Topic: Tomatoes

The final segment featured a culinary tip regarding pumpkin seed oil, a specialty common in Slovenia. The oil is touted for its potential benefits for prostate health and is recommended as a dressing for ripe tomatoes when combined with balsamic vinegar and fleur de sel. The show closed with a series of audio clips and a final call for listener support.

The corruption of movie review site Rotten Tomatoes is discussed, with claims that critics are paid to manipulate scores. Listeners are directed to the Daily Ratings podcast as a consistent, independent alternative. The segment also includes a birthday shout-out for Dame Trinity and a brief mention of PBR Street Gang's support for listener-funded radio.

A brief discussion explores the necessity of refrigerating tomatoes and eggs. It is noted that once eggs are refrigerated, they must remain so, whereas unwashed eggs can be kept at room temperature due to their natural coating. The segment references the book "Too Many Eggs" regarding poultry product management.

The critical reception of the *Barbie* movie is contrasted between mainstream outlets like Rotten Tomatoes and independent podcasters. While professional critics have praised the film, many independent commentators describe it as a "woke" propaganda piece and an extended advertisement for Mattel. This divergence is cited as an example of the value of podcasting in providing diverse public opinions that challenge corporate media narratives.

India has reported over 80 cases of "tomato flu" or "tomato fever," primarily affecting children under five in the Kerala region. Health officials believe the virus may be a new variant of hand, foot, and mouth disease, characterized by red blisters, and it is particularly threatening to immunocompromised individuals.

The hosts compare the critical and audience reception of Blade Runner 2049 and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Dvorak notes that critics often favor "pretentious" films while audiences prefer more entertaining, faster-paced movies.

A dinner at Fix restaurant in Austin involved a confrontation between Max Keiser and the owner over the lack of tomato juice for a Bloody Mary. Keiser questioned the establishment's status as a full bar given the absence of basic mixers like horseradish and celery. The hosts compare Keiser's direct personality to their own social interactions.

Dan Aykroyd appeared on media outlets to defend Leslie Jones and the new "Ghostbusters" film, blaming "racist internet trolls" for the backlash. The hosts review the film's lackluster box office performance and the significant gap between positive critic reviews and lower audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

In a recurring segment, one host argues that the classic film "Rebel Without a Cause" is poorly made despite its high critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes. They play a brief snippet of the film to demonstrate what they perceive as awkward acting and dialogue. The host vows to continue pestering the other with clips until they agree to watch and critique the movie.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open the program discussing the safety of Port Angeles, Washington, amid reports of regional wildfires. Dvorak describes the local honor-system farming culture and notes that while Washington tomatoes are usually poor quality, recent extreme heat has improved them. They observe an unusually early southward migration of geese across northern states including Michigan and Oregon.

Dutch farmers are allegedly bypassing Russian export bans by labeling their tomatoes as Turkish products while still collecting EU subsidies. In Amsterdam, a "tomato fight" protest sponsored by Siemens was held to criticize Russian sanctions. The hosts find the waste of food abhorrent, referencing the historical "Hunger Winter" in the Netherlands when food was scarce.

The hosts address listener feedback regarding the No Agenda Global (NAG) Radio stream and its alleged advertisements. The discussion shifts to an "outstanding food product" segment featuring a mutant-looking heirloom tomato from an Austin farmers' market, which is praised for its superior taste compared to store-bought varieties.

Congress is considering an appropriations bill that would effectively classify pizza as a vegetable in school lunches by counting tomato sauce toward nutritional requirements. Lobbyists from the frozen food industry successfully argued against increasing the required amount of sauce per slice. The hosts view this as a distraction from more significant economic and social issues.

A severe freeze in Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. has decimated produce crops, leading to a doubling or tripling of prices for tomatoes and zucchini. In the wake of this agricultural disaster, Monsanto is reportedly pushing for the adoption of frost-resistant genetically modified (GMO) seeds. The hosts suggest that environmental crises are often leveraged by biotech companies to bypass regulations on engineered crops.

A severe late blight is affecting tomato and potato crops in the Northeast United States, occurring much earlier in the season than typical fall outbreaks. Speculation exists regarding a connection between the blight and the development of resistant "super tomatoes" at Cornell University, which has ties to Monsanto. Some observers suggest the outbreak may be a concerted effort to undermine the organic heirloom tomato market.

The adoption of international standards for tomatoes by the Codex Alimentarius Commission is discussed as a potential move toward restricting heirloom varieties. This is linked to a recent "tomato scare" in the U.S. that was later attributed to jalapenos or cilantro. A historical parallel is drawn to the 1980s Chilean grape scare, which the hosts suggest was a manufactured crisis used for economic leverage.

A salmonella outbreak in the United States has been linked to tomatoes, with some experts pointing to the use of untreated wastewater for irrigation in Mexico. The contamination may occur when water is absorbed through the stem hole during the washing process at industrial plants. There is a growing consumer demand for country-of-origin labeling on produce to allow buyers to identify the source of their food.