Thursday, May 31, 2012

....have a drink on me

Want to super-size that soda? Sorry, but in New York City you could be out of luck.

In his latest effort to fight obesity in this era of Big Gulps and triple bacon cheeseburgers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing an unprecedented ban on large servings of soda and other sugary drinks at restaurants, delis, sports arenas, and movie theaters.

Drinks would be limited to 16 ounces, which is considered a small serving at many fast-food joints. "The percentage of the population that is obese is skyrocketing," Bloomberg said Thursday on MSNBC. He added: "We've got to do something."

Wait! Stop. Let me decide what I want to drink…and how much. This is horseshit. Last time it was salt intake and burgers. Don't we have more important issues in NYC? What's next...a limit on toilet paper?

It is the first time an American city has directly attempted to limit soda portion sizes, and the soft-drink industry and others bitterly accused the three-term mayor of creating a "nanny state" and robbing New Yorkers of the right to decide for themselves. The people of New York City are much smarter than the New York City Health Department believes. New Yorkers expect and deserve better than this. They can make their own choices about the beverages they purchase.

The ban is expected to win approval from the Bloomberg-appointed Board of Health and take effect as soon as March. City officials said they believe it will ultimately prove popular and push governments around the U.S. to adopt similar rules. The ban would apply only to sweetened drinks over 16 ounces that contain more than 25 calories per 8 ounces. (A 12-ounce can of Coke is about 140 calories. Plastic bottles of Coke and other soft drinks often contain 20 ounces).

It wouldn't affect diet soda, any drink that's at least 70 percent juice or one that is at least half milk or milk substitute. Nor would it apply to drinks sold in many supermarkets or convenience stores. Businesses would face fines of $200 per failed inspection.

City officials said some calorie-heavy drinks such as Starbucks Frappuccino would probably be exempted because of their dairy content, while Slurpees and Big Gulp drinks at 7-Eleven wouldn't be affected because the convenience stores are regulated as groceries.

Does any of this crap make sense? (Sorry....not a square to spare).....

Thursday, May 10, 2012

...please...just shut up

Somewhere along the line I fell asleep and when I opened my eyes, the topics in the world seemed to change. Now I know that it has been 'cool' to talk about all of this like we are "experts" on the subject....but hear me out for a moment. When in the hell is this topic going to end?

If everyone has the "right" to talk about this until they are blue-in-the face, it is equally my "right" to not have to listen to it...and I do not have to agree with it. Sure, it is ok for someone to "love" another person. Of course! (just shut the hell up please).

Would you like to hear something? I do not give a shit. And honestly, most people do not but they are afraid to rock the boat by being honest.

To use an analogy: You could pass a law that says oranges now are apples. But oranges will never look like apples or taste like apples or be apples no matter how many laws we pass, nor will they ever produce the same seeds as apples.

Just because we recognize this reality does not mean we have animosity toward oranges. In fact, we can like both oranges and apples and still hold an opinion that they are different. While this example may seem silly, it illustrates that the proposed radical experiment with same-sex marriage attempts to achieve the impossible.

Working to protect marriage is not mean-spirited. It is the legitimate response of the majority of people who want what is best for individuals, children and our society, and therefore want to preserve the proven and essential institution of marriage.