Drivel, drivel, blah.

Today's Tids Issue 2,950

Opening Stuff:

Everybody thinks the most powerful people in food are chefs and entrepreneurs. But in fact the forces who determine what we eat are Gov agency chiefs and food company CEOs. For instance the top 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 most powerful influences on US food are two execs from Zagat,, and then  CEO's of Monsanto, Archer Daniels Midland, Walmart, Pepsi and McDonald's. Number 3 is Michael Taylor, Deputy Commisssioner for Food -- Federal Drug Administration. So when you see all of these pronouncements and "unbiased" food surveys in your local paper or on te nightly news, just remember somebody is trying to get you to do something for their benefit.

Uh-Oh. It's earnings season and it's looking flat. But for many months, here and in financial columns across the US it has been reported and opined that companies were borrowing from Peter to pay Paul when the Country re-boomed in the second half. It ain't happening. Except maybe at Netflix.

The Question:

Referring to the above item on the most powerful people in food, where do you think Michelle O ranks and which celebrity chefs rank the highest on the list of the Top 50?

The Headlines:
--Teacher Dies Saving Kids In Sparks Middle School Shooting.
--Obama Talk Gives Few Hints About Troubles With Exchange Intro; Pregnant Part Of Human Wallpaper Faints.
--Software developers Say they Were Given Unrealistic Deadlines; Many Red Flags Sent Up To Admin Were Ignored.
--Bloomberg to Send $1.1 In Support Of McAuliffe; For First Time In Histiory Richmond Times-Dispatch Says It Cannot Endorse Any Candidate For Gov.
--Oil Kingdom Brunei To Embrace Sharia Law.
--Extremist Rebels In Syria Blocking Measures For Negotiated End To War.
--Consumer Reports Advises, "Stay Away from OC For Month".
--China Content Over Their Handling Of Tibet Situation.

Most reasonably thinking people believe a little jail time for Jamie Dimon et. al. is the only way to get the big financial behemoths back on the straight and narrow. $13 Billion...piffle. $13 bil is only half their profit. How painful is that?

Employers are always looking for employees who are good listeners. Unfortunately most people with that attribute work for the NSA.

I'm hearing that Monica Lewinski has gone into computer programming as her new career. In fact, I hear she designed the ObamaCare computer system. That explains a lot about the problems with the hard drive.

Either television commercials are becoming bad, or I've morphed in to a super sophisticate in my older age.

Can you imagine the bile spewing from the media if George Bush was in charge of the ObamaCare mess?

All of the sports experts are immeresed in that wierd and surprising penalty call that essentially gave the Jets a victory over the NE Pats. The reason the Jets won is because the Pats played like crap. Let's dwell on the shortcomings of a team, which in the last three games made just 5 first downs out of 39 third down opportunities . And, the defense, well the defense was a sieve allowing the Jets to move the ball almost at will at times. There is just too much talk in the world and most of it misses the point. That's what happens when talk becomes entertainment.

The Answer:

Michelle ranks 24th on the list of most powerful foodies. The GM of the Food Network is #12. The first chef to appear, Jose Andres, hits the list at 18. Some others are Mario Batali (25), Alice Waters (30), Grant Achatz (34), Wolfgang Puck (36), and then forty to fifty-- Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, Guy Fieri and Danny Meyer.

Well, got to run. I'll be trying to get out some Tids during the next five or six weekday mornings, but don't be surprised if you have to face the day Tidless! Horrors.