>  > the first telco in North America to purchase a cable TV company
>  ML> But has its own unintended consequences, at least on
>  ML> the consumer side, as in Lilli's area where it is (but
>  ML> has not yet been challenged as) a monopolistic venture.
> I didn't say that it is a good thing! At least in Canada, the CRTC
> has the power to regulate monopolies fairly effectively, especially
> when it comes to rates.

See, Lilli's is on the outskirts of an unincorporated
CDP and thus outside the purview of government smaller
than the county level. She finally got rid of her cable
TV, but they tried to get rid of her Internet (for her
that would be a disaster), having the lock on that, too.
Give her credit, though she hates to, she will fight
when necessary.

>  > the Jason family gave up their franchise
>  ML> Question is what made the franchise less attractive.
> As I mentioned earlier, curtailing burger sales and bulk sales involving
> air freight, pushing for an unnecessary drive through lane and,
> insisting on renovations every 10 years when there was no market
> pressure to do so. And Gabi was in her sixties, quite wealthy (the
> place was grossing over $4M per year and netting (I'm guessing here)
> about $1M but also exhausted after decades of operating the place by
> herself. Headquarters seemed to kill every sale opportunity of here;
> they really wanted a new operator working from a larger location
> with a drive through, with no insight into local market dynamics.

So the new franchisee with starry dollar signs in his
eyes and who has no idea of what is entailed is going
to buy in not being apprised, of course, of the lowering 
numbers, and he'll struggle on for a while before giving 
up, and the brand image too will suffer, and again the 
only one to benefit is ... the realtor?

>  > grandkids [...] curious about their heritage
>  ML> You need more Asian and south of the next border representation.
> There's lots of Asian influences through friends and schoolmates if
> not from inside the family. Ray's best friend in high school was
> Vietnamese-Canadian and Neekha's Yellowknife BFF is Filipina-Inuit,
> perhaps the only one in the world! But there are very few Latinos of
> any persuasion in this part of the world.

There are a considerable number of Hispano-Americans,
most no doubt productive ones despite the reputation
that has been attempted to be foisted on them in the
last few years), who might add interesting color and
flavor to the mix, the climate being an initial hurdle
of course.

>  >      Title: Todd Perrin's Cold Smoked Seal Loin
>  ML> That looks like a good recipe for smoked anything and might
>  ML> have palatabilized even certain elderly meats that you have
>  ML> foisted on innocent tourists.
> He started off with cleanly harvested, flash frozen meat. Mine was
> both frost burned and rancid which some Inuit don't seem to mind.
> I've had tasty seal meat in Newfoundland back in the early 70s.

Frost burned and rancid may be an inevitability during
periods of lean harvest. But we were not operating under
conditions of inevitability and necessity.

> ... Northerner: Why would I fly when it's only a 16 hour drive?

My friend Jack was an eminent specialist on international
cooperation and development as well as an enthusiastic
amateur musician (he has had more interesting gigs than I,
once subbing in in the pit of the Saigon opera back during
the Diem regime). Well, he had a lecturing gig at the 
University of Montana, and so he went to the directory of
the Amateur (now Associated) Chamber Music Players and found
an entry for Montana; so he called the guy and asked him to
arrange a chamber music date, and the guy said, sure, I'll
pick you up at your hotel at noon, and we'll have lunch, and
then we can play music, and then I'll drive you back. Easy
enough. Only what the guy neglected to say that he lived in
Billings (this was clear from the directory), six hours away.
The guy arranged quartets and drove a total of 24 hours to
transport Jack, and that is how desperate classical music
enthusiasts are in the middle of nowhere.

Spicy Thai Chicken Wings
Categories: commercial, Rhode Island, starter
Yield: 12 Wings

1 oz Angry Orchard Crisp Apple
12 chicken wings
2 ts baking powder
2 ts salt
1 ts pepper
1/4 c Thai sweet chili sauce
1 Tb sriracha
Chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 425F. In a large bowl, toss chicken 
wings with baking powder, salt and pepper until 
evenly coated. Place in oven and cook until crisp 
and golden, 35 to 40 min. 

In a clean large mixing bowl, combine chili sauce, 
cider and sriracha. Whisk until combined and set 
aside until ready to use. Toss cooked wings with 
the glaze and top with chopped cilantro. Serve 
immediately.

Angry Orchard, via Westerly Sun
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