McDonald's McRib tied to pork futures?

[TheMightyFavog]

http://boingboing.net/2011/11/10/understanding-mcdonalds-as-a.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boingboing%2FiBag+%28Boing+Boing%29

Willy Staley's "A Conspiracy of Hogs: The McRib as Arbitrage," is a lyrical, insightful conspiracy theory about the appearance and disappearance of McDonalds's McRib sandwich. Staley argues that the McRib's appearance correlates with falls in the pork futures market, and represents a way for McD's to cash in on cheap pork, representing a kind of triumph of restaurant automation, logistical acumen, and financial engineering. In Staley's view, McDonald's is only secondarily a restaurant, and primarily conducts the business of a commodities brokerage.

[Taverner]

1. There is so little pork in that thing, why is this the case?

That thing is maybe 10% pork, 90% "other"

[dionysus]

2. but if you make the same sandwich from a morning star farms vegggie riblets... it kicks ass.

[Taverner]

3. Would not surprise me

Then again, Morningstar makes me want to become a vegetarian...

They do so many good tasting thingys....

[dionysus]

4. i'm not a vegetarian, i love things like steak. but i buy copious morningstar and boca products

because i love how they taste!

[Taverner]

5. I would love to join you someday

But today, alas, I cannot

[dionysus]

7. ?

[Taverner]

9. Oops...I posted a reply post-tequila again...

I could never be a vegan

But vegetarian, yes, I could do that...

[dionysus]

10. oh, you misunderstood me.. i love eating steaks and other meat. but every time i go shopping,

i buy tons of the veggie products too, just because i like em.

[XemaSab]

8. Don't think about it as going 100% all at once

Think about it as "Can I make essentially the same meal with no meat and have it taste good?"

Even going veg 3 meals a week is better than nothing.

[flvegan]

11. Where is the "Like" button for this post?

[Taverner]

18. In Thailand, they had "texturized vegetable protein" they came in big chunks, usually dry

You could soak them in anything, and have them taste like anything

I never could find those here

They were really good

[Ohio Joe]

14. mmmmm, Boca burgers

And I'm far, far from a vegetarian but those things are awesome.

[glowing]

6. I know, I love their "chicken" patties.. sooo tasty, better than chicken.

That just reminded me, its been a while since I've gotten any... I also love their veggie burger selections...

[hlthe2b]

12. Well, it has NO future in my household...

Is it the same overly sweet sauced gelatinous mess that I recall trying ONCE about 15 years ago (or longer)? Yuck. I frequent McDonalds as a last resort--maybe once every 18-24 months when nothing else is open/available. But, eat that nasty fake barbeque mess? No way.

[Taverner]

15. Yes, it is mostly gelatin

Gelatin, sugar and vegetable oil

Not exactly something that you would call "food"

[Gidney N Cloyd]

13. It had me tied to the throne the other night.

That's the last time I eat one of those nasty things.

[Major Nikon]

16. This gives me an idea for a work sick excuse

"I ate a McRib and I can't get out of the Tardis!"

[Angry Dragon]

17. change 'out of' to 'off'