So, Twitter suggested that I follow Clean Water Action. Ha ha.
http://twitter.com/#!/AiXeLsyD13/status/43764259984904192
It reminded me of this…
Senator Wayne Fontana Reads His Mail.
…and I laughed.
I need to write some more goofy letters.
Tickets still available for Thu. March 17th w/ the Blasters! (via Ernie and the Berts)
AllergyEats | Defining allergy-friendly restaurant survey results
So, a while ago I posted asking for you to help out Paul from Allergy Eats with defining “allergy-friendly” as it pertains to a restaurant. I also took the time to post my own thoughts before I sent them on to be tabulated.
Well, now Paul has posted his summary & survey results to the still mysterious government body. I enjoyed reading the results, so I thought I’d share:
AllergyEats Blog
The AllergyEats Blog | How do we define an allergy-friendly restaurant? A look at the survey results
It’s great to see the results, and I can’t wait to see where & how they’re put to use. It’s also great that all of our comments were passed along with the report, so rest assured that your voice has been heard thanks to Paul. Hopefully it lays groundwork for more gub’ment organizations to follow by example! (Although, we need to push from a consumer level too.)
My take on the results… it looks like we’re all looking for everyone in the restaurant from kitchen to wait staff to managers to be trained in food allergies and cross-contamination and possibly even certified… which seems like a no-brainer. Even if that’s all we get, it’s a great start.
Employee answering phone needs to be knowledgeable: 1
Apparently, I’m the only one who wants the person answering the phone to know what they’re talking about. Ha ha. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to define shellfish on the phone, or ask if they have any only to get there after being told no… and they totally do. Perhaps it’s shame on me for not asking to talk to a manager… but the person answering the phone ought to be knowledgeable enough to hand-off such questions, so I stand by my statement.
Cross contamination: (42 responses)
Understands and avoids cross-contamination: 21
Separate and cleaned prep areas and cookware: 20
Should wash hands: 1
Who said they should wash their hands? Seriously? I hope they’re doing that anyway… and that they don’t really need those signs in the restroom as a reminder.
Treats ALL allergies the same, not just the Big 8: 1
Apparently I’m the lone theorist there. Really? Well, I’m in the Top 8 category, so I guess… yo hell with the rest of you! Ha ha.
No nuts strewn about the restaurant: 1
This one agitates me. If it’s part of the restaurant’s shtick/ambiance/personality… then just give it up. I like being able to walk into Five Guys and grab a tray of peanuts. I don’t expect (or want) to dine at Long John Silvers or Red Lobster any time soon.
Specific allergen menus available in-house (not just online): 13
Allergen symbol list on menus: 12
Online food allergy menu: 4
All excellent points. I’ve blogged about the need for menu symbols before. Let’s get this done, people!
Ability to print out all ingredients for customer / show labels to customer if necessary: 11
Great idea. A representative from Bob Evans once emailed me a chart detailing where everything was cooked in the kitchen & what surfaces would be safe with my shellfish allergy while they has a seasonal Shrimp stir-fry dish. How cool is that?
At any rate, read the Blog at AllergyEats, and leave some feedback whether you participated in the original survey or not… it’s still valuable. I’d also appreciate any comments here. I’m sure the peanut thing will get some people riled up. Ha ha.
Envisage Your Ideal Concert
Okay. You just found out that you’re secretly related to Oprah, and since she knows you’re a huge music fan… she’s letting you put together the concert of all concerts to celebrate. Since you have Oprah money, you pretty much have no limit there, but you are limited to bands that are alive and actively together, or that you believe could be reasonably brought back together with a little grea$ing of the wheels. Example… you’re probably not going to get Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite or (even the Illusions tour) lineup to get on stage together… but you probably could get Steven Tyler & Joe Perry in the same room.
Put together the whole thing…
- The Venue: A small club? A stadium or amphitheater? Your living room?
- The Run: Is it a one-night-only deal, or is this a 3-day festival?
- The Name: Every killer show has to have a killer title. No “w00t-stock”, please.
- The Bands: Who’s playing & in what order? Bonus points for linking to ’em.
- Added Insanity: Want a 20 minute drum solo with Neil Peart & Lars Ulrich? Want an unplugged duet with Danzig & Shakira? Want GWAR to disembowel you on the stage? A guitar battle between Eric Clapton and Slash? Want all the bands to do nothing but Black Sabbath covers? Can’t hurt to throw the idea out there!
- Micro-Manage: If you really want to get nuts, what do you want to see in each performer’s setlist? Either highlights or the whole thing.
I’ll think about mine while you post yours in the comments below, and in a few days or so I’ll revisit the whole idea in another blog post. Links to bands’ websites, videos, and music strongly encouraged!
Even a 3-year-old can do it…
This article is just awesome:
http://kingstonthisweek.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1136778
It’s about Alex Pople the three year old who used an EpiPen to save his infant brother’s life. Holy cow, this is good stuff. I’m amazed that a three year old could successfully use an EpiPen, and did it when it was called for!
The tear-jerker?
He also tells his brother, “I love you and I saved your life because we are best friends.”
Crazy! This proves that a child is never too young to start learning about food allergies for themselves or for anyone in the family or even any friends.
The #FoodAllergyMomArmy
So, if you follow me on twitter, you may have seen me use an odd hashtag; #FoodAllergyMomArmy
“What’s a Food Allergy Mom Army“, you ask? It’s what happens when you ask your twitter friends about air travel and Epi Pens. I was served with an onslaught of what would later become known as nagtweets, demanding that I get a 2nd Epi Pen, and that I carry it on the plane, not in my luggage. Most all of my replies were from moms of kids with food allergies, some with food allergies themselves. Even though I bet we’re around the same age, I had an instant army of adopted moms looking out for my well-being.
I’ve received advice & support on food allergies from other sources on the web, but they’ve increased exponentially since I’ve joined Twitter. Now, I use twitter to keep in contact with other friends, and to follow fun stuff like music, Star Wars, Fringe, & local Pittsburgh stuff… but it’s definitely my go-to resource for Food Allergy support. That’s support on many levels… whether it’s information, advice, or sympathy.
So, if you’re on Twitter, and you have food allergies, check out my allergies list, and the #FoodallergyMomArmy will eventually make themselves known. (Maybe the’ll even comment here.)
The Blasters, St. Patrick's Day, Ernie and the Berts, and maybe… just maybe, Tom Weber. (via Ernie and the Berts)
Chick-fil-A CARES
Somewhat humorously, the slowest responses from Chick-fil-A have been from the webform & customer service email address. I pulled out all the stops in tracking down & emailing every available Chick-fil-A email address, because you never know if you’re going to get a response from some companies.
I started with the webform:
From:world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com
To:Chick-fil-A.CARES@p67ix100.na.ko.co
CC:
Sent: 02/07/11
Subject: Chick-fil-A Web Form MessageHello,
I have a photo that I’d like to send with comments. Do you have an email that I may write to directly without the cumbersome contact form?
Thank you for your time,
-ERiC AiXeLsyD
And I got this reply…
From: Chick-fil-A CARES <chickfilacares@na.ko.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 18, 2011
Subject: Chick-fil-A Response
To: world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com
So, I sent them this:
From: ERiC AiXeLsyD <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Feb 20, 2011 at 5:55 PM
Subject: Re: Chick-fil-A Response
To: Chick-fil-A CARES <chickfilacares@na.ko.com>Hello & thanks for the email!
My original comments & the photo referenced are attached.
Can’t wait to hear from you! (Oddly enough… the absolute 1st to reply to my email was Dan Cathy himself! The webform is quite slow in comparison to emailing Mr. Cathy directly.)
Rock on!
-E.
No response so far.
But, I did email the original message to chickfilacares@na.ko.com just to see if I got a response. I did.
From: Chick-fil-A CARES <chickfilacares@na.ko.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 18, 2011
Subject: Chick-fil-A Response
To: world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com
I wonder if Margaret realizes that she wrote back to the same nutjob twice?
Get a proclamation from your state governor that says “diarrhea”!
FAAW
So, Food Allergy Awareness Week 2011 is still a little far off, but at the same time it’s quickly approaching.
Personally, I’m all about pushing it from a consumer-level rather than having some government mandates handed down to reluctant (and perhaps allergen-ignorant) business owners.
But, at the same time, I see the monumental importance of government recognition. It spreads awareness and gives hope to those of us trying to express the validity and seriousness of food allergies and anaphylaxis.
So, I urge you to do your part, and write to the governor of your state asking for them to declare recognition of Food Allergy Awareness Week. From the FAAN website:
Food Allergy Awareness Week: May 8-14, 2011
Ask your Governor to Issue a Food Allergy Awareness Week Proclamation
Issuing a Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW) proclamation is a great way to help raise awareness in your State!
Ask your Governor to declare May 8-14, 2011 Food Allergy Awareness Week!
In 2010, FAAW was recognized in a RECORD 37 STATES! Let’s break this record in 2011!
As of Feb 8, 2011, only one proclamation has been issued (Minnesota). Only 49 more states to go!
So, what are you waiting for? It only takes a few minutes, and you may even get a nifty official-looking document from your governor with a state seal that has the word “diarrhea” on it. I mean, how funny is that?
Chick-fil-A is so freakin’ polite.
You read my post, (The not so) Holy Cow!, right? Well, I’ve gotten a few more replies from within the Chick-fil-A organization. While none are as cool as getting one from Dan Cathy himself, they’re all amusing in that they won’t quite mention that the cow’s front leg totally looked like a penis.
I emailed a bunch of random Chick-fil-A email addresses that I was able to find via Google, and soem local places. This was the first response after Mr. Cathy:
From: Circle Centre Mall <circle.center.mall@chick-fil-a.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 8, 2011
Subject: RE: “SPICEE CHIKIN BISKITZ” Alarm Clock Table Ad
To: ERiC AiXeLsyD <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>
Eric,I’m actually in a mall. The marketing material in question is not in use at our store so I hadn’t seen it.
Interesting observation!
Not sure what feedback you’d received from others, but, at least for me, it hasn’t been an issue.
Thanks for being a Fan of Chick-fil-A!
Sam
So, basically… “It wasn’t me!” But, “Interesting observation!” must mean, “Wow, that does look like a penis!”
I wrote back to Sam, but have yet to receive any more correspondence from him:
From: ERiC AiXeLsyD <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Feb 16, 2011
Subject: Re: “SPICEE CHIKIN BISKITZ” Alarm Clock Table Ad
To: Circle Centre Mall <circle.center.mall@chick-fil-a.com>Thanks Sam,
I found them amusing. I did only hear back from the local Chick-fil-A, and interestingly enough directly form Dan Cathy himself. Now, that’s customer service!
Watch out for over-excited cows, my friend!
-ERiC
Then, I had a nice exchange with local Chick-fil-A employee Rebecca Thornsbury, whom I have contacted before:
From: Chick-fil-A South Hills <cfasouthhills@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 14, 2011
Subject: Re: “SPICEE CHIKIN BISKITZ” Alarm Clock Table Ad
To: ERiC AiXeLsyD <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>Hello Eric. Thank you for the feedback. I sent your email onto our Creative Team within Marketing at our Corporate Office. They emailed back today that they received it and will look into it. Also thank you for the nice compliments.
We really appreciate you being a fan of Chick-fil-A.
Talk to you soon,Rebecca Thornsberry
Marketing DirectorChick-fil-A at South Hills
1620 Washington Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
Store- 412-833-1165
Cell- 412-443-5534
www.chick-fil-a.com/southhills
They really are always happy for the compliments of my first email. I wrote back to my new old friend…
From: ERiC AiXeLsyD <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Feb 16, 2011
Subject: Re: “SPICEE CHIKIN BISKITZ” Alarm Clock Table Ad
To: Chick-fil-A South Hills <cfasouthhills@gmail.com>Hello Rebecca,
I haven’t heard form the creative team in marketing at the corporate office yet, but I did get an email from Mr. Dan Cathy himself! That’s what I call service!
I would be interested to see if anyone else saw the same thing I did. Maybe it’s more like a Rorschach test for a dirty mind, and I’m the odd man out. Although, my wife saw the same thing.
I’m glad you like the compliments, and can assure you that they’re well-deserved! I didn’t hear back from the Robinson CFA, but that’s where we saw the humorous (or amorous?) cow clock. Your store is generally much cleaner and more pleasant… so a response from you & not from them isn’t a surprise.
Just writing this email I’m already hungry for some chicken nuggets.
Thanks for writing!
-ERiC
I’m telling you, it looks like a penis.
From: Chick-fil-A South Hills <cfasouthhills@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Feb 17, 2011
Subject: Re: “SPICEE CHIKIN BISKITZ” Alarm Clock Table Ad
To: ERiC AiXeLsyD <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>Hello Eric. It is nice to hear that Dan Cathy wrote you. Chick-fil-A is a great company and cares about what the customers think. I am not sure if the Marketing Team will be writing you or not. When they emailed me back, they said they would pass it along to the creative people and make note of it.
We have had no one else mention anything about the clocks. A lot of the kids that eat in our restaurant really liked them and moms asked if they could take them home. I had mentioned in my feedback to Chick-fil-A that it was a hard table topper because people moved the arms around and then they broke very easily.
Thanks again for the feedback and we’ll see you soon!
Rebecca Thornsberry
Marketing DirectorChick-fil-A at South Hills
1620 Washington Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
Store- 412-833-1165
Cell- 412-443-5534
www.chick-fil-a.com/southhills
“Mom, can I take home the cow alarm clock where his arm is swinging around from his waist? Sure, one arm broke off, but that’s OK. It just needs the one.”
Although, it does seem that Dan Cathy is a swell guy. I wonder when he’s going to be on that Undercover Boss show? A PR team needs to put him to work with a gay Chick-fil-A employee.
I have a few more, but I’ll save them for another post.
Al Armcock
World (and Lunar) Domination 