Donuts and the Workplace

June 14, 2002

For the time being, I must admit that my day job consists of feeding the

corporate system working as a computer programmer (though people often walk

in, look at me, and wonder if they've entered the 'creative' department

instead, LOL!). Anyway, it's some sort of strange tradition that about 5

people bring in dozens and dozens of donuts every Friday. Emails are

distributed throughout the department indicating in bold pretty letters

that the donuts have arrived! I've been sort of sickeningly amused by the

whole thing and finally decided to send out a response to one of the emails

saying that I thought Al Qaeda must have an underground terrorist plot to

kill off all of corporate America through excessive donut eating and that

they were beginning here at our company. Nobody responded. Hmmm. At least I

thought it was funny!

Recently, many of us have been working a lot of overtime hours trying to

push out our next product release and management has been trying to show

their appreciation by giving us food. Almost every day I have emails in my

box:

" Thanks for the hard work! Donuts! "

" Thanks for the hard work! Pizza and soda! "

" Thanks for the hard work! Burgers and fries! "

" Thanks for the hard work! Ice cream! "

I actually asked my boss if they were trying to poison us. Of course, I

always bring my own food with me EVERYWHERE but sweet mother of Hans

Christian Andersen, what in the Sam hell is wrong with our culture?!

Somehow I still can't really believe how poorly people eat. It's just

astounding and so insidious.

Doc, I started listening to your cassette lecture this morning! It's

wonderful. I'm thinking about taking control of the PA system in this

building for an hour or so and blasting it for all to hear!

Ann

- Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup

http://fifaworldcup.

June 15, 2002

It is interesting how bad food drives so much of American culture. I have for

many years done temporary work all over the country, and have seen some very

unhealthy food customs in corporate workplaces, much as described in this post.

Just yesterday i was invited to share in a potluck at a government office where

i was doing data entry. Available dishes included irresistible brownies, some

kind of Jello thing, and what people call " fruit salad " which is mostly fatty

whipped cream.

This could be worse. Before about 1900, America was hooked on salt pork.

Everybody had to have it, all the time, everywhere, for all occasions. And

often it was accompanied by something called " hardtack " , which were nearly

inedible biscuits that could keep for a long time. Well, at least salt pork

didn't spoil, but i hate to think of the effect it had on health, which was not

all too good in those days. In fact, at the end of that period, the President,

Theodore Roosevelt, made the statement, " Really, 70 percent of all people are

not feeling well at any particular time. " This was part of what launched a

revolution in all aspects of diet and health care at that time. It must have

worked, because life expectancy increased dramatically over the next 50 years.

Be very careful if you travel to the country of Uzbekistan. They have a custom

of serving sheep's eyes to honored guests. Compared to that, i don't think

we're doing all that bad.

On Fri, 14 Jun 2002 10:10:50 -0700 (PDT) Ann Melin <annicola wrote: