Sugar Should Be Regulated As Toxin, Researchers Say

Tell me this is a nightmare. I SAID TELL ME!!!

Sugar and other sweeteners are, in fact, so toxic to the human body that they should be regulated as strictly as alcohol by governments worldwide, according to a commentary in the current issue of the journal Nature by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). (emphasis mine)

First of all, that whole “regulating alcohol” bit won’t wash, seeing as every government has its own laws about consumption, and they are all different. Maybe I’m misunderstanding it, but my guess is the researchers want the regulations to be as strict as OUR alcohol laws, not Spain’s. They go on to tell us that over 67% of our population is overweight, and half of those are considered obese, and of those that are obese, 80% will suffer from diabetes or other metabolic diseases, and that 75% of U.S. health-care dollars are spent on such diseases.

You knew it was coming down to money, right?

They also note that even though the role of sugar in obesity is not well known, we still need to learn us some prehistorical stuff.

From an evolutionary perceptive, sugar in the form of fruit was available only a few months of the year, at harvest time, the UCSF researchers said. Similarly, honey was guarded by bees and therefore was a treat, not a dietary staple.

Having studied Nutritional Anthropology, I can tell you that makes sense. But what the researchers forget to add is, we evolved right along with our diet. They forget about the Theory of Evolution when it’s convenient.

I did say this was about money, right?

Lustig, a medical doctor in UCSF’s Department of Pediatrics, compares added sugar to tobacco and alcohol (coincidentally made from sugar) in that it is addictive, toxic and has a negative impact on society, thus meeting established public health criteria for regulation. Lustig advocates a consumer tax on any product with added sugar.

Among Lustig’s more radical proposals are to ban the sale of sugary drinks to children under age 17 and to tighten zoning laws for the sale of sugary beverages and snacks around schools and in low-income areas plagued by obesity, analogous to alcoholism and alcohol regulation.

This is a bit too radical, even for San Francisco. And economists agree!

Economists at Iowa State University led by John Beghin suggest taxing the sweetener itself at the manufacturer level, not the end product containing sugar.

Because as we all know, the manufacturer would never, ever pass along that tax to the consumer, right?

First we regulate trans fats, then we regulate salt, and now sugar. Alcohol is made from sugar. I wonder how that will be greeted by distilleries. Now, I’m not saying there are no obese people. But what happened to fats being the culprit? Or carbohydrates?

What about lack of exercise?? When I was in school, we had PE every day. We could go outside after lunch and play in the playground, or as we got older, we walked around greeting people and hanging out. Here in this school district, PE is done 2 or 3 times a week at the elementary level, and you must stay seated at the cafeteria table until the teacher dismisses your class. Intermediate is 3 times a week, and you must also stay at the cafeteria table. Hell, you have to raise your hand to get permission from a teacher to go to the bathroom during lunch. As kids we were very active in school. Things have changed.

But sugar is to blame for obesity now.

I feel the need for some very rich chocolate right now.

Fold-up car of the future unveiled for Europe

That’s right: a car that folds up. I don’t know about y’all, but “folding” is something I look for in clothing, not a vehicle.

The “Hiriko,” the Basque word for “urban,” is an electric two-seater with no doors whose motor is located in the wheels and which folds up like a child’s collapsible buggy, or stroller, for easy parking.

With the motor in the wheels and only a lightweight plastic cover to shield the sole passenger, I can’t imagine what could possibly go wrong. However, I’m sure that the Europeans in charge of this deathtrap car of the future have that covered.

“European ideas usually are developed in the United States. This time an American idea is being made in Europe,” consortium spokesman Gorka Espiau told AFP.

See that? Who do you think will get sued when the first casualties begin to amass? Not the Basque companies. It is an American design, after all. They see it as a city-owned vehicle to rent out for use in congested areas, and as for the speed, it would be electronically set to the city speed limits.

What cracks me up, aside from knowing the mortality rates probably will be going up across Europe, is the fact that this vehicle is completely electric, and yet most of the cities to which it is destined are having power crises. And who will be paying for the electricity used for the little buggers? Why, just impose another tax hidden among the others, because the rent of the bug cart will be slated as revenue for the city.

I can’t wait to see what happens when this thing gets hit by a Ford truck. Shit… I can’t wait to see what happens when it gets hit by a Smart Car!!!

Seriously, doesn’t this make you feel good??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSZcOhADbk8

If I smoked, I would soooo need a cigarette right about now

That kind of icing has no calories, and it’s so good for you.

No, the reason I was happy, gloriously happy, is due to the fact that after this spewage:

….Bill Maher can’t be reached for comment. He is no longer vacationing in Hawaii, but his twitterings have been silent for a few days. I can’t imagine why, can you?

Of course I could be over-reaching here, and it may just boil down to the fact that Mr. Tebow happened to have dated* this young lady:

That would be enough to drive a 55 year old to boozing and bitching, especially when he is known for dating women whose resumés included porn films and strip clubs, and looked every bit like they did.

*(Thanks to Lizard for the info)

Anyway, as we all know, our friend Radical Redneck lives in the mad environs of New York. Yes, pity him, but not too much. Due to his proximity, he Lizard was able to snag pics of Olbie’s Current (heh!) office, while on a visit. It must have been so sad to leave an office here:

Yep, 30 Rock, where the bitching du jour was over a glass door to his office. Now, the poor sap has to deal with this as his office:

Yep, a trailer. I can’t make this stuff up.

I bet he wishes he still had that glass door at 30 Rock.

Pics courtesy of Radical Redneck Lizard

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) will announce Monday that he is not seeking re-election, a spokesman said Monday morning.

Gee, I wonder why? It’s not like he doesn’t have one of the safest seats, right? Could it have something to do with him being the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee? Or maybe it could be allegations of insider trading? Maybe the guy is tired after 16 terms serving his constituency? Or maybe he’s tired after 16 terms of helping himself to the trough?

Whatever the reason, I’m sure he will miss Intern Week™.

Just tell us commander, give us our orders and tell us where we’re going. Give us the mission.

Spoken like a real journalist.

The only thing Matthews is feeling right now is the pee running down his leg.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Thursday that the buck stopped with him over the half-billion dollar loan made to California solar company Solyndra, using a hearing on Capitol Hill to take responsibility for the failed investment while continuing to defend his actions as not politically motivated.

This imbroglio just keeps getting thicker, and that is only aided by partisan hackery, of course.

[Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO)] complained about the recent Republican decision to issue a subpoena to the White House over Solyndra despite “good-faith efforts” by the White House to comply.

What “good faith efforts”? Ignoring a subpoena is not a “good faith effort” by any definition. That falls under “obstruction” where I come from. But Chu is putting up some sort of fight, just enough to save Department face. However, the fact that he approved a restructuring of Solyndra’s debt that allowed two private investors to move ahead of taxpayers won’t look good for him, especially in light of his insisting that taxpayers still are first in line. He does keep pushing the AGW Koolaid™, though.

“When it comes to the clean energy race, America faces a simple choice: compete or accept defeat. I believe we can and must compete,” he said.

Compete?? COMPETE?? If there were anything to “compete” in, we wouldn’t need subsidies in the “clean energy” field, would we??

Does this man have any idea of the shitstorm coming his way?

Students Lose Zeal for Aiding Obama Again

Poor kids…. so disappointed in having to live in the Real World™ now that they are graduating from college and can’t find jobs.

Ms. Guerrero said that she did not blame Mr. Obama for the 13.4 percent unemployment rate that has gripped this state, and that she was still likely to vote for him. But as she looks to graduation this June and her job hunt ahead, the emotion she feels is fear, and she cannot imagine having the time or spirit to work for Mr. Obama.

{snip}

He hasn’t really addressed the young people, and we helped him to get elected.”

Hm….considering her entire state of Nevada is practically run by Democrats, whose fault is it?? And exactly what did you expect him to address? The only thing he likes addressing is a golfball across a green.

Mr. Obama’s campaign manager, Jim Messina, said there had been eight million voters ages 18 to 21 registered since the last election, most of whom were Democrats.“Their brothers and sisters started it, and they are going to finish it,” Mr. Messina said Monday. “They are storming into our office. Our volunteer numbers are up from where we thought they would be.”

Hey, indoctrination works! Guess what, Mr. Messina. Those “brothers and sisters” are seeing their brothers and sisters returning home jobless and putting further strain on the families. Just because they registered as Democrats since the last election doesn’t mean they will be voting Democrat in the next election. Hell, it doesn’t mean they will even vote!! And as for your volunteer numbers being up from where they would be, well, it’s easy when you start at zero, isn’t it?

I have hope that these kids start waking up to the nightmare they helped to foster. I’m not holding my breath, though.

This is the work of Exurban League. They are now in the demigod ranks.