Russian officials apparently consider it somewhat likely that a US-based video game that allows users to shoot people in a fictious Russian airport could have contributed to the attack that killed 35 people. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” allows users to simulate a terrorist attack in the airport. YouTube clips from the game have been seen more than 500,000 times.
Take a look at the picture below, from Cairo. Also, Mother Jones provides a succinct explanation of what’s happening.
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Alabama law firm Beasley Allen filed a class-action lawsuit against Taco Bell for false advertising, alleging that the chain’s beef products contain very little actual meat.
The suit, which does not ask for money, claims that just 35 percent of tacos are actually solid, while just 15 percent contains actual protein. Taco Bell advertises the products as “seasoned ground beef or seasoned beef.”
After testing the product, the lawyers find that the meat filling actually contains “water, isolated oat product, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, anti-dusting agent, autolyzed yeast extract, modified corn starch and sodium phosphate, as well as some beef and seasonings.” The official ingredient list (under “seasoned ground beef”) is available here.
I agree with Grist that the best part of the story is the statment from a Taco Bell representative:
“Taco Bell prides itself on serving high quality Mexican inspired food with great value. We’re happy that the millions of customers we serve every week agree,” Rob Poetsch said. He said the company would “vigorously defend the suit.”
Here’s a classic example of my agreeing with a person’s larger point, while being appalled by the tone they take to prove it. Food critic Ari LeVaux writes for The Atlantic and has a syndicated column called “A Flash in the Pan,” which appears in 21 states. (An aside: LeVaux also published an article in support of Franzia and other boxed wines for The Atlantic.)
In a Jan. 24 article, he describes the difficult life of a food critic. It may seem glamorous to us, but LeVaux assures us that life is really hard. You have to eat lots of bad food. More importantly, though, you have to taste food that goes against your principles. LeVaux, for example, would consider himself a militant locavore were it not for his job. Being a critic also forces him to consume more grease and fats than he would ordinarily. He points out that argue against factory farmed meats and high-fat foods in his articles, but fears his audience would tire of the proselytizing fairly quickly (he’s right about that).
Now, LeVaux makes valid points about the problems within the restaurant industry. There is too much fat and grease in the cooking, to make up for a lack of flavor. People consume food too often without knowing its origins. We rely heavily on factory farmed meat, and eat animals who enjoyed no quality of life.
A quick word to Mr. LeVaux, though. If you believe that strongly in the evils of the restaurant world, change jobs. Your life isn’t that hard. In fact, you have a job many people would kill for.
Not Intent on Arriving 