The winner of an eBay auction will pay $63,500 to eat a four-hour dinner with ex-governor Sarah Palin. That's $15,875 per hour or $4.41 per second (Photo by Jeff Geerling)
• An Alabama woman, who was apparently in search of good conversation about hockey and creationism, won an eBay auction for dinner with Sarah Palin; her winning bid was $63,500. The woman holds great admiration for the former vice-presidential candidate, saying she would like to see her as president. She will be permitted to spend a maximum of four hours with her, and the proceeds of the “priceless” encounter will be donated to charity. [New York Daily News]
• Competing with California’s strawberries has been tough for Ontario farmers, but new varieties capable of growing well into the fall are making the job easier. These “day neutral” strawberries are just as plump and sweet as summer berries (though they’re firmer) and are left to ripen on the vine before coming to Toronto stores, as opposed to California berries, which are picked green. [Toronto Star]
• Not all bacteria were created equal. The health benefits of probiotic-infused foods were thrown into question after this week’s Danone lawsuit, in which the yogurt giant agreed to compensate customers who may have been misled by the health claims on their products. Experts say that some varieties of probiotics are better than others, and they’re often added to products before their health benefits, if any, are made clear. [Globe and Mail]
• The average New Zealander eats 313.3 pounds of meat per year, which, to help the imagination a bit, is the equivalent of eating a can of soup, two hamburgers and Santa Claus in his entirety (he apparently weighs exactly 312 pounds). That’s according to Good Magazine data that has been compiled in a new info graphic highlighting the world’s most and least carnivorous countries. Provided are some visual indicators, more strange than useful, to help envision the mounds of meat. [Good Magazine]
• A giant squid accidentally caught by researchers earlier this summer will, unfortunately, not become calamari. Instead, the second giant squid to be caught in the Gulf of Mexico (the elusive creature was bigger than a NYC taxicab) will be archived and studied. [Telegraph]
It’s a fact that strawberries do not ripen once they are picked. It is inaccurate to say that California strawberries are harvested when they are green. They are harvested when they are nice and ripe, cooled immediately, and then shipped to arrive at their destinations within a few days of being picked.
The Toronto Star reporter, Jennifer Bain, corrected this in the original article, so I’m hoping the same can be done here. Consumers should have the facts when making choices in the grocery story.
Jodi Reinman, California Strawberry Commission
September 24, 2009 at 11:52 am | by Jodi Reinman