No more raw pork for Cinderella

Actually we're cutting out all pork products. Why, well how about this news story from ABC news:

It's Not a Tumor, It's a Brain Worm: Doctor Surprised to Find a Worm Living Inside a Woman's Brain.

Late last summer, Rosemary Alvarez of Phoenix thought she had a brain tumor. But on the operating table her doctor discovered something even more unsightly -- a parasitic worm eating her brain.

"We've got a lot more of cases of this in the United States now," said Raymond Kuhn, professor of biology and an expert on parasites at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. "Upwards of 20 percent of neurology offices in California have seen it."

The pork tapeworm has plagued people for thousands of years. The parasite, known as cysticercosis, lives in pork tissue, and is likely the reason why Jewish and Muslim dietary laws ban pork.

Damn, but I love bacon. But we should never forget what Khan did to Chekov.

Kids sure do eat a lot of sugar!

I went to Cinderella's Pre-K class for the morning. I was there to read a story (The Guest by George Marshall) and try not to cause too much trouble.

Now I'm a firm believer that life needs some sugar to counter all the bitterness in the world, but I have to say that the quantity of the sweet stuff being consumed by the future leaders of America was just a bit out of hand.

At breakfast (free for all), the choices include Frosted Flakes and French toast with corn syrup (would it be that hard to get real maple syrup here in New England?). Luckily, I send Cinderella off to pick out a book while I'm picking out her breakfast, but do we really need to be handing out Frosted Flakes? They also have stacks of chocolate milk that they hand out at lunchtime.

At snack time, all the kids eat something packed from home. Cinderella gets raisins, a whole wheat roll with butter or jam, a stick of string cheese, or some fresh fruit. I also pack her some milk to drink. One or two of the other kids had something along those lines. All the rest had fruit rollups, Rice Krispy Treats, cookies (!), and juice (otherwise known as liquid sugar).

I wasn't able to stick around for lunch or the afternoon snack, but I figure it was more along the same lines.

By my estimate, the little munchkins must have ingested about 2 cups of sugar and/or corn sweetener apiece.

And then we worry about why they're all bouncing off the walls?

Just saying...

Scary Chinese Fortune Cookie

Not that they want anyone to get really worried, but the FDA has just ordered that all shipments of food products (for both humans and pets) must be tested first for melamine.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the FDA acted after 60 or so tests of Chinese candy and crackers tested positive for the additive, which has sickened tens of thousands of Chinese children, and caused at least four deaths.

Melamine is a particularly nasty chemical substance that has many industrial uses, but is toxic to humans, especially infants and children. Food suppliers have been illegally using it as a cheap filler.

The New York Times reports that in addition to the previously reported White Rabbit candy, consumers are being urged to worry about breaded shrimp, dietary supplements, and protein powders and shakes.

Consumer advocates are pleased that their worrying is being heard, but urges the testing to expand to cover egg and fish products, foods that have recently been found to contain the harmful additive.

China keeps putting scary stuff in food

New reports today about the growing tainted food scandal in China. Seems they have been putting melamine not only into milk products (including baby milk formula), but also feed for animals. The chemical has now been found in eggs and egg products, but further testing is underway and the New York Times reports that it may have spread to everything from pork and chicken to bread, cakes, and seafood (hmm, sounds like the pu pu platter).

Melamine is a particularly nasty chemical substance that has many industrial uses, but is toxic to humans, especially infants and children. Food suppliers have been illegally using it as a cheap filler.

So far the only stuff that's been detected in the US food supply has been White Rabbit candy at import shops. But the extent of the contamination of the food supply doesn't bode well, and certainly isn't good for Chinese kids, where so far over 50,000 people have fallen ill and several babies have died.

Oh right, and the whole tainted pet food thing a year ago (note to self: stop eating Meow Mix).

Kids' Cereal Not Good For Kids

According to recent investigative reports, the most popular breakfast cereals (as opposed to the dinner ones, you know) are the dietary equivalent of either a bag of potato chips or a doughnut.

A recent study by Consumer Reports of the 27 brands of cereal most heavily marketed to kids showed that 11 had as much sugar in a regular serving as a glazed doughnut. Interestingly, both Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles scored better than Post's Golden Crisps (not that the Pebbles are doing your kids any favors).

Major cereal companies have been responding to parental concern by giving cereals new names, thus the Sugar Smacks and Super Sugar Crisps of our wayward youth are now Honey Smacks and Golden Crisps (although the sugar content is the same).

The only ones that Consumer Reports investigators will let you serve your kid without a disapproving glare are Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Life, and Kix (as long as you serve them with a glass of milk, a piece of fruit, some broccoli, and a multivitamin).

Meanwhile in England, consumer groups are charging that when the big cereal companies create reduced sugar varieties, they end up boosting the salt content to the point that they equal that of potato chips (or "crisps").

So that's it. From now on we're skipping the middle man and are just taking Cinderella to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.

Future Red Sox Secret Weapon

Ok, things didn't turn out like we hoped. But, hey, there's always next year!

Absolute Power and the Four Year Old Mind

Cinderella is channeling the wicked stepmother lately. She was Line Leader at her pre-k class the other day. For the uninitiated, this means that she got to be at the head of the line for the day.

Me: So how was it being line leader today?

Cinderella: It was great! All the other kids had to be my servants and do everything I said!

It's a great time to invest!

This pretty much sums up my feelings about the current financial meltdown.

Don't worry about the angels

I had a little chat with my daughter Cinderella today:

Cinderella: Did the Red Sox win?

Worried Dad: Yes, they beat the Angels!

Cinderella: Won't God be angry?

Worried Dad: No, God is very happy about this. And besides, the Red Sox don't need wings to fly.

Beware the White Rabbit - Tainted Candy Found in US Stores

The tainted Chinese dairy product scandal has finally hit the U.S. Bags of the popular Chinese White Rabbit candy tainted with Melamine have been found on store shelves in Connecticut.

According to the International Herald Tribune

Melamine is a chemical additive at the heart of China's contaminated dairy scare. It is used to make plastics and fertilizers, but it is sometimes illegally mixed into food products, including milk, because its high levels of nitrogen can help fool tests that measure protein levels.

In September, Chinese authorities acknowledged that more than 53,000 Chinese infants had been sickened after consuming powdered baby formula that had been contaminated with melamine. Of that total, 13,000 were hospitalized and four have died.

Please don't feed your head.