On Dec 26, 2005, at 8:45 pm, Debby Padilla-Hudson wrote:

> I'm not cynical, just paranoid. :)  The government
> already does this to a certain extent, with media
> bombardment and brainwashing, public school meal
> systems, the food pyramid, etc.
>
> Luv,
> Debby
> San Jose, CA


I hope you saw the sarcasm in what I wrote!  I've been hearing on the
radio lately some adverts from two organisations with names to the
effect of "British Council for Promotion of Milk Consumption" which
claim that milk contains essential vitamins and minerals so keep you
looking young and beautiful (yes, it was narrated by two girls). We
already force the stuff down the necks of young children, now we're
taking advantage of self-conscious teenagers and young women to trick
them into drinking the stuff!  Personally I find the propaganda that
you must drink milk or your bones will break (HAHAHA two years on I'm
still waiting for mine to start snapping) less distasteful because at
least people generally ignore stuff that won't affect them for
several decades.

As for the food pyramid, I can't remember if it was here or another
list where someone pointed out the new USDA food pyramid.  Actually,
it's no longer a pyramid and now a collection of arbitrarily coloured
scalene triangles, as the former design was presumably too complex
for the typical US citizen to comprehend (presumably because they
don't eat enough wheat for brain energy).  And the original was quite
probably based on lobbying by the grain industries in the first place.

There's an interesting article here: http://www.consciouschoice.com/
2004/cc1711/wh_lead1711.html (ironically, considering the title,
flawed itself, but still useful).

I AM cynical, and I have no more faith in my government's handling of
food or health issues.  I'm just going to make sure that my own kids
don't suffer at the hands of official misinformation.

Ashley

PS Having turkey tonight.  Good recipe I made up for cranberry
sauce:  big bag of cranberries, jar of sugar-free apricot jam (the
stuff sweetened with apple juice) and a healthy dollop of honey.
Pour some apple juice into the base of a pan, add all ingredients,
heat until cranberries have started to break up then simmer on low
heat until thickened.  I could eat it with a spoon :D