First, allow me to...

Apologize for the underhanded and biting attacks on a genuinely excellent product and a company that is going above and beyond the call of duty in the name of global preservation and human health. I get a bit out of hand at times (all the time maybe). Just ask my wife if it has been something that is repeatable over the last 17 years. Getting older does a few things, it helps to balance the youthful passion and blind energy with patience, but it also hones the edge that cuts and amasses more facts that can be used to help drive the blade home. When that edge is unsheathed things can happen. For me fortunately my temper most usually comes out in words. Some with similar temperament are not so fortunate and this emotion is released physically. I should wear a caution sigh - do not provoke - but that would be a big red light flashing for folks who want to push my button. Lately I seem to be on a negative swerve. I can't really point to why. Things are generally great right now. Busy, fun, ya know: just flat out good. Stonyfield Farms makes some of the best cultured product in the world. The smoothies are amazing. I would far prefer a SF Smoothie, Shift or regular over an 'energy' bar on a ride. If they didn't cost a bunch of cash I would consume them on a daily basis. But when it comes to plain yogurt. Things change sometimes. If Hawthorne Valley stuff is available, I will buy that over anything else. I will buy it the day it is set to go out of code even. Why? Taste. I like the taste. Consistency. And because of where it comes from, where it is made and what it supports. No they don't have global initiatives like Stonyfield. But they work very hard to be as self sufficient as they can. My brother remembers distinctly the pride the farm took in being nearly 100% self sufficient, relying only on diesel fuel and a very small supplement of grain to run the whole farm and the dairy. When Hawthorne Valley Yogurt is not available I usually always grab some Stonyfield Farms. But with a preference for Whole Milk. If there is organic whole milk but no SF WM, I will generally by the WM vs the FF or LF SF product. That's just the way it is. I push Stonyfield Milk when ever i can. It is a great company.

But just because someone is the biggest and most diverse and most available, doesn't make it the best. Why buy a bike from a smaller brand? Sure TREK might be an amazing company, giving back to the community, making a good share of bikes in the USA (i dunno if that is true anymore or not), it doesn't mean you shouldn't ride a bike that might fit you or your needs better.

And all this talk about cultured breast milk from a bovine has really gotta turn a few vegan tummies. That or make their head spin.

So easily and quickly I can snap, jumping in, reacting to w/o thought. Often left wondering why. That same passion that drives me in a positive direction also has a backlash component in the wrong direction. Sadly my observations and thirst for facts and knowledge result in easily calling up items like poisoned darts, launching them on autopilot, zing - hair trigger. Pointed bits and I always seem to prick my finger on the poison tip as it flows, wounding myself in the process. The slow acting poison always starts to work well after the dart has hit home on the hapless target. I've worked at times to reign it in. It is a constant battle. Even for some old fart like me. But this is my burden to bear. The load gets lighter as I go and fortunately over my life I have made some good friends who've generally become immune, or just good at dodging and deflecting.

Back in 10th grade something the worst teacher I ever had has stuck with me. But I can never remember the exact words, but it was a pointed remark about criticism being something lowly and cheap or easy. And it sticks because, I wonder why it flows so easily for me. Why is my first instinct always to tell someone what they are doing wrong? My intentions are to help them do it right. Honestly. It is given to help. Like the cheaper by the dozen book. The father is always working on inventing time saving methods, helping others with his goal of having more time himself, and the cycle never actually turns around to benefit him. I want people to know that there is a better way to do something than how they are doing it. But people don't always like to be told what they are doing is wrong and things go downhill quickly.

Now to end this epic bit of introspection into the deep inner workings of... um, me. I want to quote something else that has struck a cord with me from the very first moment I heard it.

The words maybe are most effective if you can read with Peter O'Toole's voice:

In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so...

Without effort I can critique a work of art, a musical track, an essay, a photograph, and sadly a person with great veracity and little effort. And so when something defies critique, much like Anton Ego's meal at Gusteau's, I am really overwhelmed and the emotions are strong and joyful.

Another powerful line:

Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.

That whole film for me is made when Peter O'Toole reads the passage. To end (for real) Here is the whole passage (as pulled from here).

" In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more."

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