Counter” I came across something that made me sit back and think about something real quick. I mean it was something that I would never think any fast food restaurant, or any restaurant would even consider in a million years. It talked about how the redesign of kitchen equipment was important than training workers. Now to me that is something wrong because people out here need job training to make them better, and for me to read that made me really think. Any job needs training and for companies in the fast food business to even think like this is crazy because people give their all to learn how to do the job. However the thing that really matter is how easy it is not to train someone. When I read this I noticed in the sentence it said that “one of the most important goals they held in common”. Now equal opportunity is important, being all you can be is important, not equipment.

John Reckert the director of strategic operations and of research and development at Burger King said “the easier it is for him [the worker] to use, the easier it is for us not to have to train him.” (71) Now going back to what I said about equipment and training earlier makes me gasp. The company rather for someone to work than learn how to do the job, and grow from it. A thought had come to mind, which was the money for training really went to redesign and equipment. So think the raise that people want or deserve to get is not going to happen at any point soon because it’s all about appearance for companies. To me it’s all about how to make it look better so that people can keep coming.

While I was working at a movie theatre there happen to be a fire with one of the popcorn machines, and it was destroyed. With the proper training the fire would never happen, but sometime mistakes are made. So the company plenty amount of money on the new machine, but I remember months before that a couple for workers was fight for a raise because they’ve been there for a while and they’ve great amount of work. I could remember was there request denied, and now that the incident had happen the new machine came within two weeks. That raises my eye because they have been fighting for so long, and this happen the machine comes to fill the space to make it look better. So the money that is not going to raises is really going to equipment. So I guess equipment is more important than training.

Burger King's main attraction

Eng 101.2601 Cortney Perkins
March 14, 2010


Companies today have a way to catch the attention of young America to get the things that they would like to have. I had read that there was a book that was out that explained the behavior of children when they would like to have something. In reading what was out I am going to explain what I saw. Today they create slogans, commercials and even items to persuade young people. As I sat in Burger King one day I saw some things that would catch my eye on a regular day. I’m going to explain how younger children act to get what they want, and I’m also going to explain what I saw from the business side of Burger King.
While I sat in Burger King I saw that younger kids from the ages of 10- 14 were mostly coming in there to eat. I’ve seen the teenagers come in there after school to grab then something quick before they went home. They mostly traveled in a group and as a group they would decide what they wanted. They either got a meal that was just for them or they had got enough for two people. The teenagers wasn’t really all into the whole idea of toys like the younger kids was that I saw come in there.
For the younger kids they usually come in there with parent or what a saw an older sister or brother. What I saw was the kids ask for something that came with a toy that was advertised in the store. They got the “kids meal” so that they can get the toy. When I saw the kids they were “nagging” or “begging” for these this because it was some thing that they really wanted and it seemed like they wasn’t going to stop unless they had it. Not much of the parent that I saw really gave into the begging but more of the older brother or sister. The older sibling attitude was more if I don’t give it to them then they’re not going to stop, more like a silencer for the kid. Most of them actually got what they wanted which was surprising. I also noticed that the cashier would laugh at the kid like they had the sense that the kid was going to get the product already.
Now looking at Burger King from the business sense was a little funny because coming from a business of customer service I have an understanding on how they feel. The cashier had this more of a persuasion tone of voice, like they was pushing for the item to sell. I often heard them ask the kid if that’s what they wanted after they had heard the kid say something to the parent or older sibling. Listening to the worker say there ways of trying to sell an item I can also see them making the items. I guess showing the customers that they do thing in the open would get them to buy more things because it’s made rite before them as they place their order.
The structure of Burger King is a different from what I’ve seen before. There are seats on the level that you come in, and then there is an upstairs. It seems like the upstairs was more for two people or less and then downstairs was more for family. It had the big tables with the multiple chairs and it was just more on the bottom floor then it was upstairs.
Sitting there looking at what was going on in Burger King I would of never noticed some of the things the I did. I wouldn’t have noticed the action of children or the action of the worker. Sometime just sitting back is the best thing to do so that you can know what is going on in your surroundings. So to go back at what I read I noticed that companies have a big influence on children.