big brother

Is it possible for New York city Mayor Michael Bloomberg to be considered both a fascist and a national laughingstock? We're about to find out:

New York City plans to enact a far-reaching ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts, in the most ambitious effort yet by the Bloomberg administration to combat rising obesity.

The proposed ban would affect virtually the entire menu of popular sugary drinks found in delis, fast-food franchises and even sports arenas, from energy drinks to pre-sweetened iced teas. The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 fluid ounces — about the size of a medium coffee, and smaller than a common soda bottle — would be prohibited under the first-in-the-nation plan, which could take effect as soon as next March.

The measure would not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, dairy-based drinks like milkshakes, or alcoholic beverages; it would not extend to beverages sold in grocery or convenience stores.

So the ban doesn't apply to fruit juice and milkshakes -- which are so loaded with sugar they're not any different than soft drinks in how they contribute to obesity -- nor does it apply to alcoholic beverages. Good to know this is both an unprecedented and arbitrary prohibition.

Prediction: The first presidential candidate out of the gate condemning Bloomberg will probably reap a fair amount of positive media coverage, to say nothing of making inroads with voters. I didn't think anything would make Mountain Dew A.M. seem appetizing, but now it tastes like freedom.