A Better Egg McMuffin?

I have not one shred of evidence to prove the belief that: happier chickens produce better, tastier and healthier eggs.

But if McDonald's follows through with the proposed study to see how egg suppliers can give the chickens a better life we may all find out. The study's actual purpose if to see if producers can maintain production in a cage-free environment. A secondary consequence will be better eggs, I believe, and I'm all for it.

By the way, the average space that an egg producing chicken gets is 70 square inches.

How many eggs does McDonald's use per day?
1. 80,000
2. 220,000
3. 520,000

The full report: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business

Blogging for Dollars . . .

A Sunday Reflection

I have read that some people start blogs to make money. I didn't. Thankfully.

I did do a search on the subject of "blogging and money" and found a plethora, yes a plethora, of make money now websites, with the requisite pictures: the sports car, the beach road, and all things jiggling that come with both. All I had to do was buy the $39.95 report (today only).

I didn't pony up the 39 bucks so I guess I'm stuck with what I have: Google ads revenue of $54 in two years. Or 7 cents a day.

I do believe that most of us, especially yours truly, are better off in Aristotle's Golden Mean. Enough money, respect, and pleasure to keep us modestly comfortable -- but not indulgently comfortable. Everyone needs a little failure, a little discomfort, and a rejection or two to keep us on the straight and narrow. Part of the trick in a good life is knowing when to accept the pain, and indeed, when to embrace it.

One final disclosure. The $54 is still "in potentia," I don't get the check from Google until I reach $100.

At the current rate, that's 2011. Until then, I'm still working for food . . . that I cook.

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Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

Abraham Lincoln

How to Cook Barbecue Beef Ribs (at home)

Well, there they go again.

Just one day after Food and Fort Worth does a widely reviewed post on barbecue, and I notice that some website called, what was it, oh yea, . . . the New York Times . . . copy the idea and do an article on Texas-style barbecue beef ribs. Post robbers.

Actually, their's is a very detailed explanation on how to cook ribs at home. Excellent piece.

I have said it before and I will say it again. The New York Times website is an easily accessed, easy to read, and usable newspaper website for food lovers. If they are a 10 the Star Telegram website is a 1. I hate to admit that but I think it is true.

Here's the ribs link: http://www.nytimes.com

Photo from New York Times

Fort Worth's Best Barbecue

I like my beef barbecue smoked, sliced, served on a fresh bun, and topped with just a touch of sauce. For sides, I choose pinto beans with a jalapeno and potato salad. Good barbecue is an art that few master because to do it right you need time, the right temperature, moisture and the right smoke. In Fort Worth we are fortunate to have some masters: Angelo's, Railhead, Cousins, Colters, etc.

Cousins received a little national recognition this week when it was announced that Good Morning America considers it in the top 4 nationwide. The GMA Best Barbecue segment will be aired on May 23.*

Who has the best sliced beef sandwich in Fort Worth? You tell me.

Cousins Barbeque: http://www.cousinsbbq.com

Fort Worth Business Press: http://www.fwbusinesspress.com

On Being Serious. Or Not.

Steve Martin as the Pink Panther.

For some reason it hit me the other day that the congenitally serious person kind of bugs me. I am not referring to the rare person not blessed with a sense of humor, but to the person who refuses a sense of humor. As if humor was below his or her station in life.

I have never had that problem. As a matter of fact, my sister once told me that the male species, as a rule, hits the age of 15 and stops. I had to identify. The oddest things get me sometimes. Many years ago and late at night, my wife told me her uncle's name was Cuthbert. We laughed so hard we cried. It's really not that funny, but at the moment the currently out-of-circulation name tickled us and wouldn't let go.

Laughter is human. Uniquely human. Maybe even necessary to one's sense of humanness. Sometimes when we are laughing with friends or family we know that things are good, and a very few times in life, we know that things are almost perfectly good; and we want time to stop at that moment of enjoyment, but it doesn't.

I know we live in dire times of serious problems, and that our eternal destiny is no laughing matter, and that our problems are serious, but, well . . .

Take the word obfuscate. It is funny to me, no matter what is going wrong; but only seeing the definition, the literal, the univocal, makes us less human.

And that is not funny.