Double up on the Double Down

Any food fanatic — or at least one of fast food — has heard of Kentucky Fried Chicken’s new Double Down “”sandwich.”” For the rest of us — it is a compilation of two fried chicken fillets, two slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese, two slices of bacon and special sauce. The problem is the two chicken fillets take the place of a bun, because as KFC says, there is so much chicken there is no room for a bun. Obviously, KFC can do no good.

The sad truth is the sandwich seems to be another addition to an already unhealthy menu. Los Angeles Times’ Comments Bloggers went to see what the fuss was about only to find that the clerk behind the counter had no idea what Double Down meant — apart from a Blackjack term perhaps. When they asked for the new sandwich that recently came out, the KFC employee immediately knew what to do. He pulled two hunks of fried chicken, slathered them with an orange-colored sauce and microwaved a few pieces of bacon.

Sadly, there will be those who order this antithesis of food. And while it is a shame for a restaurant — be it fast food or not — to sell such unhealthy examples of food, it is even worse that customers will buy it. They will buy it just as they buy Denny’s Lumberjack Slam or the local array of Fat Sandwiches.

It is unclear what we have to do other than encourage healthy eating, albeit this being a weak aid of our digestive systems. The federal government is trying to limit sodium intakes across the United States, yet KFC produces portions with 1,380 milligrams of sodium. The simple marketing techniques — two skinny guys eating Double Downs — can sell the product as successfully as any other threat to our hearts. Instead of addressing the individuals then, we should impose harsher laws on companies like KFC — a strategy that has yet to be employed and perhaps the last resort. After all, we do not want Tracy Jordan to sell a meat machine, “”because meat is the new bread.””

“”Profits grow with customers’ gluttony,”” The Rutgers Daily Targum Editorial Board,

April 21

The Internet is forever, unlike Facebook relationships

Name. Age. Relationship status. Address. Phone number. Place of employment. College and major. All of those spring break photos.

And, depending on how often you update your status, what you’re doing throughout the day. Just how much personal information of yours is floating around out there on the

Internet? More importantly, is it damaging your image, your reputation or your future?

Social networking websites have become integrated into our everyday lives so much so that we don’t think twice about posting those pictures from the last girls’ night out or expressing not-so-censored anger in a status update

Everyone wants their own web presence, but not many realize how accessible that information can be.

A quick Google search of our names brings up not only our Facebook pages, but the pages of people we’re friends with, too. Not only does a link to Twitter come up in the search results, but also the text of the latest Tweet.

It is being consistently reported that employers are checking out potential employees’ social networking sites. A few not-so-appropriate photos or expletive-filled statuses could seriously harm your chances for employment.

And, in some cases, the Internet is forever.

A quick Google Image search of someone’s name could bring up a photo used on his or her Twitter or Facebook profile that they may have taken down more than six months ago.

Those who are already employed need be wary as well. There’s always the case of a Georgia teacher who was fired last November due to photos she had posted to her Facebook page.

Spokeo.com, a site that bills itself as a “”people search,”” can give information regarding your relationship status, address, whether or not you own your home, your credit rating, wealth and hobbies. Spokeo also reveals people’s subscriptions to magazines and whether or not someone has pets. The site says that it pulls information from — among other places — social networking sites.

So set your privacy settings so that not just anyone can see your profile. Think before you post. And if it’s not something you want people all over the Web to see — don’t post it.

“”Use care with social networking websites to avoid future issues,”” Indiana University of Pennsylvania Editorial Board, April 23