Six Flags over Texas cutting trans fat from its menu.
Brian Noble said:
However, for those choices to be useful, there must also be transparency. I'd rather see SFOT provide nutritional information at each food service outlet than to make almost any other change.
Nutrition information would be nice. Allergen content would be even better. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it isn't (gluten is in a LOT of things you wouldn't expect, for instance)
--Greg
"You seem healthy. So much for voodoo."
Back to topic-- the main problem with trans fat isn't so much weight gain (all fat has the same calorie content, although if I'm not mistaken, higher trans fat consumption does lead to more weight gain-- can't remember the details there) but the fact that it clogs up the arteries soooo much faster. Has to do with the shape of the fat molecules.
I would LOVE to see more nutrition info posted. I was shocked to find out that my fave grilled chicken club from McD's that I THOUGHT was healthy, has more calories than a quarter pounder with cheese. Less saturated fat, but more calories. Phooey. A regular grilled chicken sandwich has more calories than a QP without cheese. What gives?
I usually actually eat healthier at a park-- part of that has to do with the heat. When I'm hot, I don't have much of an appetite. Give me some fruit, and some grilled chicken, and I'm good. And LOTS of water-- and please don't charge a fortune for it! :) Though a funnel cake is mandatory!
Cat Purrson
Cats, books, and roller coasters-- three of the best G-rated, calorie-free pleasures in life! 
Charles Nungester said:
Im not going nuts, Im going nuts on nutty people, weak minded ones who would let others make their decisions, choices and thoughts be influenced by Sean Penn, Oprah Winfrey, Cher and Al Gore.
What about "weak minded" people who let science inform their decisions? Or their consciences? When a celebrity quotes fact, it doesn't become less factual. When an celebrity makes a sound argument, it's not less sound. When a celebrity points out injustice, it's not less unjust. When a celebrity points out a danger, it's not less dangerous.
Or should we just make up our uninformed minds, stick our heads in the ground and repeat sound bites rather than engaging in discourse? (Which seems to be the M.O. in politics on both sides of the aisle these days)
*** Edited 2/24/2007 9:26:19 PM UTC by ApolloAndy***
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
Re: Seatbelts and seatbelt laws, I've always worn one since I started driving so I actually feel weird riding without one. But most cars now come with some kind of obnoxious alarm that goes off if not only the driver, but the front seat passenger, fail to engage their seat belts. So if you want to exercise your freedom not to wear a seatbelt, you will actually have to pay to bypass the circuitry, if it can be done.
Re: trans-fats (aka partially-hydrogenated fats) I pretty much agree with the line people have followed so far. It is ironic though that amid all the fuss about how trans-fats are bad for your health, the foods that actually have been killing people in the past few years include green onions, spinach, lettuce, and peanut butter. Maybe government should be passing laws ensuring that food is pathogen free before being sold and consumed-- and enforcing it.
Re: the environment. I heard something briefly on the radio last week that to bring attention to the issue of global warming, in July there will be a mega concert to be performed and filmed on all seven continents simultaneously. My question is, how are they going to run a concert in Antarctica? Really long extension cords? Fossil fueled generators?
How do the crew and performers get there? Swimming? Canoes? And wouldn't setting up lights, instruments, sound systems, etc., affect the natural ecosystem? I laugh at the hypocrisy that the average person will be "forced" to sacrifice by regulation while the celebrity culture continues to live its ultra-consumptive lifestyles. But they'll speak out about global warming so it's all OK. And meanwhile China and India, as developing countries, continue to spew all sorts of pollutants into the air and water unabated.
Re: ANS, at least we can be certain that nobody posting on this site is the father of the child.
I'm so ashamed of myself but it wasn't my fault. I was intoxicated on trans-fat, while snorting car fumes, experiencing a febrile state from global warming, listening to the rants of Sean Penn and Al Gore, while strapped down with seatbelts (ANS kind of got off on BDSM). :) I just couldn't help myself. Just don't tell my wife and kids. ;)
We can't be expected to understand all of this unless some talking head on the 6 o'clock nes "dumbs it down" for our consumption.
Besides, who's going to listen to some geeky scientist they've never heard of before, when there's a celebrity they *know* thru TV and movies who can explain complex problems in readily-consumable sound-bytes...
Yes, I prefer Olbermann and Colbert to O'Reilly and Cowboy Dick Cheney, but I'm not going to let ANY of them tell me how to think - I got my own brain for that... ;)
-Anonymous (maybe I just made it up :)
Charles Nungester said:
When a celebrity quotes something, Theres usually money involved.
I think when the current administration and their oil company buddies counter sound science, there is money involed. ;)
Coaster Junkie from NH
I drive in & out of Boston, so I ride coasters to relax!
Coaster Junkie from NH
I drive in & out of Boston, so I ride coasters to relax!
I do have to thank you for referring to this site as a BBS. I'd never really thought of it like that, but it brings me back to my DOS, pre-internet days when I used to dial into BBS's on other people's computers.. That was back in the day when Prodigy was still a popular nationwide service, and AOL didn't have an unlimited access plan. Wow. I feel old now. :)
[/memory lane]
Back before the dot com bubble, you could call it a "local" version of the internet. Most BBSs were free. People known as "SysOps" (System Operators) would run a program on their computer where other people could dial in and connect to their computer. It was a closed system, though, so I couldn't access your hard drive - only the BBS software that you were running to answer the modem call. The main functions were a message board, file sharing ("Shareware"), and online games (also known as "doors"). Everything was in ASCII graphics, and then later with color in ANSI. Occasionally you ran into a multi-line BBS (which were usually a membership fee because of the high cost of multiple phone lines and often a dedicated computer) and that had chat functions. There was even a magazine called 'BoardWatch Magazine' that ranked the top 100 nationwide! It was very local because most users were kids like I was, and couldn't afford exorbitant long-distance fees that existed at the time to dial outside of the area. In fact, it was very common to have a 'board picnic' where the SysOp would throw a party where almost all the members would show up (usually on the order of 50-100)
Edit: It's not so much about being computer literate. I don't know if there are any still around (I doubt it) because it seemed to dry up about a year after Windows 95 came out, and that's when I got out of it. The popularity of the internet (and when AOL switched to unlimited access) really killed it. It was largely a geek thing. Most people have never heard of BBSs, except people like me who were "geeky" in the early 90s. *sigh* I miss my all-time favorite door, TradeWars. Although L.O.R.D. by Seth Able was by far the most popular ("Legend Of the Red Dragon"). Anyone else here remember that? He also wrote a space exploration door that was similar to LORD but the name escapes me at the moment.
*** Edited 2/26/2007 10:09:28 PM UTC by dannerman***
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