May 04, 2006
A horrible, horrible idea
Area bottlers join others to stop selling sugary drinks in schools
You know what's going to happen, of course. Mass mid-afternoon comas. Nothing is going to get learned in seventh or eighth period until cokes are returned to our schools. Tooth decay and obesity are a small price to pay to keep test scores high.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:27 AM | Comments (4)
February 04, 2006
Mmm, chips
Went to the store, and I wasn't going to buy any potato chips, but then I saw that they had zero trans fat! I mean, they're practically health food. I'd be crazy not to buy some.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 08, 2005
Yummy
Decomposed meat still sits in some hurricane-damaged homes
There's not enough Cajun spice in the world to make them edible now.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:15 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 24, 2005
Annoying.
Masked - Is Burger King trying to put one over on me? By Seth Stevenson
While Stevenson has been getting lots of questions about Burger King masks, I've been getting lots of search hits for costumes. It's thrown off my stats. Sometimes, the whole first page might be variations on that search.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:04 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
September 11, 2005
Heart Attack on a bun
In their continuing efforts to try to kill their customers, Burger King is stealthily rolling out a Triple Whopper. That has to be about a pound of meat.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 03:51 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
September 07, 2005
Not coffee!
More damage from Katrina: Higher coffee, grocery prices
Lots of produce destroyed in warehouses in New Orleans. Lots of stuff that was supposed to be shipped through New Orleans that can't be. (A third of the coffee coming into the US was shipped through New Orleans.) Higher gas prices that make it more expensive to ship things by truck. Lots of other stuff.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 02:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 22, 2005
Winn-Dinky
Winn-Dixie to jettison 35 stores in Alabama
Pulling out of Huntsville (also Atlanta) entirely, shutting a bunch of stores in the Birmingham area. They might just be putting off the inevitable; one expert says that "I don't think they will make it."
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 17, 2005
The computer sees special sauce as a series of ones and zeroes...
CNN.com - Burgers, lattes and CD burners - Jun 17, 2005
I think McDonald's "digital restaurant" is a great idea. And if you have a heart attack from their food, they can take you to HealthSouth's "digital hospital".
Posted by Mac Thomason at 06:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 27, 2005
Good
Proposal seeks ban on unhealthy foods
I didn't get to eat anything good when I was in school, so why should the kids now get fried chicken and cola? They're soft. Tuna Surprise all around!
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 29, 2005
More Burger King
Hi, I'm Darius Rucker, of Hootie & the Blowfish. No, my name is not Hootie, stop calling me that!
Yes, that is me in the Burger King commercial singing about a chicken sandwich. Hey, Cracked Rear View was a long, long time ago, and a guy's gotta eat. Literally -- I was paid in Burger King gift certificates.
I would never, however, endorse a product that I, myself, wouldn't use. So stop by your local Burger King today. Tell them Hootie sent you.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:15 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBack
March 28, 2005
Triple bypass on a bun
New Burger King breakfast offering outdoes Whopper - Mar. 28, 2005
I give you the "Enormous Omelet Sandwich". I never thought that BK could surpass that thing they had a couple years ago that had bacon and extra cheddar cheese and extra meat, but they might have done it with this one: a sausage patty, three strips of bacon, two eggs, and two slices of American cheese. Plus the bun, which isn't exactly a diet staple itself.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 05:45 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
March 19, 2005
C12 H22 O11
Dinner with the family tonight. I ordered soup for an appetizer, and got some oyster crackers with it. I read the package, because I do these things, and the ingredients included "ALL NATURAL EVAPORATED CANE JUICE." I thought about this for a moment, then figured it out. "That is a really circuitous way to avoid saying 'sugar'."
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:21 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
March 18, 2005
It's officially the future
al.com: NewsFlash - Perdue recalls chicken strips for possible underprocessing
The chicken was recalled from Subway restaurants. It doesn't cause illness or anything. It's just underprocessed. We can't have that; I mean, there might be texture or something. Better play it safe and only eat chicken that's been first roasted, then sent through the blender.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:56 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 21, 2005
11 herbs & spices, huh?
al.com: NewsFlash - Woman ill from marijuana-seasoned chicken
Okay, it was actually her son's, not KFC. But wouldn't it be cool if it was?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:14 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 15, 2004
America!
CNN.com - U.S. bad for immigrants' waistlines - Dec 15, 2004
Great, people come to the US to escape poverty, but they gain weight? Better stay where you are, guys! Nobody ever got fat eating two small bowls of rice a day!
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:42 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
December 12, 2004
The Great Tomato Shortage of 2004
Tomatoes Back on Menus as Shortage Wanes
I love tomatoes; it's not a sandwich without them. Apparently, a new crop is finally coming in, which is good because the prices were killing me. $3.99 for a pound of tomatoes? Argh. It's actually cheaper to buy the hydroponically grown ones now.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 05:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 29, 2004
Locust of difficulty
Haaretz - Israel News - Focused on locust
1. Some people in Israel apparently claim that locusts are not kosher, even though Leviticus 11 expressly states that they are. I actually had a similar discussion with a Jewish friend about goat once. There's a tendency to claim that whatever you think is gross isn't kosher. At any event, Jews of European background tend to claim that locusts are non-kosher, while those of Middle Eastern or African background say they aren't. Europeans eat anything, seemingly... but not locusts, and it rubbed off.
2. Some people also claim that you can tell if a locust is kosher by reading them. Supposedly, the markings on a locust's thorax have a letter kaf (for kosher) on them, except that sometimes it looks like a tet, and some interpret this as meaning non-kosher.
(Thanks to Haggai.)
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:35 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 25, 2004
Mmm, turkey...
Ah, trypophan... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:25 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 20, 2004
What kind of bait are you using?
CNN.com - Zookeepers 'fish' for 12-foot alligator - Sep 17, 2004
Chickens? As it turns out, yes, chickens.
Chucky the Alligator, from the Gulf Coast Zoo, is still loose. He's 12 feet long and weighs half a ton, and for some reason wasn't evacuated with most of the animals when the storm approached. Also left behind were other alligators, deer, and some chickens, which I assume Chucky has already eaten.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 25, 2004
Big shocker
Cola a day called Rx for diabetes
Amazing. You mean that if you regularly drink colored sugar water (I, personally, love colored sugar water) you have a greater chance of developing diabetes? Perhaps the next big medical alert will tell us that if you jump off the roof of a three-story building you're likely to break something.
The study was condemned by the soft drink makers' lobbying group. There's nothing wrong with soft drinks, they say. Which is why they changed their name from the National Soft Drink Association to the American Beverage Association.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 17, 2004
Mmm, Pudding Pops
Wait, Jello Pudding Pops are back? Why aren't they in my local stores? Come on, Publix!
UPDATE: Publix came through.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:27 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
June 16, 2004
I blame Kathie Lee
Cruise deal gets rabbit farms hoppin'
Carnival Cruise ship chefs have taken to pushing rabbit on the passengers. You would think that rabbits, being rabbits, would be easy enough to raise lots of, but apparently there's some sort of holdup on raising enough to meet demand.
The head of the Tri-State Rabbit Co-op is in touch with an (unnamed) fast-food company trying to get it to offer a rabbit biscuit in the morning. I wonder which one. Hardee's?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:07 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 07, 2004
D'oh!
Krispy Kreme says diets hurt doughnut sales - May. 7, 2004
Krispy Kreme is blaming the Atkins cult and other low-carbohydrate diets for poor sales. Don't worry, I still love you.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:20 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 06, 2004
The lesser larger of two evils
MSNBC - PETA says Moore's size a weighty issue
Yes, PETA is now attacking people for being fat. One of their targets is Michael Moore. They say he should become a vegetarian. Now, wait a minute... If it's just about weight, what if he went on Atkins? A lot of people have lost weight that way. Heck, I think Atkins is a cult, and half the time I feel like going on it just to piss PETA off.
Great, here I am siding with Michael Moore.
(Via Pandagon.)
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:04 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
April 19, 2004
It's not a big surprise
McDonald's CEO Jim Cantalupo dies suddenly - Apr. 19, 2004
Heart attack. Who'd have thunk it?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 16, 2004
Born to eat wild
Weston restaurant owner charged with buying wild meat
The owner of the "Pacific Island" restaurant purchased wild ducks, white-tailed deer, bear and snook from undercover agents of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. I don't know what "snook" are but I'm guessing it's a fish which would mean that this goes in all three "pundit" categories.
The defendant says that he didn't feed any of this to his patrons, and that it was only used to feed his employees. Uh-huh.
(Offensive and overly intrusive registration required. Better use email address mac at warliberal dot com, password warliberal.)
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:30 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 01, 2004
Commissioner for Xenophobia
Ag commissioner wants stores to label foreign produce
The Alabama Agriculture commissioner wants to force stores to label all foreign produce. He says that this is so that if someone gets sick, they can trace the produce. There are a couple of problems with this. The first is that the boxes at the store are already labeled, so the store knows where the produce they sold comes from. The second is that if he was really concerned, he'd want domestic produce labelled by point of origin as well. Since he doesn't, I think we know what this is really about.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:06 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 19, 2004
What is this, Japan?
They opened a Publix down the road from me a couple of days ago -- on my birthday, in fact. I went down there tonight for my weekly shopping trip, and it was weird. Everyone there was so nice! They said "Hello, sir" to me, like I was a Congressman or something -- not just the managers, but the stockers and the cashiers and everyone. Not only did someone take my bags out to my car (I don't know the last time this happened to me -- it may never have happened before) he wouldn't even let me tip him.
Obviously, this isn't good for me. I'm sort of in a service profession in the same market, and if people go around expecting everyone to be nice to them, I'm going to be under a lot of stress.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 07:03 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
March 12, 2004
Sounds awful
CNN.com - Krispy Kreme plans low-sugar doughnut - Mar 12, 2004
In other words, "round, fatty, bread".
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:20 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 09, 2004
Maize, not wheat
Britain Gives Cautious Green Light to GM Corn
Funny that Reuters, a British company, on its British website, uses "corn" to refer to maize. You'll all be speaking American soon enough!
Anyway, if there's a crop that you're going to allow genetic modification on, it's corn. The plant's been so messed with the slow way that it barely bears any resemblance to its wild ancestor. And corn can't even reproduce without human help. Unless you're a nut, it should be pretty easy to see that this isn't a threat to the environment. (Indeed, GM food is probably the best hope for saving the environment. "Simple farming methods" have destroyed more fertile land than industry ever has.) Furthermore, if you're going to feed six billion people, you have to take some shortcuts.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:36 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 05, 2004
Up yours, PETA
CNN.com - Got milk? Overweight kids may need it - Mar. 5, 2004
One of that group's more asinine stands has been against dairy products. They've claimed, among other things, that drinking milk leads to obesity. Turns out that it's the opposite. Oops!
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:47 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 02, 2004
My birthday present
Tuscaloosa area may get fourth Publix store
The Publix store in Northport, a mile from my house, opens March 17. My birthday! I am really getting sick of these tiny little Tuscaloosa "supermarkets".
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 17, 2004
Thanks a lot, Peru
Crying shame: Tests confirm 2 new viruses in Vidalia onions
Both a new insect -- "onion thrips" -- and a virus carried by the insect -- "iris yellow spot" -- have been detected in the Vidalia onion crop. Both probably came from Peru. Which sells sweet onions, too. Biosabotage!
Another virus, "tomato spotted wilt", has also been discovered. However, this virus also attacks tobacco plants, so it's okay by me.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 03:08 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
January 28, 2004
Soup nutsy
Jury Rejects Claim Soup Drove Man Nuts
Guy sued Shoney's claiming that he got a sleep disorder when the chain served him clam chowder (causing an allergic reaction) instead of potato soup. The attorney for Shoney's says that the guy's prison term for child molestation was more likely the cause. Gosh, even if the soup did cause the problem, the jury's not likely going to side with the sexual predator.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:23 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 22, 2004
Nuisance suit to come
The Miami Herald | 01/22/2004 | Diets insult orange juice, industry says
Florida's citrus department is going to start an ad campaign defending its product against Atkins, etc. That's fine. But they're also talking about suing the people who publish low-carb diets.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:51 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
January 06, 2004
Thanks, PETA!
So where does PETA decide to hold a Tuscaloosa protest? McDonalds? Wendy's? KFC? No, outside a local and locally owned barbecue restaurant, Mike and Ed's.
And what happened?
“Most people haven’t mentioned them, and those that do said they came in because they saw them out there," McDaniel said. “It’s been a good advertisement for us."Seeing the PETA demonstrators is exactly what brought Dale and Kim Haverkampf of Birmingham into the restaurant.
“We were driving through, looking for a place to eat lunch," Haverkampf said. “When we saw them, we said, 'We’re definitely eating there.’ "
“This is our way to protest PETA," Dale said, after taking a bite of his barbecue pork. “I think they go too far in their practices, and they’re just uncalled for."
BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:11 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 05, 2004
Crisper drawer of the apocalypse
The third and most disturbing image from the "Mac cleans out his fridge" series. Not for the squeamish.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 03:16 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
Civet cat disaster
washingtonpost.com: World Health Organization Confirms SARS Case in China
Hoping to prevent the disease from spreading, officials ordered the destruction of 10,000 delicious civet cats. However, this might be a mistake; animals tend to pass on viruses when under stress, like their imminent deaths.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 02:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 04, 2004
Raisin Hell
Second in the exciting series "Mac cleans out his refrigerator"... The desiccated remains of what were once cherry tomatoes!
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:04 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
January 03, 2004
Now that's regrettable food
Found in the back of my refrigerator:
(Click for a larger view, if you dare.) I have no idea what that used to be. That's ice on the top, and I think there are carrots in it.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 06:44 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
January 01, 2004
You think?
Cattlemen foresee lower auction prices
The first Alabama cattle auction since the Washington mad cow discovery is next week, and if you're going to bid on a cow this would be a good time. Demand's steady in the US, kind of surprisingly, but with the foreign bans prices will still be low.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 04:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 30, 2003
That's a relief
Tuscaloosans still eating beef
I know I am. I had chili last night. Personally, I'm disappointed that we haven't seen some deep discounts.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 03:59 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 29, 2003
Sheer brilliance
Chinese Diners Shrug Off SARS: Bring On the Civet Cat
In the "Weird Things Chinese People Still Eat" department, we have the civet cat. "Hey, let's eat an animal that emits a skunklike odor and might spread a potentially deadly respiratory virus!" "Great, let's be sure to get a freshly killed one!"
Posted by Mac Thomason at 02:33 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
December 19, 2003
Have it your way
Ex - Cook Spits on Trooper's Burger
Ah, Burger King, Home of the Loogie. An 18-year-old will spend 90 days in jail for spitting on a burger sold to a state trooper. The trooper discovered the spit when he went to remove the pickles.
He also gets two years probation... which might be cut short if he joins the military. If he does, don't let him become a cook.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:07 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 17, 2003
If that's the sort of thing you're likely to do
Faster test makes eating walrus safer
A new trichinosis test has been developed, allowing people in northern Canada to eat raw walrus more often without the threat of the disease. I think raw walrus is going to be the next big food trend. Get on board now.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:54 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
October 26, 2003
Who cares, they're just Americans
Canadian Knocks U.S. Call for Meat Labels
I mean, what's the big deal if somebody gets mad cow as a result of eating infected Canadian beef? There's money at stake! It would cost millions of dollars to start labeling beef as Canadian!
I thought it was us who were all libertarian and the Canadians who liked the government poking its nose everywhere?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 06:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
That's it, blame the infants
Many under 2 have bad eating habits
Yes, they eat bad food. And they're really sloppy eaters, too. The doctors should probably check into that, too. Study paid for by Gerber, as you could probably guess.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 04:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 22, 2003
I live in a parallel universe
Noted without comment:
Owners want to tap into local demand for Chuck E. Cheese
The owners of a new Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant, which will open soon in Tuscaloosa, say they hope the new location will fill a void for families that have been willing to travel out of town to get to a Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:18 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
October 17, 2003
I blubber
Raw or Medium Rare, Tourists Try Icelandic Whale
Oh, yuck. Iceland pulled out of the anti-whaling agreement this year, as I've ranted about. Environmental groups asked tourists to avoid the country, but many of the ones who are going anyway are going in for a double-header of whale watching followed by whale eating. Raw whale meat eating, in some circumstances. Look, even if you eat sushi -- which I personally think is a sign of mental illness, because you shouldn't eat raw meat -- whales aren't fish.
In the future, Iceland will probably institute a choose-your-whale program. Like a lobster tank. "I'll eat that one, it looks frisky."
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 07, 2003
The great goat meat shortage of 2003
Market for goat meat grows, but not supply
In Maine, there's a big demand for goat meat among Islamic residents. But there's no local halal butcher. Most of the local slaughterhouses process pigs, so that lets them out.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:46 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
August 23, 2003
Blessed are the cheesemakers
Avg. American Eats 30 Lbs. Cheese a Year
Who says we don't have anything in common with the French?
We don't normally eat it alone, of course. Mostly on other foods, especially pizza. Mmm, pizza. Pizza Hut buys over 300 million pounds of cheese a year. That's one restaurant accounting for more than a pound per American right there.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:29 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
August 19, 2003
I feel all trendy
Former Arman’s restaurant to reopen as Epiphany Cafe
The Tuscaloosa restaurant will serve what the new owner describes as "upscale Southern cuisine". That can't be right, can it? No, that's what the story says, "upscale Southern". Sounds like white wine served in a jelly glass. The concept of "bourbon pecan pie" is somewhat intriguing, though.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:29 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 18, 2003
Not very well, though
EU Defends Its Biotech Crop Rules
Of course, what do you expect of the EU, considering those countries can't even defend their own borders? Their excuse is basically that the paranoia of European citizens demands that everything go through years of tests and then still bear a label. And this has nothing to do with protectionism. Not at all! And they didn't block a dispute panel because they know this is unreasonable and they're going to lose! They were just saving everybody's time, that's all.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 15, 2003
Great advice
FACT SHEET - Food safety facts on power failure food safety
Except that who's going to be able to surf the web during a Fair & Balancing power outage? I suppose if you have a laptop and a dialup you might be able to get on for awhile, if your ISP isn't down.
Of course, this is from Canada, where for eight months out of the year you can just store your frozen food outside. But I kid the residents of the Frozen North.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 08, 2003
Acronymorama
BBC NEWS | World | Americas | EU 'regrets' US action on GM crops
The EU is POd about the US going to the WTO to get the EU ban on GM crops KOd.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:13 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
August 07, 2003
The name, obviously, must be changed
Church's Chicken to Open Across Mideast
I mean, you can't call it Church's Chicken, for obvious reasons. And Mosque's Chicken doesn't really work. They're going with Texas Chicken instead. A Kuwaiti company is actually developing the stores.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:00 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
August 05, 2003
Diet melon
Scientists Unveil Low-Calorie Watermelon
Israeli scientists isolated a variety of watermelon with a high fructose but low sucrose content. Since fructose is sweeter than sucrose, you need less sugar to be as sweet, so it has 20 to 40 percent fewer calories. To be honest, I didn't know that the sugar content of watermelon was a problem.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:02 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
August 03, 2003
Shoot the moon
Rule would ban foreign Moon Pies
The town of Daphne held its first Mardi Gras parade last year. In future parades, Moon Pies made outside the United States could be banned. Nobody knows why.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:11 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
July 22, 2003
Veganism is murder
Raw-food vegetarian ate steaks, report says
Woyah Andresson, 5 months, died weighing seven pounds in May. Her "parents" were feeding her uncooked vegetables rather than milk or formula. For instance, the bottle she drank from contained a mixture of wheat grass, spinach, tomato, and avocado.
The other children -- taken from the home, thankfully -- were also on an uncooked vegetable diet, and (imagine!) also suffering from malnutrition. The father, meanwhile, ate steak and potatoes, and also smoked.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 21, 2003
The cost of farm policy
Beautiful Horizons: The Times On Agricultural Subsidies
This is something that's been on the borders of my intellectual horizon for some time, though I've neglected to follow up. Many poor countries could have major economic boosts from selling agricultural products to rich countries. But they can't. High tariffs and price supports have made it impossible for them to compete.
Politicians will use the iconography of the family farmer to push their continued support for these giveaways, which not only hurt farmers in poor countries but consumers in rich ones. Of course, the main beneficiaries aren't small farmers. They're big agricultural corporations, most famously Archer Daniels Midland. Or the big sugar concerns in Florida which pollute the Everglades, bribe politicians, and exploit migrant workers, all basically on your dime. The minor victims are American consumers, who pay higher prices for food, even multiples of the true price for some. The major victims are farmers in poor countries, who can't find a fair market for their products.
American free-traders will often complain about EU protectionism, which keeps American products off European shelves. Many have mentioned the EU's GM ban, which is motivated as much from protectionism as from paranoia. Back in the days when Japan was the nation Americans were paranoid about, people complained about Japan's rice tariffs. And all of this is correct. But we're not much better.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:41 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 18, 2003
Goat: it's what's for dinner
Apparently there's a boom in the raising of goats for meat in Alabama. It's popular among both the burgeoning (if not in Pelham) Hispanic population and among rural people.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:10 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
July 15, 2003
That's not lasagna
Britain May Have Had Lasagna Before Italy
As far as I'm concerned, it's not lasagna if it doesn't have tomatoes. And this was two centuries before Columbus. This is right up there with the Russians inventing baseball.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 03:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 11, 2003
More consumer friendliness from the Bush Administration
washingtonpost.com: FDA Eases Rules On Touting Food As Healthful
In the future, you will be able to call your product "healthy" if it meets any one of the following criteria:
-- There is at least one competitive product that has more (pick one: sugar/fat/cholesterol/rat droppings) than yours.
-- It is sold in a smaller package than competitive products, or serving sizes are smaller.
-- Hippies eat it.
-- It contains no more than 2% nonorganic matter.
-- You really feel like it.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 02:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 09, 2003
You tell 'em
Africa must drive GM agenda, scientist says
Kenya's Dr. Florence Wambugu says that African countries need to stay out of the American/European GM food debate and look out for themselves. Dr. Wambugu is working on a sweet potato modified to resist viruses.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 01, 2003
Let's sue them
Kraft says it is joining obesity fight - Jul. 1, 2003
Come on, please, can we sue them? They have lots of money!
Anyway, one thing Kraft is doing is limiting and cutting the size of single-serving packages. I'm sure they're going to cut the costs as well, right?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:15 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
June 20, 2003
Fine
Talks Collapse on U.S. Efforts to Open Europe to Biotech Food
The Euros don't want American food that's been genetically modified? Okay, then. Stop growing maize, then; we'll send you some teosinte. And no tomatoes larger than cherries; that's GM work as well. Domesticated turkeys? Say goodbye to those. You get the idea.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 02:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 17, 2003
Cooking with Coca-Cola
ajc.com | Business | Coke finds wrongdoing on some of lawsuit's charges
Apparently, Coke had an outside consultant buy $10,000 worth of Burger King value meals in Richmond in order to boost perceived demand for Frozen Coke. That's a lot of Burger King, especially a lot of those nasty "french fries" they sell. I hope they at least had the decency to give the food to a shelter or something.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:30 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack