opinion

Let’s Stop Pretending Liberals Are The Only Elitists in America | Vol. 4 / No. 5.2

RFB opinion

It’s all the rage these days to talk about those “elitist” liberals on the east and west coasts and how “out of touch” they are with “real” America and its values. The argument is that with their educations and wealth they look down on poor rural Americans with disdain. But right now I want to talk about another rampant elitism in America: the elitism of the rural American.
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Is This A Cry For Help, Apple? | Vol. 4 / No. 3.3

RFB opinion

You know in action-thriller films — in hostage situations — where, in order to let the heroes know the situation, the hostages will do weird things? You know, say things that don’t make sense? You know, “oh, no, I think the volcanic glow they heat McDonald’s apple ‘pie’ filling to is a totally appropriate temperature for human food,” or “Taco Bell has the best beef.” “Let’s go eat Arby’s.” Well, I’m starting to wonder whether Apple isn’t going through something similar. Is this a coded message, Apple? Do you need assistance? Blink once for yes.
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The Pink Salt Taste Test | Vol. 3 / No. 50.2

RFB opinion

Alright, so after some comments on last week’s post about “Himalayan salt” flavoured potato chips, I decided to do a little taste test. I’m a big fan of iodized salt because I don’t eat a ton of fish and I’m lactose intolerant and so iodized salt is the easiest place to get iodine (and because nobody’s a fan of goiters). Now, I can tell you for certain that there aren’t any health benefits to pink salt over not-pink salt, and that anyone who tells you pink salt is better for you is either lying to you or just plain old run-of-the-mill wrong.

But.

People say there are differences in the taste of different salts. I was skeptical, but willing to see for myself, so here we go: a barely exploratory mostly unscientific n=1 one-subject single-blind (technically single blindfold) taste test of three kinds of salt.

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Fluoridation Is Good For Your Teeth (And Not Bad For The Rest Of You) | Vol. 3 / No. 49.4

RFB Canada

I read in the news yesterday that the city of Moncton, New Brunswick (Canada, if you’re not familiar) is being urged to start fluoridation of its water supply now that five years have passed since it stopped doing so at the behest of a bunch of people who apparently have zero understanding of the words “scientific consensus” (exhibit A: the non-profit Canadians Opposed to Fluoride). According to the dentists in Moncton, the number of cases of dental cavities (aka caries or tooth decay) has risen since 2011, moreso among the city’s children.

People have opposed fluoridation of water supplies since it began, usually on the basis of the precautionary principle (“we don’t know for sure that it’s safe”) and of individual liberty (“it’s my right not to have it”). But in the decades and decades we’ve been doing this, we’ve had a lot of time to study it.

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