Kraft Foods and the Prostitute

It's not everyday you see a commercial with a grandmother berating her granddaughter for dressing "like a prostitute."
But Kraft Foods is leading the way with its Athenos dairy products.

Just to put Grandmother in perspective, in another commercial, Grandma tells her granddaughter that she's "going to hell" for living with a guy to whom she's not married.

The commercials haven't even aired yet and the campaign is causing concern for its provocative language and stereotypes of Greeks.

"These commercials are not appropriate from a Greek perspective," says Maria Anagnostopoulos, program director at The Greek Institute. She wants them pulled.

But Kraft executives, say, that's not going to happen.
"While these ads may be controversial, for the most part people will see them for the light-hearted fun they are having," says Jill Baskin, director of advertising. "Any Greek Americans we ran them by thought they were really funny."

The video below shows this Greek grandmother ("yiayia" in Greek) twice telling her granddaughter — who is hosting a party — that she's dressed "like a prostitute." While dear old Grandma doesn't approve of her granddaughter's dress, she does approve of the brand of Greek hummus.

San Francisco and the Coca-Cola Sign

Richard Modolo has this Coca-Cola sign painted on the side of his house, it's been there since the 1930s.
His home was the site of a little-pop grocery store, in San Francisco at one time
But now,City officials say the painted sign violates anti-billboard laws and must come down.
And it seems this vintage Coca-Cola sign has made some residents unhappy and they want it removed.
They think it's because offensive saying it promotes obesity by advertising the sugary Coca-Cola drink.

Supporters of the sign,  argue that it's a relic from the neighborhood's working-class past.

Supervisor David Campos, who represents the neighborhood, is weighing both sides and will decide whether to introduce legislation to keep the sign.

While the city supervisor makes his decision, Modolo has been warned by the city that he could face a daily fine of $100 until the sign is gone.

Death By Popcorn

Meanwhile, here's this guy hoping to watch the movie "Black Swan" in a quiet theater,  but instead is killed  for complaining about another moviegoer making too much noise, eating popcorn.

The 43-year-old man was attacked in a movie theater in Latvia ( a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe) when he asked a loud popcorn-muncher to keep it down.

The popcorn eater, 27, was so upset that he opened fire with a gun, but at least he waited until the end of the movie.

400 pound woman attacks roomate over cookies

Hersha Howard (above mug shot photo) is a Florida woman who beat her roommate because she believed the woman had gobbled up all her Girl Scout cookies

Hersha was arrested after a brawl that trashed the entire apartment.

The 31-year-old, 400 pound hersha attacked Jasmin Wanke around 1 a.m. while she was sleeping – going into this angry rant about the missing Thin Mints.

For those of you who may not know, these chocolate-coated mint wafers are one of the most popular of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America Girl Scout varieties, and are only available once a year.

So anyway, the two argued back and forth  about the cookies, when all of a sudden, Howard   jumped on her and hit her in the face.

Howard  chased after her roommate with a pair of scissors and as the fight moved into the kitchen, Howard hurled her heft at her roommate again. again.

While fighting, Howard bit her roommate's breast and struck her several times.

Howard was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

The Grand Slam at Denny's

Usually, the Grand Slam at Denny's involves eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausage, but not always.

This Grand Slam was all about the fighting fighting Sunday at a Denny’s in Massachusetts.

At first there were reports that the fight was over over maple syrup.

But the police report says that the participants had been in an earlier road rage incident while on the way to the same Denny's.

The participants arrived at Denny’s at the same time and words were exchanged in the parking lot.

The Denny’s manager told investigators “that he observed an argument outside between the aforementioned parties.”

Well, here's the video:

Rush Limbaugh says First Lady is no Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model

Radio host Rush Limbaugh made a poignant observation with regards to Michelle Obama's waistline Monday.

During his show, Rush reported that Michelle Obama had dined on ribs while vacationing in Vail, Colorado.

"The problem is -- and dare I say this -- it doesn't look like Michelle Obama follows her own nutritionary, dietary advice. And then we hear that she's out eating ribs at 1,500 calories a serving with 141 grams of fat per serving, yeah it does -- what do you mean, what do I mean?"

"What is it - no, I'm trying to say that our First Lady does not project the image of women that you might see on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, or of a woman [professional baseball player] Alex Rodriguez might date every six months or what have you. I mean, women are under constant pressure to look lithe, and Michelle My Belle is out there saying if you eat the roots and tree bark and the berries and all this cardboard stuff you will live longer, be healthier and you won't be obese. Okay, fine, show us."

School Lunches Leaves Bad Taste

Anyone who has ever tried to mix oil and water knows they just don't mix.

The same thing is happening at Chicago Public Schools with kids and healthy foods, they aren't mixing very well.

Chicago Public Schools stopped serving daily nachos, Pop-Tarts and doughnuts and introduced "healthier" foods for breakfast and lunch.

As a result, district figures show that lunch sales for September through December dropped by more than 20,000 lunches a day.

Students describe the "healthier" food as nasty.

"If they're going to feed us healthy, they need to feed us something good that's healthy," said Mijoy Roussell, a sixth-grader at Claremont Academy who was skipping lunch in favor of a packet of candy. "This food is disgusting, which is why I'm not eating lunch."

For the 2010-11 school year, Chicago Public Schools switched to menus with more whole-grain products, less sodium and lots of vegetables.

And now most cereals offered have less than 10 grams of sugar per serving.

So with all these these changes exceeding the existing U.S. Department of Agriculture meal standards, they also have left a bad taste in the mouths of students.

They have created negative impressions of healthy foods among many students.

"They want us to eat healthy food, but the food has no flavor," sophomore Jacob Hernandez said as he picked at unsalted rice and beans at North-Grand High School. "Last year, they had a yellow Puerto Rican rice. But this year it's all dry, and you can tell they put a lot of stuff in there, but what's the point if there is no flavor?"

We find it interesting that school lunch experts emphasize that healthful options are a lot easier to sell when the food actually tastes good.

Wow, how did they figure that out?

"Cooking flavorful food from scratch is not rocket science," said Kate Adamick, who specializes in revamping institutional food operations.

For example, Chicago Public Schools forbids the use of salt in the preparation of vegetables or other fresh food offered to students, although the district allows high levels of sodium in the processed foods it serves.

The results of this policy could be seen on recent visits to lunchrooms, where trays of boiled broccoli, zucchini and a pea-carrot mix sat virtually ignored by students. Many of those who did take the vegetables left them on the tray uneaten.

To convert kids to healthier meals, the experts say, "first you have to get the (healthy) food to taste good, and then you have to look at other ways of reducing salt in other parts of the menu, like by taking out processed foods."

Because of the terrible lunch sales, the district brought back a processed spicy chicken patty sandwich as a daily offering in all district high schools.

About 90 percent of the students in the lunch line have been choosing the spicy chicken patty for their meal "because everything else tastes nasty," said junior Mariah Crespo.

"I am baffled and disappointed by the tendency of 21st century adults to give in to children's preferences when it comes to food," Adamick said. "We know that teens prefer pornography magazines over the classics, but we don't give them copies of Playboy in literature class. Adults are present in children's lives to be role models, disciplinarians and caretakers, not to be popular."

Yes, Kate Adamick actually said that.

Another genius, Brian Wansink, a professor at Cornell University who specializes in eating behavior, said abrupt changes to kids' meals often cause a negative reaction. His Smarter Lunchrooms research project has developed several strategies that help students make better choices through psychology and marketing.

He advises putting healthier foods at the front of the line. He also said he has seen 25 to 35 percent increases in healthy food consumption when nutritious items were given fun names like "big bad bean burrito" or "tender broccoli."

No matter what you call it, if it tastes like crap it will leave a bad taste in your mouth...

Can't Sleep? Try These Foods

If you have trouble sleeping, here are five foods that can really help you fall asleep:

1. Bananas. Because bananas contain potassium and magnesium and they are natural muscle relaxants, your body may relax more after eating them.

also, bananas contain the amino acid L-tryptophan, which gets converted to 5-HTP in the brain. The 5-HTP in turn is converted to serotonin (a relaxing neurotransmitter0 and the natural sleep aid, melatonin.

2. Cherries. Fresh or dried cherries are a great natural food source of melatonin, the chemical that controls the body's internal clock to regulate sleep. Cherries contain high levels of melatonin and if you eat them  an hour before bedtime you most likely will drift off to sleep easily.

3. Oatmeal. A nice bowl of oatmeal causes blood sugar levels to rise, that makes insulin production and the release of sleep-inducing brain chemicals. Again with the  melatonin, oatmeal is full of melatonin.

4. Warm milk. Just like bananas, milk contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, which turns to 5-HTP and releases relaxing serotonin. There's also lots of calcium, which promotes sleep.

5. Toast. Carbohydrate-rich foods produces insulin and that promotes  sleep by speeding up the release of tryptophan and serotonin, two brain chemicals that relax you and send you to sleep.

Grammy Reporter Explains Meltdown

Outrage over China magician's synchronised fish

 

A Chinese magician has made animal rights groups angry because of a trick with goldfish that are swiming in sync.

Magician Fu Yandong has dazzled audiences with this trick while animal rights activists are outraged over the trick, saying Fu must have fed the fish magnets -- or implanted them in the fish -- so they could be dragged around their tank from underneath.

They say the trick is nothing more than animal cruelty.

The trick -- which you can watch below, involves six fish in a shallow tank on a covered table, who swim in formation at Fu's command.

Fu has refused to reveal the secret.

"My fish," he wrote on his microblog, are "living happily".

But that hasn't satisfied the controversy.

The animal rights people believe the fish are being tortured and if other people try this it will be the end of humanity.

Fu Yandong has based his tricks on the tradition of secrecy in the world of magic and refuses to reveal his methods, so the animal rights groups are unsure if  fishes' safety is assured. 

 But regional broadcaster Hunan Television, which has booked Fu to perform live for its own Lantern Festival special, said on its website that Fu would perform the trick on the show and reveal the secret.

What's a 133 years old? - A Wedding Cake

The wedding cake was baked in 1898, making it 113 years old.

The wedding cake was baked 113 years ago and it looks brown now because the sugars have risen to the surface.

There is also a crack on the side after a bomb blast during world war 2.

But tests have been conducted on the cake with a syringe, and the results are rather amazing,  the rich fruit cake inside is still moist, - but we wouldn't eat it.

The baker's daughter, who was unmarried, decided to donate the cake to the Willis Museum in Basingstoke because she feared someone might find it in her attic and think she had been jilted at the alter.

Back in 1898 Queen Victoria was on the throne and HG Wells' classic War Of The Worlds was published.

Coca-Cola - the not so secret recipe

The photo published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1979 that reportedly shows the recipe for Coca-Cola: Picture: This American Life

Not that it really matters, but a US radio show' says it has discovered the secret recipe for Coca-Cola.

Supposedly there's a 32-year-old article with the secret formula.

Coca-Cola says the main ingredients used are no secret:

"The ingredients used in our beverages are listed on the product labels and many people have tried over time to crack the secret formula of Coca-Cola," said a spokesperson.

"That secret combination of ingredients holds a special place in the history and mythology of Coca-Cola – something we continue to celebrate as we mark our 125th anniversary this year."

See the "secret recipe" below

The secret recipe, which can only be mixed by two Coca-Cola executives in the world, reportedly contains the exact measures of all the different oils needed for Coca Cola’s secret ingredient, "Merchandise 7X".

Even though we are only talking about 1 per cent of the drink's total formula, Merchandise 7X is what gives the popular soft drink its unique taste.

Rumored to be under guard 24 hours a day in a vault, the official Coca-Cola recipe has been one of the most closely guarded trade secrets since the popular soft drink was concocted by medicinal chemist John Pemberton in 1886.

Okay, here it is, the not so secret recipe:

Fluid extract of coca: 3 drams USP

Citric acid: 3 oz (3 oz = 84.9 g)

Caffeine: 1 oz (1 oz = 28.3 g)

Sugar: 30 (unclear quantity, possibly pounds)

Water: 2.5 gallons (2.5 gal = 9.46 L)

Lime juice: 2 pints, 1 quart

Vanilla: 1 oz (1 oz = 28.3 g)

Caramel: 1.5 oz (1.5 oz = 42.5 g) or more to colour

Into every five gallons of syrup, add 2oz (2 oz = 56.6 g) of the following seven-part flavouring:

Alcohol: 8 oz (8 oz = 226 g)

Orange oil: 20 drops

Lemon oil: 30 drops

Nutmeg oil: 10 drops

Coriander oil : 5 drops

Neroli oil: 10 drops

Cinnamon oil: 10 drops

For your edifice: 1 dram = 3.55mL and 1mL = 20 drops.

What Caused The Grammy Reporter Meltdown?

We didn't watch the Grammys, but some of our readers did.

You emailed us regarding CBS2 reporter Serene Branson and the apparent health-related issues she experienced during our post-Grammys newscast.

Many of you thought she was having a stroke or it was some food related allergy.

We really don't know what happened to her while on the air, but she was examined by paramedics on scene right after her broadcast. Her vital signs were normal and she was not hospitalized.

Even though Serene says she is feeling better today, she will have a followed-up with the doctor for some medical tests.

If it turns out to be something she ate or drank, we'll follow up.

For those of you who haven't seen the video, here it is:

Disneyworld and the Nacho Lawsuit

Michael and Maria Harris are suing Walt Disney World because their 4-year-old son (above photo) was burned by hot nacho cheese last year.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court  after months of unsuccessfully trying to resolve the case out of court.

The accident  occurred while eating a Walt Disney World,  when Isaiah Harris sat down at dinner in an unsteady chair,  he grabbed the table so he wouldn't fall, his hand hit the food tray and a paper cup of nacho cheese hit his face.

The boy suffered burns to his upper lip and face and the lawsuit claims, there was no effort on behalf of Disney “to regulate and monitor the temperature of the nacho cheese which was being served to young children.”

At first the family tried to resolve the situation with Disney themselves, but when that went nowhere, they hired a lawyer.

The couple did not request a specific amount in damages they are seeking.

A Disney World representative said, “It’s unfortunate when any child is injured. We just received notice of the lawsuit and are currently reviewing it.”

British women want bigger bottoms - taking pills designed to fatten chickens.

There are a lot of British women who have become so desperate for bigger bottoms that they are taking pills designed to make chickens fatter.

The poultry tablets are full with hormones that have been linked to breast cancer and liver problems in humans.

The pills were originally used by farmers to fatten up chickens, but somewhere along the way  it was discovered that when taken by women they enhance the size of thighs, hips and bottom.

many websites are selling "herbal" versions of the tablets with names like Star Curves, Big Beautiful Butt Formula, and Brand New Booty pills.

You can find these pills on sites including Amazon, eBay and Facebook and are also advertised on reality TV star Kim Kardashian's blog.

Makers of the herbal pills claim the capsules only contain exotic plant extracts which mimic the effect of fat-building hormones.

But  many of the pills are  not regulated and those who take them cannot be sure what they contain, as a result they are basically risking their lives.

The trend for taking the tablets began in Jamaica in the 1990s.

The island's government subsequently banned them but many stores still sell them illegally.

It's On The Way - Rising Food Prices

Warnings of higher food prices is on the way for American supermarkets and restaurants.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that global demand has pushed U.S. corn supplies to their lowest levels in 15 years.

The price of corn, which has doubled over the past six months, affects almost everything in grocery stores.

Corn is used to feed the cattle, pigs and chickens that supply the meat aisles.

It is the main ingredient in many cereals and snacks. 

It is also the sweetener in most soft drinks and many foods.

Shoppers will most likely see higher grocery bills within the next as three months.

Chicken prices will be perhaps the first increase because the bird's life span is so short that higher feed costs get factored in almost imeditaly.

Price increases for pigs take about a year and cattle two years.

Price increases on packaged foods may take six or seven months to rise.

Over the past six months corn prices have risen from $3.50 a bushel to nearly $7.

International media has reported that in 2010, the prices of corn, wheat, soybean and sugar increased by more than 20 percent. In particular, the prices of wheat and corn increased by more than 60 percent.

Also, keep your eye on coffee prices.

May we suggest you start building at least a months food and water supply for back up.

DNA Links Grocery Clerk To Semen Found In Yogurt Sample Eaten By Woman

Laboratory tests have confirmed that semen found in a yogurt sample consumed by a New Mexico woman matches the DNA of a grocery store employee who was suspected in the tainting case, according to police.

The results linking Anthony Garcia, 31, to the revolting January 25 incident at Albuquerque’s Sunflower Farmers Market were received by investigators.

 A decision is being made whether to file state or federal charges against Garcia in connection with the yogurt contamination.

A January 28 search warrant authorized police to obtain blood and DNA samples from Garcia, who is currently jailed on unrelated charges. The warrant was secured after it was determined that the yogurt sample tested positive for “sperm cells” and saliva.

According to a police report, the female victim, 28, was shopping with her daughter when approached by a “pushy” Garcia, who offered her the yogurt sample. After tasting it, the woman immediately thought the sample tasted “gross and disgusting” and, cops noted, “said it tasted like ‘semen.’”

Food Tips, Just for you!

Here are a few food tips that just might help you save money by helping your food last longer.

1. To keep fresh herbs tasting fresh for up to a month, store whole bunches of your herbs, wash and seal them in plastic bags, in the freezer. When you are ready to use them use them frozen, you'll find them easier to chop, and they’ll thaw out once you put them in a hot pan.

2. You can keep flour, pasta, and rice bug proof by putting a bay leaf into the container.

3. When carrots, radishes and celery, start looking tired and limp, just place them in a bowl of iced water with a slice of raw potato and see your vegetables come back to life.

4. If you are not sure of an egg’s freshness, put it in a cup of water because fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.

5. We haven't tried this, but we've been told, if you want to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the refrigerator. Keeping it upside down creates a vacuum that slows bacteria growth.

6. Honey is amazing stuff, it's the only food that is nonperishable.

Even if it crystallizes or gets cloudy simply heat (not in the microwave, it kills the enzymes in the honey) in a cup of hot water until it becomes liquid again.
This will make the honey clear again.

7. Do you ever have left over or extra cooked pasta?

Do you struggle to keep it from hardening?

Put the extra pasta in sealed plastic bag and refrigerate it.

When you’re ready to use it again, put the pasta in boiling water for a few moments to heat and return the moisture.

8. You can prevent brown sugar from getting rock hard by putting it in the freezer.

If you already have hard brown sugar, you can soften it putting a whole apple or a piece of sliced bread in with hardened sugar. You can even microwave for 30 seconds.

9. Separate  bananas from the bunch  – they spoil less quickly this way.


Quick Tips: How to Slow Down Banana Ripening
Uploaded by Howcast. - More college and campus videos.

Dolphin Bloodbath in Japan

 

Remember when officials said the dolphins were killed humanely after 2009 Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove" told how 2,000 were killed every year in Taiji, Japan?

Fishermen claimed that piercing the animals' spinal cord with a sharp spike killed them instantly.

But this disturbing video which was shot using cameras hidden on cliffs overlooking the waters tells a different story.

The fishermen are seen driving a spike into the dolphins before ramming a wooden plug in the wound to stop all the blood from turning the ocean waters red.

Then they drown the dolphin by tying their fins and pushing them underwater.

Ric O'Barry, 71, who trained TV dolphin Flipper and filmaker who made The Cove, said: "The dolphins thrash in agony for minutes. It is beyond cruel. We knew it was a lie, but couldn't prove it until now."

We have no problem with fishing,in fact we go fishing often, and we understand the Japanese defends these killings for food as a tradition.

But we are disturbed with the methods of cruelty destroying these dolphins.

The video is not pleasant, but here's the link if you want to WATCH.

The White House Super Bowl Party

President Barack Obama and the first lady had a Superbowl party, and they weren't serving tofu and carrot sticks.

Bratwurst, kielbasa, cheeseburgers, deep-dish pizza and Buffalo wings with sides of German potato salad, twice-baked potatoes and assorted chips and dips were the healthy choices chosen by the President and his wife

Alcoholic beverages like Yuengling Lager and Light, brewed in Pennsylvania, and Hinterland Pale Ale and Amber Ale, and White House Honey Alewere were offered to the 100 or so guests to wash it all down.

Human Excrement - Selling like "Hot Cakes"

You may find this hard to swallow, but the kingdom of Kim Jong-Il known as North Korea has a fond affection for human excrement.

Yes, that's right, feces, junk, poop and according to Professor Kim Young-soo of Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea, the human excrement are selling like “hot cakes.”
According to Kim, people are using the human waste as fertilizer and shops have begun selling it because of of a fertilizer shortage.
"Each household used to use human excrement as fertilizer, but because it's hard to keep up with the amount, human manure shops showed up at markets," Professor Kim said.

So, is human waste bad for humans when used as fertilizer?
We have snooped around a little and to our surprise, this practice is more common than we we realized.

From what we understand,  "humanure" may not be unhealthy, but the thought of it may be hard to stomach.
It seems that whenever human waste has been converted into fertilizer, the crops have been substantial.

Here's a video that will show you how it all comes out.

Fresno, Calif is the drunkest city in America

Fresno must be proud, the sign above says it's the best little city in the USA.
According to Men’s Health, Fresno, Calif is also the drunkest city in America.

Men's Health magazine used data like death rates from alcoholic-induced liver disease, alcoholic-induced car crashes, frequency of binge drinking, number of DUI arrests and severity of DUI penalties.

For your own protection we have included a map so you can avoid traveling to or through Fresno.

So, Fresno is number one,  now here's the rest of the top ten drunkest cities in America:

2. Reno, Nev.

3. Billings, Mont.

4. Riverside, Calif.

5. Austin

6. St. Louis

7. San Antonio

8. Lubbock, Texas

9. Tucson

10. Bakersfield, Calif.

As far as the least drunk cities go:

1. Boston MA.

2. Yonkers, N.Y.

3. Rochester, N.Y.

4. Salt Lake City

5. Miami

6. Newark

7. Durham, N.C.

8. New York City

9. Fort Wayne, Ind.

10. Manchester, N.H.

Sal Picinich, from "Cake Boss," has died at the age of 63 from cancer

Sal Picinich, the baker on "Cake Boss," has died at the age of 63 from cancer.
For 45 years Sal worked at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, where he worked originally under "Cake Boss" star Buddy Valastro’s father.
In 2009 Picinich stopped appearing on "Cake Boss" when he started battling cancer.
"The minute he didn't go down to Carlo's Bakery was the minute I knew Sal was starting to feel pain," his wife said.
He briefly returned to "Cake Boss" last year for the Employee of the Century of the Award, which he accepted on the 100th anniversary of the bakery.

We send our condolences to all at Carlo's Bakery and to the Picinich family.

Fake Blueberries

We keep hearing how blueberries are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and manganese and most people like them.

It seems you can find blueberries in everything, packaged foods, muffin mixes and trail mixes.

Even though it appears blueberries are in everything, have you actually read the labels on those products containing blueberries? 

Things aren't always as they are presented, and even though manufacturers say they are within the labeling laws, many of those blueberry products are made without real blueberries.

The Consumer Wellness Center has made a  Food Investigations video that takes a good look at the actual blueberry content of several well known packaged foods. You'll see how Kellogs, General Mills, Betty Crocker, and others advertise whole blueberries in their cereals and mixes, but in reality it's dextrose, corn flour, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sugar, citric acid, artificial flavor, and food colorings Blue #1 and Red #40.

Here's the video: