FUR YUR CONSIDERATION

I can't tell if this represents a cultural shift or not, so I'm throwing it out to y'all so you can decide for yourselves.

For those not familiar with the ancient newspaper feature, the JUMBLE, it's a daily puzzle of anagrammed words whose ultimate solution, usually a pun, is hinted in a cartoon illustration. The values and mores represented in these cartoons are usually as hokey and retro as anything on Nick at Nite, if not closer to Norman Rockwell-era. (Note the Birth-of-a-Nation-era director's outfit, for instance.)

In this one from last week, though, the "director" here has a pretty cheeky question. Note that the solution, "THAT'S A WRAP," does not bear on his apparent anti-fur sentiment in any way, unless we're to presume he closed down the day's shooting upon being presented with an actress wearing fur. So I gotta ask - the JUMBLE thinks calling people out for the outmoded cruelty of real fur is normative? Great, if true.

INVISIBLE ADS FAIL TO PERSUADE AMERICANS

Milk Mustaches by the truckload. "Beef: It's What's for Dinner." The Incredible Edible Egg. "Pork, the Other White Meat."

Result? Americans not consuming recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. Only one in ten Americans meets the minimal five-serving recommendation. A quarter of Americans eat zero servings of vegetables a day, and well over half of them eat zero servings of whole fruit a day.

But here's the funny part: "Despite campaigns and slogans, Americans have not increased their consumption." Yeah, people, why aren't you paying attention to all those fruit-and-vegetable campaigns and slogans??? You know, the ones like... um.... well, uh... you know, that one that goes... uh... well... ? Hmmmm....

THEY'RE ASKING FOR IT

In an odd juxtaposition, "the Dalai Lama called Wednesday for a halt to lab experiments on animals and made the case for eating only fruits and vegetables... 'Hunting, beef, sheep farms, piggeries, millions, billions, die,' the Dalai Lama said. 'We can be so cruel to animals.'" So far, so good, except where did he make such a declaration? As a special guest of a zoo. Not just any zoo, but the zoo of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin.

One wonders how the Dalai Lama reconciles this apparent incongruity. I guess there's no cruelty involved in forcing animals into wrestling matches in the name of mindless human entertainment. Maybe animals love wrestling so much that this counts as another one of those "mutually satisfying activities."

FRIVOLOUS LAWSUIT TOSSED

"A U.S. District Court judge Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to reverse the city's ban on the duck-liver delicacy known as foie gras. The lawsuit, filed by the Illinois Restaurant Association and Allen's New American Café last August, claimed the city of Chicago has no right to regulate the sale of a product that is produced legally. U.S. District Judge Blanche M. Manning summed up her 26-page ruling Tuesday by saying the ban on the sale of foie gras is not unconstitutional." How soon will Scalia be weighing in on this one?

WORLD'S FIRST VEGETARIAN CHOCOLATE BAR?

In a rarity for a blog, I'm not going to post a link to this story, because the "controversy" is so obviously about getting this brand more ink. But I was amused to see this well-known company promise it's about to introduce "the world’s first vegetarian chocolate bar." Number one, the bar will not be vegan, of course, since the company is all about milk chocolate, but number two, in what sense will this be a first? There are already literally dozens of not only vegetarian but vegan chocolate bars on the market. Way to fact-check your slightly-reworded press releases, "journalists."

ANOTHER ELEPHANT MARTYRED

"A young [6-year-old] Asian elephant that had delighted visitors at the Woodland Park Zoo since her birth died Friday, about a week after she began showing signs of abdominal pain, zoo officials said."

Well, sure, she's dead now, but think of all the delight. So it evens out, see?

MORE FRIDAY FREAKINESS

Oh. My. God. You are not gonna believe what happened. There was this massive beef recall, see, involving 40,440 pounds of ground beef potentially contaminated with deadly E.Coli, produced by one of America's most famous meat companies and sent to Wal-Marts in 12 states. And here's the thing: Guess what day of the week this recall was announced?

If you said "Friday," you're a regular Meat Facts reader. Pretty freaky coincidence, huh?

And a blogger at Food Consumer reminds us that with seven more E.Coli cases in North Carolina, "in the last six weeks there have been at least six recalls of red meat and nearly 50 people sickened." Not a pretty picture, but the one that accompanies it is certainly cute. Kind of cuts right to the chase, no?

UPDATE: In fairness, there was another recall last week that occurred on a Tuesday... for 140 pounds of listeria-contaminated chicken breast that may have made it to what, five stores? That level of recall seems fine for non-Friday treatment. Hmmm.