Reputations

Places and Things That No Longer Live up to Their Hype:

Steak and Shake – They used to have the food, taste and service thing down.  Now it’s routine to have none of these.

Holiday Inn – They carried the banner of excellence when motels were a new and exciting alternative to hotels.  You can pretty much count on a stay at any of their establishments to be a walk in inferior rooms, service and cleanliness.

Snickers candy bars – Do you remember the melt-in-the-mouth creamy nugget, caramel and crunchy peanuts?  Now the size & quality has diminished although not the price.

Continental breakfasts – Remember when continental breakfast meant fresh awesome pastries, real coffee and perhaps some fresh cut fruit?  Now it’s factory donuts and cheap coffee. 

Folgers coffee – I’m not sure where the big name coffee brands get their coffee or how they refine it but it’s no longer “good to the last drop” or even the first drop.  It all tastes stale. 

Hot tea – Tea needs to be poured into a hot cup, from a pot of boiled hot water and with loose-leaf tea.  I understand micro waving a cup of water, a teabag, a packet of fake sugar and skimmed milk.  But none of that comprises a good cup of hot tea.  None.

Cub Cadet – When you cannot find parts for your machinery, the product is no longer a good buy.

Fat free dairy products – After all these years of the dairy industry making fat free products wouldn’t there have been an opportunity to make it taste good?

Sullivan’s Groceries – We have been blessed to have Sullivan’s Groceries in our area because they have always carried things we couldn’t get in our small towns and they had the freshest produce.  Lately both have suffered. 

News reporters – Unbiased and unendorsed journalism is almost a thing of the past.  Even those who do exposés, do so from an unabashed bias often from perks. 

Surveys – Does anyone really believe the results of today’s surveys?  With so many ways to skew the results, I am a skeptic.

Car designers – Unless you’re a car hobbyist, you’ll have a hard time discerning make, year or model of today’s cars.  I understand comfort, aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, and cost to manufacture.  I don’t understand why cars have such boring designs.  Sameness:  yawn.

Sports bars – It was trendy to cater to those who no longer play sports but want to pump up some testosterone outside the bedroom.  No acoustics, uncomfortable seating, grease-saturated menu items and loud conflicting TV sport channels is simply not going to make it on the long haul.  Even guys who have loved this will start to realize their home recliner and having their kids learn sports from dad is more fun.

Fish and Chips – OK first we have to realize we are not British.  That being said we also have no clue on how to make good fish and chips.   A greasy premade fish patty and frozen greasy potato somethings are not F&Cs even if you wrap them in newspaper.

Reality TV – I’m only hoping these are soon going to be a thing of the past.  Every single one has been exposed as “rigged” and staged.  Stop the madness!

Medical Customer Service – Some medical office personnel don’t understand they’re in the customer service business.  Many do and they do it beautifully.  Others act like you’re an imposition upon their day, you should be glad they give you an appointment and they will tell you what you are going to get no matter what you need.  If you can’t treat even the most trying person with respect you need to find other work.

Full Service – What does it even mean anymore?  It should read:  Full Service Except…

Novel – Just because it’s a long fictional story in book form doesn’t mean it’s a novel.  A novel has merit and a storyline.  Does anyone use the word “claptrap” anymore?

Televangelist - I’m a Christian but there are some televangelists that actually scare me.  And not in a bring them to Jesus kind of way.

Chicago Cutlery - Although never top of the line, it was always the good knives for those who didn’t want to spend thousands.  I have some from almost forty years ago and they sharpen up well and stand up to use.  My new ones “won’t cut hot butter.”

Keurig – I love the premise of single cup brewing but the rising concern about plastic in the landfills can’t be ignored if this company wants to stay in business.  And the whole price gouging on the cups leaves a “bitter taste” in my mouth.  What started as 18 cups for x amount is now 12 cups for that amount or more.  And Keurig making their machines so you can’t use certain brands just adds to the displeasure.  

Country music – I’m not even a country music fan but listening to country radio is a venture in “what the heck” kind of music are they playing.  I’m not saying this music is wrong or bad, it seems it’s a whole other genre.

Note:  Sometimes I don't have any specific pictures that match up with what I'm saying in an article that's not about gardening.  When in doubt?  Use spring flowers!