On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 22:03:54 -0800, "Max Hauser"
> wrote:

> "notbob" > :
> > Yesterday's San Jose Mercury food section had an article
> > about the imminent return of Szechuan pepper to the US.
> > ... The article went on to say that although none
> > has been found locally, Draeger's is hot on the trail.
>
> Jeez. I could say something about that but I won't. Draeger's indeed.
> Look for it in Chinese spice shops, same as you always should. (Whoever
> wrote that assertion that "none has been found locally" probably just needed
> to write a story. That's different from needing to cook.)
>
To my knowledge, there has never been a shortage of Szechuan
pepper in the San Francisco Bay Area. I think I can buy it
at my neighborhood green grocer's! I should look more
closely at those packaged spices behind the counter next
time I'm there.

BTW: Don't you get irked about the sloppy writing that
appears daily in the newspaper? Stories like the one above
(obviously written by a noncooking ignoramus), big stories
on important news that leaves out crutial information which
might lead to actual comprehension by the reader, etc.

Today's paper had a small article about a visiting dance
troup from Smokey Mountain in Manila. It was accompanied by
a picture almost as large as the article... which showed the
backs of pretty girls in pretty costumes - walking. It
looked like one of those "ooops" shots we all make and throw
away. What was the editor thinking? Was the editor even
thinking at all?

The paper also had a letter to the editor about NCLB, the
fact that 95% of students are required to be tested and then
it talked about parents being pressured to "opt out" to
improve school test scores. WHAT??? Schools are doing
their best to have students IN SCHOOL during the testing
period, not the other way around - and that includes the
most severe special education students. Again, what was the
editor thinking??? Print something that makes sense, don't
just try to fill up white space.

It's getting to the point where I don't even like to read
the "news"paper, because it makes me so mad.

sf