It always perplexes me that people keep them in their refrigerator at home. As evidence that they’ll never spoil (nevermind citing their actual ingredients), I have used the fact that restaurants have them sitting on the tables all day, but I don’t know that I’ve ever convinced anyone to change.
I can tell you that, from experience in fast-food, that the ketchup will vinegar up if not refrigerated, that the contents of these bottles are filled and emptied on a regular basis, and that I’ve found some that rolled under counters and weren’t found for months—not a pretty sight.
I have worked in several restaurants — both in fast food and family-style diners. Ketchup and mustard will both separate even if they are refrigerated. That’s why you have to shake them before using. The solids in them do not dissolve, they are only in suspension. It’s the vinegar that keeps them from spoiling. It takes me months to go through a bottle at home, and I’ve never had one go bad yet.
A lot depends on the storage conditions after opening. Every time you open the bottle you expose it to air which carries mold and bacteria. While the acidity of the product prevents most of those from catching root and growing, if you’re in the wrong environment – hot, humid, lots of existing fungi or crud about – the condiments will undergo visible deterioration in quality after 30+ days. Kept in the fridge, you can guarantee consistent quality up to 6 months after opening.
I lived on my boat from 10 years with no refrigeration. Mustard, katsup, mayonnaise, Jams, jellies, etc sat on a shelf over my galley stove the whole time and never went bad. It is the lawyers covering their clients asses that say refridgerate.
Nonsense. Supermarkets don’t refrigerate those condiments either. People will put anything edible in refrigerators, including and especially things that don’t benefit from being kept cool, even honey. I blame the refrigerator industry for suggesting that anything is more fresh when from a fridge.
The distinction is “Refrigerate after opening.” Supermarkets don’t have to refrigerate a lot of things because they are sealed. Once they are opened and exposed to bacteria and other contaminants, most foods will spoil in a matter of days. But for things that won’t spoil, the “Refrigerate after opening” warning is there because some poor schmuck had something bad happen once (probably from something else they ate), so the company’s legal team decided they had to cover their ass, just in case.
It’s kind of like the warning on a label that says “Do not iron clothes on body”, or “Do not insert curling iron into body”, or my personal favourite, the ambiguous classic, “Not to be used for the other use.”
(Helpful tip: If your honey becomes crystallized and hard, just stick it in the microwave for a few seconds and it reverts to its original gooey self.)
There’s also a few things that get damaged by refrigeration, most notably tomatoes. Bread can go either way, but once you put it in the fridge, it’s stuck there — if you try to keep it on the counter after there’s condensation, mold is inevitable.
We filled up the fast food ketchup bottles from this big bladder that hung on the wall. When we were done with it, it went back in the cooler in the back.
Commercial sliced bread does freeze pretty well, though it will eventually go stale. Only worthwhile if you use it up constantly.
Perhaps to stretch the metaphor even further one need only reflect on the unique nature of the US constitution.
As far as I can tell it is the closest thing to Political Mad Science in existence, and it seems to be able to stand up to just about any kind of assault the citizenry can dish out.
Ah, I see they’ve found a dog-friendly establishment in which to enjoy their first date. It’s always nice to find a restaurant with enlightened management.
You actually raise a good point. Given that the masses are still reality blind, presumably that must mean this is an establishment that actually allows you to take your pets in, otherwise they’d object to Sweetheart being there.
Looking more closely at background details, that might actually be the case.
There’s a door or window in the first panel with reversed text that reads “DOG” and “FRIE”. Presumably the second word is something like “Fries”, or perhaps “Friends”. And presumably, “Dog Fries” or “Dog Friends” or similar is the name of the business itself.
There’s also the oddly inconsistant poster / painting on the wall in the first and last panels. The first version resembles a business logo poster, seemingly featuring a stylized pink dog’s head wearing an “Archie” style hat or crown – potentially the mascot of the establishment. Whereas the second version looks more like a framed painting, with more detail and a different posture.
That’s a solid guess, but do restaurants actually put up signage that says that, though?
Pet friendly restaurants are rare, but the very few I’ve ever seen have -always- advertized the fact that pets were allowed directly in the name and brand itself, and never bothered to have signage actually coming out and stating “pet friendly” anywhere.
Of course, who knows about regional differences which might influence Shaennon’s writing. Maybe such signs are common where she lives, despite being non-existent in the places I’ve lived.
What’s a little weird to me would be the usage of “Dog Friendly” as opposed to “Pet Friendly”. It seems odd to have a place that lets you eat burgers with your dog, but not also eat them with your cat, or ferret, or iguana, or whatever, But again, maybe it’s regional?
I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anyone out with their cat, rodent, mustelid, or reptile, whereas I see a dogwalker any time I go out.
I did once meet a cockatoo at a Dairy Queen that didn’t allow dogs- the staff didn’t seem to mind, or maybe they hadn’t noticed it.
As a dog owner, D. Walker, I can tell you that some establishments (not all) that are dog-friendly do advertise that fact somewhere on the door or window, and the term of art generally seems to be “dog friendly”, which is why I surmised when I saw the backward lettering that appeared to read “DOG FRIE”, that, if we were to be able to see the entire door or window, it would read “DOG FRIENDLY”. I don’t believe I have encountered any establishments that incorporated being pet friendly into their names, other than perhaps pet supply stores.
As to why “dog friendly” vs. “pet friendly”, like Gemma, I do not find it nearly as common for people to try to take other kinds of pets into various places with them as they do dogs. For example, we also have cats, and we do not tend to take our cats out with us as we do from time to time with our dog, because, unlike dogs, cats are notoriously difficult to leash-train, don’t tend to respond well to commands, don’t tend to like to ride in the car, don’t tend to adapt well to sudden changes in surroundings, often become anti-social in the presence of strangers, etc. Given that places of business (at least those that do well) tend to do things in response to what their customers want, I’m guessing that any given restaurant will tend to get a lot more queries about whether they are dog-friendly than if they are cat-friendly, bird-friendly, etc. Therefore, if an establishment is in any way pet-friendly, and wants to advertise it, they are most likely to be dog-friendly, because that is likely what their customers have asked for.
That might be the combination of fresh hamburger aroma, Sweetheart’s flea powder, and formaldehyde. The cynical among you may make your own comparisons here.
Oh hey, new chapter!
Title is a quote from “Bartholomew and the Oobleck”. What could this mean…
I like a hamburger joint that has the ketchup and mustard bottles right there on the table.
It always perplexes me that people keep them in their refrigerator at home. As evidence that they’ll never spoil (nevermind citing their actual ingredients), I have used the fact that restaurants have them sitting on the tables all day, but I don’t know that I’ve ever convinced anyone to change.
I can tell you that, from experience in fast-food, that the ketchup will vinegar up if not refrigerated, that the contents of these bottles are filled and emptied on a regular basis, and that I’ve found some that rolled under counters and weren’t found for months—not a pretty sight.
I have worked in several restaurants — both in fast food and family-style diners. Ketchup and mustard will both separate even if they are refrigerated. That’s why you have to shake them before using. The solids in them do not dissolve, they are only in suspension. It’s the vinegar that keeps them from spoiling. It takes me months to go through a bottle at home, and I’ve never had one go bad yet.
A lot depends on the storage conditions after opening. Every time you open the bottle you expose it to air which carries mold and bacteria. While the acidity of the product prevents most of those from catching root and growing, if you’re in the wrong environment – hot, humid, lots of existing fungi or crud about – the condiments will undergo visible deterioration in quality after 30+ days. Kept in the fridge, you can guarantee consistent quality up to 6 months after opening.
I lived on my boat from 10 years with no refrigeration. Mustard, katsup, mayonnaise, Jams, jellies, etc sat on a shelf over my galley stove the whole time and never went bad. It is the lawyers covering their clients asses that say refridgerate.
Nonsense. Supermarkets don’t refrigerate those condiments either. People will put anything edible in refrigerators, including and especially things that don’t benefit from being kept cool, even honey. I blame the refrigerator industry for suggesting that anything is more fresh when from a fridge.
The distinction is “Refrigerate after opening.” Supermarkets don’t have to refrigerate a lot of things because they are sealed. Once they are opened and exposed to bacteria and other contaminants, most foods will spoil in a matter of days. But for things that won’t spoil, the “Refrigerate after opening” warning is there because some poor schmuck had something bad happen once (probably from something else they ate), so the company’s legal team decided they had to cover their ass, just in case.
It’s kind of like the warning on a label that says “Do not iron clothes on body”, or “Do not insert curling iron into body”, or my personal favourite, the ambiguous classic, “Not to be used for the other use.”
(Helpful tip: If your honey becomes crystallized and hard, just stick it in the microwave for a few seconds and it reverts to its original gooey self.)
I had jam go moldy even when it was being kept in the fridge. Yes, I was just as surprised.
There’s also a few things that get damaged by refrigeration, most notably tomatoes. Bread can go either way, but once you put it in the fridge, it’s stuck there — if you try to keep it on the counter after there’s condensation, mold is inevitable.
We filled up the fast food ketchup bottles from this big bladder that hung on the wall. When we were done with it, it went back in the cooler in the back.
Commercial sliced bread does freeze pretty well, though it will eventually go stale. Only worthwhile if you use it up constantly.
Glad to hear it- at restaurants I use ridiculous amounts of ketchup, but at home I avoid it because I hate the taste of it when it’s cold.
…..and a monster when well and truly riled up.
To be fair, she’s kind of a monster all the time. With a seemingly never-ending string of ways to be terrifying.
If anything that seems to make the metaphor more apt.
Fortunately, UNITY’s also easily distracted, easy-going, and will help others in need.
Perhaps to stretch the metaphor even further one need only reflect on the unique nature of the US constitution.
As far as I can tell it is the closest thing to Political Mad Science in existence, and it seems to be able to stand up to just about any kind of assault the citizenry can dish out.
I also believed this in 2018. Now I think agent Echo Bravo is the better metaphor.
well, I guess a burger place is romantic for a dog
Any place can be romantic if you’re with the one you love.
Dawg.
Benefits greatly from consuming other people’s brains – yes, I can see that…
And cuts off their own supply, with confused justifications.
Ah, I see they’ve found a dog-friendly establishment in which to enjoy their first date. It’s always nice to find a restaurant with enlightened management.
You actually raise a good point. Given that the masses are still reality blind, presumably that must mean this is an establishment that actually allows you to take your pets in, otherwise they’d object to Sweetheart being there.
Looking more closely at background details, that might actually be the case.
There’s a door or window in the first panel with reversed text that reads “DOG” and “FRIE”. Presumably the second word is something like “Fries”, or perhaps “Friends”. And presumably, “Dog Fries” or “Dog Friends” or similar is the name of the business itself.
There’s also the oddly inconsistant poster / painting on the wall in the first and last panels. The first version resembles a business logo poster, seemingly featuring a stylized pink dog’s head wearing an “Archie” style hat or crown – potentially the mascot of the establishment. Whereas the second version looks more like a framed painting, with more detail and a different posture.
Dog friendly?
^ That was my guess, too.
That’s a solid guess, but do restaurants actually put up signage that says that, though?
Pet friendly restaurants are rare, but the very few I’ve ever seen have -always- advertized the fact that pets were allowed directly in the name and brand itself, and never bothered to have signage actually coming out and stating “pet friendly” anywhere.
Of course, who knows about regional differences which might influence Shaennon’s writing. Maybe such signs are common where she lives, despite being non-existent in the places I’ve lived.
What’s a little weird to me would be the usage of “Dog Friendly” as opposed to “Pet Friendly”. It seems odd to have a place that lets you eat burgers with your dog, but not also eat them with your cat, or ferret, or iguana, or whatever, But again, maybe it’s regional?
I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anyone out with their cat, rodent, mustelid, or reptile, whereas I see a dogwalker any time I go out.
I did once meet a cockatoo at a Dairy Queen that didn’t allow dogs- the staff didn’t seem to mind, or maybe they hadn’t noticed it.
Maybe the reality blindness settled out in this case as assuming Sweetheart was an assistance dog?
As a dog owner, D. Walker, I can tell you that some establishments (not all) that are dog-friendly do advertise that fact somewhere on the door or window, and the term of art generally seems to be “dog friendly”, which is why I surmised when I saw the backward lettering that appeared to read “DOG FRIE”, that, if we were to be able to see the entire door or window, it would read “DOG FRIENDLY”. I don’t believe I have encountered any establishments that incorporated being pet friendly into their names, other than perhaps pet supply stores.
As to why “dog friendly” vs. “pet friendly”, like Gemma, I do not find it nearly as common for people to try to take other kinds of pets into various places with them as they do dogs. For example, we also have cats, and we do not tend to take our cats out with us as we do from time to time with our dog, because, unlike dogs, cats are notoriously difficult to leash-train, don’t tend to respond well to commands, don’t tend to like to ride in the car, don’t tend to adapt well to sudden changes in surroundings, often become anti-social in the presence of strangers, etc. Given that places of business (at least those that do well) tend to do things in response to what their customers want, I’m guessing that any given restaurant will tend to get a lot more queries about whether they are dog-friendly than if they are cat-friendly, bird-friendly, etc. Therefore, if an establishment is in any way pet-friendly, and wants to advertise it, they are most likely to be dog-friendly, because that is likely what their customers have asked for.
But for a bioweapon intended to *attack* America, doesn’t that make her Very Bad?
“Very Bad” seems to appeal to Sweetheart. She did fall for H.T., after all.
Sweetheart was made to *conquer* America.
Now that you mention it, that does make sense. Made to conquer America… Unity is America… hmmmm.
The real reason Sweetheart’s taken so long to get to this point: She can’t admit liking anyone so . . . American.
america, gosh yes.
Ah, romance is in the air!
That might be the combination of fresh hamburger aroma, Sweetheart’s flea powder, and formaldehyde. The cynical among you may make your own comparisons here.
She is America,
Woman I love.
Stitched together,
However,
She is brash and she’ll clash on top of.
She’s amazing,
She is vital.
Who knows which way
That she’ll blow?
She is America,
I love her so.
—from “God Bless America,” Irving Berlin.
Neat
Could be an expensive date, with her appetite.