A Few Quick Things to Get Your Weekend Started

• Here is an interesting, if slight, article in Slate about food distribution giant Sysco. Growing up, I remember seeing huge cans of Sysco tomato sauce sitting open on the prep counter in my high school cafeteria. Being an ignoramus, I thought Sysco only made tomato sauce -- and bad tomato sauce at that. That's why it was so shocking to learn that not only do they supply military bases, hospitals, and public schools with prison-grade cuisine, they also supply many fine restaurants. Thomas Keller himself uses frozen Sysco french fries in his restaurants. I'm sure they're totally fine but...ew.
  
• I haven't eaten at a Taco Bell or KFC in about five years, and this is why (Listen carefully to the color commentary; it's the best part of the clip).
  
• This is old, and probably everybody's already read it, but I'm posting it here anyway, because I think it's pertinent to the discussion we had last week about convenience. According to Salon, you should just burn those four boxes of Annie's mac-and-cheese you have stocked in your pantry. After all, isn't just as easy to make mac-and-cheese from scratch? (I'm kidding. It is not easier, despite what the author says. Also, as a kid growing up, my parents frequently made mac-and-cheese from scratch, so hats off to them.)
  
• I was going to do a long and pointless post about the music they play at my local Albertson's, but since your time is valuable, I will simply say it here. What is going on with the music they play at Albertson's (and at most supermarkets)? It's like the music that was too bland to be played on the "lite hits" station. There must be quite a few artists getting by solely on royalties from supermarket chains. Mike and the Mechanics? Air Supply? Bonnie Tyler ("Total Eclipse of the Heart")? Yeah, they're all in heavy rotation at Albertson's. As are the lesser-played selections from the catalogs of Billy Joel, Janet Jackson (pre-nipple flash), Anita Baker, and Mike MacDonald. One time I heard "Hungry Heart" by Bruce Springsteen, and I nearly pissed myself with joy. Then they interrupted it to tell me there was a special on Coca Cola -- buy five three liters, get five free. Or something like that.
• The Academy Awards are this weekend. It's going to be a wine and cheese affair at my place. None of the movies I really liked got nominated this year, so I'm devoting all my energy to rooting against every film Paul Haggis had anything to do with. I don't have a clue who's winning what except that Helen Mirren is a mortal lock. So, Wilbon, who ya got?