Tuesday, August 1st, 2017
KRISTINA RIZGA, - Mother Jones
Stephan: What is being done to public education is a matter of particular concern because schools create the citizens of tomorrow, and this is a very nasty tale indeed. This is the Christofascist plan to create a pliable populace for the future, and to make a profit in the process.
Credit: Tim O’Brien
It’s Christmastime in Holland, Michigan, and the northerly winds off Lake Macatawa bring a merciless chill to the small city covered in deep snow. The sparkling lights hanging on trees in downtown storefronts illuminate seasonal delicacies from the Netherlands, as well as photos and paintings of windmills and tulips, wooden shoes, and signs that read “Welkom Vrienden” (Welcome, Friends)
More than 150 years ago, Dutch immigrants from a conservative Protestant sect chose western Michigan as the setting for this idealized replica of Holland, in part because of its isolation. They wanted to keep American influences away from their orthodox community. Until recently, Holland restaurants couldn’t sell alcohol on Sundays. Residents are still not allowed to yell or whistle between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. If city officials decide that a fence or a shed signals decay, they can tear it down and mail the owner a bill. Grass clippings longer than eight inches have to be removed and composted, and snow must be shoveled soon after it lands on the streets. Most […]
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Tuesday, August 1st, 2017
Stephan: Everyone once in a while, not very often thankfully because I hate to be embarrassed, something needs to be corrected. Yesterday I ran a piece on olive oil. It wasn't wrong fundamentally, but it had errors and should be considered mixed. Here is the corrective information. My apologies for not digging deeper.
CLAIM
A study showed 69% of all store-bought extra virgin olive oils in the US are ‘probably fake.’ See Example(s)
RATING
MIXTUREWHAT’S TRUE
Testing carried out in 2008 and 2010 reported that some popular olive oil brands did not meet the criteria to be labeled as “extra virgin.”
WHAT’S FALSE
Tests did not show that 69% of the olive oil sold in the U.S. is made wholly or primarily from something other than olives.
ORIGIN
In early March 2015, an article titled “Fake Olive Oil: What You Need to Know [Now]” began circulating via social media, focusing on the health benefits of olive oil and making the claim that 69% of store-bought olive oils are “probably fake.”
Predictably the claim was well-circulated among health buffs, as olive oil is prized for its status as a heart-healthy food. The prospect of counterfeit olive oil caused many diners to wonder what might be lurking in their bottles of Bertolli and whether there was cause for concern over adulterants and impurities.
Given the wording […]
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