>>>In my young and crazy years I did drink too much (the quip about washing away brain cells definately was true back then) and in the young and stupid years I was a smoker - there might have been some overlap ;-)
>
>Latest evidence I saw was that 5 years after stopping smoking, the risks are similar to those of somebody who never smoked. The trick is to quit 5 years before you get the cancer: around 86% of lung cancers are smoking-related.

Should be all right if my lungs follow that pattern.
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>I agree with buying basic produce and preparing it yourself. Looking at ingredients, I'm struck by the preservatives and real sugar or artificial sweeteners in a lot of prepared food items. And just as a warning: there's a bustling trade in packaged raw vegetables from China. Basically Asian restaurants can maximize profits by using imported sliced and prepared vegetables that often are packaged in meal sizes. I used to be fond of Thai food as you could see the chefs in the kitchen cutting up the raw ingredients- but these days kitchens more often are closed and the veg is poured into the wok from a plastic package grown and prepared who knows how. The sign I've learned to watch for is carrots cross-sliced into a wavy pattern like a crinkle-cut crisp: that seems to be a common theme in this imported frozen stuff.
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A dozen years ago the open kitchen approach started to be a gimmick for new places - now we have a small shit storm around Vapiano, a concept trying to establish a chain where customers stand in line to get pasta or salads prepared for them and can watch/add special wishes. Sitting on a more posh version of Octoberfest benches, payment done via bill on electronic card given on entry, centralized locations. Could make sense for high turnover place without lowering standard of food itself too much even at rent prices of inner city.

Shit storm at Vapiano around using some items even after guaranteed freshness date stamp plus a few things to be expected if you pay just above minimum wage. Had tested them, but they did not register high enough on my personal scale to warrant regular visits. Perhaps it might be wise to ask for a slice of each ingridient unprepared as a side order...

...

>http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2007/hell-too-good-for-some-evil-bastards/
>(That second one was found to be offensive by the authorities, fwiw)

love the afterthought makeup job on second picture in second - and would never have thought that authorities in NZ would stoop to comment. Or was that triggered by friends of the agency to create more of a hoopla? Is religion that big in your county?