Groups that fight underaged drinking are raising concerns
about a new malt-liquor beverage with 12 percent alcohol that sells for less than a
dollar, comes in bottles the size of nail polish bottles, and has a flavor just
right for young folks.
MSNBC
says:
With prom season and all its attendant hazards around the corner,
some law enforcers and health advocates are adding one more cause for parents
to worry -- a new alcoholic beverage called Spykes that is sized, flavored and
priced in a way that critics say is aimed at teens.
Spykes, made by Anheuser-Busch, is a malt beverage with 12 percent
alcohol content -- about the same as wine. It comes in mango, lime, melon and
chocolate flavors and is infused with caffeine as well as the herbs ginseng and
guarana. Sold in 2-ounce bottles that go for 75 cents to a dollar apiece,
Spykes "gives kick to your beer, flavor to your drink, and is a perfect shot,"
according to the promotional Web site, www.spykeme.com.
It's also cute -- about the size of a nail polish bottle -- so it
can easily slip into the tiniest clutch purse or tuxedo pocket.
"It's the perfect drink for a child," lamented Judi Vining,
coordinator of the Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking in Long Beach, N.Y. She has started a campaign
to alert parents and law enforcers in her area, and persuade retailers not to
carry the product.
A
promotional site for the product says:
Spykes adds a unique flavor to beer or beverage of choice
and is infused with caffeine, ginseng and guarana. Spykes is about fun with an
edge. It opens the night up to experimentation and moving outside of the
beverage "comfort zone."
Alcoholic drinks with caffeine in them are the newest thing.
In addition to Spykes, there is Sparks
and Rock Star 21, an alcohol-added version
of the popular energy drink Rock Star. P.I.N.K. is being called a vodka and
Red Bull alternative.
Milk
Prices to Rise
Economists
predict the retail price of milk could rise as much as 30 cents per gallon -- a 9 percent jump -- by fall. The reasons include rising fuel and feed costs
for farmers and increasing demand for milk products around the globe.
Betting the Farm on Corn
There
are 114 ethanol distilleries in operation across the country that produce
ethanol from corn. Those distilleries plan to produce around 6 billion gallons
of ethanol this year, compared to 4.89 billion gallons in 2006.
That is going to take a lot of corn, and farmers
say they plan to plant every acre they can.
The U.S. government estimates 90.5 million acres of corn this year --
up 15 percent from 2006. There hasn't been more than that since 1944.
If
weather cooperates, there should be lots of ethanol and plenty to feed cattle,
pigs and chickens. But if there is a bad crop year, costs will go up for
everyone. It is not just in traditional corn-growing states like Illinois and Iowa. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says corn
acreage in Georgia is expected to increase 179 percent from last year, with farmers in Mississippi expected to plant 950,000
acres in 2007, up 279 percent from 2006. (See
details under "Current Documents.")
Reuters says:
U.S.
farmers plan to cash in on the fuel ethanol boom by planting the largest area of corn in 63 years, potentially yielding a record crop and calming fears that
renewable fuels will steal grain needed for food and feed, the federal
government said Friday.
At the Chicago Board of Trade [on
Friday], corn futures prices plunged the daily trading limit of 20 cents a
bushel on prospects for a huge crop. Prices for this year's soybean crop fell
as much as 33 cents a bushel, and wheat was down 27 cents a bushel.
Yet even with record output, this
year's corn crop could sell for a record $3.50 to $3.60 a bushel at the farm gate,
market watchers said. Corn prices on the cash market have doubled since last
fall due to explosive growth in the ethanol industry, driving up costs for
cattle, dairy, hog and poultry producers.
Al's Morning Multimedia
I often tell my classes that the key to a successful online
experience is that the Web allows for interactivity. Here is a great example. This Web site allows you
to punch in the name of a music artist you like, and the site programs music for
you from similar artists.
The
New York Times recently reported that these kinds of customized music
sites are becoming big for online radio.
The Times article mentions Pandora, which is just phenomenal.
Type in a song or an artist and it looks for music with similar instrumentation
and tonal qualities. I don't bookmark many sites. I bookmarked this one.
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor's
Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story
excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as
original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly
from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided
whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends upon the
accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and
inaccuracies found will be corrected.
