When is a Smoking Ban Not Really A Smoking Ban?

When the Kansas City City Council is involved, that's when. Instead of of coming up with a true smoking ban that actually bans smoking in public places, the council has come up with silly regulations that make no sense. Either have the balls to say No Smoking and that goes for the casinos too or move on to something else.

Kansas City's Smoking Ban

As a former smoker, there is nothing I hate more than going into a restaurant and being subjected to others people's smoke. Because of that, I stay away from restaurants that don't do a good job of segregating the smokers from the non-smokers. That's my choice, I have the freedom to do that.
At the same time, I believe that it should be up to the owner of a business, as to whether they allow smoking or not on their premises. If they want to allow smoking, I will go somewhere else, but the business owner should have the right to make that choice.
If Kansas City is going to ban smoking in bars and restaurants, then they need to go all the way and ban it everywhere, including casinos and the Truman Sports Complex.

Cloned Meat and Dairy Coming to a Store Near You

This is wrong and scary folks.......

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to declare as early as next week that meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring are safe to consume, the Wall Street Journal reported without naming its source.
The FDA had asked producers of cloned livestock not to sell food products from such animals pending its ruling on their safety. It is not clear whether the FDA will lift this voluntary hold, the report said.
While many consumer groups still oppose it, the FDA declaration that cloned animal products are safe would be a milestone for a small cadre of biotech companies that want to make a business out of producing copies of prize dairy cows and other farm animals.

Macy's and Martha Stewart

Today, Dan and I headed to the Metro North Mall, to check out the new Martha Stewart Collection at Macy's. I wanted to check out her enameled Dutch ovens that have been prominent in the new ads. The merchandise looks very nice, but as we walked the housewares floor, we could not find that blue Dutch oven anywhere. Dan walked over to an associate, pointed to the picture of it on a fixture and asked "Do you have those?". The associate turned to Dan and replied "Yes" and went back to doing whatever she was doing, which looked to me like NOTHING!
I'm sorry, but where is the customer service in today's retail world? I wanted to purchase a $50 item and there was nobody willing to help me find it so that I could take it home. I had hoped that the customer service would improve at this store once Macy's took over, but I have been let down. It seems that in today's retail market, these types of stores would be falling all over their customers to make a sale. We actually received better service at K-Mart today, while looking for fixtures for the bathroom. Not only did the associate ask us if she could help us, she took us to the products we were looking for. When she saw us later, she asked if we found what we were looking for.
When I walk into a K-Mart or a Target, I don't expect to be waited on. I do however expect help if I need it and seem to always receive it. When we were in Macy's today, not one person acknowledged our presence. Needless, to say, I will be purchasing my Dutch oven somewhere else.

Another Non-Surprise From the USDA

ALERT - USDA Announcement: Foods Carrying the USDA '95% Organic' Seal Are Now Allowed to Contain Factory Farmed Intestines, PCBs, and Mercury
Press Release For Immediate Release Organic Consumers Association, 6/22/2007 Straight to the Source
CONTACT: Ronnie Cummins 218-226-4164 June 22, 2007
Despite receiving more than ten thousand comments from consumers and family farmers opposing various aspects of a late May 2007 proposal, the USDA has approved a rule that will allow 38 new non-organic ingredients to be allowed in products bearing the "USDA Organic" seal. But the agency says this may just be interim approval, and has offered to extend the public comment period another 60 days (the original public comment period was only 7 days). Take action and send a letter to the USDA here.The Organic Consumers Association filed a petition during the USDA's short seven-day comment period on the issue outlining various problems with some of the proposed ingredients (read full petition here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5225.cfm). The USDA is required to post all such incoming comments online, and 99% of the comments currently posted there show the public opposes the passage of this proposal.
The USDA's passage of this proposal has resulted in the following:
-Anheuser Busch will be allowed to sell its "Organic Wild Hops Beer" without using any organic hops at all.
-Sausages, brats, and breakfast links labeled as "USDA Organic" are now allowed to contain intestines from factory farmed animals raised on chemically grown feed, synthetic hormones, and antibiotics.
-Products labeled as "USDA Organic" and containing fish oil may contain toxins such as PCBs and mercury (note: nonorganic fishoil products have this same risk, but despite the USDA ruling, it is against the National Organic Standards to allow such toxins in organic foods).
"It's disheartening to see how profit motivated businesses like Kraft, Wal-Mart and Anheuser-Busch have more sway over the U.S. Department of Agriculture than family farmers, independent organic producers, and consumers," said Ronnie Cummins, OCA's National Director.OCA's Environmental Scientist, Craig Minowa, noted that foods labeled as 100% organic will still be 100% organic. "This rule applies to products that are 95% organic or less," said Minowa of the USDA's decision, adding that "The ruling is yet another reason for organic-minded shoppers to carefully read ingredient labels, look for '100% Organic' labels, and buy from local family farmers via your area co-op, farmers market or CSA."
Take action and send a letter to the USDA here
.ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION
· 6771 SOUTH SILVER HILL DRIVE
· FINLAND, MN 55603 USA
Telephone: 218-226-4164
· Fax: 218-353-7652
· email: adam@organicconsumers.org; http://www.organicconsumers.org

54th Street Grill

Last night we ended up going to 54th Street Grill, it's the closest place for us to eat other than McDonald's or In a Tub. We like to go there because of the varied menu and typically go for a salad. Last night we sat down and opened our napkins and found some pretty filthy silverware. We both have worked in restaurants before and understand that this happens. My problem is that someone is not paying attention, it's one thing to have 1 dirty piece of silver, but 4??!! Whenever we told the waitress, she apologized with a giggle and returned with new silver. Dan's new knife had crusty food on it!! It's like, COME ON PEOPLE, how hard is it to bring out clean silver, especially when you had to have looked at it and the customer has already sent back dirty pieces back. To me, it comes down to a lack of training. This should be such a simple thing, but for some reason some restaurants don't care enough. It makes you wonder about the plate you are eating off of. If a restaurant can't give you clean tableware, what does that say about the kitchen? We ate at the 303 NE Englewood location, north of the river in the Creekwood Commons Shopping Center.

Gross Fast Food

Here is a funny link with pictures comparing the fast food you see in ads to the fast food you are actually being served. The Wendy's salad is pretty gross, as is the KFC Bowl, which is just plain gross no matter how you see it. http://www.thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm

I Thought This Was A Typo....!!??

I saw the first sentence of this article and thought it was a typo. The Bush administration said Tuesday it will fight to keep meat packers from testing their animals for mad cow disease. Why doesn't George Bush and his cronies just line us up and offer us each a little glass of Kool-Aid and end this madness here and now! You can read the article here. Between George Bush and China, we can't seem to get a break.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/29/america/NA-GEN-US-Mad-Cow.php

A Breakdown in Communication

On Saturday, I had a phone call from a friend who wanted to try my blueberry cobbler recipe. She wanted to know if she could double the recipe, but bake it in a 9 by 13 pan. I told her that I did not think it would be big enough because the 8 by 8 pan was pretty full and a 9 x 13 was not that much bigger. I told her she could up it by a third and probably would be okay.

I heard from Dan that my friend, who shall remain nameless, was not happy with me because she doubled the recipe and made a mess of her oven. She told him I said she could double the recipe. Not that I want to imply anything, but she is blond, so that may be part of the breakdown. Actually, I salute her for attempting the recipe, because I've heard that she is not a cook and she impressed her family on Sunday with her tasty and overflowing cobbler. Good job , "T".

USDA May Open US Market to Chinese Chicken

In an article from the Boston Globe, you can read all the scary details. This is totally ridiculous and we need to let the USDA know that we do not want chicken from China. We have all seen what happened with wheat gluten from China. Can we really trust our government to do the correct oversight on this issue??!! I think we all know the answer to that question. If it does end up over here, you can be assured that Walmart will be stocking it on their shelves.



In China, some farmers try to maximize the output from their small plots by flooding produce with unapproved pesticides, pumping livestock with antibiotics banned in the United States, and using human feces as fertilizer to boost soil productivity. But the questionable practices don't end there: Chicken pens are frequently suspended over ponds where seafood is raised, recycling chicken waste as a food source for seafood, according to a leading food safety expert who served as a federal adviser to the Food and Drug Administration.
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2007/05/09/chicken_from_china/

Snickers and the Super Bowl

I don't know how many of you watched the Super Bowl or saw the Snickers ad that has become so controversial. I saw the ad and at the time thought it was kind of silly. I did not realize that they had alternate endings on their web site that people could vote on. The winning ending would then be played during the Daytona 500. The original ad had two mechanics inadvertently kiss while eating the same candy bar and then pulling out chest hair to prove how manly they were. A stupid and silly premise for a commercial if you ask me. The problem that arises from this is the alternate endings that were up for vote on their web site. One was actually promoting a "gay bashing" mentality. They also showed reactions from some of the football players being grossed out by what appeared to be two men kissing. After protests, they removed the ad from television and all related things from their website. This is a good thing, but falls short because they will not apologize for it. When I sent a protest email, I received a standard "we were appealing to our core consumer, who loved the ad". I responded back, that I guess that even though I purchase their products, they must not consider me a core consumer. Personally, I will have no problem not buying Snickers or any other Mars products in the future. This just gives me another reason to watch what I eat, while I silently protest.

Eating With the Elderly

I was invited, along with the 2 women I work with, to a lunch at our favorite resident's home. She has us over every year and we love her dearly. She is 83 going on 21. She dresses and acts like a young person, keeps herself tanned year round and has incredible energy. Her husband, unfortunately, is starting to succumb to Alzheimer's.

We arrived at her home and her husband presented us each with a glass at the door. We proceed to drink the golden liquid and question it's unusual taste. I thought it was sparkling cider and Karen thought it might be wine. We asked our hostess what we were drinking and she said sparkling grape juice. Karen asked her where she got it, because it did not taste like any she had ever had. Our hostess replied, that it was given to them 13 years ago when they moved in. We each quietly sat our glasses down and looked at each other with shocked horror.

We then sat down to a nice lunch of tasty and spicy chili. All I could think was, how old was the beef, tomatoes and beans. If I got gas would they produce 6 year old farts? Would I be sick or end up with some exotic new sickness? Other than some indigestion,I was fine and the company was great!

Potlucks, Christmas Cookies and Mommie Dearest

Tis the season for receiving cookies and candies and cakes and breads.....I am guilty of giving these myself, but I know that my hands and kitchen are clean!! So, as people hand me trays of homemade goodies, I smile and then...well let's just say some of it ends up in the trash. I know this is wasteful, but I blame my mother for my food receiving neurosis.

My mother is the world's Queen of neat freaks. If you saw the movie Mommie Dearest, then you know what I'm talking about. After each meal in my childhood home, my mother would break out the Comet and proceed to scour the entire kitchen. She scoured so much, that our stove top and sink looked like Dalmatians. The white enamel on both had been rubbed through to the black metal below. She would also get down on her hands and knees with the Comet and a sponge and go at the linoleum like Joan Crawford. We were actually required to call our mother "Mommie Dearest" and that was before the movie!! (Actually she did not require we call her that until after we all saw the movie. To this day, she has a memorial to Joan in her kitchen)

I was raised in a Lutheran church. Once a month they would have Potluck Dinners. These were big affairs, where all the women would try to outdo the others with some new Jello concoction or Man Pleasing meat creation. (This was the 60's, so that last statement is PC). Mommie Dearest would station her 4 children at the church doors, so we could report back what certain women brought in. We had to describe the dish color and wrap and scent , so that we could then make sure we stayed far away from it. One must always assume that a woman with messy hair or bad shoes has roaches in her home.

Needless to say, this has haunted me my entire life. I have politely taken tiny bites of food, just to spit into a napkin that I then place into my socks. This is especially hard at dinner parties, but that is why knee high socks were created. Now that I work at a retirement community, you can just imagine the plethora of goodies I receive. Some I eat, but others freak me out so much that I put on rubber gloves to dispose of the tin. I watch aghast, as co-workers cram cookies and candies into their mouths that were given by someone with questionable hygiene.

Just remember to always be polite and very thankful. These people have gone to a lot of trouble to put these trays together. If you are forced into a situation that requires you to eat in front of them, just take big bites and swallow it whole. If you do it quick enough, you won't even taste it.
Happy Holidays!!

Trans Fats in New York City

Yesterday, the New York City Council voted to ban trans fats in their restaurants. Personally, I don't think we need our government to say what we can or cannot eat. We need to be responsible for what we eat and what our children eat. If places like McDonald's want to continue using trans fats, that's fine with me. The public just needs to stop eating there, find better choices for yourself. If we stopped eating at places that used trans fats, they would have to change of their own accord. Some people may want to eat trans fats, obviously there are lots of them in our country that do. That is their choice!! What's next? Banning corn syrup in soda pop or closing down any candy store that stocks it's shelves with candy made from corn syrup. I think it's fine for governments to make recommendations on these matters, but I think they go too far in legislating them. My body is my responsibility. There are bigger issues out there, let's try sticking to the real priorities out there.