Monday--

Cold--Cold--Cold!!!! Hummm, did I say "cold?" Chicago temps at 0*. Ours ranged from 2* to 5* depending on who was reporting with wind chills well below 0*. We had an errand on Saturday, a necessary errand, so we picked up a couple of items that will tide us over this week so we don't have to do our usual shopping. Since the next week is either very cold or snowy/rainy, we arranged things so we don't have to go out--at all.

This is a humorous side effect of our warmer than normal winter--so far.

For the interesting and very definitely strange file.

Grist posted this piece on the history of food adulteration, at least since the 1820s, and how to detect some of the fraud. Given the history of draconian legislation dealing with watered beer (since Babylonian times and Medieval Europe) and short weights (Medieval Europe--again) that story could be expanded pretty far back in time.

We noticed an interesting item at our local supermarket Saturday. The chest freezers with the ham and whole chickens/turkeys had signs indicating the meat was from animals raised and slaughtered in the U.S. Good!! Although the little meat market we patronize has always had that policy.