Food

In India a Holy man's magical leg
was cut off and has not been found.
Said to be an act of superstition.

If you have not either read An Omnivore's Dilemna or listened to it on tape, you definitely should. You will never think of food in the same way again. It is kind of long and detailed but well worth the effort. You may be surprised to learn that most of what you eat is merely corn.

Speaking of such things, do we really need over 100 varieties of cold cereal. I never eat the stuff but the other day while waiting at the supermarket I tried to count all the different cold cereals but quit after I reached a hundred. Boxes upon boxes of cereal, all somewhere around three dollars a box. I would be very surprised to learn that the actual contents are worth more than just a few cents. The packaging and advertising must be by far the most expensive part of the product. The boxes are usually gaudy and much larger than they need to be. This kind of cereal for breakfast has now become a standard part of American life for most people, just another part of the "fast food" craze.

Personally, I'm into "slow food." Did you know there actually is a Slow Food Movement that started in Italy and is gaining membership at a healthy clip. I love slow food and I despise fast food. I don't like using the microwave as it doesn't seem like you are truly eating. I like the cutting, stirring, patting, mixing, seasoning, supervising, tasting, and waiting that goes into cooking a real meal. Sure, you have to wait a bit, but it's well worth it. It's less expensive as well. Here in Idaho in the winter you can buy a 10 pound bag of russet potatoes for 88 cents, far less than a small package of frozen prepared potatoes costs. And really, how hard is it to prepare potatoes? With rare exceptions I don't believe most people are too busy to cook. I suspect they are too lazy. I just don't get it when I notice even people on food stamps buy canned beans and stuff instead of dried that would be much more economical and last much longer. I suspect our approach to food is going to change what with global warming and the energy crisis - no more exotic and out of season stuff flown in from Timbuctoo and Patagonia (except, of course, for the wealthy for whom price is no object). There are also those who are attempting to eat only foods grown or present within a 100 mile radius of where they live. I guess this wouldn't be too bad if you lived in some places like the Northwest Coast, but I don't think I'd like it if I lived in the middle of Kansas or Nebraska. Nonetheless, I think we'll all be eating more and more locally as time goes by and our current approaches to eating become more and more questionable. Anyway, good luck.

By the way, if you haven't noticed, we still have some form of government although I am no longer certain what it is. The Democrats have caved again and are prepared to give the Brafia everything they want, from war funding to immunity. Bush is preparing to veto anti-torture legislation even though he insists we do not torture.
Go figure. Our new Attorney General is another of the Brafia's "made men." Hillary is slipping, Huckalbee is gaining, Giuliani is sinking, our shrinking world is a complete mess, there is not really much to look forward to these days. I would like to say otherwise but my mother always told me I could go to jail for lying the same as stealing. Be of good cheer (if you can).

LKBIQ:
"Whatever happened to
Turkey in the Straw and
The Strawberry Roan?
Music from a different world,
so very long ago."
Morialekafa