V- DAY in the Land

Here we are finally. It's here, election day, 11.04.08 and there's a spirit of change in the air. Can you feel it. Can you sense it? Are we ready for it? You damn right. It's all over but the shouting to come as all those, apparently about 140 million of ya, who haven't cast their ballots, need to be prepared for an onslaught of participation today. Even though I feel there will be malfunctions and misinformation in abundance. I'm hopeful that come Wednesday morning, it will truly be "morning in America." As we ponder, wait, and wonder, let's go inside another COP:24/7

COOL Cometh: As foodie, in case you don't know what that's all about. It'a person who is really into food on many levels. With that said, especially as a new administration will be faced with this issue and more. A new law called COOL (Country Of Origin Labeling) has just gone into effect — and not a moment too soon. Especially given the recent scary and appalling news about melamine being added to foods in China, including baby formula (apparently melamine makes a product look like it contains more protein). With COOL, we’ll all be able to see where everyday food comes from, including raw meat, wild and farmed fish, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, peanuts, pecans, macadamias, and whole ginseng (the goal was to label high-volume items, apparently). Of course, many fresh foods already had U.S.-grown labels (such as Vidalia onions and Florida grapefruit), so those won’t change; and of course, not all imports are bad. But it’s new power for the consumer to know what they’re buying and where it’s from, and to choose local whenever possible. Even though proudcers have taken a harsh stance about such a law, I believe that it's imperative that we know where our food stuffs are coming from, thusly giving us the choice to buy or not. If you get a chance, look at the label of your next purchase and just see where it's coming from. You may be surprised!

Maddow in the House: She's super smart. Oh so quick witted and a certain rising thorn in many of her impending interviews or exposes. Who's that girl? It's Rachel Maddow by golly! In case you've not seen or heard Ms. M, then you are in for a treat. According to a MSNBC blurb, Rachel Maddow hosts MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” featuring Maddow’s take on the biggest stories of the day, political and otherwise, including lively debate with guests from all sides of the issues, in-depth analysis and stories no other shows in cable news will cover. Maddow also continues to host “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Air America. I usually tune in to the TV version for her fast paced, let's let them have reporting for my newsy fix. However, Ms. Maddow is not of the Nancy Grace ilk, but putting her own stamp on the news industry. She can do a sly news item and then go for the jugular in a hard news item. If you get the chance, catch her in action nightly on MSNBC, Check you local listings for times or go to http://www.rachelmaddow.com/ I like her. You go girl!