Insulting Fees Companies Are Charging Us

When you think about the way companies try to nickel and dime us, it's insulting.  There are so many add on fees charged by car, bank, credit cards, and airlines today that I don't know where to start.  It's all just another way of adding additional revenue to their bottom line without raising their prices.  Do they think we're stupid?  Apparently so.  Here are a few of the charges that I find most insulting.

1.  Lap fees for babies.  If you have a child under two and he sits on your lap on a domestic flight, there is no charge.  Makes sense, right?  But take the same child on an international flight and you will pay a 10% lap charge for him sitting on your lap.  That's 10% of the full coach price, which might be up to $150.  Now that is just ridiculous.

2.  Pet fee for a carry on pet.  I can understand why airlines would charge for shipping a pet in baggage.  That requires some handling and I would expect some sort of fee.  But if you bring the pet onboard and put him under the seat, why would they charge $125?  For what?  They are providing no service.  It's just another way to get another fee.

3.  Checked baggage fee.  Most airlines now charge a fee for checked baggage.  Do they expect you to fly without luggage?  I find this most insulting, especially since the fee is waived for their elite customers or those with expensive credit cards.  Southwest is one of the few that still does not charge for baggage.

4.  Foreign transaction fees.  Many credit cards charge a 3% transaction fee to the user for his overseas charges.  Why?  If you have an elite status card (which you back a lot for), you may not have to pay these fees.  As is so often the case, the middle class guy has to pay, while the bigger earner, with a gold card, doesn't pay.

5.  Resort fees.  This is a fee I absolutely hate.  You're already paying a high fee to go to a resort, now you have to pay a fee for using the amenities in the hotel?  This is relatively new, just another way of jacking up the price of the room.  You don't have a choice in whether you want to pay the resort fee, so why isn't it just included in the price of the room?  Very easy answer.  They want to keep the price of the room lower, in other words they are trying to trick you.  We're not that easy to fool, are we?

Ticket Master fees, movie fees, gift card fees.  I hate these too.  There is NO reason to charge a service charge when you buy a movie ticket on line.  They are not providing a service.  You are doing all the work, in fact you're making it easier for the movie theatre because they don't need a live person to sell you a ticket.  How about the fees for activating a gift card.  I think these may have been outlawed, but for many years you had to pay a fee to activate your gift card, so you weren't getting the full amount of the gift.

I could go on and on, but you get the picture.  The big hotels, airlines, banks, auto rental companies, and many others, are trying to make us feel like we're not paying as much as we really are.  Call it a transaction fee, a service fee or another other type of fee, it's just another way for corporations to increase their bottom line.  Companies are charging extra fees, and you're getting nothing for it.  Somehow, we've got to let our lawmakers that we're insulted by additional fees.  Hotels all have comment cards in the rooms, and we need to start commenting.  I'm mad as hell and don't want to take it anymore, but I'm not quite sure what to do.



4.  Carry on baggage fee.  Now this is utterly ridiculous.  Spirit and Alligiant both charge for carry on luggage.  Do they charge for a woman's purse?  I'm not sure about that.

More News From Expo West

One trend in food today is going back to nature.  A paleo diet means eating like we used to eat:  nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and grains.  Many of the food items at the natural food show this year were freeze dried fruits and vegetables and dried fruits and vegetables.  These fruits and veggies are added to almost anything from cookies to crackers to cereals.  Paleo Passion Pops caught my eye.  They are frozen juice bars like pineapple-ginger, and orange-coconut.  Each pop includes a "superfood," like chia or kale.  Additionally, there is no added sugar in Paleo Pops.  Snapz is another company using freeze dried fruits.  They make dried fruit in a snack pack.

Tumeric, a Middle Eastern spice, is popular today.  Temple Tumeric makes beverages flavored with turmeric.  It doesn't sound very good, but the flavor is very mild and hardly noticeable.  Siracha flavoring is another new flavor found in jerkies.  Krave, Country Archer and Golden Island all use siracha to spice up jerkies.

Here are a few more products I tasted and liked.  Daiya makes a gouda cheese that is plant based.  It's delicious, and even melts.  There is also a company that makes cheese from almond milk.  (sorry I don't have the name).   Mary's Gone Crackers has several new products.  Graham crackers, Italian herb, and ancient spice crackers are all delicious.  Kind, makes of protein bars, makes a spicy savory protein bar, a hickory smoked bar, and a honey mustard bar.  They were are good.  Vans made a bar that I really loved.  It was a cranberry almond bar, but they make several other great flavors.  I noticed that protein bars are more popular than ever.  I don't know how they'll all survive.

Last but not least, ice cream.  Aldens ice cream is fantastic.  I loved the caramel salt flavor.  Aldens also makes another brand called Julies, which makes delicious ice cream sandwiches.  Ciao Bell sorbets and gelato are not new, but they are delicious.  They have added ice cream sandwiches to their product line.  There is so much food at the natural food show that it's impossible to sample everything, but these are some of the products I enjoyed.  Protein bars, butter and cheeses from plants, spices like turmeric and flavorings like siracha, cereals and crackers from quinoa, spelt, and other grains, and freeze dried fruits and vegetables were the most noticeable trends.  I wonder what next year will bring.  

Ina Garten's Rugelah

My mom made Ina Garten's recipe for rugelah recently, and told me how easy and delicious it was.  What is rugelah you ask?  It's a Jewish pastry, made from a cream cheese dough, filled with nuts, poppy seeds, cinnamon and sugar, and various jams or pastes, like apricot, prune or raspberry.  It's delicious, and you can always find them at Jewish bakeries (are there any around here?) or Ralphs.  Yes, Ralphs sells them in a variety of flavors, but I have always thought that the dough was too thick, and well, doughy.  Ina's recipe is light and delicious, and I lightened it up a bit by using cream cheese with 1/3 less fat, and apricot preserves made without sugar.  They came out very well, and are a nice little house gift, or in my case, a little nosh after dinner.  Ron has already eaten half of them.  They are time consuming.  I suggest making the dough on day one, letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight.  Then make the filling and assemble on day two.  They are worth the effort. 
    

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature - I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese.
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup apricot preserves, puréed in a food processor-I used preserves with no sugar added
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash
Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.   I did this step on day one.

To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.

On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling.  I did not spread the preserves all the way to the sides.  Leave at least 1/2 inch space with no filling.  This will prevent the preserves from melting and oozing out during cooking.   Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges—cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.  I did this on day two.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.  I also cooked them on day two.

A Day In LA

There's nothing more fun that going to LA on the last Friday of any month, and shopping at the California Mart in downtown Los Angeles.  That's just what I did with several friends on the last Friday in January.  We left Carlsbad at 7am and arrived at our destination at 9am.  Not bad time on the 5 freeway.  There are now two buildings housing the hundreds of showrooms that sell every sort of clothing, including lingerie, bridal gowns, men's suits, childrens' clothes, accessories, gifts, and women's clothing.  Since the days that I went there four or five times a year they have added another building.  There is so much to see, you've got to have a plan.

Many shoppers come with suitcases.  We just had bags, which were fine for what we bought.  This was more of an exploratory trip for us.  We plan to go again in about six months, now that we've got the hang of it and know what to expect.  Bring cash.  That's the only currency the showrooms will accept.  My big find of the day was a handbag for $10.  It's dark grey.  I love it.  Everyone came away with several things, but after 2 1/2 hours of shopping, we were exhausted.  Even our savvy shoppers Trish, Fran and Jean, had to call it quits.  But we'll all be back another day for more shopping and fun.  Many sizes are available, but most common are small and medium.

Of course we had to eat, so we headed a few blocks north to the Grand Central Market.  It's been there for decades, but has recently been upgraded, and has attracted more upscale booths, like Wexler's Deli  (delicious), and EggSlut, the newest sensation for breakfast in downtown LA.  The wait for lunch at EggSlut was an hour!  I ate at Thai Street Food, as did Christie.  We had delicious pad Thai noodles.  Trish ate at a Mexican stand and did not love her meal, and Fran and Jean  at Wexler's Deli.  Grand Central Market is a great place for people watching, and also a great place to buy herbs and spices and cheap produce.  We had a wonderful lunch, and were back on the road at 1:30, just in time to avoid Friday afternoon traffic.  We were home at 3:20.  A great day with great friends, and we all got some pretty good bargains too.

Do You Know What's In a Fig Newton?

We all grew up thinking that fig newtons were a healthy snack, much better than eating oreos or chocolate chip cookies.  Well, think again.  Have you looked at the list of ingredients?  Here it is, in the order of the greatest percentage of  the product:  whole grain wheat flour, figs, sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, soybean oil, soluble corn figer, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, oat fiber, salt, and trace amounts of milk products, artificial vanilla and whey.  It's full of toxic processed chemicals.

Don't be fooled by the words "whole grain".  A serving of 2 bars only contain 3 grams of fiber and much of that probably comes from the figs, not the whole grain.  Sugar:  You'll eat 13 grams of sugar (more than 3 teaspoons) in just 2 small fig newtons.  High fructose corn syrup:  This chemically refined sugar has been shown to cause more weight gain than regular sugar.  Even when eaten in moderation, it is said to be a major cause of heart disease, cancer, dementia and liver failure.  Some high fructose corn syrup is even contaminated with mercury.  Oil:  Soybean oil is cheap, and high in omega 6 fatty acids, which cause inflammation in the body, raise blood surgar and can promote the growth of cancer cells.  Partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil should be avoided at all costs.  Conventional cotton is loaded with deadly pesticides.

Sodium benzoate is a preservative found only in heavily processed foods.  The Mayo Clinic found that it may cause hyperactivity in kids and is dangerous when combined with Vitamin C.  Artificial vanilla is used in fig newtons instead of the real thing.  It is made from a greasy wood byproduct, petrochemical precursor gualacol.  Finally, fig newtons are packed with ingredients that are known to be genetically modified (GMO).  The parent company of fig newtons, Mondelez International, contributed nearly $400,000 to block GMO labels in California and Washington state.

Is the Newman's brand of fig newtons any better?  Only slightly.  They contain non organic corn syrup and natural flavors, but their list of ingredients isn't much better than the traditional fig newtons.

What should we eat instead?  Try sun dried organic figs, sugar free raw fig newtons, raw crunch bars, or homemade fig newtons, if you really have to have them.  Some fresh or dried figs and nuts is a good substitute, and far better for you.  Look at ingredient lists, and don't be fooled by words like "natural" or "whole wheat."  Look at the whole list, and steer clear of products with high fructose corn syrup and GMO's. 

Natural Food Expo March, 2015 Part 1

Every year that Phil has been and exhibitor at the Natural Food Show in Anaheim, I have been there.  Not only is it a chance for me to spend an hour with him, but it's an opportunity to see what's new in the food industry.  This was the first year that Evol was part of the Boulder Brands booth.  They had a huge booth, and were sampling mac and cheese and burritos.  Their other brands, Udi's and Smart Balance, were also sampling a variety of foods.  I'm not much of a fan of gluten free anything, but Udi's has a new bread that is absolutely delicious.  Smart Balance is now making peanut butter, and they were sampling that.  After visiting with Phil for a while, my mom and I went off on a three hour trek of the rest of the 70,000  booths.  Here's a sampling of what we saw and what I found new in natural foods.

Chia.  It's everywhere.  My favorite product is Mamma Chia, a drink company with flavors like mango, coconut and berry, with chia seeds in the drink.  The seeds expand in liquid, so you get a full feeling from drinking a healthy fruit drink with chia seeds.  The seeds are soft and you swallow them whole, and after drinking a bottle of Mama Chia's fruit drink you feel full.  I loved them.  Flax seeds.  It's found in so many products.  Flax 4 Life makes a muffin with flax seed that is pretty good.  Flax seeds are added to cereal protein bars, crackers and cookies.  Beans are also present in many food products that you normally wouldn't think of as containing beans.  For example, a  new cereal company based in Denver called Mighty Flakes, has several varieties of bean based cereals.  They were good.  They have a flake, a Cherrio type cereal, and another cereal with coconut and nuts in it.  This is a great product and I hope they do well. Another bean product comes from The Good Bean.  They make protein snacks from beans, like chips and crackers.  They also make a Thai coconut lemon grass snack which was delicious.  It tasted like nuts, but was made from beans.

I mentioned Mighty Flakes cereal company, but there were more than a dozen other cereal companies, all vying to be noticed.  Peace Cereal makes a product called Quinoa chia crunch.  They make a coconut chia almond cereal, a buckwheat hemp, and blueberry pomegranate.  Many of the new breakfast cereals are gluten free.

Kamut is another seldom used grain that showed up often.  Kamut is similar to couscous, but a little nuttier.  We sampled a cold salad made with kamut, sliced apples, vinegar, scallions and a little mayo.  It was like a cole slaw dressing with kamut and apples.  I loved it.

There were many more products that we sampled, and I will write one more blog about some other specific products that I particularly liked.  I will say that I didn't notice anything really new.  Ancient grains are popular, as a supplements like flax seed and chia seed.  Seaweed is very popular, goat milk is found is numerous butters, cheeses and milk.  There were a number of hemp products, and whether or not those products are sold only in states like Colorado and Washington that allow the smoking and growing of marijuana, I do not know, but there were a number of products containing hemp.  Since I had a long drive home, I refrained from sampling the hemp products.  More next week.    

FAIR: More On Bias In News Media

Last week I began writing about bias in the media.  It's a topic too large for this blog, but I want to point out some of ways you, as a consumer of vast amounts of media, can make an informed decision on an issue.  If you didn't read my first blog on the topic, go to February 20, and read it.  This is a continuation of that blog.

From whose point of view is the news reported?  Political coverage often focuses on how issues affect politicians or corporate executives rather than those directly affected by the issue.  For example, stories on abortion often talk about "tough choices" confronting male politicians while quoting no women, the one that have the most at stake in the debate.  Should all male panels be making decisions that affect women?  Demand that those who have a stake in the game have a voice in the debate.

Are there double standards?  Does the media hold one group to one standard, while applying a different standard to another group?  The answer is "Yes" and we see it everywhere.  Just look at recent events in Ferguson and New York and tell me what the results might had been if those involved were white instead of black.  Expose the double standard.

Do stereotypes skew coverage.  Does the coverage of the drug crisis focus mainly on African Americans, despite the fact that the vast majority of drug users are white?  Does coverage of women on welfare focus overwhelmingly on African-Americans despite the fact that the majority of welfare recipients are not black?  Educate journalists about misconceptions involved in stereotypes.

What are the unchallenged assumptions?  This is so important.  Often the most important message of the story is not explicitly stated.  For instance, in covering a woman on welfare, the age at which a woman had her first child will often be reported, the implication being that the woman's sexual promiscuity, rather than economic and cultural factors, are responsible for her plight.

Is the language loaded?  A perfect example if the Affordable Care Act.  When people were asked if they liked the Affordable Care Act, a vast majority said they liked it very much.  However, when people were asked if they liked ObamaCare, most answered they did not like it.  In 1992 a Harris poll found that 70% of people said they favored "affirmative action," but when asked how they felt about "racial preference programs,"  (same program, different way of asking the question) only 46% favored them  Challenge assumption, and demonstrate how the language used gives people an inaccurate impression of the issue.

Look for bias in media, and challenge the journalists, newspapers, and TV reporters that speak without giving you the whole story.  Demand the truth.  FAIR works hard to expose media that are skewing their reporting.  Check out their website at fair.org to learn more about the many issues FAIR has reported on that media has glossed over.

Moving On

Once again, Ron and I are packing our bags and moving.  This is the happiest of our 5 moves in the past 15 years.  We are moving to Ocean Hills, a 55+ community of 1632 homes in Oceanside.  I couldn't be more excited.  New friends, new activities, new dog friends for Pepper, and getting back into golf.  With a golf course right outside my door, I've got to play golf!  Yet moving from a neighborhood you love is always hard.

When you have a dog, you know everyone in the neighborhood.  Not necessarily by name, but you certainly know what's going on.  I not only know what's going on, but I have made a lot of nice friends in this neighborhood.  I will miss them.  I will miss Molly, my 92 year old friend up the street.  We stop and chat often about life, loneliness and politics.  She LOVES to talk politics with me.  I will miss her.  Lynda, my friend around the block  was responsible for finding the home we have been renting for the past few years and will also be missed.  If I ever needed anything, from a cup of sugar, to a ride, to newspaper and boxes for packing, Lynda was there.  Finally, Rose and Arthur, my neighbors across the street, will be missed.  Rose and I became friends before she married Arthur.  We both had dogs, and we were on the same walking schedule, so we would walk together twice a day.  I knew all about her life and she knew about mine.  The dogs loved each other and I will miss their adorable chasing, biting and rough housing.  I love to watch them chase each other up and down the stairs at Rose's house.  We also rely on each other for taking care of the dogs.  Both Roger and Pepper will miss their sleepovers.  Since Rose married Arthur, I have gotten to know Arthur well too.  He walks the dog in the morning, and we always chat about our plans for the day, and what movies, books and restaurants we have enjoyed recently.

There are many other neighborhood friends who I will miss seeing, but hopefully new people will come into my life.  I will miss the stores and restaurants I have grown accustomed to in the past 10 years.  I will miss close access to the freeway.  Our new house is 10 minutes from the freeway.  I will miss the beach.  I drive Coast Highway almost everyday, and I love the view from Poinsettia and the 5 (west), especially in the late afternoon.

I will NOT miss the terrible phone reception we have had for the past three years.  Hopefully, my days of dropped calls are over.  I will NOT miss the big dog behind us that has been trying to break down the fence to get to Pepper ever since we moved in.  I will not miss Ralphie, the cute yorkie that Pepper hates.  Every time Pepper saw Ralphie or even got a whiff of him from afar, Pepper would freak out.  He'd lunge, bark and do everything possible to get to him.  Since they never even met, I don't know what he'd do if he actually got to him, but he was so out of control at the sight of him, I never wanted to find out.  I won't miss having to avoid walking by his house to avoid Pepper's out of control behavior.

;It's just a few days before we move, and I'm exhausted.  Each day I pack a few boxes and take a few things over to the new house.  I have scaled down the amount of "stuff" I have, but it just keeps coming.  I don't know where I will put it all.  I have such a hard time getting rid of things.  I know half the stuff I'll never use again, but I can't let go.  Right now, I just want this move to be over, to settle into our new home, and enjoy our new community.  I look at it as another adventure in my life.  I love adventure!

PSA: To Test Or Not To Test, That Is The Question

For years doctors have been advising men over 50 to have the PSA levels tested every year, and if they are elevated, do further investigation.  That often means a biopsy.  I remember a time about 15 years ago, when a doctor recommended a biopsy on Ron.  As if that wasn't bad enough, he had to wait weeks for the results.  That's cruel and unusual.  Times have changed, and many doctors today choose to skip the PSA test altogether, in older men.

The reason for the changed in protocol is because of multiple factors.  First, the blood test often produced a false positive, and caused other tests to be performed (like biopsies) that could lead to complications.  Second, quality of life might be severely compromised with surgery or other treatment.  Doctors have determined that in many cases the possibility of negative results outweigh the benefits of surgery.  This is according to the ACP, American College of Physicians.

"Prostate cancer never becomes clinically significant in a patient's lifetime in a considerable proportion of men with prostate cancer detected by the PSA test," says a committee from the ACP.  "They will receive no benefit and are subject to substantial harms from the treatment of prostate cancer."  The decision as to whether to test or not to test should be a shared decision between patient and doctor, and the patient should make his decision after being fully informed of the benefits and harms.

High risk men, like African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer, should also be informed of the risks and benefits and allowed to participate in the decision making process, according to new guidelines.  Clinicians should address certain key issues with every patient:  PSA testing is controversial, PSA can detect prostate cancer, but for most men, the harms outweigh the benefits, few prostate cancers prove to be aggressive and cause death, most men who are screened do not develop prostate cancer and die of something else, PSA testing prevents about one prostate cancer death per 1,000 men screened.

So men, next time you go in for a physical, talk to your doctor about PSA testing.  Opinions will definitely vary among physicians, but even those still opting to test, should present the pros and cons to the patient, so he can make an informed decision.  This is the age of patient involvement in treatment and transparency.  We need to know the facts before deciding, and it is up to the physician to provide the facts to each and every patient.

How Sea World Became Such An Unpopular Company

It began with the film, Blackfish, a documentary about a performing killer whale named Tilikum,  who killed several of his trainers in captivity.  It documents the heart wrenching story of his captivity, shows shocking footage and emotional interviews that reveal his cruel treatment.  This film was released in 2013, and it's been all downhill for SeaWorld ever since.

Under normal circumstances, an institution as big and popular as SeaWorld would be impervious to any number of public assaults on its standing.  It was expected that it could bear a little bad press.  After the release of Blackfish, SeaWorld dispatched a detailed, preemptive critique of 50 movie critics lambasting Blackfish.  Most companies would not fight back, realizing the film had a small viewing audience, but SeaWorld chose to fight.  Their strategy didn't work.  The film has forever damaged the giant corporation, whose estimated annual attendance was around 10 million.  Now those numbers are plummeting and the park's chief executive, Jim Atchison, resigned in December.

Since the movie's release, SeaWorld Entertainment's share price has dropped nearly 44% to $16 per share.  Its attendance shrank by 500,000 during this year's third quarter.  It has to deal with animal activism, spearheaded by the Oceanic Preservation Society and a slew of anti-SeaWorld websites.  Additionally, there is proposed California legislation to ban the use of orcas in performance.  SeaWorld is now on the list of the 32 most despised American companies, (it's in the final 4) along with Wal Mart, Comcast and Monsanto.

Capturing these amazing creatures and making them perform for delighted children sends the wrong message to children about man's place in the world.  Are whales here to delight audiences?  Children are getting the message that they belong in the wild.  In California, children have journeyed to the state capital to make their feelings known.  Let orcas stay free, in the ocean, where they belong.  My advice to you stock market players out there, SeaWorld is not a buy.  (just my opinion). 

FAIR: Detecting Bias In News Media

As a progressive thinker, I try hard to get as much information about an issue as I can, from all perspectives, before deciding where I stand.  It's hard to do, as there is bias everywhere in the media.  Media has tremendous power in setting cultural guidelines and in shaping political discourse.  It is essential that news media are challenged to be fair and accurate. FAIR (fairness and accuracy in reporting) is media watchdog that tries to keep our media fair and balanced.  It's a tough job, but at the very least they are making us aware of media we're consuming that is biased.  The first step in challenging biased news is documenting bias.  Here are some questions to ask yourself about the news you consume.

Who are the sources?  Media over-rely on "official" (government, establishment think tanks) sources.  For instance, FAIR found that in 40 months of Nightline programming, the most frequent guests were Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig, Elliott Abrams and Jerry Falwell.  Progressive and public interest voices were grossly underrepresented.  To portray issues fairly and accurately, media must broaden their spectrum of sources.

Is there a lack of diversity?  What is the race and gender diversity at the news outlet you watch, compared to the population it serves?  How many producers, editors and decision-makers at the news outlet are women, people of color or gay or lesbian.  The media should be as ethnically diverse as the community it serves.  FAIR's 40-month survey of Nightline found its U.S. guests to be 92% white and 89% male.  A survey of PBS's NewsHour found its guestlist was 90% white and 87% male.  Demand that the media you consume reflect the diversity of the public they serve.

The issue of bias in the media is so important, I will stop here and pick up the topic next week.  Regardless of your political point of view I think we can all agree that without the facts, we cannot make an informed decision.  The only way to get the facts, is to listen  and read a variety of media.  I have no respect for anyone who says that they heard such and such on Fox News, so it must be true.  On the other side, anyone who gets all their information from MSNBC is also not getting the full story.  Let's pick this up later.  I will talk in my next blog on the topic about double standards, skewed coverage and loaded language.

Gourmet Dining in Carlsbad at Perfect Pairings

Ron came home recently and told me about a new restaurant in Carlsbad that we just had to try.  He had recently met the owner, Alex Morrison, and after talking food with him for a while, decided that his new restaurant in Carlsbad, Perfect Pairings, was something we would love.  We did.

We went to Perfect Pairings, in the shopping center at Carlsbad Village Drive and Coast Highway on a Thursday night.  They have only been open for three months, but the restaurant was about half full at 6:30pm.  Alex was there to greet us.  He is a charming host, who knows his food and beverage.  Each dish was described in detail, and the wine and beer pairings that had been chosen to accompany each dish, were also described.  They have several dining options.  Pick a 4 course meal with wine or beer pairing with each meal for $45, or order a la carte, and add wine or beer if you want.  We wanted to sample several different menu items, so we ordered a la carte.  Ron doesn't drink, so I just ordered one glass of Cotes de Rhone for myself.  Here's what we ate.

We started with a spinach salad for Ron, with a delicious gorgonzola dressing.  I ordered the deconstructed potato salad, sliced potatoes, egg, thick pieces of bacon, and pickled onions.  The dressing was mayonnaise based, and very good.  Next, Ron ordered the white fish on a bed of smashed peas, which was on a thin slice of potato.  It was beautiful as well as delicious.  I enjoyed glazed short ribs (cooked 9 hours), on a cauliflower/potato smash and broccolini.  What a wonderful meal.  We decided to pass on dessert.  We'll try that another time.

One of the great things about Perfect Pairings is that the menu changes every few weeks.  So, if you like to eat out a lot like I do, you will be getting a very different meal every time you go to Perfect Pairings.  Another thing I like about the restaurant is that they buy everything locally, from organic eggs, to fresh vegetables, to locally farm raised meat.

This is not your run of the mill restaurant for Carlsbad.  It is gourmet all the way.  It is a dining experience, and although you may pay a bit more for a meal like this, the attention to detail in the preparation and the personal attention you get from Alex, the owner and host, is well worth it.  Try it next time you are looking for a dining experience, not just a meal.  You will be happy you did, as we were.  I can't wait to take some of my foodie friends to Perfect Pairings.  There is really nothing quite like it in North County.  Good luck, Alex.  I hope your restaurant is a big success.