Tag: food

Piotr Szczerek Takes Hat Meant for a Child

On By southwerkIn Business Ethics, Capitalism

“If you were faster, You’d have it.” is a defense I haven’t heard before. And I seriously doubt that I will ever hear it again.

Piotr Szczerek is seen on film taking an autographed hat being handed to a child in the stands of a tennis match. If you have a minute I recommend you have a look at the video. I promise you that it does not leave a lot of room for doubt about what happened.

He seems a little sensitive while a tower of strength while dealing with small children, he seems a bit shy with adults. He has shut down his social media and has proclaimed loudly that he will sue anyone who criticizes him online.

(This illustration above is from “A Christmas Carol” and shows Scrooge being confronted by his former partner, Marley. It is no way meant to suggest that someone mentioned in the attached article has done something wrong and should be sorry.)

(The following four lines are supposed to be in the main body of the writing but WordPress has an unfortunate habit of “enlarging” my designated texts into anything nearby.)

As a business ethics author I can’t help but feel this might not be the best “look” for the CEO of a company.

His company web site is currently being “review bombed.”

Will there be other, more substantive consequences? That remains to be seen.

James Alan Pilant

For more information, please read the article linked to below. Quincy Thomas has written a good piece of journalism.

Quincy Thomas writing for “Where Is the Buzz,” had the following article: Polish Millionaire CEO Piotr Szczerek Reportedly Defends Snatching Kid’s Hat at US Open: “If You Were Faster, You’d Have It”

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/polish-millionaire-ceo-piotr-szczerek-184725888.html

The US Open has always attracted drama around it, but this time the drama was not on the court, rather in the stands. After Polish tennis pro Kamil Majchrzak secured the best victory in his life as he beat ninth-seeded Karen Khachanov in five thrilling sets, the player walked towards the stands to spread love. He autographed, waved, grinned, then took off his hat and particularly pointed towards a boy named Brock in the stands.

Others thought that this was one of those fan moments that kids will always remember throughout their life. But instead of that, this is another viral scandal.

Even before the boy could spread wide his arms, the adult male, Polish tycoon, pavement construction magnate, Piotr Szczerek, grasped the hat, thrust it into the pocket in the bag belonging to his wife, and walked away leaving the boy heart-broken as he yelled, “What are you doing?”

Radioactive Shrimp??

On By southwerkIn Business Ethics, International

The modern world has many hazards. Some of them are well known like e-coli and forever chemicals. But from time to time something news comes out to threaten our existence and today we have a new one, that is, radioactive shrimp.

Let us have a look at a news article reporting on this new threat. In a posting, an essay written by Richard Hall and Rebecca Schneid reports the following.

https://time.com/7310679/fda-shrimp-radioactive-warning-recall/

The Food and Drug Administration has warned the public not to consume certain frozen shrimp products sold at Walmart due to possible contamination with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope.

It said the warning affects the Great Value brand of raw frozen shrimp sold at the superstore, adding that anyone who purchased the products should dispose of them.

A statement from the agency said the FDA was “actively investigating reports of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in shipping containers and frozen shrimp products” shipped from Indonesia.

(This is an illustration from one of Mark Twain’s travel books published in he 19th Century. We may presume in the current situation that he is retreating from radioactive shrimp. jp)

The article does a good job of explaining what industrial uses are made of Cesium-137 which is good substantial reporting but gives no clue as to how the shipping containers from Indonesia got contaminated.

It seems to me that in the future Wal-Mart might do radioactive checks on incoming goods. An Internet shows that radiation detection devices are quite inexpensive and readily available. In fact, Wal-Mart itself has a good variety of the devices which it sells online.

This incident is a rebuke to those that claim government is an unnecessary burden. Without the FDA and the US Customs and Border Patrol, we would never have known we were in any danger.

My compliments to both agencies.

James Pilant

Wilhoit’s Law!

On By southwerkIn business ethics1 Comment

I read a lot and from time something I read stands out. The idea that caught my attention was Wilhoit’s law. It has enormous explanatory power when it comes to modern conservatism. It is also counter to my firm conviction that the law should bind everyone, that if we are not equal under the law, democracy is impaired or impossible.

But a very fine explanation of the idea is quoted below and I am indebted to the author, Jason Linkins. I did a little research and it appears I am very late on learning about this concept. And that is too bad, I don’t get to fly in intellectual circles very often here in Northeastern Oklahoma.

The quote below is from this link: https://www.yahoo.com/news/maga-plan-destroy-fourteenth-amendment-110000254.html It was written by Jason Linkins.

Those who are familiar with Wilhoit’s law—which holds that conservatism, in the words of Ohio classical music composer Frank Wilhoit—“consists of exactly one proposition.… There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect”—will recognize that Trump’s plans aren’t novel but rather stem from the primordial ideas that have long guided his party along its postmodern evolution into a haven for authoritarianism and oligarchy.

Is Healthy Food an Ethics Issue?

On By southwerkIn Business Ethics

Two Standards of Justice
Two Standards of Justice

Is Healthy Food an Ethics Issue?

Daniel J. Schultz: Betcha Can’t Eat Just One

Reading Moss’ book, I grew uneasy as he described the marketing and engineering principles used to reach one of the most targeted demographics: children. Examples include the use of fruit juice concentrate, which can make up as little as five percent of the total beverage, to give the “health halo” to sugary drinks. Other packaging mistruths include the promotion of cereals that are more than 50 percent sugar as part of a well-rounded breakfast. Lunchables are packaged to imitate the cheerful appearance of a gift to make children especially excited to open and enjoy the food inside.

Since the 1970s, researchers have known that kids are attracted to higher levels of salt and sugar, which companies have used as an advantage for their products. Moss quotes Julie Mennella, a biopsychologist, who describes this as “manipulating or exploiting the biology of the child.” I was one of the kids these companies targeted and successfully sold their products to, becoming one of their “heavy users.”

Daniel J. Schultz: Betcha Can’t Eat Just One

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What’s a Little Corn Syrup Between Friends?

On By southwerkIn Corpoorate Social Responsibility

When I developed high blood pressure, I had to start eating healthy. It was a shock to find out how much it cost to eat healthy. The food in the supermarket was laden with high fructose corn syrup or salt. Once I had eliminated food that wasn’t good for me, there were a lot fewer choices and with a few exceptions (frozen vegetables), they cost more. One of the most important things I did was to drop soda pop from my diet. That helped a lot with my weight.

It seems to me that the way food is made and marketed in the United States is inimical to having a healthy diet. That a few large companies control food distribution in the nation does not surprise me.

There is something bizarre in the fact that costs more to eat healthy than badly.

James Pilant

Willie Nelson: Why We Must Occupy Our Food Supply

What does this matter for those of us who eat? Corporate control of our food system has led to the loss of millions of family farmers, the destruction of soil fertility, the pollution of our water, and health epidemics including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even certain forms of cancer. More and more, the choices that determine the food on our shelves are made by corporations concerned less with protecting our health, our environment, or our jobs than with profit margins and executive bonuses.

This consolidation also fuels the influence of concentrated economic power in politics: Last year alone, the biggest food companies spent tens of millions lobbying on Capitol Hill with more than $37 million used in the fight against junk food marketing guidelines for kids.

Willie Nelson: Why We Must Occupy Our Food Supply

High Fructose Corn Syrup & Obesity

King Corn

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Urban permaculture (via Only Ed)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Permaculture is a relative recent concept (1960’s) but it has developed nicely in concert with our increasing curiosity into the advantages of living with nature as opposed to being in conflict with it.

This post offers some links to other sites with more information. If permaculture is something you have heard about or are curious about interesting concepts, this is an excellent starting point.

James Pilant

Urban permaculture Posted 27 April 2011, by Staff, Little City Farm, littlecityfarm.blogspot.com I’ve been doing more reading on urban permaculture, and getting wholly inspired by what is possible in cities and urban areas.  Urban permaculture design and initiatives are the next step beyond what is already taking place in the vastly expanding urban agriculture movement – permaculture addresses not just food production, but also sustainability, co … Read More

via Only Ed