I completely agree that they should be dropped and driven out of business, and hopefully their ethical suppliers will be able to find other business resources as well. I guess I didn’t realize how them misrepresenting their product affects the lower rungs of the production ladder and I didn’t realize that “industrial…

Sure, I agree with that. We are talking about chocolate though, and I guess, ultimately, while the Mast brothers are shitty scammers, at the end of the day I don’t care all that much because it’s chocolate. I’m really just trying to make the point that it’s funny how much it blew up and how absolutely scaaaaandalized…

I used to think my December 21st was the worst but actually, I think you win. Kudos.

I’m allllll about dark. Funny enough, the Mast Brothers (and whatever else I stumble across at my farmers market) got me there.

Very true. That and also I apparently do not know what good chocolate tastes like!

I know. Trust me, I feel you. I dig artisan stuff and prefer supporting small businesses, like the personal and craft nature of it and yet detest how overwrought it all is. Having my chocolate and eating it too, I suppose, while being hypocritical. Anyway, this controversy (though it makes me laugh) has definitely…

Absolutely! I am fine with realizing I have no idea what I’m talking about and am happy to be corrected. Thanks for the recommendation!

Of course, but ultimately...the rest of the chocolate industry is going to be just fine. I guess my comment is more just laughing at how overwrought it all is. It is also just chocolate, though I am aware we are allowed to care about multiple things at once.

I think I might not know what good chocolate tastes like because I actually do like theirs, particularly their sea salt bars. But that might be because they have a lot of salt in it and that tickles me.

I just can’t imagine anything being less important in this world than this is. (I mean this as an indictment of the people involved and obsessed with the ‘chocolate industry’, not those of us consuming the news. ‘cause I love any and all drama, especially derivative, pathetic, hipster drama)

Yeah, but your explanation makes sense mostly in a religious context. Many of us don’t even believe there is a god, in which case, interpretation or not doesn’t even matter. I think we can blame religion as well as the people who created it and use it to manipulate.

*and is also a child molestor

I don’t live in LA, San Diego actually, and it’s pretty well known that most of SoCal outside of LA has a terrible public transportation infrastructure that doesn’t support many lifestyles nor schedules, including my own. It would take me 2+ hours to go the 22 miles I have to travel for work if I relied on buses, and…

very true. I also think I wrote that wrong, I meant that East County is forcing the coast to catch up with the rest of ‘murrica. my dayquil has me all crazy like.

East County’s catching up with the coast. Only a matter of time.

You grew up in a gorgeous place! I live in SD and if I could choose (aka had the $$$$) I’d beeline for Cardiff.

I suspect she had a similar issue that I had, which was getting tested too early. Unfortunately, the blood tests notoriously suck, and aren’t really accurate until about a month in because they only test for antibodies and not the bacteria itself. And, as we all know, a month is a little too far in to rely on! My…

My pet peeve, having had Lyme twice with clear clinical symptoms (admittedly, I was lucky in that respect) is people conflating Lyme with some other vague neurological illness that isn’t the same thing. Too often people have symptoms of “brain fog and fatigue” but no indication they’ve been bitten by a tick or are…

It’s possible, if they live in an endemic area. My dad and I got it once within a few months of each other, but we basically live in a tick paradise. My dad has also contracted it twice, because of said environment. Not totally out of the realm of possibility but Lyme is also the perfect vessel for nutjobs because of…

She’s definitely, 100% exaggerating. Lyme is the perfect vessel for nutjobs. (I’ve had it, but had the benefit of blood tests, rashes, 2nd opinions...)