Just like I said in my post about Jeff Peckman, I never like to comment on stories outside the top 10 of Google Trends. So, I’m going to comment on a story outside the top 10…again. It’s my party after all.

Actually, there’s a good reason for this today. Google Hot Trends is dominated today by the iPhone. Holy heavens…a new iPhone! Let there be rejoicing in the streets! The only thing not related to the iPhone that’s in the top 10 right now is about Michael Strayhan. The New York Giants defensive standout announced he’s retiring. He used an iPhone to call into a press conference to make the announcement. In addition, I’m sure every nerd at the Steve Job’s keynote speech at the Apple Worldwide Developers’ Conference is using his phone to check out what the latest in pro football is in between of hearing about all the thrilling new apps for their phones. Yes, I’m sure that’s what they’re doing.

So, no, I won’t comment on Apple (though I just did and gave them one more mention in a sea of free press). Instead, I’ll focus on another fruit…the tomato. First, yes, the tomato is a fruit. For those who want to tangle on this point. Wikipedia’s entry for tomato has a whole section dedicated to this controversy. The only point you need to worry about: “Botanically, a tomato is the ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant: therefore it is a fruit or, more precisely, a berry.”

So, onto the tomato recall…Apparently, there are some tomatoes floating around in the market that may be contaminated by Salmonella.  There has been a recall of a number of different types of tomatoes sold all over the country. In a dramatic shock showing the seriousness of the issue, McDonald’s has stopped serving sliced tomatoes as a precaution. What came as more of shock to visitors to one local McDonald’s was that McDonald’s ever sold tomatoes on anything. If you’ve eaten there recently, it’s anyone’s guess where all these sliced tomatoes were going. Maybe it’s one of those healthy sandwiches that are like number 23 on the value menu.

I had my own experience with the tomato recall yesterday at Subway. A prominent handwritten sign was posted that stated: “We have no tomatoes due to the e. coli outbreak.” I hadn’t heard about this yet, so I inquired with the teenager making my sandwich. “What outbreak?” I asked. “Well,” he said, “I don’t know, but they said it was bad and we shouldn’t use our tomatoes.” Huh? I’m sure that’s not the scripted, corporate answer. What’s more, I actually ate there anyway without getting a real clear idea whether the outbreak was only tomato specific and also if it was Subway-specific, that store specific, or that teenager specific. I had a potential footlong of death, but made it through.

Today, I went to our corner deli for lunch, affectionately known as the “Surly Deli” and, as always, said “no tomato.” I got back to my desk and, ta dah!, tomatoes. First time ever. If ever there was a clear case of an attempted murder, this was it. If I’m hospitalized, go on without me.

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Posted on June 9th, 2008 by Jonathan - Everyone But You
Filed under: A Little Bit of Everything

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