So-duh like stop drinking it

I just finished watching King Corn, a documentary about the number one food source in America. The movie was slightly slanted as it started by pointed out the fact that life expectancy might fall in this coming generation because of our diet. But overall it was good and enjoyable while highlighting many important issues facing america. My favorite part was the history of the Agriculture Secretary changing things in the 70's, because it helps explain how we got here, how we are able to spend less then 20% of our income on food, something never before seen in history. It has led to over consumption of corn and corn sweeteners. The movie also showed how corn fed beef will eventually kill the animal, by making it overweight and creating ulcers in its stomach.

Grass fed beef like the kind served where I work is supposedly better, and definitely less fatty. Thousand Hills is a large local producer of grass fed beef in the area, but a 1/8 of a cow will cost you 380 dollars, or 16lbs of ground beef for 80 dollars. But people love meat in this country and I see it every time I go to work and people fill their faces with cow pig and chicken.

Well the demand for cheap beef is only one cause of the unhealthy cows and then unhealthy people, the glut of corn has produced High Fructose Corn Syrup sometimes abbreviated as HFCS. HFSC is used in almost all soft drinks, soft drinks that might now be taxed in New York State.
The movie Corn King has a scene where a man talks about the fatal effect diabetes has had on his family. If the tax lessens the intake of soda it may well decrease the healthcare costs of diabetes and save the country some money.

Tom Vilsack was just nominated by Obama for Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack is the former Governor of Iowa, the largest corn producer in the country, he supports Monsanto's use of GMO(genetically Modified Organisms) and probably has good knowledge of the corn growers lobby. Its difficult to peer between these cracks and not see how all the pieces fit together.
Our rising health care costs should undoubtedly be linked to the food we eat, it's not just the exercise which is a problem. You are what you eat has been told to children over and over, but as adults they might not stop and take heed of the advice.

Personally I want to connect the diabetes epidemic and the glut of obesity to Warren Buffett who was propelled to one of the riches men in the world in no small part because of his large ownership in Coke, one of the largest soft drink manufacturers in the country. In 1985 coke switched to New Coke, which had HFCS rather then sugar, people hated it and the recipe was switched back sans the sugar. HFCS was now a coke staple, and in 1988 Buffett bought up 7% or just over a billion dollars worth of Coke. His profit has been at the expense of americans health.

dun dun.... the conspiracy begins

Obesity just can't get a break

The governor of New York want to put a tax on non-diet beverages and fruit drinks that contain less then 70% fruit juice. Now the story I read in the NYTimes gave a good insight to how this will be debated, the people who drive the distribution trucks and work in the factories will be backed by those poor souls who cannot go without their carbonated sugar water. The quote that it will effect poorer neighborhood more it quite to the point. Poor people can't afford to be unhealthy, I think that is a fair assessment looking at the cost of health care. If only young black children realized they have been targeted by ads like the sprite cool afro action figure. Much the same way cigarette ads supposedly tried to be cool to kids.

If people looked at this as a fight against diabetes rather then a way to raise revenue it might pass. They benefits of healthier children plus the added revenue of soda sales. The one thing people will always need soda for is to not have to drink straight booze, coke makes and excellent mixer. But perhaps this will lead to more bloody marys and screwdrivers being consumed in New York.

I always wondered when food companies will be attacked the same way cigarette companies were, when the amount of people dying from obesity is up there with cancer maybe we will see people at Nabisco or Kraft on the hot seat in front of congress. Oddly enough Phillip Morris owns Kraft Foods under the Altira Group umbrella.

The 'Fat Tax' idea also cam up when airlines were dealing with high fuel costs, they chose to focus on carry on, knowing any sort of charge per personal weight would draw a lawsuit. In Australia the problem has gotten some attention as Australians are known for being the traveling sort, this BBC article highlight the situation. The fact that higher insurance premiums can be charged to obese people is a slippery slope. For those skinny people who feel slighted by the current airlines extra baggage fees
I have an idea to get around this...


Skinny people should just start wearing as many layers of their clothes on the airplane rather then checking it in a bag, perhaps stuff a collapsible bag into your luggage so when you arrive at your destination you can disrobe and pack the clothes accordingly

American Myth

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Minnescraper

I was at a gathering recently with techno savvy peeps and the TV was hooked up to the laptop for public usage. One on the guests brought up this website Minnescraper which is the bastion of internet news concerning urban Development. The guy told me it contains people who are on the inside and will sometimes post on forums saying 'I saw over my co-workers shoulder today something that looked like he was working on this ...'

There does seem to be a lot of interesting info on the page if you don't mind getting lost in it for a half hour or so. But if ones knows how to enjoy getting lost is is a very pleasurable experience.

Thats mostly how I have learned about the parts of the city that I would otherwise have no idea about. I remember the first week I lived in Minneapolis, I was visiting a friend and left his house late at night and went the wrong way on Hennepin ave from NE. I ended up near Snelling Ave before I realized how lost I was. It was strange to drift through old industrial areas on a late summer evening. Coming from St Cloud it seemed so foreign. Lurking buildings emptied of workers, most silent but a few still churning, steam rising off their pipes and I could see the skyline in the distance. Thank God for cell phones because it would have been a very tired and lonley night traversing my way blindly back to Powderhorn Park.

If your into skyscrapers, I kind of like this site skyscraperpage.com here is thier diagram of the worlds tallest