continuing on the fast food rants...i got my paperback copy of fast food nation from amazon last week. if i wasn't already in the middle of two other books, i'd be done by now, but i am only a couple chapters in. fascinating. i *know* we are manipulated by advertising, but i guess i never realized just how serious it was. the chapter i am reading now concerns the marketing deals that schools have started making with soft drink and fast food companies. remember when the closest thing to 'fun' food you got with your school lunch was on pizza fridays? when you were jealous of the one kid with the coke can in his metal he-man lunchbox? now kids can purchase fast food at their schools. i thought that was a right of passage for high schoolers - as soon as you get to go off campus for lunch, you can start eating taco bell for lunch. corporate sponserships are now a significant part of many school budgets. "in kansas city they were getting 67¢ a kid, now it's $27," said one marketer. why do we need these corporate sponserships to fund schools? why can't the government provide sufficient funds to operate the public edcuation system? it's a terrible cycle, but all the corporations are happy, as kids are ideal customers - an eight year old has about 65 years of purchasing in front of them.

at our local mcdonalds, which is a block from a high school and two blocks from the city college, there is a sign for a 'student special' - an egg mcmuffin and a soda for 99 ¢. between the hours of 7am and 9am. a soda? with an egg mcmuffin? that early in the morning? americans drink soda at a rate of approximately 600 12-ounce cans per year. liquid candy, with about 10 teaspoons of sugar per can. yup. soda and an egg mcmuffin. such a healthy wholesome way to start your day.

i guess i am somewhat of an oddity - i rarely drink soda. mind you, in college i sucked down a two liter bottle of diet dr pepper every other day. the heat of sacramento summers stopped that. in 105 degree weather, soda does not sound thirst quenching. just stopped drinking it one day. and now only drink it every so often. nothing wrong with drinking some soda, but it certainly shouldn't be the primary beverage for kids...at least, in my opinion.