Published: July 24, 2009 09:06 am      

Food choice could lead down a dangerous path

Even though I’m too old to enjoy the summer as a care-free student, basking in the sun each day before inevitably dragging myself back to school in the fall, the summer months still hold a special meaning.

I no longer have the summers off, but when I get home from work, it feels great to sit on my deck or enjoy the outdoors during the week and the weekends. Even going to games at Alliant Energy Field, watching the LumberKings, helps me speed through week. Sitting out by the leftfield line, enjoying cold beverages, conversation and a nice hot dog, give me a reprieve from the daily grind.

That may seem fun, but according to a few people out East, one of those baseball-linked items could be a deathtrap.

According to a Washington, D.C.-based group, hot dogs are dangerous. So dangerous, in fact, they should require warning labels.

The pro-vegetarian group cites the American Institute for Cancer Research in its class-action consumer fraud lawsuit against several hot dog makers. The report alleges eating hot dogs could increase a person’s risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent. However, more testing is needed to determine the accuracy of the finding, according to the AICR.

Who doesn’t know hot dogs are dangerous? Growing up, we all knew the kid who would divulge the secrets of making a hot dog. After hearing the ingredients, you either chose to block it out, or ignored the baseball game vendor when he yells “get your hot dog.”

I didn’t need a study, and I definitely don’t need a warning label, to alert me of the danger of hot dogs. I don’t care what some “must stick my nose in other people’s business” person says, I’m going to keep eating them. Why? Because they’re delicious.

Actually, I think I’ll start eating more hot dogs, based solely on making these people upset. First they go after cigarettes (OK, they may have been on to something, there), but this is getting ridiculous.

Last year I read where some schools have outlawed peanut butter, simply because some kids have peanut allergies. Seriously? Did they not have allergies when I went to school, or did we not care?

News flash — people with peanut allergies will be surrounded by the delectable nut for their entire lives. By coddling them when they’re younger, they may not know how to handle a situation that may actually be dangerous later in life.

Almost everything we eat, drink or inhale will eventually increase our risks of contracting a disease. We don’t need warning labels to tell us about every little item that may harm us 80 years down the road.

It comes down to common sense. If you inhale about 15 hot dogs a week, expect repercussions later in life. But for now, throw a couple dogs on the grill and enjoy the last month of summer.

Buehrle perfection

Chicago and the nation became aware Thursday who has stepped up to be the face of the Chicago White Sox organization. After Mark Buehrle’s perfect game Thursday, he solidified where he stood in the franchise.

For years, Frank Thomas positioned himself as the main attraction in the windy city. After he left, that position in the White Sox organization floated from Paul Konerko to possibly Buehrle.

Konerko was the best player after Thomas departed, but he didn’t have the national hype to portray him as a recognizable White Sox figure.

Even after Buehrle’s no-hitter in 2007, the organization still searched for a leader. Now, Buehrle has made himself not just a formidable figure in Chicago with his workhorse approach and his longevity, but the nation has taken notice of his pitching prowess.

After that performance, I can only hope the White Sox don’t fall flat on their faces as they did after Buehrle’s first no-hitter, as a tough stretch featuring the Tigers, Twins and Yankees looms this week.



Scott Levine is the Associate Editor at the Clinton Herald. He can be reached at scottlevine@clintonherald.com.