Catching Up

Dearest reader, I have so much I want to blog about tonight yet my house is a hovel, defiantly sproingy gray hairs are winning the land-use battle raging on my head, my sink is sinking beneath the weight of a thousand dirty dishes, I have no clean clothes and beloved Josephine has dropped another stink-bomb to welcome me home. In short, nothing a glass of Husch Pinot Noir can't solve! I'm all about home remedies.

First, in grievously shocking news: A 2006 study finding that 80% of lung cancer related deaths could be prevented by more wide-spread use of CT scans, and not, say quitting smoking, was funded by a tobacco company. We've all fallen to the ground in disbelief, yes? While we're at it, let's go ahead and drive blindfolded, that's what air bags are for! If there is any reader out there who is genuinely surprised by this, please take a sick day tomorrow to read Hooked and the entire archive of this blog.

I've taken the liberty of writing a note to your employer:

Dear (your supervisor's name here):

(Your name here) will not be able to come to work today. S/he is unacceptably naive about the degree of influence corporate interests has on the scientific community, and as such, needs dedicated time for self-directed study.

Sincerely,
Professional Critic

Next, if you haven't checked out The Cleaner Plate Club, at the very least read this post in which Ali cites a depressing statistic that 77% of grocery items in a typical store have no nutritional value.

This was very much on my mind today as I trolled the aisles of my local discount grocery store. Even offerings from Amy's, a label I definitely equate with health, had insane amounts of fat and sodium in many of their items--even those marketed for children. (A few weeks back I actually emailed Amy's. They make really good Palak Paneer, which is loaded with fiber and other good stuff--and enough sodium to keep an entire ranch in salt licks. They responded very nicely that their chef was working on adjusting some of their entrees to decrease sodium, so stay tuned).

I shop for myself alone, so I can take all the time I need in the grocery store. Most of the time I actually enjoy it. But it does get frustrating when so much of what looks appealing ends up being appalling. And, if only 23% of what you have to choose from is actually good for you, what are the chances that harried parents will be picking the right stuff as they race around the store? It's like gambling with the health of your entire family and the odds aren't so hot.

Fitting nicely into this, I heard a smidge of Michael Pollan on the radio last night. He was discussing his new book, In Defense of Food, which I haven't read, but the basic premise seems to be: eat real food. So simple. And so, so much of what's out there, is just not.

Not too much happening in celeb world today. Robin Williams is getting divorced. The caring, not so much.