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Well, that was pretty much the opposite of a birthday wish.
In case you missed all the fun tonight, People Who Know More Than MeTM are here with a recap.
How it began:
Don Fehr: We hope we have an agreement on pension plan, funded out of player money. Believe agreement on transition payments.
— Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) December 6, 2012
Fehr thinks the players put forth a plan that can "end this particular dispute." — Jesse Spector (@jessespector) December 6, 2012
Where does that put us? But for any transition issues, we think there's an agreement on dollars — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 6, 2012
Refuses to characterize it as talks breaking off
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 6, 2012
But then:
Players are gathered on podium and suddenly not talking. Something's happening and no one will say what. "Sit tight." — Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) December 7, 2012
Don Fehr is coming back. — Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) December 7, 2012
It gets better:
Fehr: "There has been a development. It's not a positive one."
— Jesse Spector (@jessespector) December 7, 2012
League rejects offer. "Something, everything is off the table. We don't know what that means," Fehr says.
— Jesse Spector (@jessespector) December 7, 2012
Don Fehr: This looks like it's not going to be resolved in the immediate future. — Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) December 7, 2012
NHL rejection came via voicemail. Fehr doesn't know when talks will resume. — Jesse Spector (@jessespector) December 7, 2012
And then The Bett Man came roaring in:
Bettman: A lot of optimism and hope after Tuesday meeting. Reported that to BOG on Wednesday. Almost inexplicably disappeared Wed afternoon. — Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) December 7, 2012
Owners said there were three things we had to have and we'll make it work on pensions. Needed them to make it. Needed a yes or a no. — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 7, 2012
If answer was no, no need to continue discussions. Answer wasn't yes. — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 7, 2012
This is the angriest I've seen Gary Bettman. Blames union for "emotional frenzy … terribly unfair to our fans." — Jesse Spector (@jessespector) December 7, 2012
For union to suggest we are close is "cherry picking." — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 7, 2012
And in case you were wondering:
Bettman makes it pretty clear less than 48 games is a no-go — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 7, 2012
Furthermore, here's a statement from one of the guys who was supposedly behind all this progress – Pittsburgh Penguins' owner Ron Burkle
The idea to put players and owners together in the same room was a
refreshing idea. Commissioner Bettman should be thanked for proposing it
and the Fehrs should be thanked for agreeing to it.The players came with a strong desire to get back to playing hockey.
They were professional and did a good job of expressing their concerns and
listening to ours.We wanted to move quickly and decisively. We have all spent too much
time without any real progress at the expense of our fans, our sponsor and
the communities we serve. It was time to make bold moves and get a deal.
Many people think we got over our skis and they are probably right, but we
wanted to do everything we could to get back to hockey now. We didn't hold
back.We made substantial movement on our end quickly, but unfortunately
that was not met with the same level of movement from the other side. The
players asked us to be patient and keep working with them. It's not what
they do and they wanted us to know they were committed. We understood and
appreciated their situation. We came back with an aggressive commitment to
pensions which we felt was well received. We needed a response on key items
that were important to us, but we were optimistic that we were down to very
few issues. I believe a deal was within reach.We were therefore surprised when the Fehrs made a unilateral and
"non-negotiable" decision – which is their right, to end the player/owner
process that has moved us farther in two days than we moved at any time in
the past months.I want to thank the players involved for their hard work as we tried
to reach a deal.I hope that going backwards does not prevent a deal.
So, yeah, we just went from, "we're close to a deal," to, "there is no deal, oh my God, why can't I stop shaking," so quickly, it almost felt like this much progress should have been made three months ago. After instilling so much hope in fans to begin the evening (I actually smiled while going to get dinner), two men at a #Podium dashed those hopes entirely.
Now, it's totally possible that this was all as much a PR move as everything else we've seen so far in negotiations but I honestly can't tell. Tonight was absolutely amazing from a "what the hell is happening" standpoint. It wasn't as amazing from an "I like the NHL" standpoint. If you want my opinion (and I know you're all dying for it), I think Fehr pissed off the owners, and Bettman especially, by painting himself and the players entirely as the good guys and that their concessions are what has moved this process forward. I'd like to believe that the two sides are actually closer to a deal than Bettman would have you think, and Burkle's statement kind of supports that, but the owners want to "win" this on their terms and want to come out of this whole mess seeming like the "good guys." Or everything went completely to shit tonight and we, as fans, are screwed.
At least we can take comfort in the fact that, while all this was going on, NHL.com's Dave Lozo had more important things on his mind.
Forrest Gump starting on HBO Comedy, ironically, I suppose.
— Dave Lozo (@DaveLozo) December 7, 2012
I may live-tweet it. Not sure. OK for a little bit.
— Dave Lozo (@DaveLozo) December 7, 2012
Preach on, Dave. Preach on.


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"Unlike last year, where everything was really compacted and most of the cherries came off in the same month, this will spread it out, which will be good for the market," she said.
With orchards in the south San Joaquin Valley ahead of other regions, Shales said Stemilt expects a normal-sized crop.
With growers prioritizing water use for permanent crops like tree fruit, it would seem easy for melons to fall by the wayside. Indeed, cantaloupe and honeydew acreage is being fallowed in Bakersfield and Huron, but the more active producers say overall supply will be sufficient.
"There will be no shortage of Westside cantaloupes this year by any stretch," Steve Patricio, president and chief executive officer of Westside Produce, said March 21. "There may not be as many as in the past, but depending on sizing, there will be adequate supplies." Honeydews too should have roughly normal volumes. He said he expects a July 1 start for production.
Even in Bakersfield, watermelon was being planted in normal amounts.
Apples were another crop with early flowers.
"Bloom is running about 10 days earlier than last year, which itself was a week ahead of normal," said Alex Ott, executive director of the Fresno-based California Apple Commission.
Stockton-based Primavera Marketing Inc., which produced 1.1 million boxes last year, expects to start galas, the state's dominant variety, around July 20, sales manager Rich Sambado said March 27. Fujis come in force around Aug. 20; granny smiths around Aug. 25.
Fujis, hardest hit by 100-degree plus temperatures in orchards last year, should show bigger numbers.
Growers were confident Washington inventories will empty out in time for California to enjoy its annual summer niche.
California's late navel oranges, which often ship up to the Fourth of July, were likely to be done by mid-May or June 1. That's a result of the December freeze that wiped out $441 million worth of San Joaquin Valley citrus.
"It might provide some opportunities for valencia business domestically that we typically don't have," Bob Blakely, director of industry relations for Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual, said March 24.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thu, Apr 5, 07 at 14:30
Any suggestions for our only grandson's first birthday? I would like to start some kind of a tradition. Try and keep it consistant every year. The other grandparents bring gifts, gifts, and more gifts on a weekly basis. We told our son and his wife that we prefer not to take part in that. Thoughts? |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by eileenlamp (My Page) on Fri, Apr 6, 07 at 2:58
I'm not sure what type of a tradition you're looking for. As for the birthday party, that's kind of up to the parents. However, what about doing an album each year and include only photos from that year? Let us know what type of tradition you're looking for. Eileen |
- Posted by adellabedella (My Page) on Fri, Apr 6, 07 at 9:50
The gift of time is the best gift. I think it would be a great tradition if you would have a day out with him every year. Not on his birthday, but tell him your planned destination every year like the zoo, fishing.... The destination can change every year as he gets older. Or you could buy him some bonds or something to put away for college. |
Thanks for your ideas. As far as a tradition, we would like to make it somethiing consistant each year with each (future) grandchildren. My children had a very unconsistant Grandmother (not my side)! and would sometimes get their feelings hurt by this. I like the idea of a sum of money, and perhaps a small gift. Deffinatly a day together!!! Thanks all... |
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GamesRadar staffers have put hundreds of hours of our lives into Oblivion. We've cured ourselves of vampirism, cleaned the world of the Daedra, and pranced around on the equine equivalent of a Ferrari.
Now, after the near-extortion that was the Horse Armor mod (a whopping 200 Gamer Points!) and more reasonable additions like Mehrune's Razor and the Wizard's Tower, here comes Knights – the first genuine expansion (if PC owners are wondering about that $19.99 price tag, it's because their version also includes all previous downloadable content).


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It's the first of hopefully many anniversaries to come and you don't want to start off on the wrong foot. Anniversaries are time for commemorating and reflecting on your relationship. Finding the perfect gift can be tough but as long as you put some time and effort in you'll able to come up with a great gift in no time. It should be thoughtful and meaningful, so take the extra time when deciding.
The traditional first anniversary is paper
While giving paper may seem like a simple gift, there are a variety of ways to be creative and romantic with it. It could be as simple as finding a new book she might like or buying her favourite romantic story. If you can't think of anything written that would spark his or her interest, you could try writing something yourself. Trying writing a love letter
Help them keep all their thoughts straight with a new journal. From diary to organizer, they are very useful. |
"Poetry is the food of love." (Jane Austen) If you wanted to be extra romantic, there's no better way than some love poetry.
A personal love letter will definitely give your gift a sentimental touch. Here are some tips to get you started.
From pretty and personalized to colourful postcards and note cards, stationery can make an unique and practical gift.
Art or photography can be extremely romantic. Here are some ideas.
Clocks also qualify as a traditional first anniversary gift, but are a more modern approach to gift giving than paper. From watches to alarm clocks
Antique clocks come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be very elegant and decorative. |
Looking for something more practical? A clock radio is the perfect accessory for your night stand. |
This classic is great for collectors. Just make sure they won't be annoyed with the sound. |
Need something that will match your modern apartment? From plain to artistic, there are a variety to choose from. |
This massive time piece is classic and regal, but, be aware that it takes up a ton of space. |
This section is for those who can't think of anything to do with paper or clocks that's suitable for your loved one or want to steer clear of the traditional gift ideas. Don't worry, a first anniversary gift can be just as special without being traditional. Take a look below to see if any of these ideas work for your spouse.
Want to surprise your spouse with a unique gift? We've got plenty of ideas to help you make your first anniversary extra special. Providing him or her with moments they'll never forget is much easier than it sounds. Maybe they could use a day of pampering and would greatly appreciate a day at the spa |
Board games or puzzles |
If you're looking for some additional gift ideas, check out these suggestions below. While they aren't traditional, these ideas are still romantic. Think of your spouse's interests and hobbies, their likes and dislikes. If they don't wear jewellery, there's no point in spending a ton of money on a bracelet
Flowers don't have to simple and predictable. As long as you put some thought into what kind you get they can be very elegent. You could try accompanying them with a romantic note or card. |
If you're spouse is chocolate lover, you can't go wrong with their favourites. As long as you're not giving it for every occasion, chocolate makes a delicious and romantic gift. |
Jewellery is a great way to show somebody you care. Whether it's something they wear everyday or only on special occasions, they'll definitely appreciate it. |
For men who like to keep themselves tidy, shaving kits will provide him with everything he needs. |
Does your spouse need some pampering? Showering them with a products that they use to relax or enjoy themselves is a good way to give them some relaxation time. |


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Stage school founder Sylvia Young, voice coach Patsy Rodenburg and television campaigner Jocelyn Hay have been recognised for their work in the industry by the Queen in her official birthday honours, along with Judi Dench, Jonathan Ross, David Jason and Terry Wogan.
Young, who founded the drama school that bears her name in the early eighties, has trained some of today's best known performers including Denise Van Outen, Doctor Who star Billie Piper, Spice Girl Emma Bunton and Melanie Blatt from All Saints. Every year the school, which offers a mixture of drama training and regular academic lessons, teams with The Stage to offer a bursary for at least one student.
Patsy Rodenburg, who is voice coach on many of the West End's most successful productions, established and operates the first ever voice department at the National Theatre. She has worked with actors including Judi Dench, also made a Companion of Honour in the list, Ian McKellen, Ralph Fiennes and Maggie Smith, and with organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, Cheek by Jowl and Shared Experience. Her book The Actor Speaks is required reading for drama students.
Already an MBE, founder of the Voice of the Listener and Viewer Jocelyn Hay has been awarded the CBE for her work in campaigning for standards in broadcasting.
The full list of awards within the industry is as follows:
Companion of Honour: Judi Dench – actress
Clive Gillinson – managing director, London Symphony Orchestra
Donald Gordon – major donor, National Millennium Centre, Cardiff
David Jason – actor
John Tomlinson – opera singer
Terry Wogan (honorary) – presenter
Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner – co-chairmen, Working Title Films
Elizabeth Joyce (Jocelyn) Hay – founder, Voice of the Listener and Viewer
Brian May – rock musician
Chris Wright – chairman, Chrysalis Group
Mona Hammond – actress and co-founder of Talawa
Stephanie Cole – actress
Clement Crisp – dance critic, Financial Times
Rose Fenton and Lucy Neal – founders of London International Festival of Theatre
Guy Fletcher – pop composer
Frank Gardner – BBC reporter
John Mayall – blues pioneer
Michael Medwin – actor and producer
Patsy Rodenburg – head of voice, Guildhall School and National Theatre
Midge Ure – rock musician
John Woodward – chairman, Blue Anchor Leisure light entertainment group
Sylvia Young – drama school principal
Jimmy Page – rock musician
Jonathan Ross – presenter
Deborah Barnard – director, Ludus Dance Company
Ronnie Coburn – veteran variety producer
Sarah Kennedy – presenter
Akram Khan – dancer and founder of own company
Lisa Milne – opera singer
Sally Taylor – presenter of BBC South Today


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I am short and need to wear petites. Dillards always carried a nice petite selection. Yesterday when I went there the selection was horrible. I asked the salewoman about it and she agreed, they stopped carrying Ralph Lauren and Liz is also not going to be carried any more. There are others not being carried, also.
The petites at Kolhs this year is also terrible. Last year Sears had Lands End petites, this year they aren't carrying any. Selection is very poor there. Penny's petites aren't good, either. Petite Sophisticates is closing all their stores. Has anyone else noticed this? |
Follow-Up Postings:
Yes. I went to Eddie Bauer and bought men's slacks and jeans so I could get the correct length. |
Have you tried Talbots - store, catelog and internet site Lands' End - store, catelog and internet site Eileen Fisher - internet site, or Dillard's, Macy's Misook - Dillard's and Nordstorm and their internet site They all carry wonderful petite selections. Once you know your measurements and their sizes, watching for their sales, you can find beautiful, classy, high quality clothes at reasonable prices. |
- Posted by Susan_in_NC (My Page) on Fri, Dec 23, 05 at 20:44
I saw that Petite Soph. is closing here in Ral. It's a shame, because I could almost always find something that fit there. Talbots does have petites, but the price tends to be double what I had been paying at other stores. Susan |
- Posted by pattyannie (My Page) on Wed, Dec 28, 05 at 19:28
Try Ann Taylor Loft or Ann Taylor stores. They have a nice petite selection. Sometimes they are a bit pricy, but they do have coupons and their markdowns are terrific. I just bought some petite pants for New York and Company today. They fit very nicely and the legs aren't so long. My only problem with Ann Taylor is that the pants are way too long. I am a size 12 petite, so it is nice getting a size that fits in the waist hips and length. |
Jones New York petites are nice as well. And Ralph Lauren. I like Macy's petite department, they carry all these brands. They have their own brand called Style & Co. that is trendy. They also have a more conservative brand called Charter Club but I find that they run small through the bust. Short women are supposed to be built like children I guess! |
Here is a link that might be useful: Macy's petites
Vonmaur has wonderful petites.....and is a great store....if there is one near you. Linda C |
Here is a link that might be useful: vonmaur
- Posted by bluemonster (My Page) on Mon, Feb 27, 06 at 21:11
I'm 5'2" have been ordering J-Crew Petites with very good luck. They have a pretty big selection of items, and you can return the items to a J-Crew store even though the stores don't stock petite sizes. They also have great ongoing sales. My 5' sister loves Banana Republic petites, which you can find in some stores or online. |
- Posted by elizabeth_5 (My Page) on Tue, Feb 28, 06 at 14:17
Another suggestion is J Jill. Stores are mainly at high end malls, but they have a very nice catalog (which is online). I *love* their clothes. They are much more stylish than a lot of Talbots' clothes (some of which I find rather dumpy), yet not teenager-trendy like Bloomingdales. I also have good luck with Liz Claiborne and LL Bean petites. That said, finding a new store that consistantly carries clothes in one's personal fit can mean shopping around and trying stuff on. Also, as I've grown older, "shop 'til I drop" means I "drop" a lot sooner. ;) So I don't have the energy to physically shop around. When I first did online shopping I sent a lot of stuff back. Some Petite lines can be either too loose or too tight. You just have to try them. (Nordstroms, BTW has a nice return policy.) It wasn't that many years ago that there were no stores catering to petite sizes. I remember when there weren't even any petite clothes at all! (You probably weren't even born yet. :)) We had to do a lot of hemming, let me tell you. Just as a guess, the petite-only stores (and P-clothing lines in higher-end retail stores) may be suffering from increased online shopping and cheaper lines in discount stores. I'm sorry to see PS disappear, but then I haven't been patronizing them either. :q |
- Posted by sheilajoyce (My Page) on Mon, Mar 6, 06 at 1:53
My DD wears a small petite size, and we find Jones New York brand fits her best. We also like petite INC. I find both of them at Macy's. We bought some great discouted blouses at Christmas at our Petite Sophisticate. Then I reminded her a few weeks ago to check PS in her town, and she made another killing. |
Elizabeth, you have reminded me of when I was a teenager and had such trouble finding petite sizes. I don't know where you live, but in the 60's the only place to find good petite clothes in northern New Jersey was in Arnold Constable's - wonder if anybody else is old enough to remember that store! My poor mother must have had a terrible time with me - dragging me all around to shop, especially for a prom dress or some special occasion - gosh it was difficult. |
- Posted by kathleen8b_fl (My Page) on Fri, Mar 10, 06 at 20:59
I'm 5' 4 1/2", and regular clothes are way out of proportion (and pants way too long), but many petite pants are too short. I love Macy's Style & Co. petite line--fits me perfectly. I also like Ann Taylor Loft, although I haven't tried their pants yet--only dresses and tops. JCPenney also has a pretty good petite department. |
- Posted by krustytopp (My Page) on Sat, Mar 11, 06 at 20:54
In Canada, there's Cleo. They have mostly office wear. |
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Portage County District Library has announced that it will now offer over 100 digital editions of all your favorite magazines. Available for check out with a Portage County District Library card in good standing, this new service provides all the exact same content as print magazines and more. Titles available include US Weekly, Newsweek, Consumer Reports, Martha Stewart Living, and Family Circle. Delivered by Zinio, the world's largest newsstand and bookstore, these digital editions will provide you with an interactive experience, as you will be able to access more than just the traditional magazine. Zinio transforms your favorite magazines into digital format. Enjoy exclusive features such as access links within print articles, watch videos to offer more detail, or enter live links for immediate content. Available formats include iPad, iPhone, Android, Kindle Fire, Mac, and PC.
Visit Portage County District Library at www.portagelibrary.org to start checking out your magazines today. Sign up for free accounts (including Zinio.com account.) Follow the instructions after registering your email address (you'll receive an activation link.) Then browse titles for checkout. There are no returns to worry about because the magazine copies stay on your device until you remove them. It's just that easy! Don't have a Portage County District Library card yet? Visit any one of our five branch locations or visit us online at www.portagelibrary.org.


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I want far more annuals than I can afford to buy so I am considering a hobby greenhouse or cold frame. My aim is to start seedlings in individual peat pots and somehow have them the correct size to set out around the end of May. Is there any way I can do this without heating the greenhouse? |
Follow-Up Postings:
Well I don't know if having them the 'correct size' would be possible without a heated Penny |
Here is a link that might be useful: Wintersowing FAQ page
Thanks for the info Penny! Winter sowing does make sense and I will certainly try it. I am wondering if I utilize an unheated hobby greenhouse as my "container" for sowing the seeds wouldn't mimic your method with the added comvenience of a walk-in environment. I want to landscape my property with lavish plantings in glorious colors and I have to find a way to afford it because I hope to be retired by next April. Your response led me to lots of interesting links :-) Nancy |
Nancy, The only problem per se of using a Penny |
Dear Mudlady I know that you want annuals but just consider this. Kareen did a demo at our garden club on winter sowing. So...I had a bunch of lupines that were throwing off their seeds. I stuck them in plastic that had a really high dome. They really just got going and we were about to start with frost so I took the whole clump of dirt.....slid it out of the bottom and planted it in my garden.....but I put the top dome back over it(it had a few holes in it).....and left it like that all winter. When spring came they were beautiful! I put them where I wanted them and they also bloomed beautifully! My thought is this...depending on what you want to grow for annuals......there is a whole class of annuals that often reseed themselves.....datura..........nicotina..... Start them now!....at least that would give you a possible head start that wouldn't cost anything but the time to gather your seeds and get them started. If this works you could possibly do some trading off with someone who started other annuals that you know you want. |
- Posted by Mad_Gallica Z5 NY (My Page) on Mon, Aug 22, 05 at 9:39
Fluorescents lights in the basement will work. They don't cost a lot to run, and aren't a big investment. |
A basement and fluorescent lights works wonderfully. I have had cherry tomatoes ripe on the vines and petunias blooming at Christmas. Many years ago I had more than 100 different varieties (not just 100 plants) of African violets and other gesneriads all under lights in various parts of my house. I do have a problem; my retirement home has no basement! I wish I could make that decision over again, but I was, and am, very concerned about how I will be able to live on my retirement and social security income. I have six rescued and adopted pets; four Siberian huskies and two cats. Responsible pet ownership is very expensive. Time will tell, but I WILL find a way to have lavish annuals surrounding my humble abode. Nancy |
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Select () or exclude () categories to narrow your recipe search.
As you select categories, the number of matching recipes will update.
Find exactly what you're looking for with the web's most powerful recipe filtering tool.
I'm a teacher and mother to three children - two grown up sons and a teenage daughter.
I'm a dedicated foodie and addicted to collecting recipes.
I love reading cookbooks and I am always on the look-out for new and delicious things to cook. Just as well because I have some mighty large appetites to satisfy with my sons.
I like to visit gourmet food shops and delicatessens to try new foods and love visiting food markets.
I really enjoy eating out as well.
anything spicy
salads and vegetables,
foods from other cultures
cakes and biscuits
desserts-especially fruit based
homemade icecream and sorbets
I'm famous for my morning and afternoon teas


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KFC Manager and DM Making Money Off of Towing Patrons Cars
Posted by
MIAMI, FLORIDA -- On 5/8/2012, I parked in the parking lot of Kentucky Fried Chicken @ 3535 SW 22 St Miami FL 33145. It was about 11:30 am. There were no cars in this huge parking lot. I went to the mall that was located right next door to the KFC to meet my friend and then we were going right back to the KFC to have lunch.
When I got back to the KFC it was 11:50 am and my brand new Buick Enclave was gone from the parking lot. I looked around the parking lot and noticed a sign that said âTOW AWAY ZONE âUnauthorized vehicles or vessels will be towed away at owners risk and expense. Kings Wrecker Serviceâ and their address and phone number. Nowhere on the sign did it say anything about KFC and there was NO sign in front of the parking spot that I was in. But as far as I was concerned if it did have to do with KFC, I was authorized because I was going to eat at KFC. I was only gone 15 minutes and there was no one even parked in the parking lot when I got there.
I immediately went into the KFC and asked for the manager. A Spanish woman came over and said she was the manager. I told her I parked my car and went to get my friend next door and was coming back here for lunch I was only gone for about 15 minutes and now my car is gone. I asked if they knew anything about it. She said no they didnât call the tow company she knew nothing about it. So I then called the police because my car must have been stolen.
I waited outside for the police and a sergeant came by. I flagged her down and told her what happened. She told me I had the right to go and get my friend if I was coming right back here to eat. But she was not there for me she was actually going in to eat herself. But the other car was right behind her to talk to the other police officer and file the report.
I told the other officer what had happened. She mentioned about maybe the car was towed. I told her I had gone inside and the manager said they didnât call the tow company and they didnât know anything about it. She told me to call the tow company anyway. I did and they said they did tow my car. I asked why they would tow my car when I was going to eat lunch in KFC. The girl was kind of nasty. The policewoman asked me to ask her who authorized them towing my car. The Tow Company girl said she couldnât give out that information. I told her I had the police there and she wanted to know. She said she wouldnât give me the information, so I asked the policewoman if she wanted to talk to her. She took the phone and identified herself and told her she needed that info for her report.
The girl still wouldnât give it to her. I hung up and the police asked me to ask the manager to come out and speak with her.
I went inside and asked to speak with the manager again. After 10 minutes the same woman finally came over and I told her the police wanted to talk to her since no one authorized the towing. She said again, she didnât sign anything and she didnât call the tow company and she couldnât go outside she was working the drive through. I went back outside and told the police what she said. So the police called her lieutenant to have someone go to the tow company and have the person who towed my car arrested because no one authorized them to tow my car. She was waiting to hear back from him and decided to go inside to talk to the Manager herself. She went to the counter and asked for the Manager.
After a few minutes another woman (Kara[snip]) came over and said she was the manager and she authorized my car to be towed. I told her how she could do that when I was gone 15 minutes to get my friend and come back for lunch. And I asked why the other woman lied about towing my car. She just shook her head and walked away.
At that point, the police said she authorized it and there was nothing she could do. She added that it wasnât right how the whole situation was handed and I should have been able to get my friend and come back. I could go to small claims court to get my money back.
In the meantime, I had to call my husband (which was an hour drive for him) to come and get me to bring me to the Towing Company that was across town. My wallet was in the car and I had no money to even take a taxi.
My husband came and we had to drive across town in the pouring rain. The towing charge was $101.00 for towing and $29.00 for other equaling $130.00. We asked what the other charge was and she wouldnât tell us.
I spoke with a few officers that patrol that area and they all said that KFC/manager gets a spiff (a kickback) every time a car gets towed. I called KFC Corporate office and spoke with Customer Service and told them what happened. They said they would pass along the info and someone would call me. About 2 or 3 days later and Spanish man called me. I couldnât even understand his name or who he was with his accent. It wasnât till I heard KFC that I figured it was someone from corporate office. He told me he was the District Manager. I explained to him what happened and how the Manager (Kara) called the Towing Company the minute I got out of my car because they towed my car 10 minutes later. He told me I should have gone in and spoke with the manager to tell her I was going to go get a friend from next door and be right back and she would have authorized me to be there and I wouldnât have gotten my car towed. Or why didnât I go and get at least drink first when I got there.
He told me Kara saw me get out of my car and walk towards the mall next door. Thatâs when she called the towing company. He also told me that Kara saw three Spanish women the other day park in front of the store and begin to go to the mall and she told them they would get towed if they didnât eat there and they moved the car. The way this store is situated when you walk into the KFC there are seats and tables and then a very long walk which you have to walk around in order to order your food. The employees cannot see into the parking lot. So Kara the manager had to be standing by the front door when she saw me.
So why didnât she just open the door and tell me and I would have told her that I was going next door to get my friend and be right back and that would have been it. I wouldnât have had to go through all this trouble and aggravation. Besides there was NO ONE in the parking lot. It wasnât like they was a crowd and I was taking a spot away from anyone.
The DM continued to tell me that the manager spends her whole day matching up cars with their patrons. She even goes in the bathroom to see if anyone is in there to match up their car. I told him I didnât think that was very productive and Iâm sure that isnât in her job description. I told him that she was getting money for every car that gets towed that why sheâs so interested in matching the cars with the customers. He asked me why didnât I order lunch when I came back to the KC-maybe because my new car was gone?!
Well our conversation became a shouting match and he was very nasty and rude. He called me a liar and told me if I ever go back to that KFC and I am parked there for only 1 minute he will have me towed away. I wound up hanging up on him because I couldnât believe a DM was actually speaking to me like this. I immediately called the KFC Corporate office and made a complaint against the DM. They put a supervisor (Mr. Marsh) on the phone and I told him what happened. I asked him how KFC could condone their managers spending all day matching cars with customers so they could make money off of the towing. I told him how the police was going to have the Tow Company driver arrested because their manager lied. He said he wrote everything down and someone from corporate office would call me back. I told him I would not speak with that DM again. He noted that the towing charge was $130.
I have since called KFC Corporate office 5 times and they all say the same thing they will pass it along electronically to Corporate Office and someone will call me back. It has been 7 weeks and no one has called me back. I cannot believe KFC would let this go on. They have definitely shown me that they do not care about customer service or their customers. I have been eating in and driving through that KFC for the past 6 years, so I am a loyal customer. There is a towing company only a few blocks away, why are they using a towing company across town. Because there is a connection between KFC/Manager and Towing Company.
The bottom line is that I left my car there for 15 minutes in the morning with no one even in the parking lot only to get back to have my lunch and find my car towed so that the manager could make money. There is a big scam going on here and someone needs to investigate and put a stop to it. I wound up paying $130 for a $10 lunch with a big side of aggravation!
I have written a letter to the BBB of Louisville and the DM responsed by saying that the Store Manager saw me get out of my car with a pet and saw me and someone else walking towards the mall. So the BBB just dismissed the case. I didn't have a pet nor someone with me. The police could testify to that. So the manager and DM have lied to me, lied to the police and lied to the BBB and they just walk away from this. So now I can only believe that the DM is in on getting a kickback too. He is trying to cover his butt so he doesn't lose that income. I have called Customer Service 7 times and spoken with three different supervisors to make a complaint and to see why no one has followed up on this from corporate office. It has been three months and not one person from KFC Corporate has called me. Shame on them.
If anyone else has been towed from this KFC please write me and lets start a class action suit.
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Talk about a Super Bowl!
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They should contemplate renaming their item "Super Bowl", instead of "Famous Bowl". I ordered one today during lunch, and it was absolutely delicious (see attached picture). I was initially concerned that they may just toss in leftover scraps of chicken, and hope the average consumer doesn't recognize the difference. That definitely wasn't the case this afternoon, because as the picture shows, you can see the fresh ample cuts of chicken, breaded and spiced to perfection. I've heard some folks refer to this dish as a bowl of slop, but in my opinion, it's no different than mixing the corn with your mashed potatoes & gravy on your dinner plate, which most of us are guilty of doing anyway.
Great tasting dish, and very filling as well! I would recommend trying this to anyone that hasn't already.
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Finger licking good?
Posted on
FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO -- Finger licking? No, not so much anymore. For the most part, I can't complain too much. There are two locations within our small city. One has great service, and mediocre food quality, while the other lacks the service skills and their food is much better. Pick your poison (poor choice of words in the restaurant business). Most complaints are made when something dissatisfies a consumer right then and there. For my message today, it's not really any one particular incident. Rather, a gradual decline that I've seen over the past 1-1/2 yrs at these two establishments. My favorite thing to order is the Honey BBQ sandwich. Sandwich= Honey BBQ meat & a bun of sorts. Pretty simple, but yet for some reason on the past 3 times that I've ordered the simple two ingredient snack, I end up getting shreds of lettuce on my sandwich. Lettuce? I don't recall that being in the picture on the display menu? I don't remember asking for it as a specialty? Yet, low and behold, there it is each and every time. On my visit today for lunch...ta-da! Lettuce appears again! Now the quantity of lettuce that is being misplaced on my sandwich ( a string or two) tells me that it isn't part of the sandwich. Are the wrappers stored directly below the lettuce bin? Perhaps. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not confrontational enough to throw a big fit about it and make an issue of it. I simply pluck the string of lettuce and remove it from the sandwich, since it hasn't tainted the flavor as onions might tend to do. I also USED to love ordering the Crispy Chicken Ranch Wrap. When it first came out and they attempted to contend with the version McDonald's sells, it was the best by far. They loaded it with two, sometimes even three pieces of chicken. Smothered it with shredded cheese and plenty of that Ranch sauce that is to die for. That was then. Now...not so much. Very disappointing because that they grill/toast their tortilla, and it was better tasting than McD's. I realize that with any promotional item, that when they first hit the market they are "stuffed" to help aide in sales. But the past few visits have left me with a wrap containing one piece of chicken, a light dusting of cheese, and a minimal amount of ranch sauce. McDonald's is once again the leader in that aspect of their menu. So, I suppose this isn't a complaint in the truest sense of the word. But more of an overall observation that the quality of food is gradually beginning to decline, and hopefully notifications on forums such as these are enough to help warrant corrections before they slip further towards customer angst.
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KFC Chicken Bites
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I stopped by KFC for lunch Today. I got the Original Recipe six piece Chicken Bites meal. Which comes with a side and a drink. What I got was six tiny pieces of Chicken no Bigger than your average popcorn Chicken. The chicken itself was good just not filling. I would pluck down a few more bucks for a two piece instead.
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Horrible Service and food!!
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FORT WORTH, TEXAS -- My experiences with KfC in Fort Worth tX has been horrible. I'm going to start with my most recent visits to older visits. After I left church Wednesday December 11,2013 I visit the one on Mansfield and got the 2 piece boneless combo. I asked for all white but got mixed. I had to wait 5 minutes on potatoes wedges. When they brought my order I asked for my drink and she said they didn't give you one I said no I wouldn't have asked. Get home and the white meat look like strips that were very, very, dry and the dark pieces was dry and hard on end. Bridge street have too many young people that don't care and they make excuses for them being rude. I have got numerous wrong order and not fresh order after waiting so long to place and receive orders. They never have chicken ready for it to be a chicken place. I have order 2 pieces white and get home it's a thigh. Go back that manager was nice that day and even thou they didn't have and breast she gave me a drink and a piece of chicken extra . Order 2 of the chicken bites combo abd get hone I don't know what was harder the potatoes wedges or the bites. When I called and complain to the manager he said the manager that night was young and her first time working nights. Get outta here! Then the Kfc at 777 n. e. loop 820 in hurst they crew sometimes suck and the other time it's the food. I got 3 gocup of hot wings and another the other boneless chicken. After waiting for about 5 or 6 minutes he come say they out of boneless chicken he would give my son 3 strips and I said OK. I order cookies. One of the wings we OK the other was hard and dry and the cookies were hard as rock. Other time I would go inside and they are not busy I'm waiting and waiting to place and order like they busy. I said hello someone gone take my order. Well a short African American bold head men with glasses come out and said go head. No sorry to keep you waiting or anything. I order the 2 piece boneless combo he didn't ask is there anything else, is that it or what side I wanted he said that would be $. Another time left a party and order me the same 2 piece boneless combo and get home it's the wrong thing. Came back and the short Latino girl was looking as if I got on her nerve for them messing up. She gave me the right order no extra or nothing. I have called the 1-800 # and have yet to hear from the Kfc in hurst. I think I'm gone give Kfc a long break and start giving Popeyes, golden chick, and churches my business. But I will never visit bridge street Kfc too many mistakes and not enough courtesy. And hurst Kfc will be going on that same list because they can't even reply to your numerous complaints.
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KFC Store #G160001
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GALESBURG, ILLINOIS -- On Aug. 27, 2013 my boyfriend and I were tired and hungry that night because we had been working on our new place so we decided to get KFC's grilled chickens for dinner. The closest location for us to go to in Galesburg, IL was the one located on 1017 North Henderson store #G160001. We placed our orders at the drive through at 7:42 PM. After we paid for our orders with debit, the girl at the window return card to us and told us the dark meats need to wait for about 6 minutes.
My boyfriend thought 6 minutes should be fast so we waited by the window since there were no one behind us. 3 minutes past and one car pulled up the drive through so we were told to move the car up front a bit so we did. From that point, we should have only needed to wait for another 3~4 minutes but no, we waited for more than 15 minutes in car.
I finally couldn't stand it anymore so I walked in with the order ticket and told one girl that we have waited for more than 15 minutes but have not gotten any of our food yet. She did not ask to see my ticket and just said we will get them for ya. She turned around and told the others and the girl in the kitchen asked her which one is it? The original? Didn't we just gave that one out? I told them we placed the order at 7:42 PM. After a minute of watching them struggling to figure out what is going on and finally someone check the monitor and said it is the 2 pc dark meat combo and a 2 pc white meat combo. Which my white meat combo was packed and left on side getting cold.
Now this one girl from the kitchen starting to pack the grilled chickens into the box and realized someone had forgotten to spray the liner that the skin stuck to it. Another 30 second of standing there watching her struggled to get the meat off the liner and threw it into box, packed and handed to me. Now, I will tell you what I really want to complain about.
#1 - Told to wait for 6 minutes and waited more than 15 minutes.
#2 - Walked in to see 5 employees working and no one had a clue (the store was empty, therefore, they weren't busy).
#3 - After I told what happened, the girl I talked to didn't look at my ticket to check which order was it and just assumed (as the ticket said GRILLED, not ORIGINAL)
#4 - She told me the ticket must had lost somewhere in transit..after I told her ticket printed out on 7:42 PM than she check the monitor and reply, oh, now it is coming out.
#5 - The white meat combo was packed and left aside getting cold for about 10 minutes.
#6 - After they packed the "completed" order and handed over to me, NO ONE apologized at all. She only said, there you go, it is ready.
I like KFC, but this is far more than one should be handled. I began to wonder on our way home, if they had a manager on site? Because everyone seem clueless!
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Those Darn Last Minute customers...
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I thought I would share this one, just to see what people think. My teenage daughter works at KFC, and had one of those "wonderful" customer experiences last night. She just turned 16 and doesn't drive yet, so I was picking her up from work that night. Anyway, onto the story....
The restaurant closes at 10 pm, and two women walk in at 9:48 (I know the time because I was sitting in the parking lot). Fast forward to 10:30, my daughter hasn't walked out yet. I call inside on my phone to see what's keeping her, and she tells me that the women had ordered 150 pieces of chicken, numerous large sides, and a bunch of bread and other stuff because they were entertaining people. The kitchen was essentially cleaned up and the place only had a limited amount of food left. The manager tells the ladies that they cannot produce an order that large with the time they had left, but they decide to play the old "You close at 10 and its before 10 so I get served or I'll call corporate" routine. Long story short, the manager gives in, the kitchen essentially has to be reopened, all that food made, and then everything cleaned up all over again. They didn't get out until 12:30 am.
Now for all the customers with a strong sense of entitlement (and you know who you are), I completely understand the whole concept of posted business hours, so I don't need to be educated on that. The question here is where do we draw the line on what's reasonable and what's not reasonable? You're getting off work late and you're hungry and you want to order yourself dinner at 10 til close...absolutely and totally reasonable. You're having a party and you want a place to basically cater it, without advance notice right before they close for the night....completely unreasonable and totally rude in my opinion. People just never cease to amaze me. Do we actually make ourselves believe that because we have a couple bucks in our pocket that we are always right all the time?
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Having to Wait
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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY -- Yesterday was Friday - a long and hard workday at the end of the week. To make our supper meal easy, I decided to stop at KFC for an order of chicken - "comfort food". I pulled up to the outdoor speaker and I ordered a chicken pot pie for my husband (at his request since he had talking about them all week after seeing several KFC commercials advertising their pot pies)and a 3 piece meal with mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese for myself (again, I must say that I was looking forward to "comfort food" after spending the day with 24 first graders.
Much to my surprise I was informed that there would be a 20 minute wait before the chicken pot pies would be ready. I HAD TO WAIT!?! I thought that KFC was a fast food restaurant! It sounds like someone in management wasn't doing their job and staying on top of the restaurant menu, especially for suppertime on a Friday night when I am sure that there would be a lot of people such as myself not wanting to prepare supper meals for their families. I decided to wait - my husband REALLY was looking forward to having that pot pie for supper and myself, I would comfort myself as I waited for my "comfort food."
The time on my ticket printed out as 5:38 PM and as I waited in my car, in the KFC parking lot, I anxiously watched the time go by. As I watched a fellow come outdoors with a bag of food to go and try to hand it to a family in another car, my anxiety rose aand I again looked at my watch. After they turned him away (obviously it wasn't their meal) he came to my car, apologized briefly for the delay and turned and retreated into the KFC store. The time was 5:58 - exactly 20 minutes from the time that I had ordered.
My disappointment - I was not offered a soft drink or other item while I waited (since my husband had managed several KFC stores in his earlier career of restaurant management, he said this was the usual policy) and upon preparing to eat his pot pie, my husband said by looking at it, he could tell that they had rushed its cooking and it wasn't completely done (most likely not to anger me and to stick to the 20 minute time frame they had told me).
I am disappointed in the management at this particular store because at the window before my wait I had expressed my displeasure and I was told that they had run out of ingredients to make the pot pies and that was why they weren't ready. I hope that there weren't any other disappointed KFC customers that everning - I did observe another car driving off before they got to the pick-up window.
KFC, I hope that you do a better job of training your managers about the preparation of your products (including ordering and time management) and also customer service. I will not be back at this KFC location again when my husband has a desire for chicken pot pies - I will make them myself, even after a long work day.
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Chair-slamming Employee, Wrong Food & Flooded Dining Room
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NORTH WINDHAM, MAINE -- On Saturday night, January 7th, my husband and I stopped for dinner around 9pm at the North Windham, Maine KFC. We decided to eat inside, seeing the entire restaurant was empty of customers at the tables. We did spot an employee mopping up toward the back of the dining room. When we went inside, we saw that half the floor was flooded with soapy wash-water, but the tables closest to the door were on dry ground. We decided to sit in the front area, out of the employee's way. We ordered our meals, paid & sat down. Starting at the rear of the dining room, the male employee was literally shoving the squeegee along the floor, forcing waves of soapy water across the floor toward us, the water stopping just short of our table. Then, starting again at the back of the dining room, he began picking up each metal chair, one by one & forcefully SLAMMING them down hard onto the tile floor. It was very loud & jarring. We couldn't carry on a conversation across the table, he was so unnecessarily noisy! He'd pick up a chair, shoving the squeegee forward, then SLAM! Down went the chair with as much force as he could muster. It went on for a LONG time, I thought he would never stop! It was absolutely deafening. Then the place filled up suddenly with a very large group of children accompanied by adults. These customers had to wade through the soapy water to get drinks & get to the restrooms and tables. People with long-legged pants or tennis shoes got soaking wet on a very cold, winter night. The employee spoke loudly at the group waiting for their food, asking them to use the tables toward the rear of the dining room. At no time during our meal there, did the male employee attempt to upright the traffic cone warning of a wet surface. He had a mop bucket and mop thrown aside carelessly as well. I use a cane to walk, due to knee problems, and I didn't even dare try to cross the wet floor to wash my greasy hands in the restroom. The female who waited on us was friendly, but we asked for 2 chicken strip dinners and she gave us a bucket of chicken with coleslaw and potato with gravy & biscuits. We had no wet towelettes with our 'silverware', and none were available on the counter, either. My husband attempted to get the attention of someone working at the counter, in order to ask for wet towelettes for our hands, and a cover for the bucket of chicken so we could take our leftovers home. The crowd who came in after us was milling around the counter, talking loudly and nobody could hear my husband, or see him waiting to ask for something. We eventually ended up leaving with the open bucket with only some napkins to cover the food. We left as soon as we were able, and at no time was the water on the floor cleaned up by anyone.
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The disturbing and unacceptable attitudes, speech, and conduct of KFC management and employees
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The posting of this information shared here, is, in part, a response to reading so many customer statements on this website concerning the treatment they received at various Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants throughout the world, and to try to respond to a number of these people who have gone to these places of business, and have come away shocked, disappointed, hurt, angry, outraged, and even bitter, vowing never again to visit another KFC restaurant for what they PERCEIVE ( a key word: perceive) to be, in EVERY case, a wilful, rude, even arrogant, response to their concerns. As it has been commonly said, at least in the American culture, when there is some type of dispute, or issue involved, there is the statement that "There are always two sides to every story told", which is used to try to get people to look at a problem from another angle, if possible, to present another point-of-view which they may not have EVER considered in order to help resolve a controversy of some sort, where applicable.
It is here, at this point, that I would like to offer for public consideration, my personal, humble opinion of the workplace, practices, and conduct, of at least one Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant based, in part, on personal knowledge gained from having worked at this place in Mcdonough, Ga., and spending some time there observing the patterns of very disturbing attitudes, speech, and conduct on the part of management and their favored employees towards other, non-favored, employees, which then become customer-related problems with products and services the public has VERY serious difficulities in UNDERSTANDING!!!
The behind-the-scenes revelations that YOU, the customers, FROM NOW ON, if reading this posting, and deciding to share it with others, should NOTICE, and PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO, AND TAKE NOTES OF, ON PAPER, COMPUTER, CAMERAS, etc., are the following, which are not a complete listing of all the problems wrong with this, or any other, restaurant, or other type of business, but is detailed enough to hopefully, spur consumers to take action, even if it means the shutting down of these businesses when they exhibit the kind of behavior which may be called an anti-social unconcern for the public they are supposed to serve! To start with, consumers, whenever you come into these restaurants at opening time ( i.e. 10a. m.), please put your "thinking caps" on and NOTICE whether the KFC MANAGEMENT TEAM has the store, or restaurant, READY to serve you!
Here are some things to look for: Cashiers are prepared to take your order right away, and are NOT still counting money, are NOT still "preparing" the store for opening, by putting tongs on the food counter, stocking up on cups, food boxes, paper and plastic bags, forks, spoons, knives, condiments like ketchup, dipping sauces, hot sauce, honey, butter, large and small item cups, napkins, cleaning trays, wiping tables, windows, emptying trash, cleaning bathrooms, etc., and have to stop what they are doing in order to serve YOU!!! Cashiers, baggers, and store management should NOT still be "preparing" ANY food items in the back of the restaurants at opening time, with the FRONTLINE area of the place devoid of any smiling, hopefully cheerful, person to greet you, because, this is important to know and be aware of the fact that management forces these overworked, underpaid, Frontline cashiers, at least at the Mcdonough, Georgia restaurant, to be what is called here, the "DOGS", OR "DO-EVERYTHING SERVANTS" OF EVERYBODY, the everybody being FIRST consumers, not YOU, but the management and their favored, exempted-from-real-hard-work store "pets",who are not to lift a finger to really serve you, but are kept from doing real work for you by their foolish managers, who, supposedly being so "educated" and "smart", still allow themselves to be made into FIRST-CLASS fools, nevertheless, as they seem all too willing to do! The management team at this location in Mcdonough are, most of them, all too often, have proven to be LAZY, PLAY FAVORITES ON THE JOB, AS STATED. EXEMPTING THEIR "PETS" FROM SERVING THE CUSTOMER BASE IN THE STORE, FRONT AND DRIVE-THROUGH, PAYING LARGER SALARIES AND GIVING BENEFITS TO THESE WORKERS WHO DON'T WORK, ARE RUDE AND ARROGANT, CAN ALSO BE OFFERED PROMOTIONS INTO MANAGEMENT, ARE LAZY, TOO, LACK PEOPLE SKILLS, MISTREAT AND INSULT THE VERY FEW WORKERS ON THE JOB WHO DO ALL THE WORK OF EVERYBODY ELSE, PLUS THEIR OWN, EXHAUSTING THEM AND CAUSING THEM TO EVENTUALLY QUIT, THUS CAUSING THE HIGH TURNOVERS IN STAFF. NEW WORKERS ARE THEN HIRED IN ORDER TO REPEAT THE SAME, SICKENING, PATTERN OF WHAT SEEMS TO BE AN ABSOLUTE DETERMINATION TO WRECK THE WHOLE COMPANY, EVENTUALLY, AS THE MANAGEMENT TEAM SEEMS TO BE COMPOSED OF TOTALLY NARCISSISTIC PEOPLE, "IN LOVE" WITH THEMSELVES AND THEIR JEALOUSLY=GUARDED POSITIONS, WHO DON'T APPEAR TO BE "NORMAL" IN THE ACCEPTED SENSE OF THE WORD!!! When well-paid management always have the time to gossip about everybody, poke and pry into other peoples' business which is not theirs, play favorites on the job, mock people, customers included, and calling them names of every sort, maybe cursing at them under their breath, while standing around talking with their favorites on the job, or in the office areas, AND DON'T APPEAR TO BE BUSY, BUT ARE DELIBERATELY IGNORING CUSTOMERS, WHILE DEMANDING, BY "MANAGEMENT ORDERS", FOR THE JOB "CINDRELLAS" ON THE FRONTLINE, ESPECIALLY, TO RUSH AROUND AND SERVE THE CUSTOMERS, INSTEAD, AND MOSTLY BY THEMSELVES, WITHOUT ASISTANCE, UNLESS HOLLERED FOR BY TOUGHER FRONTLINE CASHIERS WHO DON'T MIND CAUSING SCENES, WHEN THEY BECOME TOO STRESSED WITH DOING EVERYBODY ELSE'S WORK, PLUS THEIR OWN, WITH FAR TOO MANY CUSTOMERS IGNORING, NOT CARING, OR NOT ACTUALLY KNOWING WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT IN THEIR FACES, WHICH, BY NOW, PLEASE NOTE, MOST CUSTOMERS WITH GOOD, OR GREAT OBSERVATION SKILLS, SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, AND SHOULD HAVE CALLED KFC RESTAURANTS TO ACCOUNT ABOUT, IF EVEN SUSPECTED THAT THIS TYPE OF CONDUCT IS PRACTISED, AND CONDONED BY ANY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY!!! NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, consumers, willingly accepts any job, at any company, in order to be coerced, under threat of being fired, given bad job references, maliciously gossiped about, framed on a job for something not done by employees, to go on and accept, and KEEP ACCEPTING, this type of mistreatment as a job "Cinderella"--unless a person has to, for the time being, until they can leave such an atrocious, and ugly, workplace, hopefully in one whole piece, not losing limb, or life, in the "service" ,not of CUSTOMERS( who "pay the bills" of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and all other businesses, too, even in the small town of Mcdonough, Georgia, which most people have never heard of, even in the state of Georgia, and couldn't care less about its existence in the larger scheme of things, in any case, if truth be told, in order to work to the point of complete exhaustion to please some customers, many of whom can't see past the end of their own noses, and, sad to say, SELF-INTERESTS, too!) but in the "service" of bone-chilling, selfish, obnoxious, pampered co-workers because THEY DON'T WANT TO COME TO WORK AND ACTUALLY WORK FOR A LIVING, but expect SOMEONE ELSE to do it FOR them, with MANAGEMENT APPROVAL!!! It is wise for customers to know what they are REALLY dealing with here, and not keep making a mockery of THEMSELVES that Kentucky Fried Chicken is the BEST (IS IT?)place to eat a piece of, according to so many customer complaints, a piece of greasy, or dried up, old-looking, fried chicken, puny, teaspoonful side orders you can hardly see, not to mention eat, biting down on rock-hard missile biscuits the military would be PROUD to use as weapons and you, the customer, could lose your valuable teeth over, just to satisfy a craving for KFC buttermilk biscuits, on a day, let's face some facts here, the customers, some of them, sometimes, JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE COOKING A MEAL AT HOME, AND WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT FOR THEM!! There are simply NOT ENOUGH people to staff these KFC restaurants that operate like this, consumers, and this is VERY noticeable in the KFC in Mcdonough!! Have ANY of you consumers EVER bothered to NOTICE ("thinking cap", remember?) just HOW SMALL a work area these workers have to WORK in order to serve you from 10 A.M. in the morning until 12 midnight??!! These postage-stamp type workplaces are EXTREMELY confining, and VERY difficult to work in, in order to serve you, and can get very hot, sometimes, causing tempers behind the counter to flare up, as these employees are JUST AS HUMAN AS YOU ARE, and are always, for a few of them, at least, UNDER PRESSURE to zip around the store at breakneck SPEED to get your orders, NO MATTER HOW BIG THEY ARE(and many customer orders can be VERY big, indeed!!), in UNDER 60 SECONDS FOR EVERY ORDER, AND DEFINITELY NO MORE THAN TWO MINUTES FROM THE START OF YOU GIVING YOUR ORDER AT THE CASH REGISTER, TO THE PACKING AND DELIVERY OF YOUR ORDER INTO YOUR HANDS!! In most places where most people shop consumers, it is a telling point to NOTICE that for most of us as CONSUMERS, not EMPLOYEES of an establishment, we go somewhere and demand fast, or quick, service, in this EXACT time frame mentioned, under two minutes, even at a drive-through restaurant, wanting absolutely perfect, courteous, smiling, cheerful, "dancing on their heads", clown-like, robotic people, to "wait on", or serve us, who ARE NOT, especially in low-paying, back-breaking, feet destroying, thankless jobs like KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN, like the "rest of us", of course, and are a breed apart from the rest of humanity, almost ALIEN, in fact, and so, ANYONE who has EVER worked as a "Cinderella" at a KFC is "fair game" to be demeaned, insulted, treated as stupid, or uneducated, blocked from further opportunities for personal growth and promotion, mocked, and MARKED, or targeted, as people doomed to be "unsuccessful" in life, a word NO ONE enjoys having attached to themselves, of course, but many people don't mind labeling others with it, instead!!! These employees at KFC who are the ones 'picked' by the NARCISSISTIC management at these places to be the unfortunate "Cinderellas" of their job sites, all work, and no play, and no benefits, have nowhere to go, unless they quit the job, which many of them may need, and THEIR very hard work on behalf of customers, maybe in a quiet manner, without a lot of fanfare to draw attention to themselves, ALWAYS goes unnoticed, becauses customers THEMSELVES, far too many, FAR TOO MANY times, are so FOCUSED on their OWN wants and needs, that they TOTALLY FAIL to see the needs of people behind the counters at KFC restaurants---or ANYWHERE ELSE!!! Granted, as stated at the start of this posting, MOST Kentucky Fried Chicken stores should probably be closed, as many customers have vocalized and written about, over and over, and go out of business because the customer service, and products sold can be extremely poor, and unworthy of customer loyalty, year after year. HOWEVER, it is important to know WHY you, YOU, have ultimately decided that KFC, or any business, is not for you, or your family, anymore, and for this decision, if it is final, you need to INVESTIGATE the place of business, ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS, DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER, BE PERSISTENT, LEARN TO DISTINQUISH BETWEEN GOOD SERVICE AT A BUSINESS, AND COMMEND THAT, AND TRULY BAD SERVICE, EVEN IN THE SAME WORKPLACE, AND TOTALLY CONDEMN THAT!! NOTICE, NOTICE, NOTICE, THE MANAGEMENT AT THESE BUSINESSES, TAKE NOTES ON HOW THEY TREAT SOME WORKERS AS "CINDERELLAS", WHO DOES THE MANAGEMENT PUT WORK DUTIES OFF ON, AND WHY, WHO WORKS TOO OFTEN BY THEMSELVES WHEN YOU COME IN THE DOOR, OR ON DRIVE-THROUGH, OR WHATEVER THE BUSINESS IS, DON'T ACCEPT ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS TO THE ONES YOU HAVE REQUESTED, OR ORDERED, EVEN IF OFFERED FOR "FREE", AS AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS THE MANAGEMENT HAS ALREADY SHOWN, ACCORDING TO YOU, THE CUSTOMER, THEY DON'T VALUE, OR ELSE, FROM THE OPENING OF THE STORE, TO LUNCHTIME, TO DINNER, TO THE CLOSING OF THE STORE, THEY WOULD TREAT EMPLOYEES THEY MISUSE BETTER, SO THAT YOUR SERVICE COULD BE BETTER, THE COMPANY WOULD HAVE ENOUGH SPACE TO WORK IN FOR EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEES WOULD BE BETTER PAID TO GIVE THEM SOME INCENTIVES TO IMPROVE THEIR JOB PERFORMANCE, AND UPLIFT MORALE, AS NO ONE LIKES TO COME TO WORK AND BE USED AS A "CINDERELLA", AND THEN BE EXPECTED TO PUT ON AN "ACT" FOR CUSTOMERS THEY FEEL ARE GOING TO COME IN AND SCREAM AND HOLLER AT THEM, IF NOT OUTRIGHT CURSE AT THEM, CALLING THEM NAMES, THROWING FOOD PRODUCTS AT THEM, AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO DO, FOR THE ENCOURAGED-BY-MANAGEMENT LAZINESS OF OTHERS THEY HAVE TO BE "SERVANTS" TO ON THE JOB!!! Consumers, PLEASE, PLEASE, this cannot be stressed enough, learn to PAY ATTENTION to these types of things when you go in some type of business, on a regular basis, especially!! At these KFC restaurants, at least, the FRONTLINE cashiers are SOME of the "Cinderellas" at the KFC in Mcdonough, Georgia, for example, and are forced to work most of the store areas for the specific PURPOSE OF SERVITUDE on the job, where, eventually, management starts putting more, and more, and MORE work assignments off onto these Frontline "Cinderella" employees, NOT for the public, which is YOU, the customers, but to be in servitude, in an unadvertised, publicly unacknowledged, but privately PRACTICED, non-job 'position', which is NOT a true job position, AT ALL, because, in terms of hours, pay, benefits, raises, and promotions, these "Cinderellas", NO MATTER HOW GOOD THEY MAY END UP BEING AT THEIR JOBS, PLEASE NOTE, will NEVER, absolutely NEVER, by management choice, receive any better treatment than the fairy-tale Cinderella ever did at the hands of her step-family, but are treated, in true form, as the drudges, the dogsbodies, on the job, and are horribly harassed on the job, if they dare to object to the mistreatment, or they eventually quit! Customers, this is laziness, arrogance, and pride taken to its ultimate extreme in a workplace, and YOU, yes, YOU, are the ones reaping the destructive outcome of its manifestation IN YOUR FACE, so to speak, BECAUSE YOU TOLERATE IT, AND CONDONE IT!!! As a customer, if you notice, feel, or believe, that you are being put in a SECONDARY POSITION to the disorganised mess that characterises so many KFC's, and you SEE WITH YOUR OWN, NOW SHARPENED, EYES, that drive-through workers are NOT busy at any given time, but are walking around with nothing to do, are standing, many times with a manager, around laughing and joking, or openly criticizing customers, or gossiping about other employees, using cellphones on the job, eating at non-lunch breaks, but the FRONTLINE employees are constantly busy, for some reason or other, including LACK OF FRONTLINE HELP(where customers come in the front door of a KFC, not drive-through, hence, it is called the Frontline area), it should be a red-flag signal, consumers, that you are being IGNORED ON PURPOSE ON THE JOB, BY MANAGEMENT INCLUDED, and YOU, yes, YOU, need to question any management on duty, whom you believe, with your notes, if you have any you've taken (and you should do this, to take verifiable notes, not just scream, holler, and stomp out the store in a huff!) has deliberately kept a Frontline worker from serving YOU, AND YOU ALONE, with their refusals to prepare orders called for by the Frontline cashier!! Instead, to keep from working hard, or at all, notice, customers, NOTICE, HOW OFTEN Frontline cashiers are constantly pulled off the front by management, or other, lazy workers, who all claim, most of them falsely, that they are "wrapped", or too "busy" on drive-through to GET YOUR ORDER, CUSTOMERS, and told that they, the Frontline cashiers, have to LEAVE YOU on the front, or other customers at the cash registers, in order to rush ALL OVER THE STORE to get you everything you may request, or need, with your purchases!!! THIS type of putting off of work onto someone else, IN YOUR FACES, also, customers, should NOT be acceptable to YOU, as a PAYING CUSTOMER AT ANY KFC, OR OTHER BUSINESS, AT ALL, NOR SHOULD YOU "PUT UP" WITH IT, EITHER!!! YOU, as a PAYING customer, hsve the right to command the HIGHEST respect from EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE AT KFC REGARDLESS OF WHERE IN THE STORE AN EMPLOYEE WORKS, OR IN WHAT POSITION, IN, OR OUT, OF THE RESTAURANT, THEY WORK IN, BECAUSE THIS YUM BRANDS, INC. COMPANY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS OWN CONDUCT, AND THEY, NOT YOU, DECIDED THEY WANTED TO CULTIVATE YOUR "ACQUAINTANCE" AND DO BUSINESS WITH YOU, BECAUSE THEY WANT YOUR MONEY, BOTTOM LINE, AND YOU NEED TO MAKE THEM, ALL OF THEM(!!), NOT JUST A FEW, BROKEN-BACKED, SORE-FOOTED, WORKED-TO-THE-BONE "CINDERELLAS", DO 'EVERYTHING' FOR YOU, AND KEEP YOUR PATRONAGE!!! If you, as a consumer, work VERY hard for YOUR money, and most of you will say that you do, then why do business with a company which demonstrates, according to your notes, over time, that they, if they truly don't change for the BETTER, in every way, DON'T CARE about YOUR back=breaking workload, YOUR sore, calloused, rough, aching feet, YOUR work-roughened hands and nails, YOUR need to have YOUR hair done, which you put off to buy a KFC MEAL for your family for dinner, tonight, instead; YOUR need to buy yet another pair of shoes, and you JUST BOUGHT a pair for work a few months ago, YOUR need to buy gas for your put-off-too-long-and now-really-needs-repairing vehicle, when you've been dreaming for the past five years of a better one, and had to put that dream on hold, like the possible delay in raising enough funds to send your next child to college, or send money and gifts overseas to your children in the military you stay up at night worrying about, etc, etc, and you stop off at your local KFC restaurant, in the hopes of being treated half-way decent, after YOUR tiring day of worries, and YOU are met with people you perceive as NOT CARING if you come in the store, or not, or drop dead at their feet, at least, most of them, anyway???!!! Is it fair to say, customers, that a large amount of our frustrations with various businesses is the VERY REAL, COLD-HEARTED, HEARTLESS WAY SO MANY COMPANIES MAKE IT SO OBVIOUS THAT ALL THEY WANT FROM YOU IS YOUR MONEY--BUT THEY DON'T WANT YOU AND YOURS WITH IT?! AND, UNLESS YOU ARE SO RICH, KFC's ARE SIMPLY NOT YOUR TYPE OF PLACE TO EAT AT, ANYWAY, AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE TO STAND IN LINE FOR THINGS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO, AND INSULTS ARE THINGS WHICH ALWAYS HAPPEN TO THE LOWER ORDERS OF SOCIETY, IN ANY CASE, BUT NOT TO YOU, AT LEAST, NOT TO YOUR FACE? People always want to feel important, and welcomed at a place of business, it seems, and welcomed for more than their money, welcomed for their own sakes, for and NO ONE likes to do business with sour-faced, phoney, wasp-tongued, poisonous people, no matter WHERE they are, and, sad to say, FAR TOO MANY of these warped people end up in restaurants like KFC, and in their management!!! Therefore, it is YOUR job, consumers, to demand change to your liking, and CONFRONT MANAGEMENT ALL THE WAY UP THE KFC LADDER, WITH THE FACTS YOU HAVE TAKEN NOTE OF YOURSELVES, AND QUESTION THIS COMPANY'S CONDUCT, BECAUSE, AT SOME POINT HERE, IT SHOULD ALSO BE OBVIOUS THAT THIS MISCONDUCT ON THE PART OF A COMPANY DOING THIS, CAN BE CALLED, SURELY CONSUMERS, AT THE VERY LEAST, HIGHLY UNACCEPTABLE TO YOU.....BY NOW?! So, this OTHER side of the story on KFC, like the one in Mcdonough, Georgis, which, while not perfect, as no one is, anyway, is given for all of you to perceive that YOU have a part in gathering information, as accurately as possible, and as truthfully as possible, to confront any company which appears to be, possibly, an anti-social, and sick one, too, if this is YOUR final decision on any company.
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text:
Backhouse, Janet
From Library of Congress Name Authority File
Backhouse, Janet
Instance Of
Scheme Membership(s)
Collection Membership(s)
Exact Matching Concepts from Other Schemes
- found: Scottowe, J. John Scottowe's Alphabet books, 1974.
- found: A masterpiece reconstructed, c2005: p. 98 (Janet Backhouse; b. 1938, d. 2004; curator of illuminated ms. at Brit. Museum until 1998)
- found: BL database, 20 Apr. 2007 (hdg.: Backhouse, Janet Moira)
Change Notes
- 1982-02-12: new
- 2009-01-15: revised
Alternate Formats


text:
ACT!ON Newsletter
On this Page
- Leadership Corner
- HNR Partner Focus: Dr. Wilbert Jordan
- CDC Introduces Another Phase of Act Against AIDS at 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference
- National Association of Black Journalists and CDC Bring Act Against AIDS to NABJ Convention
- Bronner Brothers Hair Show Attendees Learn About HIV/AIDS
- Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI) Update
- New Stories Posted in Voices of Experience Section of 9½ Minutes Web Site
- Events and Meetings
Leadership Corner
Reflecting on the NAACP centennial conference's theme, "Bold Dreams, Big Victories," I more fully appreciate your dedication to reversing the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African American community. Our determination and collective actions to reduce the burden of HIV and AIDS in black communities have made inroads in our fight against the epidemic. Together, we are making progress—more awareness in the community, higher testing rates, more people talking with their doctors about HIV/AIDS, and less stigma. Although we still have a long way to go to realize greater successes, by moving forward with our innovative activities and holding fast to our bold dreams, we will ultimately achieve our objectives to reverse the spiraling numbers of HIV and AIDS in black communities and assure that our sisters, brothers, children, and friends attain the bright futures that they deserve.
Some of those bold dreams for the future were shared at the 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta August 23–26. Conference speakers and attendees examined successes, challenges, and innovations in HIV prevention and looked closely at where we are going with domestic HIV prevention. Representatives from federal agencies, other government officials, researchers, and people living with HIV infection and AIDS provided perspectives on the paths that still need to be charted to have an impact on the epidemic. More than 3,000 people came together to share stories, to reflect on past successes, and to focus on a future where HIV/AIDS takes less of a toll on our communities.
All of you—our Heightened National Response (HNR) partners and those of you who are also Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI) partners—are vitally important in the fight against HIV/AIDS. You are mobilizing your communities to act against HIV and AIDS, you are providing life-saving information to them, and you are encouraging community members to get tested and into care if they test positive for HIV. You are the future of HIV/AIDS prevention. And you are creating that future through your hard work and dedication now.
Remember that each individual and each organization is critical in the fight against HIV and AIDS. In this issue of the ACT!ON newsletter, you'll read about our esteemed colleague, Dr. Wilbert Jordan, and his contributions to understanding the epidemic among blacks; you'll learn about another phase of the Act Against AIDS campaign—I Know—a phase specifically directed to the African American community with a primary focus on young adults between the ages of 18–29; and you'll read about how barbers, beauticians, and cosmetology students at the Bronner Brothers International Hair Show in Atlanta were taught how to integrate HIV education and outreach into their conversations and relationships with customers. We think you will find these and other articles in this issue useful as we continue to engage people and partners in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
HNR Partner Focus: Dr. Wilbert Jordan
Internationally known as a community-based practitioner with a long history of researching infectious diseases, Dr. Wilbert Jordan is a leading researcher on HIV/AIDS in the African American community.
In 2008, Dr. Jordan attended the second HNR Partnership in Action meeting, lending his expertise to discussions on sector-specific ways to boost HIV prevention efforts within the African American community. However, long before racial disparities in HIV/AIDS diagnoses became mainstream news fodder, Dr. Jordan was concerned about the menacing impact this new disease could have on all populations.
In the early 1980s, as more heterosexual African Americans became infected, the lack of response from most black communities—and the stigmatizing stance of the black churches he had experience with—spurred Dr. Jordan to action.
"No one was talking about it," says Jordan. "And I didn't like the way the church [in his area] was reacting. HIV-infected members were being cast out, and the behavior of other members was decidedly un-Christian."
Soon after, HIV struck closer to home.
"At the time there were very few physicians who were actively diagnosing and treating heterosexuals," he continues. "A good friend got sick and called and explained his symptoms. I knew that his wife and children were in the room so I told him I would be asking him a few questions, and to just reply yes or no. I asked him if he was bisexual, and he said yes; then I asked if his wife knew, and he said no. I referred him to a good doctor I knew in the Washington, D.C., area where he was diagnosed with HIV."
Over the years, HIV outreach has been a primary interest for Dr. Jordan, and his contributions have had an impact on the reporting of HIV/AIDS in minority populations and recognition of the disease's disproportionate burden on African Americans.
Over his more than 30-year career, Jordan has received awards from the Surgeon General, Black Entertainment Television, the Los Angeles Sentinel, the National Association of Medical Minority Educators, and numerous other honors, including an induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. Additionally, the Harvard graduate has served on numerous boards and is a member of several professional organizations.
Today, Jordan divides his time between directing and working to expand the OASIS Clinic of King/Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles and working weekly at its companion Early Intervention Program. Dr. Jordan started the OASIS Clinic to provide care to patients and their families regardless of their ability to pay. In addition to the care they provide their patients, OASIS also provides free HIV testing and case management services.
In addition, he is a frequent contributor to several medical journals and local newspapers and serves as chair of the Standards of Care Committee of the HIV Commission of Los Angeles County and several other local organizations.
When asked about the progress we've made in talking about and treating those with HIV infection, Jordan feels that while we've made strides, we're still not where we need to be.
"We don't address the personal issues of why people do what they do, and a lot of it has to do with how they were raised and what they missed," says Jordan. "We spend a lot of time on programs that help people living with HIV and AIDS, but we need to focus more on what we can do to keep people HIV-negative… It's up to the private sector and leaders in our community to do that."CDC Introduces Another Phase of Act Against AIDS at 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference
In April, officials from the White House, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a new 5-year national communication campaign, Act Against AIDS, which aims to reduce HIV incidence by combating complacency about the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States, raising awareness of the severity of the epidemic, and highlighting the alarming statistic that every 9½ minutes another person in America becomes infected with HIV.
This fall, the Act Against AIDS campaign moves into another phase called I Know, which will address myths and misperceptions that hamper prevention efforts through the development and dissemination of HIV education and prevention messages via diverse communication and partnership channels. I Know will target the African American community with a primary focus on young adults between the ages of 18–29.
The 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference (NHPC) featured the session Act Against AIDS Campaign Overview: Current and Future Strategies, which provided attendees with a panoramic view of the Act Against AIDS campaign, as well as information about campaign phases, strategies, and tactics. At the session, presenters also highlighted information about what partners can expect in upcoming months, how partners can participate in and support the campaign, and what types of CDC support are available.
The session allowed CDC to leverage the NHPC platform to foreshadow the upcoming I Know phase, generating early buzz and identifying future partnership opportunities.
For more information on the campaign, visit the Act Against AIDS Web site.
National Association of Black Journalists and CDC Bring Act Against AIDS to NABJ Convention
To engage the media in the Act Against AIDS campaign, CDC is holding a series of local roundtables for journalists who report primarily on the African American community.
Given that the majority of African Americans identify the media as their primary source of information about HIV/AIDS, CDC representatives are traveling around the country to enlist the power of journalists to increase media coverage of the epidemic specifically targeted to the African American community.
In August, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) helped to bolster the effort by partnering with CDC on a special session titled Reporting about the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the African American Community during their national convention in Tampa, Florida. Led by former host of National Public Radio's News and Notes show Farai Chideya, now of Diaspora Farms, LLC, the roundtable featured panelists from CDC, Essence magazine, and the Black AIDS Institute.
The session featured an interactive brainstorm on a variety of topics, including
- Examining trends in HIV/AIDS coverage
- Identifying challenges and opportunities in reporting on HIV/AIDS
- Doing more with less: how to expand and translate HIV/AIDS stories across traditional and social media platforms
- Avoiding HIV/AIDS information overload/fatigue
- Sharing story or reporting ideas and brainstorming perceptions versus reality.
The local media roundtables and NABJ workshop explore the best ways to expand the dissemination of Act Against AIDS messages in an environment where newsrooms struggle with shrinking resources and compete with an abundance of platforms beyond traditional print and broadcast outlets—e.g., news Web sites, blogs, social media, and Twitter. By identifying and responding to journalists' needs relating to reporting and the resources they need to effectively do so, CDC aims to provide journalists with the means to expand coverage and create informed dialogue about HIV/AIDS among African Americans.
Planning is underway for the Oakland media roundtable scheduled for October 2009. Media roundtables will continue monthly through 2010, with stops in Detroit, Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami, Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago.
Bronner Brothers Hair Show Attendees Learn About HIV/AIDS
Over the weekend of August 15, more than 60,000 hairstylists, exhibitors, distributors, and cosmetology students flooded the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for the Bronner Brothers 2010 International Hair Show.
For the first time, the beauty giant partnered with the Prevention Partnerships Team in the Prevention Communication Branch (PCB) of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) to boost HIV prevention and education in the African American community.
Bronner Brothers aired the Act Against AIDS 9½ Minutes public service announcement during various portions of the event and provided CDC with two locations within the venue, offering testing at one and providing stylists with information they can share in their home salons at the other. The latter, outfitted as a barber shop, was lined with beauty shop-themed Act Against AIDS posters. The event, designed to boost testing and education, also provided attendees with live demonstrations on how easily barbers and beauticians can address HIV/AIDS myths and promote HIV prevention, testing, and care by talking with their customers and employees about basic HIV facts and referring them to the Act Against AIDS Web site. These demonstrations also included persons living with HIV, such as HIV activist and author Marvelyn Brown, to portray the natural relationships and camaraderie that often exist between stylists and their customers to bolster attendees' comfort levels in discussing what some may consider a difficult subject.
Between skits, attendees were treated to additional edutainment—content that both educates and entertains—in the form of a looped video featuring testimony and commentary from people living with HIV and leaders in the community. Additionally, an HIV-themed trivia game gave attendees the opportunity to test their HIV knowledge for the chance to win Act Against AIDS T-shirts, pens, and other paraphernalia.
Bronner Brothers, Inc., is a privately held, family-owned company founded in 1947 by Dr. Nathaniel H. Bronner Sr., and his brother, Arthur E. Bronner Sr. Today, Bronner Brothers is still a family business—Bernard Bronner leads the company as president and CEO. Bronner Brothers consists of a number of enterprises that include UPSCALE magazine, manufacturing companies, and hair and other trade shows.Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI) Update
As part of the Act Against AIDS campaign, CDC has launched a 5-year partnership with some of the nation's leading African American organizations. While many of them have long-standing commitments to addressing HIV/AIDS among African Americans, AAALI enables each group to make HIV/AIDS prevention a core component of its daily activities.
All of these organizations use their collective strength and reach to spread HIV/AIDS awareness, advocacy, and testing to numerous communities throughout the United States. Some of the activities AAALI partners sponsored in July, August, and early September include these:
- The Urban National League and Walgreens Bus Tour made stops in Northwest Indiana (July 6); Tulsa, Oklahoma (August 3); Oklahoma City (August 10); Louisville, Kentucky (August 24); and Columbus, Ohio (September 7). At each stop, representatives attended HIV/AIDS awareness events and distributed education and awareness materials about HIV/AIDS and AAALI.
- The National Medical Association featured a special session on HIV/AIDS at its 2009 Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly, held July 25–29 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Robert Bailey, team leader for the Prevention Partnerships Team, Prevention Communication Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, talked about AAALI.
- Phi Beta Sigma held its 95th Anniversary Conclave titled "Celebrating the Dream" July 6–12 in New Orleans. CDC participated in a Heightened National Response (HNR) training program as part of the "Conversation Among Brothers" series. The goal of the series is to raise the awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the African American male population and to use the traditional service mission and national influence of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity to extend networking between community organizations for HIV prevention. CDC also participated in "Promising Practices: Program Models to Eliminate Health Disparities in African American Communities" at the conference where participants discussed what they can do to help inform and transform the country's debate about health and address the root causes of racial, economic, and health inequities.
- At the 51st Annual National Convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Memphis, Tennessee, August 1–5, CDC representatives exhibited and provided information on HIV/AIDS prevention and on AAALI.
- At the 37th Annual Institute and Conference of the National Black Nurses Association in Toronto, Canada, August 2–6, CDC representatives exhibited and provided information about HIV/AIDS prevention to nurses from across North America.
- In mid-July, more than 5,000 persons—the largest number in recent history—traveled to New York to attend the centennial convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI) partner. The convention's theme "Bold Dreams, Big Victories" was echoed by speakers ranging from President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other congressmen and senators, to Reverend Al Sharpton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, and other icons of the civil rights movement. In addition to electing officers and setting their agenda for the next year, the NAACP convention presented an HIV/AIDS educational session entitled "The Great Silence: The Impact of HIV/AIDS on African American Women." The standing-room-only crowd listened to panelists C. Virginia Fields of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS; Carrie Broadus, Executive Director of Women Alive; representatives from CDC's Prevention Partnerships Team; and Willis Edwards, a national board member of the NAACP who shared his story about living with HIV. NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization with more than half a million members and supporters nationwide.
New Stories Posted in Voices of Experience Section of 9½ Minutes Web Site
The 9½ Minutes Web site's Voices of Experience section has been updated to tell the stories of people who are living with HIV infection to increase HIV/AIDS awareness and reduce the stigma that is still associated with the disease.
Some of the stories include
- O'Dell, a 45-year-old man who has lived with HIV for 25 years, says his diagnosis led him to start taking better care of his health and to become more involved at church.
- Pamela, a woman who was diagnosed after 16 years of marriage, has become an active volunteer, educating middle- and high-school students and women's groups about HIV/AIDS.
- Doug, a man who has been living with HIV for 22 years, believes he has stayed healthy because of his adherence to his medications over the years. He volunteers with a variety of AIDS organizations and teaches others the importance of taking their medications as prescribed by their doctors.
- Denise, a woman who was diagnosed with HIV 27 years ago when she was trying to join the military and has had AIDS since 1996, has become an advocate for HIV/AIDS education.
Events and Meetings
- For Sisters Only, Atlanta, GA
September 19–20
- Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.
September 23–26
- National Latino AIDS Awareness Day
October 15
- National Minority AIDS Council's U.S. Conference on AIDS, San Francisco, CA
October 29–31
- World AIDS Day
December 1