Chicken is Not Bread

When I saw KFC's new chicken sandwich, I was almost without words. Almost.

This sandwich, the Double Down, is a sandwich with two kinds of cheese and bacon. But that's not the problem. The buns are pieces of deep-fried chicken!

KFC reps say the sandwich has 600 calories and 31 grams of fat, but Matt Goulding, author of the best-selling book, "Eat This, Not That: The Best and Worst Foods in America," said independent labs are reporting the sandwich has 1,200 calories and 50 grams of fat. I guess it's great for people who are doing the Atkins Diet, but there is no other reason why people should be eating a sandwich where the buns are pieces of chicken.

The sandwich is being tested in Providence, Rhode Island and Omaha, Nebraska. It sells for $6.99.

To me, KFC has become the restaurant that will sell anything. Remember when they offered that bowl that has everything in it that's on the KFC menu - chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, cheese? Gross. Well, it's no longer on their menu and hopefully, the double down won't be on KFC's menu for much longer either.

Shorts squabble

First Lady Michelle Obama is always in the news for her great fashion sense. But this week, she's been in the news for wearing shorts on her family vacation.

The First Family went to the Grand Canyon earlier this week and when Mrs. Obama emerged from Air Force One, the official plane for presidential travel, she was wearing shorts. Not short shorts, but shorts. And there are people who took offense at this.

The Huffington Post has a poll on its website asking if Mrs. Obama's shorts are inappropriate. Writers on the site pointed out that Mrs. Obama has received flack before for baring her arms in public. So far, 58.21 percent of the people who have taken the poll think it's modern for the First Lady to wear shorts in public; 16.8 think it's inappropriate and 25 percent said it's no big deal, but she should wear longer shorts next time.

Folks, her shorts weren't short.

Robin Givhan, a fashion editor and staff reporter for The Washington Post, said she was “ambivalent” about the First Lady’s shorts — mainly because stepping off Air Force One makes it an “official” photo and so should, perhaps, be considered a more formal moment.

“I think in many ways it’s symbolic,” Givhan explained. “We don’t see first ladies looking informal, and I think it’s a wonderful thing that she’s bringing informality to that position. But we’re still grappling with what the first lady is supposed to be all about.”

I am not ambivalent about the First Lady wearing shorts in public. First, Mrs. Obama wasn't on official business - she was on vacation with her family. And second, it was 106 degrees in Phoenix. What was she supposed to be wearing?

I'm blogging about this because it's been in the news all week, but there are far more important things in the news that we should be concerneced about, people.

Ale and altercations

Two weeks ago, Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested for allegedly being loud and tumultuous at his home. The charges were dropped a couple of days later.

His arrest sparked a discussion about race in America because Gates called the officer racist while he was being arrested.

The arrest has been in the news just about every day since July 16, when the incident happened, because President Barack Obama, who is friends with Gates, said publicly that the officer, Sgt. James Crowley, acted "stupidly" in arresting Gates. Obama later cleaned up his remarks saying that both Gates and Crowley overreacted. Going one step further, the president suggested that he, Gates and Crowley have a beer at the White House.

That meeting over beer took place yesterday.

While the comments made during the meeting have been kept private, Gates said the talk was "cordial and productive." He and the sergeant plan to meet again.

While I hate that Gates was arrested, I hope something positive can spawn from the incident. Americans need to be talking about race. I will not call Crowley, who leads workshops to reduce racial profiling, racist, but there are still racists in America and the world. Just because there is a black man in the White House, doesn't mean racism isn't still perpetuated every day.

And here are two examples: Earlier this week, Boston Police Officer Justin Barrett was suspended from the force for writing a racially-charged email about Gates, referring to him as a "jungle monkey." And the Manhattan Borough President's Press Secretary Lee Landor was forced to step down two days ago after posting on her Facebook page that Gates is "racist," referring to Obama as "O-dumb-a" and saying that racial profiling exists for a good reason.

And these were the just the incidents by public officials - just think of what happens with private citizens.

We need to take every opportunity to discuss race, to celebrate diversity and work to understand our differences. Use this teachable moment for something good.

Props to Hoda Kotb

I'm a huge fan of the "Today Show," especially the fourth hour with Kathie Lee and Hoda. While I like them equally, this morning, I had to give it up to Hoda Kotb.

The two were in San Antonio as part of a "Today Show" goes on vacation special and there was an animal segment. If you are a "Today Show" watcher, you know Hoda is not crazy about animals. It looks as if she tolerates them for the sake of her job. Well, this morning, Hoda held a buzzard, yes a buzzard, on her cowgirl hat for a couple of minutes. The bird even jumped from Hoda's hat to Kathie Lee's and back to Hoda's. I was nervous just watching.

Hoda looked terrified, but was a real trooper. There were also armadillo, rattle snake and wolf on set.

Interacting with animals would be the one thing that would freaked me out, too, if I were in Hoda's position, and there seems to be a weekly animal segment on the "Today Show." I didn't grow up with animals, so I'm not an animal lover. I could pass a cute dog on the street and ignore it. A sweet kitten could walk between my legs and I would just step over it. Most birds frighten me and let's not even get into farm animals!

But for the sake of not looking foolish, Hoda put aside her fears this morning, as she does every time she's around an animal, and took one for nature.

Props to Hoda!

Cool nights welcome

Over Memorial Day weekend, Phillip and I bought a patio set for our deck. So, lately, we've been eating outside, or just sitting on the deck and enjoying New Jersey's cool nights.

A couple of weeks ago, on an especially cool night, we talked about how great it would be if we had a fire pit. On Saturday, we bought one.

Saturday night, I grilled pizza and we sat outside eating and enjoying wine and beer being warmed by our new fire pit. We even toasted marsh mellows for dessert.

Other than my hair still smelling like smoke, it was great. The fire provided the right touch to a nice, late night dinner outside.

Are you chilly around children?

When Phillip and I got married nearly five years ago, the plan was to have a child-free day. One, we didn't want babies crying throughout the ceremony, messing up our video, and two, we didn't want to pay $60 for a child to eat - or not eat.

We kindly indicated in our invitation that the celebration was "an adult-only affair," and on the inner envelop, you know the one that lists who is actually invited to the wedding, we only listed the adults in the household.

But we received RSVP cards that were intended for just Mr. and Mrs. with Mr., Mrs., and their two, three and four kids. Either people didn't read the invitation or just ignored our request.

So, I had to make a couple of uncomfortable telephone calls to explain that Phillip and I didn't want children at our wedding, no matter how cute. Most understood, but a couple tried to stand their ground, explaining that their child is a baby, so he won't be running around and there's no need to include him in the count for the reception. But babies cry, something I never want to deal with, especially on my wedding day.

In yesterday's New York Times' Social Qs, someone asked if they were wrong in hosting an adult-only affair in their home. The couple thought they had every right to exclude kids, but some of the guests made them feel less than PC for not wanting kids there.

"Well, blood is thicker than water - which may explain the parental insistence - but it's harder to get out of the living rug. You did nothing wrong, dear hostess," is what Philip Galanes replied.

I completely agree. It's your event, so you drive the guest list. If parents can't find or won't get a babysitter, stay at home.

PETA needs to calm down

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals need to sit down somewhere.

President Barack Obama killed an ordinary housefly during an interview that aired yesterday and PETA, the folks who fight for animal rights, called the swatting an "execution" and asked the President to be more compassionate.

What?!

"We believe that people, where they can be compassionate, should be, for all animals," PETA spokesman Bruce Freidrich explained.

The group sent Obama a device that traps flies so they can then be released outside.

I am all for the ethical treatment of animals. I certainly don't want people abusing cats, dogs, elephants, tigers, etc. You get the picture. But flies? That's another story.

Flies are annoying. They aim for your food at picnics. Tickle your skin when they land on you. Buzz in your ears. Oh, how they are annoying.

I wouldn't go as far as saying flies deserved to be killed, but when they are inside - not outside where they belong - and getting on my nerves - then, I'm swatting, and if I get it, so be it.

PETA there are more important things in life than expecting people to be more compassionate toward flies.

Is Match.com mismatched?

A group of online daters have filed a lawsuit against Match.com, an Internet dating site where my husband and I met.

The federal lawsuit alleges that Match.com goaded members into renewing their subscriptions by having employees send phony romantic emails to members and in some cases, employees posed as Match.com members and even went on dates with subscribers.

Match.com spokesperson Kristen Kelly told USAToday.com that the company "absolutely does not" hire people to go on dates with members or send members misleading romantic emails. The company has about 15 million members worldwide and 250 employees.  

But plaintiff Matthew Evans said in the suit that he went out with a woman he met through the site who turned out to be nothing more than "date bait" working for the company. The relationship went nowhere, according to his suit. Evans says Match set up the date for him because it wanted to keep him from pulling the plug on his subscription and was hoping he'd tell other potential members about the pretty woman he met through the service, according to the suit.

If Match is guilty of what the daters have accused them of, then shame on them.  It's hard enough to date these days, but to be tricked into going on a date or deceived by fake emails is horrible. For some people, online dating is a big step. People are worried about the connotation it sends - that they are desperate. I have a friend who met her husband on Match.com, but didn't tell anyone how they met until after they were married because she was worried about what people would think of her.

I truly hope the accusations are false, because I'm a big cheerleader of the site, since it worked for me. But if the Internet dating site is guilty, I'm putting down my pom-poms.

 

In some states, you must pay to park

I was shocked by two things earlier this week. One, that my mother has a handicapped placard and two, that she had to pay $30 for it.

After thinking for a minute about my mother's health conditions - the heel spurs that make her heels raw and her back problems that make her sometimes walk at a snail's pace - the shock of her having a handicapped tag wore off.

But I'm still stunned that she had to pay for the placard.

My mother, who lives in Tennessee, paid $30 for hers. She said she didn't want to pay the money, but when she's in pain, but still has errands to run, she's happy she shelled out the cash for the privilege to park as close to the door as possible.

In New Jersey, where I live, the placard is free.

Charging for the placard is like punishing the handicapped on top of their disability.  I'm sure state officials can site production costs, but how much does it actually cost to print that thin blue tag?

Maybe in the states that charge for the placards and license plates officials are trying to cut back on people taking advantage of the parking privilege.  But a doctor must sign off on the application.

What do you think? Should the handicapped be charged for their placard or special plate?

Pregnancy vs. The Elderly

I was on the subway the other day and it was super crowded, so much so, that a pregnant woman was standing up. At the next stop, a few people got off and a seat opened up. As a man, who was standing tried to get the pregnant woman's attention so she could sit down, an elderly man eased into the seat. He saw the pregnant woman, but didn't get up. Eyebrows raised.

So, it made me wonder does being a senior citizen trump being pregnant when there's one seat left on the subway?

I guess the old man thought so. 

He may have been thinking, "She may be pregnant, but she's young and pregnant. I'm old." His back may have been sore and his feet may have been swollen.

I'm totally guessing here, but the woman looked like she may have been six to seven months pregnant. I wonder if she thought the old man was being insensitive. She may have been on her feet all day. She baby may have been sitting in an awkward position and sitting may have helped, but she didn't say anything. 

Should she have had to, though?

What do you think?

By the way, I was standing on the subway, but would have immediately offered her my seat if I had one to give.