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PETA Leads Zombie Protest Outside Manhattan KFC

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:30:26 -0700

Animal-rights activism group PETA has come out with yet another inflammatory campaign. This year, they kicked their off Halloween festivities a few weeks early: On Saturday, more than 100 people gathered outside a Herald Square KFC dressed as blood-drenched zombies, holding signs that said, "I'd rather be dead than eat at KFC!"

The protest was part of the Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign, which addresses concerns about KFC suppliers' treatment of chickens on farms and slaughterhouses. "Even flesh-eating zombies have nothing on the Colonel's cruelty," says PETA's Dan Shannon. "We're urging consumers not to set foot inside a KFC restaurant until the company stops these abuses."

Did any of you see the protest? Do you consider it to be effective at sending an important message, or is it just another obnoxious PETA ploy?

Source

What Would You Do?

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:00:44 -0700

We've all been in crazy situations, and I want to know how you handle entertaining fiascoes and bad restaurant behavior. I'll present a situation and you tell me what you would do. Here's today's scenario:

Your parents are visiting from out of town. You want to take them out to a nice but not too fancy dinner as a send-off, but it's Sunday and lots of places are closed. You've been wandering around for a while, and now everyone is hungry! You duck into one of the city's regarded restaurants on the off chance they have a table, and they do.

When you sit down, you realize this is much more of a fine dining experience than you were seeking. Three-course meals are the only option, and the price tag is high.

Not quite French Laundry level, but you were looking for something more casual. You can afford it, and since you're already seated, it's awkward to leave. What do you do? It happened to me, actually. Find out what I did.

All the News That's Fit to Eat - Sept. 24, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:30:07 -0700

With a new book and an LA restaurant, José Andrés is continuing the Spanish culinary revolution he brought to America. - Los Angeles Times
Meet Michael Suas, consultant to the best breadbakers. - San Francisco Chronicle
France is still the region with the best wine values. - New York Times
Rosh Hashanah calls for both old traditions and new favorites. - Boston Globe
One mother's campaign to change her kids' unhealthy eating habits. - Washington Post
Roux 101: A primer on the adaptable white base. - Chicago Tribune
Oenophiles protest state wine shipping laws. - Wall Street Journal
Making cinnamon buns from scratch is worth the trouble. - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The top 10 towns with the best craft beer and college football. - St. Petersburg Times

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Today's History Lesson: The Whiskey Rebellion

partysugar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 01:38:39 -0700

213 years ago, American citizens rose up in protest against the federal government. What were they protesting about? Whiskey! In order to decrease debts, the newly formed US government imposed a hefty (6-9 cents) tax on whiskey producers. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton came up with the idea to tax the whiskey makers per gallon, with the large producers paying a lower tax and the small producers paying a higher tax. Most of the small time whiskey manufacturers were immigrants, poorer farmers, or frontiersmen. Angered by the tax, they rose up in a rebellion that formed on today's date, 1794. To stop the action, President George Washington used martial law to call a 12,950 man militia to suppress the rebellion (he actually commanded the soldiers!). The Whiskey Rebellion is a pivotal moment in US history because it is the first time the government has used military force on its own citizens.

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In An Absolut World: Love It Or Hate It?

YumSugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 10:58:31 -0700

Absolut has spent the last 28 years making iconic ads where the focus was the bottle. However, this year they've decided to freshen things up and embrace change. Their new "In An Absolut World" campaign, features photos from a world where everything is as fantastic as Absolut.

Ads portray pregnant men and their beaming female spouses, Times Square as a fine-art gallery, and protesters and police settling differences with pillow fights.

All of this is intended to show Absolut as the ideal vodka in a landscape crowded with luxury upstarts.

Absolut, has fallen to the number two vodka brand in the world, having lost customers to Grey Goose, Belvedere, Ketel One and other upstart luxury brands. They're hoping these ads will push them back to number one.

I'm not sure what I think about these ads. On one hand I like them, but on the other I'm thinking guys might avoid Absolut from now on - I mean who wants to drink a vodka that will make you preggers? What do you guys think, do you like the new campaign?

Source: Advertising Age

Blessed Be Thy Chocolate

YumSugar — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:28:31 -0700

Quick, what comes to mind when you think Easter? I bet some of you said Chocolate Bunnies and some of you probably said Jesus, but did any of you say Chocolate Jesus??

Artist Cosimo Cavallaro has created a confectionary Christ made from more than 200 pounds of chocolate (entitled "My Sweet Lord"). The folks at Esquire have even broken down the nutrition facts for the anatomically correct chocolate Jesus. The sculpture will be revealed to the public on April 1st (which, by the way, made me think it was a joke when I first read it) at the Lab gallery in the Roger Smith Hotel in New York. The creative director of the gallery, Matt Semler, says, "The sign of any great artist is how their work affects the observer."

So how are you affected by it?

Update: Due to the large number of protests, it looks like the Chocolate Jesus won't be shown afterall.

Source: Esquire