* In another display of his infinite wisdom, our president recently stated that food prices are going up because … wait for it … India’s growing middle class is getting richer and eating too much. First our jobs, now our food? How dare those incorrigible browns! In response, Indians folded up their collective lungi and spat in disgust. India’s commerce minister Jairam Ramesh replied that “George Bush has never been known for his knowledge of economics” while economists cited culprits such as America’s higher food consumption (and obsession with liposuction), our government’s practice of farm subsidies and the declining value of the dollar. Oh, you mean “falling home prices, fewer jobs and shrinking paychecks” are America’s problems and that we can’t outsource the blame?
* Canada’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics presents free online videos of lectures on hot topics in modern physics by experts in the field. Interesting talks include Frank Wilczek’s The Origin of Mass and the Feebleness of Gravity, Leonard Susskind’s The Black Hole Wars and Neil Turok’s What Banged?
* Since we can all use an Aaaw Cute moment in our hectic lives, I give you a picture of a baby ginger monkey. Resist his big eyes, little paws and overall cuteness. Just try to avert your eyes like Colbert couldn’t resist the little Thai bear. “I want to take him home and name him Nappy.”
I’m surprised more hay hasn’t been made out of Bush’s comments blaming India’s middle class for the food crisis because they’re “demanding better nutrition.” So ignorant and hypocritical on so many different levels.
The global food crisis is something I’d like to speak about more. It’s a tough concept to wrap the brain around.
I’d like America’s middle class to start demanding better nutrition too. Any truth to the rumor that ketchup is a vegetable?