Food Fight!

There's a battle raging for a proverbial piece of the pie. It's a $70 Billion pie so as you can imagine the stakes are high. Right now the Farm Bill is controlled by the factory farms and junk food manufacturers. Some good people are trying to change that. Our government should be subsidizing organic foods and sustainable agriculture not the corn used to sweeten soft drinks! Visit Food Battle for more details.

Also be sure to check out Store Wars and The Meatrix. Entertaining and educational, what more could you ask for.

Fire!

Did you ever play that game in grammar school where you had to decide what three things you would rescue if your house were on fire? Imagine my surprise when at 11:30 the hotel fire alarm sounded interrupting Myth Busters. I had to think fast, what should I rescue? Well it turns out the list looked like this:

• Rental car keys because tomorrow is my flight home and, believe me, I'm going home even if this frickin place burns to the ground.
• Wallet because I need ID to get on the airplane
• Cell phone because I have to call Sue while I watch this place burn to the ground
• Laptop because I've been working on some code for 3 days and I haven't checked it into source control yet

So there you go, the rest of the stuff can feed the flames as long as I get the heck out of town and back home tomorrow. Fortunately for hotel management (and my luggage) it was a false alarm. Oh and to CeeCee, the over-served woman telling her life story to all the people in pajamas standing in the parking lot, I hope someone stuck around to chat. I had to get back to Myth Busters.   

A Bold Proclamation

Spied at the Washington Dulles International Airport, a shirt claiming in a large bold font, "I am the anti-Christ." Now I'm sure the wearer was making some kind of clever social statement that escapes me at the moment but, I couldn't help thinking that there's no way the anti-Christ would fly coach (much less commercial). Plus, I know TSA would stop the anti-Christ at security. Right? Guys? So anyway, no reason to raise the threat level, I'm pretty sure he was not in fact what his shirt claimed.

Thank You Starbucks!

On the 24th Starbucks announced that all milk served in their stores will be rBGH free by the end of the year. For the link following impaired, rBGH is a hormone given to cows to increase their milk production. It is not approved for human consumption in Canada, the European Union, or Japan. Unfortunately, the US has decided it's safe for the citizens. I'm sure our good friends at Monsanto said it was safe so, no worries. You can head over to Food and Water Watch and send a personalized thank you message to the CEO of Starbucks.

While we're on the topic of Starbucks, not many people realize that they already offer organic milk at many of their stores. All you have to do is ask (and pay $0.50 more).

And to complete the Starbucks trifecta on a lighter note, did you know the Starbucks Mermaid used to have nipples and a belly button? Check out the history of their logo here.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Redux

I've written about our old nemesis HFCS before but, it's worth pointing out that recent research has linked the stuff to diabetes. I can't say it enough, avoid HFCS like the plague. There is no reason this product should be in anything! That being said, here's a little challenge for you. Head to the grocery store and try and find a package of hamburger buns without HFCS. It's not easy. Even "healthy" whole wheat buns have it baked in. Mmmm, taste the obesity and diabetes baked into every bite. Once in a while we'll get lucky but often times there are simply no alternatives.

While we're at it, here's another interesting question. Why isn't this research being plastered all over the news? Without throwing out any wild conspiracy theories, I'll just point out that you would think it would be.

Walla Walla

We've always wanted to visit Walla Walla and visit some of the great Washington wineries. It looks like we're not alone. The tourism industry is heating up with at least 15 new bed and breakfasts opening this year alone. Oh, and if you're looking for a great special occasion wine from Walla Walla, be sure to try Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah.

Deep Fried Heaven

Mmm, deep fried Oreos, Snickers, and Ho-Ho's. But don't worry, they're trans fat free! Now I just want to know how they deep fry Pepsi. If you're really hungry, you can try the deep fried combo plate (2 Oreos, 1 Snickers, and 1 Peanut Butter Cup). I hope they deep fry the plate too.

Organic in Indiana

For my large audience from the great state of Indiana (you know who you are), Kroger is introducing a new line of organics. Here in Illinois, Dominick's offers the "O" line of organic products all of which we've been very happy with. We've probably gone through more organic ketchup than anyone single household in the U.S.

School's In

Parents across the nation are breathing a sigh of relief as the school year officially begins. The Summer of our discontent is over. Oh sure, we enjoyed the long walks, bike rides, trips to the zoo and what have you, but now they're somebody else's problem. You can remind them of that time they complained they were bored as you give them a little nudge onto the bus (silently smirking to yourself the whole time).

Suspicious

There something suspicious taking place on the third floor of the Sheraton Rockville. I've seen the same man going for ice seven times (I counted). Don't ask why I was in the hall to notice this seven times, it's not important. I think he's either a kidney thief or a Universal Soldier.  Some poor traveler could be lying in a bathtub sans a critical internal organ as I write this. Excuse me while I check the deadbolt.

The Quest for Knowledge

Some strange Google searches have brought readers to my little quiet corner of the Internet. To the searchers who came searching for knowledge, which I'm sure you didn't find, allow me to make amends. Some of my favorite Google searches that have led surfers to this site:

• "pierson's puppeteer creative-commons" - I don't think they would be in support of it but then again I've never met one.
• "fixing an undercooked cheesecake" - it'll firm up in the refrigerator
• "chef mickey disney chance get reservation week after labor day 2007" - no chance, dress like a princess and eat a PB&J in front of the castle
• "sweaty butt syndrome" - get cotton underwear and don't see near me on the airplane
• "vfw hall in frankfort illinois" - it's on Pfeiffer between Old Sauk Trail and Laraway Roads. Try the fish.
• "are oxygen containers allowed on airplanes" - yes but not in the seat next to me
• "forced gender change" - OK, I admit it, I'm guilty of drinking and blogging but I'm pretty sure I never wrote about this topic. Sorry, no help here.
• "what are the extra marks on a tape measure" - I still have no idea. I can't tell and inch and three quarters from an inch and seven eights. Ask a carpenter.
• "aerogarden" - I admit it, I've never gotten a damn thing besides lettuce to grow in this thing. If you're in the market I can make you a good deal on one!

So there you have it. Hopefully I've helped in some small way.

Green Lawns

I've posted about organic lawn care before but I thought this article was fairly interesting. We've been treating our lawn with organic products for about a year and the results have been quite good so far. It's interesting that states are passing laws to prevent the residential banning of pesticides. We must protect our god given right to spread poison on our lawns so our kids can roll around in it! Screw your ground water.

It's a little more expensive but I like never having to say "stay off the lawn, I just sprayed it." Products like corn gluten and milky spore have replaced weed killer and Grub-X in our lawn maintenance routine. It helps that I have an excellent in-house gardener that does the research and keeps the lawn looking great. All I have to do is push a mower around once in a while.

Have Laptop Will Travel

As the lease on my trusty Dell Latitude D800 nears an end, I'm filled with the anticipation that accompanies new laptop time. Bigger screen, more memory, dual core, my hopes are high. A certain six-year-old is already drooling over my slightly worn keyboard eager to get her crumb covered little fingers on it. You see Daddy, she explains "that laptop you gave me is really slow". I guess when you're doing some heavy duty number crunching (addition is hard at six) or tending to your Elle the elephant in Webkinz world, you need all the computing horsepower you can get your hands on.

I'll certainly miss the old work horse. She's been dropped, smushed, had a glass of water spilled on her, and suffered any number of unseen indignities while traveling through airport security. After three years, it looks a little worse for wear but, other than a small crack in the exterior (which Dell fixed), she's in perfect working order. So yes, honey, she'll be all yours in just a few more weeks. Take good care of her, she's helped me pay the bills and keep this operation afloat for the last three years.  My constant traveling companion.

Way Back in 1991

Way back in August of 1991 I was getting ready for my first year of college. At the time, I had no idea that the World Wide Web was being born. I also had no idea the impact it would have on my life. Can you imagine your life without it?

The Logo is Tasty

Imagine that, when scientists tested a group of 3 and 5 year olds, they said the food in the McDonald's wrapper tasted better. The thing is, scientists were feeding them the same food both in and not in the McDonald's wrappers. I'm encouraged that they thought the carrots in the wrapper tasted better. Maybe I can use a little of that Jedi mind trick to get my picky eater to try some veggies! In any case, I'm pretty sure Morgan Spurlock was trying to make the same point in Super Size Me back in 2004. I'm sorry but adults are capable of making informed decisions, kids are not. It takes parents and schools and summer camps to help them become informed. If you market to children, I think there's an ethical responsibility to also have some concern for their well being and health.

Microwave Popcorn is Making You Fat

OK, maybe not the popcorn itself but the chemical they treat the inside of the bag with. It turns out that scientists are starting to think that there's a relationship between that spare tire and compounds called phthalates. You see, low testosterone in men has been linked to abdominal obesity. Phthalates have been shown to lower testosterone levels. See the connection? So how do we get exposed to these compounds? They're in synthetic fragrances, PVC, plastic bottles, dental sealants, nonstick pans and, you guessed it, microwave popcorn. But why would you buy microwave popcorn when Alton Brown has already taught us that all you need is a brown paper bag and a stapler?