Progress! Follow along at home!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Week 33: 252.9

Week 33: 252.9

Starting weight: 264.2
Weight last week: 255.5
Current weight: 252.9
Lost this week: 2.6
Total lost to date: 11.3
Goal for this week: 3 pounds

Goal Weight: 180

Weight remaining to lose: 75.3


Allrighty, the 250 mark is well within sight right now! I’d like to knock that out this week which is why I pegged a three pound goal there. I’m not gonna make a big whoopee about passing 10 pounds because I’d like it to stick.

To those of you wondering about my mom, we should actually hear something on Thursday. It’s been a rough couple of weeks what with them living so far away and all.

My wife made the best fat free blueberry muffins last week, and I still have one all wrapped up and ready for eatin’. I’m pretty psyched about it actually. This is what I have been reduced to, or rather, what I am trying to reduce myself to, tee hee and all that…

And now, on the lighter side of the news, sort of…

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,483504,00.html

TOKYO — Seven diners in northern Japan fell ill and three remained hospitalized Tuesday after eating blowfish testicles prepared in a restaurant not authorized to serve the poisonous delicacy.

The owner of the restaurant in Tsuruoka city, who is also the chef, had no license to serve blowfish and was being questioned on suspicion of professional negligence, police official Yoshihito Iwase said.

Blowfish, while extremely poisonous if not prepared properly, is considered a delicacy in Japan and is consumed by thrill-seeking gourmets.

Iwase said the seven men ordered sashimi and grilled blowfish testicles at the restaurant Monday night.

Shortly after, they developed limb paralysis and breathing trouble and started to lose consciousness — typical signs of blowfish poisoning — and were rushed to a hospital for treatment, Iwase said.

A 68-year-old diner remained hospitalized in critical condition with respiratory failure and two others, aged 55 and 69, were in serious condition, he said.

"It's scary. If you go to a decent-looking restaurant that serves fugu, you would assume a cook has a proper fugu license," Iwase said, using the Japanese term for blowfish.

Blowfish poison, called tetrodotoxin, is nearly 100 times more poisonous than potassium cyanide, according to the Ishikawa Health Service Association. It can cause death within an hour and a half after consumption.

Three people died and 44 others were sickened by blowfish poisoning in 2007 — most of them after catching the fish and cooking it at home — according to the Health Ministry.




OK, look at that thing. You wanna eat a weird looking fish, go for it I suppose. But, uh, if I were you guys, I’d lay off the poisonous fish balls, huh? I mean, really! Fugu must be the most astounding taste ever that the human race has ever tasted. If someone told me, “Hey, Rich, we’re gonna eat the best thing ever tonight, I’m telling you, it’s awesome!” I’d be pretty psyched until they got to the part where they said, “yeah, but uh, FYI, if the cook botches the prep there’s a fair chance that it’s going to kill you…” and this is before you break the news to me that part of the meal consists of something's balls.

I mean, let’s look at a few facts, all right? OK, first: I’m not eating fish balls. Second, I’m not eating any balls whatsoever, nein danke! Third: I thought we were going out for a nice meal, not on some twisted game show or to get marooned on an island or something. I have an idea! How about we go get hibachi and you can soak your shirt in kerosene in the back lot before the guy makes the onion volcano* if you want danger there, Evil Kenivil.

Here’s another question, and I realize this is an “indelicate” one, but how does one prepare blowfish nards for consumption? I can see these particular daredevils got them grilled, but...How big can they possibly be?

You know what? Never mind, I don’t think I want to know.


* Seriously, how freaking great is the onion volcano? It’s the highlight of the whole show, and I am including any food launching in that.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

What about that crap people eat in the south -Im really bad with spelling but here go's chittlings do you know what I dont care how well you wash them but large intestines are not anything I care to try (Fried or not)