It was pointed out to me yesterday - by a wise man who insists on only one cube in his diet coke - that ice is an industry. People make and sell ice and ice machines. Obvious really, but this has certain implications. Eager to sell ice, US ice makers flogged a cunning scam to the soft drink makers. Put loads of ice in the drinks. This saves money by defrauding the consumer - the ice is cheaper than the drink and the punter is not getting a full glass. Of course! At once I understood that irritating American habit of serving drinks consisting of three parts frozen water to one part of the good stuff. Our poor cousins have been victims of this scam for so log that they now think this constitutes a pleasant drink, in spite of the fact that, after about three minutes, it consists of 99 per cent water. It will, I fear, take generations to sort this one out.
Meanwhile, McDonald's in the UK has started a campaign to get the OED definition of McJob changed. It is currently 'an unstimulating low-paid job with few prospects.' But changed to what? 'A stimulating high-paid job with fabulous prospects and company Porsche.' Surely they should simply want it removed. In fact, I would be on the side of McDonald's on this one largely because I saw Polly Toynbee attacking their career structure on TV last night. Unfortunately, however, I must join the critics for the simple reason that all those fabulously wealthy McJobbers are trained to put too much ice in the drinks.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
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A blog about, among other things, imaginary ideas - What ifs? and Imagine thats. What if photographs looked nothing like what we see with our eyes? Imagine that the Berlin Wall had never come down. What if we were the punchline of an interminable joke? All contributions welcome.
I've long thought that the world's energy crisis could be eased if only one ice cub was put in a soft drink in America.
ReplyDeletethe bear minimum, richard?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone's done the maths on this. is it really cheaper, mass for mass, to produce and maintain a cube of ice compared to a dubious syrupy solution? It's awful stuff, I think I would rather have a glass of ice cubes.
you've got to laugh at the story, I mean, it's too pathetic. I wasn't aware of the word but I'd have known its meaning as soon as I'd have read it - I didn't need a dictionary for that. what do they want us to do?! ha ha.
ReplyDeleteMcDonalds is what it is - and 99% of the population are okay with that! Just get on with it.
Ice Cubs would make excellent McDonald's giveaways. McFreebies. Interesting point about the relative cost. Maybe the ice industry just has more muscle
ReplyDeleteMaybe they should just publish their own McDictionary.
ReplyDeletefat n. the presence of excess fat in a person that has absolutely nothing to do with eating McDonalds food, which of course can been enjoyed by everyone as part of healthy lifestyle.
healthy lifestyle n. the enjoyment of McDonalds food while wearing a tracksuit and trainers.
...that ice is an industry. People make and sell ice and ice machines...
ReplyDeleteIt's very much an industry and I want to know where the water comes from and how they treat it before it becomes ice shavings.
No, james, you don't. You really don't.
ReplyDeleteAm I alone in having never eaten a Big Mac (or whatever they're called)? No vegetarians need reply.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever owned a pair of Levi's jeans either (let alone 'trainers' of any brand). They're wasting their time with me.
that's a lot to save for your dying day, nige, and not a particularly nice way to leave if I may say. Me, I've only got the LSD. I'm banking on a good exit, having nothing else to lose.
ReplyDeleteBryan, a friend of mine in the business says that the cost of the ice actually exceeds the cost of the amount of the average soft drink displaced by the ice.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ronin, that is strange. Does that mean people actually liked these drinks from the beginning? Or that the ice people are better at making unrefuseable offers than the drinks makers?
ReplyDeleteMy god, does that mean we are being cheated by the wonderful world of Capitalism? Is a Latte not really worth £2.50? Do they really use ice to bulk out worthless assemblies of sugar molecules? The scales fall from my eyes! How clever! The old system really works doesn't it! What fools we mortals are?
ReplyDeleteYou silly rabbits. Coca-Cola isn't good unless it's got tons of ice in it. It originated in the heat of Georgia and it's meant to be drunk COLD.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in France, I was always asking for more ice in my "Coca" and the French (like you guys) could not understand it: "Mais, c'est bien frai," they would say to me. I'd have to answer, "Je suis Americaine; je besoin de BEAUCOUP des glacons."
You guys don't need ice 'cause you're from a cool climate. We DO. Coke burns your throat without it.
Er, but why not just havewell chilled Coke and thus avoid the dilution problem?
ReplyDeleteIt's not the same. "Well-chilled" is not as cold as with tons of ice. Usually, you've drunk it before it has a chance to get diluted.
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It obviously is not a fabulous, full of satisfaction type job but they actually pay quite well! I was really surprised when I found out what the management trainee started on.
ReplyDelete