ndmckinney|net

The Washington Post is reporting on a power struggle occuring on the board of directors at In-N-Out. It seems that the granddaughter and sole descendant of the original
founder of the chain is trying to expand, abandoning the In-N-Out philosophy.

In-N-Out burger is perhaps the only thing I like about LA. The company provides the freshest, tastiest greasy burgers in town. You can order them any way you like; just ask. The company is also known for taking care of its workers. They pay their line workers far and above the average wage, and managers make good money. The company also is committed to the development of all its employees, only helping to further In-N-Out’s image.

If Lynsi Martinez, granddaughter of founder Harry Snyder, gets her way, In-N-Out will no longer be the small, quality restaurant that has made it such a success. After all, In-N-Out is not McDonalds’. Its commitment to making a quality burger and developing quality people is how it has survived. I’m afraid it will not under Ms. Martinez’s plan.

I hope I don’t lose my only reason to travel to LA. Or, for that matter, out west.

From an article in the New York Times, former college cheerleaders are becoming drug sales reps. If you ask me, this is rather a disgusting turn for a trade that is looking for new ways to avoid regulation.

I’m not saying that a cheerleader cannot be a good drug sales rep. Nor do I claim to know what makes a good drug rep. However, I would assume that knowledge of the product is important. The problem with the hiring practice is that they don’t look at what the cheerleader was doing in college. If you were a cheerleader, you’re in. The federal government does not allow discrimination on the basis of gender, but an employer is free to make hiring decisions based upon appearance.

This is a more subtle way to sell drugs. Rather than the excessive spending on golf trips and five-star dinners, pharmaceuticals can spend their money where they would spend their money anyway — their employees. Besides, the government cannot regulate who a pharmaceutical company sends, just what the company is spending on the doctors.

As always, it will take a clever lawyer to file a lawsuit over this. I doubt the Congress will make changes anytime soon — sex sells in Washington more than anywhere else.

This C|Net story outlines why bad habits are hard to break. As it turns out, the habits are never really “broken.” The neural patterns are only inactivated. Stimuli that are related to the old habit, such as smoking, can reactivate the neural pathway, causing the habit to return.