McDonald's Manifesto

A Note: This writing was inspired by a series of facebook status posts. I have copy-pasted some of these status updates.
Also, I regret using the word "dumb" as my word choice describing people. I would like to change the language around in the future. I use "dumb" in the sense that people either both cannot see past certain ...schemes I suppose....to get them to purchase a product. Not that they have low intelligence though that may be part of the reason. A dumb person is also one who knows bu chooses to purchase anyway. They know better. I am this type of person.

This is not complete. It was written over a period of a few days and has not been revised much. However, it has been sitting as an invisible file on my desktop for months. It needs to be out there. I am posting this just as my views. I am not up to debating. Agree or not, I don't care. All I care about is that people think about things.

McDonald's Manifesto: An essay based on my personal reasoning of why United States Americans are obese and eat horrible food.

derek j thinks that having a fat child should be counted as a form of abuse and/or neglect.

derek j
I should probably give the back story to this ---- yesterday I saw what was probably a 400 lb woman eating with her two ten-year-old children who both probably weighed as much as I do. Now, I understand that some people are just made a little larger but they were eating a meat-lover's pizza with extra cheese, butter and cheese covered bread sticks, and drinking soda. Call it abuse, neglect, or misplaced love but the result is still the same --- those two children are going to struggle with their weight for the rest of their lives, be ridiculed in both middle and high school, and are at an infinitely greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, clogged arteries, heart failure, etc., etc., etc.

My argument is that while people have choice, free will, etc, the choices that people make with food habits especially is guided by factors of capitalism - class placement, advertisement, and no pressing incentives to eat healthier. It is the mother’s decision what to feed her children, and I would hope that a parent would know the basics of proper nutrition. However, in this society it is far too easy to slip off the path of decent health. Why is this? I was an obese child before obese children were normal. My family for the most part ate homemade meals around the dinner table. However, I had free reign of the snack foods and we did go out to eat often enough and I could order whatever I wanted. My mother has admitted that she used food to cure her own guilt. When I was 4-5, she went back to work and felt bad that I had to go to day care. So, she would take me out to Dairy Queen or McDonald’s when she picked me up because she felt bad and wanted to make it up to me by means of food. This may seem odd to you, but I am thankful I went through all the bad things associated with being an obese child, especially the ridicule you mention. I feel it has made me a stronger person now, that I can stick up to my bullies I guess. I am well aware that I’m due for a heart attack, but I don’t know when that will happen or how bad it will be....ignorance is bliss.

I like to observe the present and find out how it came to this present state. I see the present as neither bad or good, it just is. I think that currently I have not been able to affect anything, I accept that things in their current state are out of my control. That’s my objectivity to the current state of affairs. I am of course a subjective person when sharing opinions of a scene. I’d like to think that I am educated and intelligent enough to analyze things to as perfect a degree of objectivity as I can, though there is no such thing as complete objectivity. I do not think there is anything good about the current obesity academic, it’s straight up messed up. I’d like to know why this is happening. Here are my thoughts...

I. Citizens’ Awareness

What I meant when I said you forget we live in the USA, is that the people in this country are overall dumb. I’d guess you hang out with mainly educated people, as you are an educated person yourself, and perhaps you don’t really realize what an average American is like. I don’t know your experiences in this country and interactions with different types of people, but I feel in my experience I have had enough interaction with people from different parts of this country to make some general conclusions about people in today’s society. For the most part...people are dumb, and people are sheep. There are reasons for this. Education is usually not something one can control until they are of adult age. People are dumb because they don’t have proper education, and there are so many reasons for this. inner City Kid A is part of a school system that is in debt and can’t even afford toilet paper for their students. Country Girl A got pregnant at 16 (because she never learned what a condom was, her school taught abstinence only), dropped out of high school and is not 21 with 2 more kids and a part time job at McDonald’s (more money would be made at the strip club...) Some people are just not that bright by nature’s design. That’s not necessarily a negative thing, it just is.

If you’ve seen the movie Idiocracy, it basically takes this idea to the extreme. You think Orwell or Huxley has a proper idea of the future, I think Mike Judge did a pretty good job portraying what is a more realistic possibility if things keep going the way they are with commercialism and intelligence. It’s all starting here, now.

It’s hard to believe that some people just simply don’t have the awareness that we have, but that is the sheep-like aspect of the human condition. They aren’t even aware that things can be a different way, or that there’s another aspect of a situation or that they can think for themselves. Advertisement flourishes in this fact. It’s all about psychology.

As for those who are educated, it seems a good number of them don’t think for themselves. They are so concerned with the pursuit of capitalism that they just go with it. Eat a salad, it’s healthier than a burger, that’s what the commercial says...yet you don’t think of all the fat in the dressing. You NEED a cell phone for everyone in your family, it’s a matter of security. You NEED a DVD player and TV screens in your new mini van because your kids will be bored without it. It’s 2009, why not. I’ve worked hard to get my degrees and promotions in my 9-5 job, why not! It’s like a privilege of being middle class.



II. Laziness and Psychological Control through Advertisement

As for the subject of laziness, and this is where my statement of you don’t know what it’s like to be a parent comes in, is the fact that an adult might not have the time to make meals because they are working to simply provide for their family. Parent goes to work, sends their kid to a day care, and they might even have to work 2 jobs to gain the money needed in this capitalist society. When the basics are in mind, fast food is better than no food at all. There’s no time to consider the best nutrition or to examine every food label. This surely is not the case in all families, however perhaps that mom you saw was working 2 jobs and that was the only time she had with her kids all day. You have no idea what the situation is by just merely observation that is taken out of context. This is the objectivity/subjectivity issue I was talking about.

You mentioned instead of eating out, making pasta. That’s nice, but for a family on a tight budget that means enriched wheat flour pasta, and caned sauce with high fructose corn syrup. Maybe some factory produced beef for meat. That’s not really any better than fast food quality-wise (though it may be cheaper). Other foods people buy simply because they are cheaper and has nothing to do with laziness: Sunny D instead of OJ (I have actually heard someone say they bought sunny d because it was cheaper than the real OJ), those processed cheese squares instead of real cheese, 99 cent high fructose bread, 99 cent head of iceberg lettuce instead of the dark green leaves. Cheap food is cheap, and a lot of people can’t afford quality food even if they make food themselves. These choices DO transcend class lines. When some food is better than none and you can’t afford real ham but have to get Spam instead, you have to do what you have to do with the money you earn. A minimum wage salary does not really lend to a healthy lifestyle. Why do organic foods cost so much more? Why are foods with more pure ingredients so much more expensive? You really can’t make a choice between bad and good when you don’t have the money to begin with to spend on the best foods.

Another possibility of this scenario is that the mom can’t stand up to her kids and gives in to their wants. This is very, very common. Your argument, and what I mentioned, is that it is the parent’s ultimate decision what to feed their kids however parents are weak at times. This is where the tie in with advertisement comes in...We are all products of ultimate capitalism, none of us has lived a life without commercials, without TV, without huge national chains. This is part of being an American. We have all been a part of it from the age of impressionable youth.

Check this out....The first McDonald’s commercial - the target is children. Those children are now adults

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krXP_TUZqsk

Here is a link that says similar things, focusing on McDonaldland (kid’s advertising campaign)
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/electronic-publications/stay-free/archives/24/mcdonalds-commercials.html

(watch the Evil Grimace video...so trippy...kids then adults now)

What I’m saying is that when fast food was becoming part of everyday life, the parents of the present were children then. It was a part of their life as kids so it’s also a part of their children’s lives. Why should parents deny their kids? Why should we deny ourselves the fruits of Capitalism? Commercials tell us this... Kids, bother your parents until they give in. Parents, it’s a treat to give your kids fast food. EVERYONE DESERVES IT!

I spend a lot of time watching TV. I have a TV family, my sister and brother let their kids watch a lot of TV while my mom and I watch TV almost all evening long. personally this is more a matter of circumstance for me. A mix of social anxiety and the fact that everyone is in Kzoo at the moment means I don’t socialize. I have the TV on even if I am doing other activities like internetting or painting. I like the comfort of being “connected” with the world...this is just a wierd quirk of me being a wierd person, I don’t expect you to understand. because I am a scientific person I can see commercials as ploys and not entertainment, and I enjoy dissecting commercials and seeing all the tricks they use.

Commercials and the pursuit of advertisement has always been a part of American society. Not quite sure when in world history it developed, I suppose once we became wealthy enough to buy junk instead of providing it for ourselves. Advertising is a science. In this year of 2009 we have the most sophisticated methods which have developed over decades/centuries of getting the public to buy your product. I am thinking of earlier in the last century when people would go town to town selling “snake oil” and magic cures with phony statements and wonderful stage presence. Thanks to capitalism and the free market, advertisement is the driving force behind making commercialism a science.

Advertisement is all about psychology. Corporations know what works to get people to spend money. They have had decades of broadcast advertisement, from company pitches during live variety shows in the 50’s to Fred and Barney enjoying a Winston cigarette in Bedrock to what we have today. Some very smart people create very clever ways to manipulate the psychologies of the American public.



Commercial scenario 1....this is a recent McDonald’s commercial that features a (white middle class) mother and her son who looks to be about 4. The commercial starts with the kid not wanting to do a chore, take out the trash i believe, and the mom is looking at him saying “what do you say?” Then the kid is next to a potted plant that has been knocked over and the mom goes “what do you say?” the kid then blames it on his baby brother. There is one more scenario where the kid does or doesn’t do something, and the mom goes “what do you say?” Then the commercial goes to the mom and the kid driving around in a mini van. A Mcdonald’s sign is seen through the window of the van, and the kid goes “what do you say?”. The mom looks at him in the mirror, gives a little smile, and then you see the two at a table eating McDonald’s.

This commercial targets children because children can relate to the life of the boy...doing a bunch of chores and getting in trouble and stuff when they’re just being kids. This commercial also targets moms. it’s like a look into “real life”. The mom thinks, yeah I should give my son a treat and McDonald’s is a good place for a treat. It’s like a pseudo slice of ideal life. Eat McDonald’s, it’s a family thing. You see the psychology here in this one commercial? It pulls the emotional and psychological strings of both moms and kids.

This is why people are weak against food, particularly fast food.

Another thing about this commercial is that the boy eats the “healthy” option of mcnuggs, apples and white milk while the mom has the “healthy” option of a salad. This is another example of how people are dumb. these things really aren’t healthy, but it’s better than a burger and fries in their mind....because the commercial says it is.

This is a pretty insidious commercial. It’s not about laziness or cost, but -love- of food. Again, the child is a target.
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:622VI75mCCoJ:www.sutherlandmanifesto.com/blog/2005_09_01_archive.html+chef+boyardee+commercial+girl+love&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Commercials target emotions. It’s like classical conditioning with food and feeling good. Laziness? No, they are at the grocery store. A good way to feed your kids? The mom actually says no to the crappy chef boyardee ravioli....but somehow and some way the can and girl will be united through the bonds of LOVE. I love Chef and Chef loves me. Love of corporation, love of bad food.

They have a psychological hold on us....on the country...that is how I see it.

Food is all about emotion nowadays. “But I love Chef” as the little girl said to the can of ravioli. “I’m lovin’ it” has been a slogan for McDonald’s for several years, quite a long time as far as McD’s slogans go. It’s not even about being hungry or feeding your family. It’s about -love-, food is forever now connected to emotions. Something I’d guess came up in the past decades. An emotional connection to bad food is a perfect combination for some type of addiction. “food will make you feel good emotionally, you deserve it” is what I see in a lot of McD’s commercials. It’s all psychological.

III. Health insurance and Good Diet:

I personally have absolutely no incentive to eat healthy. The psychological draw of unhealthy food is stronger than the instinct to live as long as possible. I am covered by insurance until May 4th of next year where I may or may not continue to have health insurance. I am starting to realize prevention is key, and that I should be more proactive in being some type of fit individual. Why I think being on this earth longer is good, I don’t know, but I suppose if I want to be here as long as others want me to be here then I should take steps to ensure I don’t destroy my body.

In this society our health insurance is seen more like if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it, and wait until it is broke before doing anything about it. I haven’t had a heat attack -yet-, so I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing, while I may be fully aware that my current habits could cause problems in the future. This view of doing something after the bad happens has been propagated by the current insurance industry (this is pure opinion). So why should I or anyone else eat healthier? This society is a lot about the quick fix, the near term, what I want and what I want now. Corporations entice us to this lifestyle by advertisement and being everywhere and absolutely accessible.

Maybe if I got something in return for being a healthy individual I will have more incentive. If I shed some pounds, could I have free doctor’s visits? If I completely turn around my diet, could I have 25% off my premium and prescription coverage? I hope that with health care reform comes these incentives. Like a magnet on the fridge says - “Life is Uncertain, Eat Dessert First”. It is uncertain that I will get a heart attack so I’m not going to worry about preventative care. I’m going to worry about getting a psychological fix from this food. I see a lot of Americans thinking this way. It’s no wonder,. they don’t have any incentive either.





So this is how I see things in America. From Obese Mom #67462 with overweight kids # 4583 and 3858 eating typical American fare. You saw laziness, I saw more in this complex issue of modern society. These kids will struggle for the rest of their lives, just like millions of other Americans, but who is the one abusing them? Is it their mother, or is it our society? Our capitalist society has made this a normal thing. Corporations ARE to blame for the creation of a lot of this as they have found ways to psychologically control in a sense the minds of citizens. What is self control when one is being coerced from all aspects of media to have this lifestyle? Yes we have choices, but in reality people are constricted in what they can choose based on how much money they have in their pocket. Plain and simple. The higher your class role, the more choices you have. All of society is to blame for the outcome of these children. We have become fat gluttons, and capitalist society provides us this lifestyle. I have seen more advertisement for at-home food, so that is a plus if anything. I hope this trend does not continue, it’s sick that we might go down in life expectancy because of this lifestyle. In the same token, it is what it is. Humans learn from making mistakes, such is the way of society. I do not accept it as a good thing, however I accept it as sn issue in the time I am alive. I like to understand my time, and this is how I think it is. These conditions created the scene you witnessed. It’s not simply a matter of being lazy...it’s really quite complex.




Enablation orgy

We are a nation of enablers. We enable each other by socially accepting these practices including incorporating food into social situations (celebrations, getting together). Corporations enable common citizens through decisive psychology.

Idea...

Fall pours in, summer pours out.

big thinking

I'm having gender issues. Not sex issues, I am a biological female. But I don't -act- like a girl or woman in the way this society dictates. I don't identify with gender, I just am me. I wear "guy" clothes but that's because I like that style more. Well actually what I wear are pants and t-shirts. t-shirts all the time (and some sweaters in winter). But my pants are pants. I wear tighter t-shirts than I used to because they give me more support for my breasts (I don't wear a bra), not because I want people to take notice to them. I have a short hairstyle but that is purely for function, I was sick of the excess heat and sweat created by long hair. The mohawk, however, IS for style ha.

It wouldn't matter. I can be fine being just me and not even have to worry about masculine/feminine gender identity. But psycho-socially it's a problem. Because society needs you to have a sense of identification and a label. Even to be labeless is a label! So, what then. I don't really have a gender but I'm not androgenous really either. I just am. There are so many dimensions to this, it's so complicated. WHY does it have to be complicated? It's like an hierarchy of labels, people need 5 different terms to describe their exact sex/gender/orientation. I'm just a person with DNA that gives me breasts and a vagina, and presumably the capability to bear children. That doesn't give me the want or need to have any association with pointless societal standards. I have to deal with what's in my brain and what's in everyone else's brain which is heavily influenced by societal norms and standards. Now I don't really care about what others think of me, but I do feel still the societal pressure to have a label and "fit" somewhere, even if it's not fitting in. I ultimately don't want to care, I don't want to society to make me feel like I need to have a label. I suppose that is what I really need to work on, breaking my mind not against society and gender, but breaking the thought of the societal need to "be" something.

Another problem is that many people don't know/recognize the difference between sex and gender. Like in the profile here, I have to pick my gender. Well then I have to chose "not specified" since I don't associate with male/female gender roles however I am sexually female. This is the type of situation I have issues with.

I suppose if the question ever comes up, I will just say I have no gender. And not simply androgenous since that seems to be the lack of gender. I'm just me, however I want to look and dress and act. It doesn't...I don't...have to conform to any label. I suppose many people won't understand that but I really don't think it will come up. It's just something I needed to sort out in my head.

socialization again

Yesterday showed me how pointless friendships are. Or rather how pointless it is to try and socialize with people who could be considered "friends". I would say that maybe it's just me and maybe it was just that one incident. 7 of us met up at a local eatery last night. Odd numbers sometimes make an odd person out, and that was me. I'm fine with not being a part of a conversation, just listening and observing. But even when I tried to make a comment I was ignored. I must've said 3 things that no one else even heard. What is the point of me even being around if they're not going to enjoy my company? It really hurts. How one person's personality in particular has changed over the past year really gets to me. I suppose he could be considered, well at one point at least, my "best" friend. But he's become so arrogant and self absorbed, hypocritical and selfish that I don't even care if I spend time with him. It's slightly unpleasant to be around him now. If I or someone else (because others see it too) were to even bring it up he would deny and defend. So again, what's the point?

I don't like being ignored, though I'm used to it enough. No one likes to be ignored. So what, I spend time with people I see once a month or so and I might as well not even be there. They use my car, they use my weed (which I am happy to offer up) but they don't seem to want to think of me any other time or much when I am there. I don't get the social payback I am subconsciously looking for while I keep giving. Maybe that is why others are selfish, they have this social experience where they know they can't just keep giving and now they want others to give to them. I'm starting to know when to say no and the specific people not to be too generous to. I hate being this way but I've been burned too many times. I'm not going to go out of my way for someone who won't appreciate it, I shouldn't have to. No one really goes out of their way for me...

I think the malfunction is in my mind. Maybe it's all me and just how I perceive the situations and interactions. In which case I am just as bad as them. I rarely call anyone to hang out because they never call me. I give people a short time span, a couple months, after they have done some social transgression before I am done with them. I can't keep being the one that tries, there has to be complete 50/50 in the relationship or it's not worth it to me. Saying these things makes me feel like the "bad" person here, but I think it's reasonable to want an equal give and take from relationships with other people.

But it's experiences like I had yesterday that make me want to spend time with others even less. There was a point later in the evening, 9 or so, where I felt I had enough socialization and was ready to go back to my house to be alone. I don't know if any of them would really understand that concept. Most of them would rather have someone around or be doing something than be alone.

I have already made the definite decision that I am leaving this area of Michigan sometime next summer. I am thinking I would like to go back to New Mexico and there is no reason as far as relationships go that would keep me here. I wouldn't "miss" anyone if I left the state. If I see them once a year rather than once a month, the quality of the time spent together would be immensely more anyway.

It still hurts, though.

socialization

I have actually been writing in my public journal a bit recently. I have a reader who leaves comments now maybe. Perhaps someone who is sincere.

School is going on. That's my main focus, I've kind of made myself not have my mind on other activities, like the activism group and what not. Focus on school, maybe I won't have too heavy anxiety.

I am really quite insocial (made up term). Being around people don't bring me enjoyment really, it feels quite lame and I am not impressed by them at all. These are people in my "social group" who I've known for a while and have enjoyed their company before. I know it's an internal thing, though it is their emerging personality behaviors that are getting to me...

Well I wanted to type more on the subject and think somethings through but I am very tired. Maybe later.

Laking wife

Apparently in dreams when you try to turn a light on via wall switch, it won't work. This morning I had a dream with the same predicament, but smart me I realized the dimmer slider was to off, I slid it up and the light came on.

No more rectal bleeding, that I am aware of at least. I am almost to normal but I still can't eat something like a meal without getting stomach pain. Also I had a good amount of gas in my gut last night and it seemed to get to my colon and then stop, I couldn't pass it (but I could burp, and I woke up several hours later and it finally was all let go).

Day one of classes. Soc and early childhood. I am really not sure about early childhood since I have to do some projects where I have to observe kids, and I may not be able to do one since I don't know any kids around here. The workload the prof has for us seems unreasonable especially since it is a community college and most people also have jobs. I became dizzy and out of it in that class, I think it's the flourescent lighting. I can't focus on things for too long. Plus I didn't have much to eat beforehand.

Well the last two semesters I got to 3-4 weeks and then the panic attack happened. I am optimistic now, but I won't call it a success until I complete the classes.

Somewhere in my colon there is a spot that is bleeding. Every hour or so I go to the bathroom and that blood comes out.

It is disturbing when mucous and blood comes out of your rectum. Apparently I have to wait a week before the doctor I saw today recommends me going to a colon specialist.

I can't sit up for long, the pressure on my lower abdomen becomes too much and I get pain. Classes start Wednesday, oh joy.

LTE printed

I just found out a little bit ago that the LTE about my "communist bastard" experience was printed. One of the teachers my mom works for heard about it from her mother who read the LTE, and that is how I found out about it. I assumed I would have been notified if it went to press, but oh well. So I missed seeing it in print but at least I know it was printed! I am not sure which paper it was in, I sent it to the county paper and the more local paper. I am curious to know how edited it was as well. I hope it got the point across.

Overall I am happy it got printed. My hope of hopes is that the jerk read it, and might feel a sense of shame.

BFC report 1

I promised a con report for BFC but I only got to Friday night. The B F stands for "bare fur"...nudist furries!

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I arrived on Thursday in the early evening, being the first. After going to the wrong door, I met Jeff and Renee. It was a little awkward with them being naked, but it was also awkward because I didn't have much of an idea of what they looked like before actually meeting them. I went in to use the bathroom and took most of my clothes off then, I wanted to take a shower first before I was completely naked. I did that a little after I arrived and we chatted until Odie arrived. Renee and Jeff began to make dinner, the awesome manicotti, while Odie and I watched. Dinner was really nice, we all sat at the table to eat and chat some more. Afterwards we just hung out, waiting for the arrival of Kenari and Tyke. Bijou, Jerrell and Renee's cat, made a rare appearance and I tried to play with her some, she mostly feigned interest. Kenari and Tyke finally arrived late in the evening and they spent times getting settled in and we all got caught up on their adventure getting up there.

Friday morning started off with buckwheat pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs prepared by the tigress and racooon. Once again we ate together at the dining room table and had nice conversation, getting to know each other and whatnot. Avalon Fest did not start until 2:30 or so that afternoon, so we had time to first go down there and reserve our spaces with setting up our chairs and also do some meet activities. Back at homebase, we had fun with bubbles on the "balcony" (:P). We had a large wand and a few smaller wands and had a good time making, watching, and of course popping the bubbles. Next we went out to the front of the house to do chalk drawings with those huge "sidewalk" chalk sticks on the porch. Jerrell did a nice mountain scene, Tyke did a self portrait, I did an abstract type piece, and Renee drew a cute tiger. By this point I was getting warm, and bad me I hadn't put on any sunscreen yet. I went inside to block up and by the time I was done doing that, everyone else had come in. We hung around and prepared for AF, getting food and towels and things together. We went down to Avalon a littler early and got situated. This was the only part of the weekend where it rained. It wasn't much, just a sprinkle, and it didn't last long either. If anything struck me as odd during AF it was this: just about everyone headed for shelter when it began to rain. I thought it was kind of funny, since there were no clothes to get wet...there was a bit of a chilly breeze and true towels could get wet, but I still thoguht it to be funny. I was glad it rained and was hoping that at some point there would be a little downpour so I could run around in it. Well, I stayed out and Tyke stayed with me nd I think just about everyone else went under the food tent to stay dry. But that was all for the rain, which was very fortunate for the festival since they had to cover up the sound equipment, and that would have put a "damper" on the performances. (Okay, I got my pun out of the way...). I beleive it became sunny and warm again fairly quickly.

I watched a couple of the bands and also watched the audience, just getting a sense of the other type of people who were attending and getting used to the surroundings. As well as my first nudist event, this was my first music fest. Jack Williams was first and he was great. I especially liked the story and song about his mother. Next was Stephanie Corby and she definately saved the best for last, really belting it out on the last song. The AF songwriters' contest was next. I was getting warm though and used this time to go for a swim in the indoor pool. It was very nice to cool off and splash around a little. There were ample fun noodles to use as well. Eventually everyone else joined me, some going into the hot tub for a soak. After a time in the pool, I went into the hot tub as well. There was a guy in there asking everyone's story and telling us about his...when he asked me why I hot into nudism or some thing similar, I was saved by the person in charge of videotaping AF asking if we were okay with being filmed in the tub. So we were being filmed for about 5 minutes or so, it was difficult to not look at the camera since it was right there. When he was done with that, I went back into the pool to cool down from the hot tub (I like the tubs since they are soothing, but do get me overheated a little) and swam/noodled with Tyke for a little bit. When I was done swimming I went out in time to catch about half of Ricochet's set, a 4 piece "redneck" a cappella group who sang some funny songs. By the end of their set it was dinner time, and we went to the Avalon fieldhouse to eat their catered buffet. It was not spectacular. Apparently in years past with Avalon's own cook it was a quality biffet, but this year was disappointing. It was -okay-, but I expected more. We all sat at a table towards the back and were fortunate to get some entertainment as we were letting our food settle from the members of Ricochet who happened to sit at the table next to us. Back at our seats we got ready for the evening, which included applying bug spray. There weren't too many other people back from dinner yet but there was one woman who felt the need to tell us that bug spray was nothing but poison and to not spray it by her or anyone else. She gave us her life story about how she's allergic to all these chemicals and how the world is being poisoned...yet apparently second hand cigarette smoke isn't poison because she was sitting with a person who must've smoked 5 cigarettes in the following 2 hours. Just another interesting character (like the ones with the ears :P.). Friday night at the fest might be my favorite time. The band that was scheduled to play could not make it, so Tempest filled in. The lead singer looked like he came from the heavy metal textbook yet they also had a member in a utilikilt playing an electric violin. They were on the more heavy electric side, but they played an ecclectic mix of songs, some with a more traditional European folk tune (oh yeah, and what was that instrument the lead played...a double neck electric mandolin?). The energy was awesome, from the band and from the audience. Everyone was getting into it, clapping and some eventually getting up and dancing with the band. When they were initially done with their set the audience called for an encore, and Tempest obliged. It was a whole lot of fun listening to them and it seems like they had a lot of fun playing for us. Back at homebase, Jarrell set up his mega-scope (I don't know the name of the model, but it was a rather large telescope) for a bit of stargazing. He set the scope on Jupiter and we could actually see 4 of the moons and one of the planet's stripes. It was nice being able to see a clear sky, especially since all the rest of us live in more urban areas with bad light pollution. Friday night was when I made my "specialty", puppy chow. With some help from the skunk, I made two batches and it was immediately a hit. Since it was also the night of the Olympics opening ceremony, we settled onto our towels and enjoyed the ceremony. Then it was off to bed.