Monthly Archives: June 2009

Slate serves up a delicious nugget: France is the second-largest McDonald’s market in the world. This surprised me in itself. More important: remember France’s ludicrous anti-McD’s movement, when the farmer Jose Bove lit up French and international opinion by attacking … Continue reading →

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Obviously Dr. Christakis does not have a child who is allergic to nuts. Nut allergy is a new phenomenon, which both parents and medical personnel are still trying to figure out. Even though for medical personnel it is a interesting … Continue reading →

It’s a historical trope that societies that are “decadent” (in moral decline) are also in temporal decline. It’s a story that’s told of rich, liberal societies with indulgent mores. More austere (poorer, less liberal) societies are conversely honored for their … Continue reading →

Sometimes salty things taste unusually great; one contributing factor seems to be whether you’ve had enough salt recently. So you could deprive yourself of salt for a little while to heighten the enjoyment of something salty! Exciting!

Famously taxes were a factor in the American Revolution, and also in early rebellions against the new republic. Colonial revolts against imperial Rome? Anyway, I think this is the case. But I can’t think of one recently. What’s the deal? … Continue reading →