TheAgitator.com
Links for 8/27/08
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008In case you’re worried about him, Ted Stevens won his primary
Brass balls award: Seattle Councilman pays fine for ethics violation with city funds
Challenge to cutting world carbon: China’s power emissions to increase by 1/3 this year
New EU regulation bans cake consumption at baking contests. Seriously. Correction: Commenter j. a. higginbotham notes that this is an exaggeration.
In Canada, at least, some positive steps toward food deregulation
“Capitalism is a wonderful thing; but it shouldn’t apply to health care.” This apparently includes medical marijuana.
Study reveals crows can recognize human faces
At the Windmill Theatre, the study of anatomy is a long tradition
re: crows
in a deliberate gesture of civic generosity, a Dick Cheney mask as “neutral.”
Um, that’s not generosity. That’s fucking charitable as all hell.
Given Cheney’s prowess with a shotgun, “neutral” might be pretty accurate from a bird’s point of view.
I’ll take “Things I Should Have Seen Coming” for 400, Alex.
LMAO, Jacob! :D
LOL.
Damn. That’s beyond brass balls to pay for ethics violations from city funds after being directed to pay them out of your own pocket.
SEÁN Mac CONNELL, Agriculture Correspondent
IRISH PEOPLE can still have their cake and eat it, says the European Commission, which has described as “Euro-lies” reports that competition cakes at agricultural shows would have to be destroyed after judging.
It was reported that new European Union regulations had banned the consumption of cakes and confectionery at country fairs and agricultural shows after baking competitions.
But Martin Territt, director of the European Commission representation in Ireland, said EU rules covered only food businesses, so agricultural shows were free to go on having traditional cake competitions.
“This story is a typical Euro-lie and is completely false.
“There are no EU rules banning the eating of cakes at agricultural shows.
“Any rules are only there to cover businesses. In fact, they specifically protect agricultural cake fairs and other traditional events,” he said.
“People producing food occasionally and on a small scale are not covered by the rules.
“The ‘new’ EU food hygiene legislation was written into Irish law in 2006 (SI369/2006).
“There is no national scheme covering cake competitions at fairs or shows,” Mr Territt said in a statement.
“Operations such as the occasional handling, preparation, storage and serving of food by private persons at events such as church, school or village fairs are not covered by the scope of the Regulation,” the statement added.
It had been claimed that following adjudication of cakes, the items had to be destroyed immediately and that the rules were already in force in Scotland.
In a statement yesterday, the Scottish Food Standards Agency said there was nothing in EU legislation which prevented the consumption of competition cakes after judging.
But, it said, as with all safe food preparation, basic principles of hygiene should be followed.
“A common sense approach should be taken and obviously if there are cream cakes and they have been left sitting without any temperature control then clearly they should not be eaten,” it added.
© 2008 The Irish Times
Is anyone else freaked out by the fact that they specifically exempted “traditional events?”
On crows:
Speaking as one who has had a crows as pets for quite a while they do indeed know different people. Incredibly intelligent birds who also can learn to mimic the human voice. And no, you don’t have to split their tongues so they can do so.