On Wednesday, before seeing The Future Food, I was waiting in the Harvard Square T Stop for Jon. Usually I'm the one running late, so it was unusual for me to have to kill time, and -- both fortunately and unfortunately -- left me time to browse the Used Book Cart (hidden behind the smoothie cart) in the T concourse. It was on my mind to find a Sinclair Lewis novel after the berrating I received when readig the The Dig's "Editor's Note." As an English major I felt very sheepish at having never read this very astute author (his critiques of America are as spot-on today as they were back in the 50s).
I didn't find any Lewis, but I did find an old edition of Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain. I had heard of this book, of course, but never had any urge to read it. But sitting there quietly on the cart, this old grey hardcover (jacket cover long gone, of course) was suddenly very tempting.
I'm really enjoying it. It's one of those great books with the fake author's note in front - you know, the "I'm just a nobody recounting this true story about this guy I know." Riiiiiiight.
Hans goes to a sanitorium in the Alps to visit his sick cousin; he end's up trapped there for 7 years (apparently he gets a bout of TB -- no big surprise there). What I really find interesting is the tone. The setting is pre-Great War (as World War I is known in Europe), and yet in so many ways the book is saturated with the war. I wish I didn't have to keep coming into work. I just want to snuggle up in my Old Navy fleece pull over (thank you, Kelly, for recommending that I get one) and read.
When I leave work I'm going to Whole Foods for my first post-Future of Food shopping trip. We'll have to see how much organic food my budget can stand. Of course, the U.S. view of food in terms of budgeting is very different from Europe (who I feel have a healthier view of food). In general food is given a very small portion of the budget -- less than 10%. I think in Europe it's more like 20%. And why not, really? I'd rather by good, healthy food and fewer scarves and earrings at Filene's Basement. Well... maybe not, but I should think that way. It's a matter of conditioning.
I want to create a simpler life for myself: more quality, less stuff. But on the other hand, I love my stuff....
OK, I'm outta here. Happy Halloween, all!
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Stuff? But it's very un-American to not want to have stuff. You must buy in quantity, not for quality!
I'm always skeptical about "organic" food. I mean, there are so many different classifications for it and there really isn't a way to know whether or not you are getting something 100% organic.
Here are some fun links -- a consumer brochure from the USDA and an article abstract from Pubmed.
I agree in principle that factory farmed meat is not the way to go, but in reality, I'm not sure that I can change my eating habbits that much. Maybe becoming vegetarian is the only way to be? I don't know... But they don't nickname it "Whole Paycheck" for nothing!
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