Political Nutrition

A few facts about SNAP. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance program. The Federal program that ensures "the welfare of the citizens" as instructed by our cherished constitution.  Friday they cut 5 billion dollars from that program. Let's count shall we? That's about $10 per person in the program receiving aid. Which they spend on food, which translates into $17 per person reinvested in the economy. 5 Billion cut has now reduced the circulatory impact of each dollar by the original 5 billion, plus the 8.5 billion recirculated into the economy. Remember our economy is based on a full impact in a healthy market where 1 dollar translates into 7. Using that model, a 5 billion cut in SNAP dollars is actually 40 Billion impact on the economy.  Photo courtesy of Hin255/freedigitalphotos.net Bad idea. But that's just money people.  Now, try to feed your family on $1.40 per meal. A healthy meal. One that won't encourage medical issues or childhood obesity...

Tyson is preparing to boycott cattle fed with toxic drugs. Yippee you say! Thank goodness they will stop poisoning our food supply. Oh wait. They don't give a damn about our food. It's the cattle they are worried about. They seem a little sick before they get butchered. Don't poison the cattle before they're slaughtered It's really important that you read the article, but here's a quote from the above: Tyson Foods Inc. says it will no longer buy cattle fed a supplement that's designed to bulk them up before slaughter, citing experts who suggest the drug may be causing animals to become lame. So, they weren't worried about it harming the people who eventually EAT the cattle... just the cattle themselves? Or is their concern that if the animals are sick, people might get sick too. Perhaps... they just didn't talk about the people who eat their products. They only talked about the cattle. So it makes you wonder if they worry that the cattle wi...

I'm thinking of renaming my blog. Yes. Because even though having the last word on everything is quite important to me, a number of people have questioned my combining my political rants with my food rants. I'm sorry. Did someone make up a new rule? If you are outspoken politically, you must shut up about food? Or, worse, if you love food you can't discuss politics? It's true food and politics aren't really great bedfellows. All those dinner party rules... business lunch rules... and church picnics... god forbid you talk religion or politics at a food event. Well, guess what. Time's are changing people. I will eat and talk politics and yes, religion, without feeling one bit of etiquette guilt. Because mostly I eat with people I love to discuss these topics with. Mostly I eat with people I at least have a strong affection for. There's the occasional business event where I tend to just eat to keep my mouth shut. That's true. But here in my space,...