The writer Jane Austin once said that, "Good apple pies
are a
considerable part of our domestic happiness." I believe it because it
is apples season here in apple growing Oregon. I bought a few varieties
the other day from a big bin of apples. Is that not the way apples
should be sold.....just picked, un waxed, barely cleaned and smelling
fresh from meters away? I bought two different varieties the other day
and they are as sweet as candy and juicy as a popsicle.
I am a fan of what some call the "noblest of fruits". What other fruit
has so many varieties that are meant for so many different purposes.
There is merit in variety itself. It provides leads us away from
uniformity and monotony. Ever go to a market and get excited by the
endless varieties of apples for sale? I don't think there is a fruit
that offers so many choices with so many intriguing names. 7,500
varieties of apples worldwide, including the so called "club"
varieties. They are now available because apple breeders commit to grow
news apple in the hopes of finding the perfect breed. The apple
industry today has settled on a handful of varieties to promote
worldwide, and the rest are forgotten....if you happen to shop at a
grocery store.
In the fields, apples trees still are thriving and local road side
fruit stands still offer endless types for sale. Just like people some
they come with interesting names. One of the newer and popular
varieties of eating apple is called the "Pink Lady". And I thought
"Prince" was a silly name for that musician. There is even an apple
called the "Northern Spy Apple". It has nothing to do with the FBI or
CIA. Apparently, the Northern Spy Apple was a originally called the
Northern Pie Apple. It was accidentally turned into a cloak and dagger
variety.
I not only like apples in their original state, but in most other
forms. For my taste, it may be impossible to have a bad apple pie if
there are enough apples inside. Apple cider, apple juice, apple jack,
apple strudel, dried apples, apple pancakes, applesauce, dried apples,
apple toffee...are all good to eat. Maybe the banana and mango are
eaten more often worldwide, but as Jane Austin said, they don't ensure
domestic tranquility like the apple does.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Turkish Taffy
World Market, a retail chain that sells goods from
around the world and
the U.S. is having a sale on retro candy and drinks. When I saw their
advertisement in my morning newspaper I had to check it because one of
my childhood favorite (and still today when I can find it) candy treat,
Bonomo Turkish Taffy, was pictured in the ad. Alas! I bought a stack of
my favorite vanilla, a chocolate and a banana Bonomo as well as some
other candy I ate as a child. Those occasional retreat treats are as
good for the sole as the tummy.
Turkish Taffy is not really taffy, but is technically more a nougat. It is also not Turkish nor anything related to Turkey, but instead was created before World War II in the Bonomo factory. From the late 1940s to the late 60's it was made into candy-bar size which the purchaser would whack against a hard surface to break it into more bite-sized pieces. Since the pieces are both chewy and slow-melting in the mouth, it's a favorite for the someone who wants to savor their taffy for awhile. A Turkish taffy bar still cost 5¢ in the 1960s but what I bought at World Market was one dollar. Hmmmm When I opened and cracked one of my Bonomo, let it get soft and chewed the heavenly treat as memories of my childhood floated in my mind.
It's amazing how those kinds of stimulus response situations unclogs the memory. When I was a boy the neighborhood kids used to ride on our bike to the neighborhood drug store that sold Bonomo and various other kinds of slab and bar taffy. We usually ripped open the wrappers on the bars and ate them on the way home or stopped by one of the old 45 record stores and listened to the latest single of what some called "rock and roll" in the booths that customers could use to play prospective buys.
As I write that more memories of my childhood come forth, and I thank that Bonomo Turkish Taffy for open the door to them. No doubt you also have memories triggered by the re acquaintance to some thing or event from your earlier days. To escape our present reality and be young again we must always have old memories to help bring even better new hopes.
Turkish Taffy is not really taffy, but is technically more a nougat. It is also not Turkish nor anything related to Turkey, but instead was created before World War II in the Bonomo factory. From the late 1940s to the late 60's it was made into candy-bar size which the purchaser would whack against a hard surface to break it into more bite-sized pieces. Since the pieces are both chewy and slow-melting in the mouth, it's a favorite for the someone who wants to savor their taffy for awhile. A Turkish taffy bar still cost 5¢ in the 1960s but what I bought at World Market was one dollar. Hmmmm When I opened and cracked one of my Bonomo, let it get soft and chewed the heavenly treat as memories of my childhood floated in my mind.
It's amazing how those kinds of stimulus response situations unclogs the memory. When I was a boy the neighborhood kids used to ride on our bike to the neighborhood drug store that sold Bonomo and various other kinds of slab and bar taffy. We usually ripped open the wrappers on the bars and ate them on the way home or stopped by one of the old 45 record stores and listened to the latest single of what some called "rock and roll" in the booths that customers could use to play prospective buys.
As I write that more memories of my childhood come forth, and I thank that Bonomo Turkish Taffy for open the door to them. No doubt you also have memories triggered by the re acquaintance to some thing or event from your earlier days. To escape our present reality and be young again we must always have old memories to help bring even better new hopes.
No Filthy Gravestones Allowed
There was a strange news item in my newspaper today,
something about a
deceased rap singer. One Sonny Santiago, known as 'Uno' on stage, died
in a crash and was buried in a cemetery that, uh, doesn't like rap
music any more than I do. It seems that Uno's relatives wanted to post
the lyrics of one of Uno's songs on the headstone, and did so without
permission of the cemetery. Trouble is, the lyrics are filthy, filled
with the profanity on which that kind of "music" thrives.
Why do rap singers not only not sing (they talk, and much of the time with profanity) their songs, and adopt inane nicknames like Uno, Ice Cube, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Snoop Dog and the rest of the idiotic stage names? It could be that it's because most have not one iota of talent and need as much distraction from that fact as possible in order to garner attention. Hmmm I wonder if Celene Dion ever considered calling herself 'Loud Ho' or Taylor Swift suggested renaming herself as 'TS Bitter'. I guess not, since they have talent and can actually sing a song without offending and are not ignorant thug wanna be types as so many rappers are.
Back to Uno. The cemetery denied the family request to go filthy, explaining that it might be inappropriate for the visitors of the cemetery who don't share a love of filthy rap. Just imagine someone's Aunt Gertie reaching down to place flowers on her recently deceased husband's grave and reading an Uno diatribe to his "filthy bitch" or whatever illiterate ramble line comprises his best lyric. Gertie might have a stroke right next to her hubby's grave.
Well, after being told the vulgarity could not be posted Uno's grieving family decided to go with one of Uno's non profanity laced lyrics, one of the few they could find in Uno's works. Trouble is, they also added a 3-foot by 8-foot decoration made from mulch and rocks shaped like the number 1 (which is the English equivalent for the Spanish word 'Uno'). Yep! The family has been asked to remove that as well, as it violates the cemetery rules about good taste. It seems that when a rapper dies, bad taste endures in the behavior of the the family survivors.
So far Uno's mom has complied with the requests to normalize Uno's grave, but she isn't happy about it. "We want to be with him. It's not fair", declared Uno's mom. I have the feeling that if mom and family die anytime soon, that cemetery won't want a literal reuniting of them with Uno on its grounds.
Why do rap singers not only not sing (they talk, and much of the time with profanity) their songs, and adopt inane nicknames like Uno, Ice Cube, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Snoop Dog and the rest of the idiotic stage names? It could be that it's because most have not one iota of talent and need as much distraction from that fact as possible in order to garner attention. Hmmm I wonder if Celene Dion ever considered calling herself 'Loud Ho' or Taylor Swift suggested renaming herself as 'TS Bitter'. I guess not, since they have talent and can actually sing a song without offending and are not ignorant thug wanna be types as so many rappers are.
Back to Uno. The cemetery denied the family request to go filthy, explaining that it might be inappropriate for the visitors of the cemetery who don't share a love of filthy rap. Just imagine someone's Aunt Gertie reaching down to place flowers on her recently deceased husband's grave and reading an Uno diatribe to his "filthy bitch" or whatever illiterate ramble line comprises his best lyric. Gertie might have a stroke right next to her hubby's grave.
Well, after being told the vulgarity could not be posted Uno's grieving family decided to go with one of Uno's non profanity laced lyrics, one of the few they could find in Uno's works. Trouble is, they also added a 3-foot by 8-foot decoration made from mulch and rocks shaped like the number 1 (which is the English equivalent for the Spanish word 'Uno'). Yep! The family has been asked to remove that as well, as it violates the cemetery rules about good taste. It seems that when a rapper dies, bad taste endures in the behavior of the the family survivors.
So far Uno's mom has complied with the requests to normalize Uno's grave, but she isn't happy about it. "We want to be with him. It's not fair", declared Uno's mom. I have the feeling that if mom and family die anytime soon, that cemetery won't want a literal reuniting of them with Uno on its grounds.
Toilet Paper
I know it is a weird subject to write to you about, but I
am
a little
weird and weird subjects often provoke thought about other weird
things in life. So maybe it will take you out of your normal
conventional mode. Therefore, the subject today is toilet paper. Yep,
I was thinking about that as
I wiped this morning, not about the wiping process (feel relieved I
won't try to convince you about the proper wipe) but on the number and
kinds of
toilet paper out there.
First let me attest that I think toilet paper is a great and useful invention. Once when in Italy in the early 80's while walking in Rome I had diarrhea and searched frantically for a bathroom that was open and had toilet paper. I couldn't find one....in time. The Italian culture may be my favorite, but it needs to upgrade its toilet paper customs. Anyway, the history of toilet paper says that the first use of paper for such hygiene purposes was in China in the 6th century. The Chinese always seem to be first, but having been there a number of times I can attest that Chinese toilet paper today isn't much of an improvement over the 6th century variety. Odd too, that in China it is regularly stolen when placed in public places. What does that say about the Chinese culture today?
Anyway, specifically manufactured toilet paper was first mass produced in Europe in the 14th century. Later, modern commercial toilet paper originated in the 19th century, with a patent for roll based dispensers being made in 1883. An American guy from New York named Zach Wheeler invented modern toilet paper and the roll dispenser in 1877. What a legacy that is! I bet even his mom didn't brag about her son's business. Still today many parts of the world, especially where toilet paper or the necessary plumbing for disposal may be unavailable or unaffordable, toilet paper is not used. Also, in many parts of the world such as India, people consider using water a much cleaner and more sanitary practice than using paper. And what is with those crazy French and their bidets?
I'll spare you the details of any more toilet paper history. It is ...uh.. a messy subject to deal with. Let's look at today's toilet paper choices. Toilet paper products vary greatly in the size, weight, roughness, softness, chemical residues, "finger breakthrough" resistance, water absorption, etc. There may be too many choices in most places in the world. When I was in (then communist) Russia years ago I went to the famed GUM department store and discovered the Russians had their toilet paper (and every other thing for sale) in one available choice. You bought it or not. If not I suppose you never mentioned it. But almost everywhere today, the larger toilet paper companies have very detailed, scientific market surveys to determine the consumer demand for which of the many technical qualities is most preferred.
Today, in the United States, plain unpatterned colored toilet paper has been mostly replaced by patterned toilet paper, normally white, with embossed decorative patterns or designs in various colors and different sizes depending on the brand. But in most institutional buildings the user will find the cheap white paper their only option. Colored toilet paper remains popular in some European countries today. I wonder why the Europeans still want it that way?
Despite singer Sheryl Crows advice to wipe with but a single piece of toilet paper each trip to the pot, we have many options today. One of the unusual ones in the U.S. is the holiday print rolls. At Christmas time, for example, you can buy toilet paper with reindeer and other Christmas scenes . I find it sacrilegious to wipe with Santa's image imprinted, so I abstain from using that. Just as there was a George Bush toilet paper roll, there is an Obama print too. That guy is too present in my life already, so I refuse to wipe with an Obama roll. I also refuse to wipe with any toilet paper that has inspirational or religious messages attached. It's the only thing on which the Islamic world and I agree.
What I want is soft and durable toilet paper...white will do. Hmmmm If I ask you what kind of toilet paper you prefer I might regret asking. Heaven forbid you are the one who uses the inspiration quote of the day paper or who tells me about what type your dog likes. I just hope you wipe! Instead of asking, I sends wishes that your day be on that does not go into the toilet....
First let me attest that I think toilet paper is a great and useful invention. Once when in Italy in the early 80's while walking in Rome I had diarrhea and searched frantically for a bathroom that was open and had toilet paper. I couldn't find one....in time. The Italian culture may be my favorite, but it needs to upgrade its toilet paper customs. Anyway, the history of toilet paper says that the first use of paper for such hygiene purposes was in China in the 6th century. The Chinese always seem to be first, but having been there a number of times I can attest that Chinese toilet paper today isn't much of an improvement over the 6th century variety. Odd too, that in China it is regularly stolen when placed in public places. What does that say about the Chinese culture today?
Anyway, specifically manufactured toilet paper was first mass produced in Europe in the 14th century. Later, modern commercial toilet paper originated in the 19th century, with a patent for roll based dispensers being made in 1883. An American guy from New York named Zach Wheeler invented modern toilet paper and the roll dispenser in 1877. What a legacy that is! I bet even his mom didn't brag about her son's business. Still today many parts of the world, especially where toilet paper or the necessary plumbing for disposal may be unavailable or unaffordable, toilet paper is not used. Also, in many parts of the world such as India, people consider using water a much cleaner and more sanitary practice than using paper. And what is with those crazy French and their bidets?
I'll spare you the details of any more toilet paper history. It is ...uh.. a messy subject to deal with. Let's look at today's toilet paper choices. Toilet paper products vary greatly in the size, weight, roughness, softness, chemical residues, "finger breakthrough" resistance, water absorption, etc. There may be too many choices in most places in the world. When I was in (then communist) Russia years ago I went to the famed GUM department store and discovered the Russians had their toilet paper (and every other thing for sale) in one available choice. You bought it or not. If not I suppose you never mentioned it. But almost everywhere today, the larger toilet paper companies have very detailed, scientific market surveys to determine the consumer demand for which of the many technical qualities is most preferred.
Today, in the United States, plain unpatterned colored toilet paper has been mostly replaced by patterned toilet paper, normally white, with embossed decorative patterns or designs in various colors and different sizes depending on the brand. But in most institutional buildings the user will find the cheap white paper their only option. Colored toilet paper remains popular in some European countries today. I wonder why the Europeans still want it that way?
Despite singer Sheryl Crows advice to wipe with but a single piece of toilet paper each trip to the pot, we have many options today. One of the unusual ones in the U.S. is the holiday print rolls. At Christmas time, for example, you can buy toilet paper with reindeer and other Christmas scenes . I find it sacrilegious to wipe with Santa's image imprinted, so I abstain from using that. Just as there was a George Bush toilet paper roll, there is an Obama print too. That guy is too present in my life already, so I refuse to wipe with an Obama roll. I also refuse to wipe with any toilet paper that has inspirational or religious messages attached. It's the only thing on which the Islamic world and I agree.
What I want is soft and durable toilet paper...white will do. Hmmmm If I ask you what kind of toilet paper you prefer I might regret asking. Heaven forbid you are the one who uses the inspiration quote of the day paper or who tells me about what type your dog likes. I just hope you wipe! Instead of asking, I sends wishes that your day be on that does not go into the toilet....
May Holidays
A late Happy
Mother's Day to you. It's that time of
the year
when everything is blooming in much of the cooler regions of the
world. Given that I prefer the winter and colder days I am not excited,
but I think much of the world is. That's because May is crowded with
holidays and observances. Since the weather is nice outside in more
places, why not stick the holidays in May. It starts fast! The first
day of May is called May Day and descended from spring festivals that
were held in Roman, But now it is a labor celebration in many countries
and the old Communist Party day to show off military objects and lie
about how communism is the best system. It seems that Communism is
almost dead though. So I have my doubts about anyone celebrating
communism on May 1st. That May calendar keeps giving holidays that are better than communist
lies.
On May 5th Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico a little but far more in the United States, where a huge portion of Mexico has walked across the border and declared "I'm staying". It commemorates a battle when the Mexican army defeated the French at the battle of Puebla in 1862. Any holiday that celebrates the ds defeat of the pretentious French is a good one ion my view. It is celebrated with parades, dancing, mariachi music and other festivities (and plenty of drunken margaritas, an American drink the Mexican crowd seems particularly amenable toward). Take that France!
Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. Every nation likes to over celebrate mom on that day, probably in reward for treating her like a servant the other 364 days of the year. In contrast, Father's Day (in June) is virtually ignored That's because it's mostly a man's world, with male privilege. Why give dad a day when he gets the best of things the other 364 days of the year.
Another big holiday in May is Memorial Day, held on the last Monday in May. This is to make the National holiday into a three day weekend. And isn't that what holidays are about...free time ....no work....an excuse to be lazy. The day is set aside to honor members of the military who died in service to their country. It is marked by parades, displays of the flag, visits to cemeteries, and other solemn activities. But do we really need a three day weekend to celebrate the deaths of soldiers. Most of us don't remember when mom and dad dies, and surely do not celebrate those somber occasions. People who celebrate Memorial Day should just admit that they are taking off three days as a symbol of the start of summer and the time when goofing off is socially acceptable. That holiday has little to do with soldiers.
Those are the biggies in May. But there are many more days that are supposedly right to celebrate in May. Asian Awareness Month, Egg Month, Historic Preservation Month, Older American Month, Teacher Appreciation Month, Get Happy Week, Hug Holiday Week, Online Romance Week, Frog Jumping Day, Turtle Day, and many more (if curious, click the link)
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/may-2013.html
May showers may bring May flowers, but they also bring way too many celebrations
On May 5th Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico a little but far more in the United States, where a huge portion of Mexico has walked across the border and declared "I'm staying". It commemorates a battle when the Mexican army defeated the French at the battle of Puebla in 1862. Any holiday that celebrates the ds defeat of the pretentious French is a good one ion my view. It is celebrated with parades, dancing, mariachi music and other festivities (and plenty of drunken margaritas, an American drink the Mexican crowd seems particularly amenable toward). Take that France!
Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. Every nation likes to over celebrate mom on that day, probably in reward for treating her like a servant the other 364 days of the year. In contrast, Father's Day (in June) is virtually ignored That's because it's mostly a man's world, with male privilege. Why give dad a day when he gets the best of things the other 364 days of the year.
Another big holiday in May is Memorial Day, held on the last Monday in May. This is to make the National holiday into a three day weekend. And isn't that what holidays are about...free time ....no work....an excuse to be lazy. The day is set aside to honor members of the military who died in service to their country. It is marked by parades, displays of the flag, visits to cemeteries, and other solemn activities. But do we really need a three day weekend to celebrate the deaths of soldiers. Most of us don't remember when mom and dad dies, and surely do not celebrate those somber occasions. People who celebrate Memorial Day should just admit that they are taking off three days as a symbol of the start of summer and the time when goofing off is socially acceptable. That holiday has little to do with soldiers.
Those are the biggies in May. But there are many more days that are supposedly right to celebrate in May. Asian Awareness Month, Egg Month, Historic Preservation Month, Older American Month, Teacher Appreciation Month, Get Happy Week, Hug Holiday Week, Online Romance Week, Frog Jumping Day, Turtle Day, and many more (if curious, click the link)
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/may-2013.html
May showers may bring May flowers, but they also bring way too many celebrations
Those Citizen News Posts
The Boston bombing facts aside, and there have been way too
much from the media and from private citizens about the event, I think
the endless barrage of information from those who use social media but
were not there, involved or qualified to report shows how out of control
is social media. For example, immediately after the bombing Redditers
compiled a photo library of whom they believed to be the perpetrators,
Twitter offered minute-by-minute updates and Face book users involved in
the Boston marathon race but unhurt shared stories that frankly were
self serving and irrelevant. The updates were often factually wrong and
absolutely unnecessary to all but the most voyeuristic human. How much
need be said about an event after the story has already been told? It's
overload...too much. It's evidence that when people have electronic
gadgets they use them endlessly and annoyingly. I wonder why so many
give the information and so many more seek it out.
It's bad enough the mainstream news media spreads rumor and falsehood as it desperately tries to beat competitors by revealing the "news" first and more completely. Now we have private users of cells phones and applications who think they are a source of knowledge about things which they have no clue. Today's video tools make it easy for everyone to share what they've seen. Even when told to stay away from dangerous spots, people still can't seem to heed the warnings, often chronicling in real time with smart phone in hand and eager to post on Yu tube. Having their "news story" get hits makes them feel self gratified because they feel pride in being the person who gathered the news for the rest of us.
That information comes in so fast from so many anonymous sources that it can not be filtered readily for accuracy and relevance. I pay no attention to those kinds of "citizen reports", but a growing audience for them has arisen that believes the veracity of citizen reports way too often for my comfort. So the question to ask about the effect social media is whether it is a good or bad for informing and helping the listener form opinions about single events. Does a constant barrage on non professional, anonymous citizen reports keep citizens up to date or misinform them better or worse than does the professional media?
I doubt many who so easily accepts news that a citizen news reporter gives actually cross checks to verify the content. Rumors and false perceptions are created as often as is solid information passed. Anyway, do you find the immediate promulgation of information from private citizen news reporters to be more harmful or more helpful in breaking news situations? Further, do you pay attention to those sources and have confidence in them? I don't.
It's bad enough the mainstream news media spreads rumor and falsehood as it desperately tries to beat competitors by revealing the "news" first and more completely. Now we have private users of cells phones and applications who think they are a source of knowledge about things which they have no clue. Today's video tools make it easy for everyone to share what they've seen. Even when told to stay away from dangerous spots, people still can't seem to heed the warnings, often chronicling in real time with smart phone in hand and eager to post on Yu tube. Having their "news story" get hits makes them feel self gratified because they feel pride in being the person who gathered the news for the rest of us.
That information comes in so fast from so many anonymous sources that it can not be filtered readily for accuracy and relevance. I pay no attention to those kinds of "citizen reports", but a growing audience for them has arisen that believes the veracity of citizen reports way too often for my comfort. So the question to ask about the effect social media is whether it is a good or bad for informing and helping the listener form opinions about single events. Does a constant barrage on non professional, anonymous citizen reports keep citizens up to date or misinform them better or worse than does the professional media?
I doubt many who so easily accepts news that a citizen news reporter gives actually cross checks to verify the content. Rumors and false perceptions are created as often as is solid information passed. Anyway, do you find the immediate promulgation of information from private citizen news reporters to be more harmful or more helpful in breaking news situations? Further, do you pay attention to those sources and have confidence in them? I don't.
They Want To Ban Choclate
They are going after my favorite unhealthy foods here in
Portland. A
politically correct Oregon legislator has submitted a bill for vote
here that wants to ban candy bars and other sugary snacks from vending
machines in public buildings. I thought the crazy New York law banning
large soft drinks for sale in NYC was amusing, but now that the nuts
here are after my junk food I should probably rant a little in
opposition. So get
yourself a candy bar while it's still legal to eat one and relax while
I vent now.
I know that access to chocolate in state buildings isn't a sacred and inalienable right, on par with freedom of speech. But the little naughty things in life are what make life worth living. Too, I am not a child that needs mommy to regulate when I can eat a Milky Way Bar (the dark chocolate version preferred). This proposed bill would set strict nutritional requirements for these vending machines, banning most non diet sodas altogether and forbidding snacks that are not sufficiently low calorie, low sugar and low fat. No snacks with more than 200 calories, and no "entrees" with more than 450 calories would be allowed. That's half my diet! (oops....the sugar inside me made me excitable)
Do we need a food police to tell us what we can eat? Surely not. These days, virtually all of Oregon's public schools are switching to healthier school menus, pushed by federal nutrition rules, state standards and parent demand. These changes are worth supporting since children eat a lot of meals at school, and it is responsible for schools to support their healthy upbringing rather than undermine it with cheap junk food and sugar bomb soda. But adults are capable of deciding for themselves what they will eat. Hmmmm Today it is "No chocolate for you", and who knows is next the government might say.... "You're too fat so no spandex pants for you". I might have to defect to a more reasonable place (Beware....if I move where you are I might take my spandex pants with me).
Banning non nutritious foods for growing children is not a bad policy. Kids need responsible guidance from adults. But treating a candy bar like a cancer causing pack of cigarettes goes too far. And deciding that public employees or adult users of public buildings need protection from their childlike impulses, so that they never accidentally spend on chocolate? For a candy consuming pig like me that's the greatest human rights violation since the rape of Nanking.......
I know that access to chocolate in state buildings isn't a sacred and inalienable right, on par with freedom of speech. But the little naughty things in life are what make life worth living. Too, I am not a child that needs mommy to regulate when I can eat a Milky Way Bar (the dark chocolate version preferred). This proposed bill would set strict nutritional requirements for these vending machines, banning most non diet sodas altogether and forbidding snacks that are not sufficiently low calorie, low sugar and low fat. No snacks with more than 200 calories, and no "entrees" with more than 450 calories would be allowed. That's half my diet! (oops....the sugar inside me made me excitable)
Do we need a food police to tell us what we can eat? Surely not. These days, virtually all of Oregon's public schools are switching to healthier school menus, pushed by federal nutrition rules, state standards and parent demand. These changes are worth supporting since children eat a lot of meals at school, and it is responsible for schools to support their healthy upbringing rather than undermine it with cheap junk food and sugar bomb soda. But adults are capable of deciding for themselves what they will eat. Hmmmm Today it is "No chocolate for you", and who knows is next the government might say.... "You're too fat so no spandex pants for you". I might have to defect to a more reasonable place (Beware....if I move where you are I might take my spandex pants with me).
Banning non nutritious foods for growing children is not a bad policy. Kids need responsible guidance from adults. But treating a candy bar like a cancer causing pack of cigarettes goes too far. And deciding that public employees or adult users of public buildings need protection from their childlike impulses, so that they never accidentally spend on chocolate? For a candy consuming pig like me that's the greatest human rights violation since the rape of Nanking.......
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