Cripes, man, how can a beat-ass burg like Victorville, CA afford a city council chamber that looks like friggin’ Mission Control?

Jayzus, can you imagine Jim Lovell calling home from Apollo 13? “Victorville, we have a problem…” Eurghh.

And yes Robert Kiyusaki related a smiliar statement from Ray Kroc in his book. McDonalds as a real estate company is well known.

BTW, I think I know why the fast food companies are so much more popular than your little taco place. One word — tv. I bet that most ppl just watch tv, do not really bother to explore the neighborhood, etc. So the possibility of going to your little mexican joint does not really enter their minds. Also there is a false belief in branding — that something you see advertised on TV must be better than a “no brand” product like a small taco place.

The branding thing may actually be correct for many consumer goods, but it is damn wrong for most services. If you want to get a good deal on anything service related (and that goes from a restaurant to web design to accounting), make sure you go with the people that rely on word of mouth, not advertising.

But unfortunately, a lot of people cannot figure this out because all their knowledge comes from tv.

Well thankfully that is changing. People seem to be watching less tv nowadays. And here in LA, fast food franchises are not doing too hot. My local McDonalds is always empty, while cheap mexican and asian joints are prospering.

Thanks for the brilliant reportage, Yasha. I never really have anything to say about your stuff because the evolving America you describe is so different from our perception of the US that we get in the UK that it almost reads like science fiction,(which isn’t a bad thing of course) but it has consistently been the best stuff on this website. It’s difficult to know if you’re describing a local trend or the future of the entire country but great stuff either way.

And i want one of those vegetarian burrito. They sound delicious…

still, what you gotta do, in victorville or elsewhere, is figure out how to beat the system. it isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.

You’re blaming you inability to own a business on fast food companies? What a whiner you are. You obviously lack the education and savvy to run any type of business.

Just keep dreaming of your never-to-be-had business success. Many of us are doing just fine. You’re one of those chronic losers who always blames anything, and everything, else for your lowly station in life.

There is a word for you: “PATHETIC.”

If these fools that live such a ridiculous, unhealthy, disgusting lifstyle were any smarter they’d make the changes themselves. They do not change because they don’t see any of it as unjust or wrong. It just IS. And that lack of reasoning is sad.

I’d like to see an article with Yasha confronting these morons about what a fucked up environment they choose to live in. It would be fascinating to see if they still have the synapses to question it or if they’re simply too dumb and programmed to internalize anything.

I’m sure I’m not the only one dying to see a video at this point. Especially if it ends in a trip to the supersize-me strip club.

I think Yasha’s articles are generally better researched and more honest than Moore’s documentaries (like the “American History” lesson in “Bowling for Collumbine”, or the crime statistics in the same movie).