Good for birdcages...maybe

I am more and more convinced that the local newspaper that we have
in our fine city is much less than fine...actually, calling it a rag may be
a compliment. I have noticed on several occasions that certain topics
that I have written about here, which are actually newsworthy, (because
I must admit, some of the things I do write about aren't exactly subjects
CNN covers!) don't get coverage in our local rag until 1-2 days later. The
most recent example of this was my blurb about the removal of most
trans-fat from the famed Girl Scout Cookies. I wrote on Friday about
it, and the story was still fresh, but not HOT off the presses; our local
'news'paper didn't have an article about it until yesterday. The post
about the peanut butter recall is another example - I wrote about it
a couple of days before the local daily decided to give it press. I guess
that is why so many people read the paper from the state capital, as
well as the nation's capital; heck, I even know loyal readers of the
famed Big Apple publication. Unfortunately, this city is not big enough
to support a 2nd daily news edition; I can remember when someone
tried to put up a rival in the past, but failed miserably. Furthermore,
we do rely on the local edition for obituaries, court reports, comics,
movie listings, ads, and naturally all the local semi-scandals. But for
any national or international news, folks simply go elsewhere, as they
know full well it won't get covered locally at all, or only after several
days. Personally, I check all news headlines on CNN TV when I have
breakfast; I also check 3-4 news sources on-line (and send the raciest
stories to Lola!). Then, if and when I have time, I will actually peruse a
newspaper, usually at the restaurant over a cup of coffee. Need to stay
informed and up-to-date, never know what non-restaurant topic may
grace this blog in the future!

#200 - all about the Girl Scout Cookies!

Believe it or not, Not Your Everyday News has just hit yet another
milestone - post #200! And I feel that I have definitely kept in line
with the title of my blog, I mean, after all, different kinds of beers,
the antics of the Dutch, Anna Nicole Smith scandals, my drama
plagued restaurant staff AND clientele, and naturally my fascinating
friends have provided me with fuel to keep this engine going. Plus
I can count on news headlines to fill in any blanks I may have; some
food or food service chain is bound to make someone sick, or a new
politician entering the national scene will definitely send us scurrying
for the Tums and Pepto! But I do have a bit of good news to report
today - Girl Scouts of the USA have announced that their delicious
cookies are now almost trans-fat free! The 2 bakeries that make the
cookies conducted numerous experiments on the recipes and found
that the flavor and texture were not compromised with the changes.
The Girl Scouts do acknowledge that most cookie varieties still have
partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, the primary source of trans-fat,
but as the amount is less than 1/2 a gram, they qualify for a zero
trans-fat label under FDA rules. The cookies are still high in sugar
and saturated fats, so they are certainly not a health food, and thus
must be eaten in moderation. hhhmmmm, when it comes to those
yummy Tagalongs, that might be easier said than done!