First World Food

While this blog rarely focuses on first-class food, it really does center its view on food produced and available in the first-world (as differentiated from the third world.. the second world, being the best, is not included in this survey.. yes that's a lousy Candide reference). Normally, I would think nothing of this fact: I live in a "first-world" country, thus, my experience is largely limited to my home. In my attempts to find information about environmentally conscious living, though, I've stumbled across a few very strong reminders of my incredible privilege. Not only can I eat healthy, nutritious, even awesome food, but I have the resources to maintain a blog about it. So, in a cheap effort to attempt to give a little of my time to the developing world, I thought I'd make a convenient post to remind my readers how easily technology can help people to help other people. Please visit Freerice.com to enrich your vocabulary and give free rice (hence the name) to poor people around the world through the UN's food distribution service. If you're not a big word person, how about numbers? HelpThirst.com donates 100mL of water per number correctly memorized (easier than it sounds). Lousy at math and English? How about geography? FreePoverty.com donates up to 10 cups of water per correctly located destination on an unlabeled world map. I learned exactly where Mount Fuji is (it's in the deepest part of the angle of Japan.. you'll see).

Though I strongly believe that a better infrastructure will improve global problems of economy better than simple handouts, people need food in order to figure out sustainable farming techniques. So, give them a hand. These simple sites cost you nothing and are a great alternative to wasted human computational cycles spent on games of solitaire at work (or in class as I do). 

If you don't have time for a game, check out the click-a-day sites. Just one click gives a multitude of donation options (depending on the charity). 

While this blog will continue to be about fairly frivolous issues (start looking forward to great leftover posts in the future), it does have a conscience above the local. 

And, for your entertainment.. some frivolous food! Firefox cookies from March 2007. Bonus, they're not entirely frivolous. Firefox is a great example of the free, open-source movement. And they make a great cookie! 

*awesome dessert "bag" courtesy of some killer restaurant in Boston -- we went there for my fiancee's college graduation. The bag was made of delicious chocolate, then filled with rich cream, fresh berries, and a yummy cinnamon twist pastry. My future-sister-in-law and I devoured it, then promptly felt guilty and stomach-achey.