In The News

We definitely have become Middle Aged and Boring because we actually look forward to watching the news each evening. Not just one news program but two or three every single night. On the weekends I get all confused because the news doesn't come on at the same time as during the week, and I just don't know what's going on and I need my news! Each weekday we've got our news on at 5 for the local stuff, which is always fun because they frequently play the wrong tape with the wrong story or just sit there looking at the camera while waiting for someone to play the tape already, then we watch the ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, then sometimes the local news again until Brian Williams comes on NBC at 6:30. And then after that it's Jeopardy Time.

Anyway, we watch the news.

Last night on our local news there was a story about a new 'second chance' breakfast program in one of the grade schools here. Sounds like a good program, there are a lot of young kids whose families are struggling and probably don't get much of a breakfast at home, so they can come to school and have that second chance to get some good nutrition in their little bellies so that they can concentrate on school work and get better grades and all that. So, what are they offering all these little scholars at their second chance breakfast? Eggs? Cereal and milk? Fruit? Breakfast burritos? No, I'm watching little kids grabbing some rectangle shaped shiny packages out of a big box in the cafeteria and realize that these shiny packages are POP TARTS. Now, we all know and love pop tarts, but nutritious? they are not. Yes, they pack them with fake vitamins, but really, pop tarts are just CANDY. Well, maybe they are getting some eggs with their pop tarts? No, the next thing they grab are more shiny packages that are full of DRIED FRUIT. Dried fruit is fruit and good for you, right? No, dried fruit is just more CANDY. Well, are they at least getting a little carton of milk with their CANDY for breakfast? No, they are getting a carton of fruit juice, which while sort of good for you is just basically MORE CANDY. This is what passes for a nutritious breakfast for grade schoolers?

So, they get all these kids full of CANDY for breakfast and then send them off to class where they all are on a sugar high and I'm sure the teachers just love having to deal with 30 children who had CANDY for breakfast.

Anyway. Mmmmm....POP TARTS! I'm hungry now.