Too many times

This sort of thing makes me angry:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Meat giant Cargill is recalling 36 million pounds of ground turkey linked to a nationwide salmonella outbreak that has killed one person in California and sickened at least 76 others.

Illnesses in the outbreak date back to March and have been reported in 26 states coast to coast.

Cargill said Wednesday that it is recalling fresh and frozen ground turkey products produced at the company's Springdale, Ark., plant from Feb. 20 through Aug. 2 due to possible contamination from the strain of salmonella linked to the illnesses.

Company officials said that all ground turkey production has been suspended at the plant until the company is able to determine the source of the outbreak.

"Given our concern for what has happened, and our desire to do what is right for our consumers and customers, we are voluntarily removing our ground turkey products from the marketplace," said Steve Willardsen, president of Cargill's turkey processing business.

Bolding is mine.  I just wanted to point out that this whole ordeal began in February, and today is August 3.  I'm no math genius, but that's almost six months.  (Seriously, how much of that ground turkey being recalled NOW do they think is still sitting around in people's refrigerators?  From June?  I don't even want to think about March/April/May.  Or February.)

Here's another beauty from the same AP article:

The CDC said this week that cultures of ground turkey from four retail locations between March 7 and June 27 showed contamination with the same strain of salmonella, though those samples had not been specifically linked to the illnesses. The CDC said preliminary information showed that three of those samples were linked to the same production establishment, but it did not name that plant.

Three months of "contamination with the same strain of salmonella."  From four locations.  Three of which were linked to the same production plant.  That part's my favorite.

Maybe I should add that this doesn't effect us at all--I don't have any of this particular product lying about (um, I don't buy from "meat giants," for one thing).  It just makes me wonder why we're supposed to be thankful that companies recall their products "voluntarily" for our "safety" when months have passed since contaminants have first been detected.

It's stupid.  I hate stupid.

The Cure, "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea." Because.

This monster in me

Johanna, who is filled with awesome, has redecorated my bedside table, or, more to the point (sorry; sometimes points just happen), has made me a monster collage over my very favorite photo of my girls, EVER (which is why it's on the bedside table):

I think I'll keep it up for a while.  Her monsters make me laugh.

I used to find Abby's artwork displayed all over the house, too, but now that she's 12, those days are pretty much over, unless you count all the mushrooms she's drawn and covered her bulletin board with (a la Mario Brothers, just FYI), but since THAT mess just stays in her room, it probably doesn't.

I kind of miss it.

Good thing Johanna is only 6.  (AND A HALF.  Do not forget that if you ever mention her age in front of her.)

Today's song is REM's "Circus Envy."  Listen, and you'll SEE WHY.  (Um, mostly because it's really the only song in my collection that mentions monsters at all.)

Still waiting for awesome

Yesterday I had a bit of awesome find me, in the form of a nap on the hammock.  (My first nap all summer long.  Crazy.)  But I keep thinking that TOTAL awesome must be around the corner, so while I wait, here are some pointless lists for no one's amusement but mine.

Movies watched (actually, some of these might have been late June):
Harry Potter 7.2 (awesome, awesome, awesome)
The Social Network (wow, that Napster guy was a jerk)
The Bucket List (have I ever mentioned how much I love Morgan Freeman?)
The Hangover (baby!)
The Time Traveler's Wife (yes, I cried)
Knocked Up (better than I expected)
Mean Girls (I love anything Tina Fey touches)

Books read:

Bossypants, Tina Fey (see "Mean Girls")

Jabberwocky, Daniel Coleman (free on Kindle, and totally awesome)

Eyewall, H.W. "Buzz" Bernard (also free on Kindle, and also totally awesome)

The Spellman Files, Lisa Lutz (hilarious and fab)

The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger (had to read after watching the movie; the book was better)

Books I tried to read but failed:
Her Fearful Symmetry, Audrey Niffenegger (seriously, what der hell?)

Quote of the month: 
"I told Papa I'd call him when we went to the beach, and I'm afraid he was just sitting by the phone all day in his swimsuit, waiting for me." --Johanna