Junk Food Nation

Junk Food Nation makes me wonder, why is the mainstream media not reporting on the cosy relationship between Altria, Coca-Cola, Burger King, General Mills and Pepsioc (what this Nation article calls "blue chip members of the obesity lobby") and no joke here-- the President's Council on Physical Fitness.

The argument against government regulations on junk food and fast food advertising in schools and to very young children will be the same Right-wing tripe about individual responsibility vs. government intervention, leaving in the meantime corporations completely free to saturate the airwaves with extremely seductive images associating athleticism and beauty with high fructose corn syrup sweetened beverages.

And as usual, the Bush administration boldly urges us to question the "science" behind the assertion that consuming higher amounts of fruit and vegetables "leads to decreased risk of obesity and diabetes."

Junk science will support junk food and if you eat it, it's your fault. Big Food cashes in and we are told to "stop blaming the food industry for obesity."

ruined vacation villages, part II

Another image courtesy of Lindsay Cox of ruined vacation village in Baishawan, Taiwan. Leo loves the story of Sun Wu Kong, the Monkey King sent to protect his master, a monk who brought the Buddhist sutras from India to China. And the Monkey King, whose gong fu is a match for any demon's, has been defeated by neglect. He wasn't powerful enough to overcome the Taiwanese/Chinese aversion to beaches and direct sunlight.

Potemkin East Village coming to Vegas

East Village in Vegas!

Now we can savor the delights of downtown Manhattan in Vegas -- Mark Advent is proposing a "retail complex": but what will they be selling? I hope some smack and clean needles to make it really authentic.

But the really, really sad thing about this story is that ever since we've moved to SoCal, I have felt the call of Vegas -- CHEAP family vacation, especially since I've gotten a load of what it costs to live here, what my extra-academic, humanities degree bearing peers are making in media...I've been feeling very, very, very poor. So don't be too surprised if yo find yours truly juggling a four year old, sunblock, a bucket of quarters in that City in the Desert on her next vacation.