Gwyneth Paltrow, deboner; R.I.P., Taco Bell chihuahua; carbonated milk, no thanks
• Gwyneth Paltrow has pulled a bait-and-switch on her trusting vegan fans. The animal-rights activist and former vegan recently posted a video on her Web site that shows her messily clean, debone and stuff a chicken. The video is drawing predictable outrage from all quarters of the vegetarian community. [New York Daily News]
• Gidget, the Taco Bell chihuahua, has been euthanized after suffering a stroke. Besides being one of the most ubiquitously annoying pop-culture presences of the late ’90s, Gidget was a gender-bending pioneer as well—though female, she played a male on TV. Fans of quasi-Mexican food and tiny, anthropomorphic animals will miss her. [National Post]
• The Economist has published a handy, easy-to-understand guide to international currency valuation called the Big Mac Index. Using the U.S. Big Mac ($3.57) as a baseline, it compares the relative costs of the fast-food staple in different countries. Norway’s burgers are priciest at $6.15 U.S., while Hong Kong’s are the cheapest at $1.72. Canada is a slight bargain, at $3.35. [The Economist]
• Anita Stewart—food activist, author and founder of the World’s Longest Barbecue—a national day to celebrate Canada’s food culture. The first long weekend in August is an ideal time, she says, being right in the middle of a busy party season and the summer harvest. Officially declared or not, we’ll be celebrating. [Canadian Press]
• Coca-Cola, is test-marketing a carbonated milk beverage in New York City. Vio, a “vibrancy drink,” contains skim milk, sparkling water and one of four artificial flavours. Coke says it tastes like “a birthday party for a polar bear,” which makes sense unless one thinks about it. [New York Post]
