Minimum IQ

[metalripper666]

In order to live in the USA, one must have an IQ FAR GREATER than that of your average potato chip or face a firing squad.

(if this were a law, kerry would have been put down a long long long time ago...)

[Idnew]

What IQ does a potato chip have? It manages to get eaten, dipped and crunched up. :rofl

[sinecure]

Now comes the question:

Which is smarter... a potato chip or a French fry??http://www.kurts-smilies.de/grinser.gif

[Idnew]

Well now that does bring up an interesting question. Since they both started out as just ordinary potatoes. As noted the potato chip gets eaten, dipped and crunched up and I guess fried also. On the other hand the french fry also gets fried, dipped and eaten, it also has a variety of different disquises. Like crinkle, straight, leave peeling on, large cut, small cut, sliced etc. On the other hand the mashed potato is not too smart as it gets peeled, boiled and squashed and eaten. Not much intellegence for a mashed potato. :lol

In regards to who can live in the US with this kind of intellegence might be a little difficult.

[PlayCrackTheSky]

Sarge: Donut was in the lead after the obstical course and the talent show, but the mysterious skull took the lead after the trivia contest

Donut: That dosent seem physically possable!

Ahem sorry for the random quote...but it kind of goes with all this right?

[DustyBottoms]

Jules: They don't call it a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?

Vincent: nah man they got the metric system, they wouldn't know what the f*ck a quarter pounder is

Jules: Then what do they call it?

Vincent: They call it, uh, Royale with Cheese

Jules: Royale with Cheese?

Vincent: That's right

[Idnew]

Guys really now we are discussing IQ's here of the potato's. Well actually the potato chip but it did come from a potato. That is scientic fact I guess so what's your take on the intellegence of the various potato's and which is more intellegent. The chip, fry or mashed or any other versions. How about hash browns or tator tots. :lol So in order to not face a firing squad we need to find out the IQ's.

Ahem sorry for the random quote...but it kind of goes with all this right Well if you would like to discuss the intellegence of the donut and skull I guess it fits. :rofl

[metalripper666]

so many variations of chips...bbq, sour cream and onion, cool ranch...

soooo many variables...

[Idnew]

Maybe that thar potato chip ain't so dumb after all. :lol

[sinecure]

Local Jack-In-the-Box franchises have a current special on "seasoned curly fries".

[Homer voice] Mmmmm.... curly fries. [/Homer voice]

I don't know how smart they are... only that they are pretty darned good.

[Serendipity]

Sin, that is most surely moral relativism... :lol

Just to straighten out the across-the-pond confusions, here a chip is a fry (French or Freedom or any other kind. Fries don't exist here except in US franchises such as McD or Little Chef). UK crisps are US chips, and are the most expensive way to buy potatoes (some of us still take care of the pennies so the pounds take care of themselves).

[metalripper666]

wow...i never thought i would see the day where the members of this site were debating every possible logistical aspect of potatoes...

[Serendipity]

Logistical? Is that a Bushism? Incidentally, I feel that the ability to string together a coherent sentence should be a prerequisite for anybody wishing to stand for public office... Bye bye Bush :rofl

[metalripper666]

of course, only you dippy could ever go and screw up an innocent thread like this with ur incessant politcal crap.

please, just shut thy noise hole. THANKS!

[Serendipity]

(if this were a law, kerry would have been put down a long long long time ago...)
I think I didn't start it with the politics :lol

[metalripper666]

I think I didn't start it with the politics :lol

i'm almost positive, but you brits do understand the concept of a joke right?

[Serendipity]

Metal, please check the mods corner.

[metalripper666]

no can do ol' sport, i asked id to change me back to normal status b/c i didn't like having to play babysitter. (thanks again for that id, really appreciate it)

so, i'm sorry if you don't like it, but i can now say what i wish! (without breaking the censorship rules)

[Serendipity]

Then understand, old sport, that I have a perfectly good sense of humour. I would poke fun at Kerry just as much as Bush (I think they're both worth laughing at, in fact it's hard to think of a politician who shouldn't be the butt of jokes), but here, in the current climate, that would be misinterpreted as some kind of support for his opposition. It's one of the things I like about Brit culture, that we can ridicule just about all our politicians without it being mistaken for support for anybody else.

[Idnew]

Ok knock it off and get back to discussing the IQ of the potato chip compared to the IQ of the other variations of the potato which at this moment I am highly interested in and lets not discuss which politician meets what variation of the potato. Now either of you think one potato variety is more intellegent than the other and if so why. :rofl

[Serendipity]

I don't know if they're smarter than any other variety, but Nicola potatoes have lovely eyes.... :wink

[sinecure]

Ahem... May I have your attention, please?

Thank you.

My own private surveys indicate that consumers purchase almost half of their away-from-home food at fast-food restaurants. Specifically, the rising popularity of fast-food "sandwich-style" restaurants is responsible for much of the gain in frozen potato use. Virtually all of the menus of these firms prominently feature french fries. Nearly 90 percent of U. S. frozen french fries--about 6 billion pounds--are sold through domestic and foreign food service outlets such as these.

Because of the success of frozen potato products and increased demand for products made from dehydrated potatoes, total U. S. per-capita potato consumption increased from 110 pounds (fresh-equivalent basis) in 1965 to 140 pounds in 1995. Last year, Americans consumed almost 60 pounds of frozen potato products (fresh-equivalent) per person, more than triple the amount in 1965. About 80 percent of frozen products were french fries, with the balance consumed in other forms such as hash browns, tater tots, and home fries. Among crops, only wheat flour exceeds potatoes, pound for pound, in the American diet.

Fresh potato consumption (called tablestock) totaled 67 pounds per person in 1965, falling to 50 pounds by the mid-1970s. Although tablestock consumption has been relatively flat since then, it may rise as the U. S. population grows older. Surveys show that diets shift toward fresh produce as people age. The leveling of fresh potato consumption may be due partly to the wide-spread adoption of microwave ovens in preparing baked potatoes. In addition, the introduction of potato bars, and menu items featuring baked potatoes at chain restaurants, may have helped to stabilize demand.

My intensive research on the subject had disclosed that per capita potato consumption has been relatively constant since 1972, as frozen potatoes have substituted for fresh. In 1987, Americans consumed an average of 123 pounds per capita (farm weight basis). Of that, fresh market potatoes and frozen potatoes each accounted for 38 percent, chips and shoestrings, 14 percent, dehydrated potatoes, 8 percent, and canned potatoes, 2 percent.

Potatoes are the most important vegetable crop in the United States. The crop’s 1999 farm receipts totaled $2.7 billion, or 18 percent of all vegetable and melon farm cash receipts. Potatoes, rich in vitamin C, potassium, and other vital nutrients, are a staple food in the United States. The 1999 per capita consumption of ALL vegetables was 454 pounds, fresh-weight equivalent, of which 142 pounds, or 31 percent, were potatoes. Pound for pound among U. S. crops, potatoes are topped only by wheat flour in importance in the U. S. diet.

As previously mentioned, the most significant changes in potato consumption over the past several decades have been the rise of frozen potato use and the decline of fresh potato use. To break-down the available information in a slightly different manner: In 1960, U. S. per capita consumption of fresh potatoes was 81 pounds (farm weight) per year, while per capita consumption of all processed potatoes was only 25 pounds per year. By 1971, per capita consumption of all processed potatoes, driven largely by frozen products, surpassed fresh potato consumption. While consumption of fresh potatoes has averaged about 50 pounds per person since 1975, consumption of frozen potato products rose steadily to 63 pounds in 1999 (fig. 1). Dehydrated potatoes (14 pounds), potato chips (16 pounds), and canned potatoes (2 pounds) represented smaller segments of the market. The growth of the fast food industry spurred the shift toward frozen potato products. USDA’s 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) shows that most U. S. fresh potato consumption —as well as consumption of potato chips, dehydrated potatoes, and canned potatoes— occurs at home. Frozen french fries are sold predominately for away-from-home consumption, with fast food establishments accounting for 67 percent of the frozen french fry market, followed by a 13-percent share for restaurants. CSFII data show distinct regional variations in the use of potato products. French fry consumption is much higher in the South and Midwest than in the Northeast and West. Consumers in the Midwestern States consume more fresh potatoes, potato chips, and dehydrated potatoes than consumers elsewhere. Rural residents tend to consume more potato products than consumers living in metropolitan cities and suburban areas, on a per capita basis, than other Americans. Seniors favor consumption of fresh and canned potatoes, while teenagers consume more chips and french fries than other age groups. These findings are taken from an analysis of the 1994-96 CSFII, USDA’s most recent food consumption survey. Each year of the CSFII’s 3-year data set comprises a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized persons residing in 50 States and Washington, DC. Survey respondents were interviewed in person on 2 nonconsecutive days and asked to recall all the food and beverages they had consumed in the last 24 hours. More than 15,300 individuals provided dietary data for both days. The respondents provided a list of foods consumed as well as information on where, when, and how much of each food was eaten. The survey collected an array of economic, social, and demographic characteristics for each respondent. USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has developed recipes that list ingredients and their quantities for over 7,300 foods. For each food, ARS has also developed the number of servings relative to USDA Food Guide Pyramid dietary recommendations.

Any questions?

[Serendipity]

Yeah, I have a question or two. Would I be right to guess that the increase in frozen potato consumption is largely due to the increase in the number of US households that have domestic freezers? Is there any information available that could indicate a correlation between the two? And may I add that I admire the CSFII's thorough approach to data gathering.

[Idnew]

Any questions?
No but I'm going to have to start having a box of kleenix handy before I read your posts as you bring me to tears laughing so hard.

So what I guess the above post means is that we need to have our IQ's checked for eating the fatening dang things.

Something wrong with your potatos eyes dip. That's another thing... do you realize how many more potatoes can reproduce if you cut off all the eyes they have and replant them. So you kill one and give birth to........well never actually counted eyes on a potato but some have a lot of them. :lol

[sinecure]

Sorry, I screwed-up an "edit" somehow resulting in a double-post...

[sinecure]

Ah, I see a hand raised... Yes, you in the back there... yes, you wearing the ballet slippers, electric blue Spandex leotard and juggling those ...objects....
You have a question for me?

Yeah, I have a question or two. Would I be right to guess that the increase in frozen potato consumption is largely due to the increase in the number of US households that have domestic freezers? Is there any information available that could indicate a correlation between the two? And may I add that I admire the CSFII's thorough approach to data gathering.

While I have no immediate information on that specific point, I would surmise that the advent of frozen potato products, and their marketing for home use would be relatively insignificant when compared to the production and consumption of frozen potato products [cut French fries, hash-browns, Tater Tots™, twice-baked potatoes] marketed to commercial and institutional establishments.

Domestic freezers have been attached to common American refrigerators for several decades now. A small bag of Tater Tots™ or a cardboard carton of hash browns is likely to be found in a significant percentage of them. Stand-alone household freezers are commonly found in the more rural portions of America, where the economies of scale [as well as the distance to markets] make the puchase of Costco-quantities of staples a rational choice [how many households truly need 25 pounds of frozen hash browns?].

Pushed to a guess, I'd say that while the influence of the incidence of American household freezers on retail marketing of small packages of a narrow spectrum of frozen potato products, their effect upon the national gross sales of all frozen potato products would nudge into the "insignificant" column.

Thank you for your kind words regarding the CSFII's data-gathering methodologies. We try our best to "dig-up" good information, and strive "tu-ber" as accurate as possible. [Please forgive my little CSFII "inside-jokes" there...<grin>]


Any other questions?

[Serendipity]

I had indeed thought of this very point after I made my last post, that commercial outlets - I take we are talking burger stands of various scales here - would hold the lion's share of the frozen potato product market. I wonder, then, if there is any data available on a simple question: what percentage of Americans have held a potato in their hands, in its uncooked, nonfrozen, in-the-skin, unprocessed, with bits of soil stuck to it, state? And how many of these have then gone on to cook it?

[metalripper666]

what have i started with this thread...

[Idnew]

I wonder, then, if there is any data available on a simple question: what percentage of Americans have held a potato in their hands, in its uncooked, nonfrozen, in-the-skin, unprocessed, with bits of soil stuck to it, state? And how many of these have then gone on to cook it?
Speaking for myself I normally always get the raw potato and do the whatever I am going to do to it. I rarely use frozen potatoes of any kind unless in a rush. We also used to grow the darn things and digging them out was no fun.

what have i started with this thread...
You're learning about the IQ of a potato and based on all the information supplied I would surmise the potato is pretty smart to morph itself in so many ways so that would mean a lot of people will be facing the firing squad.......... :rofl

See what fact findings get you. :lol It was necessary to find out the intellegence of a potato in order to shoot those with less intellengence.

[sinecure]

... I wonder, then, if there is any data available on a simple question: what percentage of Americans have held a potato in their hands, in its uncooked, nonfrozen, in-the-skin, unprocessed, with bits of soil stuck to it, state? And how many of these have then gone on to cook it?

Lots of us have held/handled raw potatoes... as ballistic projectiles!:eek

http://www.xinventions.com/webring.htm

[or Google "potato cannon"] :clap

...and I'd imagine the majority of older folks have also cooked spuds too. [Anybody else remember baking big old Russets in tin cans buried in burning autumn leaves? ...or a skillet of fried spuds n' bacon over a campfire?]

[Idnew]

and I'd imagine the majority of older folks have also cooked spuds too. [Anybody else remember baking big old Russets in tin cans buried in burning autumn leaves? ...or a skillet of fried spuds n' bacon over a campfire?]
Yes and very good.

Reminds me of another use of a potato if you're mad at somebody. You can stick them in a tailpipe. *evil grin*

[metalripper666]

POTATO CANNON!!!

good times...gooood tiiiimes...

[Serendipity]

That tailpipe gag reminds me of the goings-on at a supermarket where I had a clowny booking in the week running up to Christmas a few years ago. They had over-ordered smoked salmon by about 300%, and so they were desperately trying to get rid of it by reducing the price - I got some, and very good it was too - but they still had far too much of it. Some of the shopfloor staff stuck a load of it up the tailpipe of the car belonging to the guy who over-ordered it... It's not often you see prime smoked salmon shooting out of the back of a car...

I was humbled, as that was far funnier than anything I did while working there!

[DustyBottoms]

This thread makes me pringle all over...:wink

[Serendipity]

This thread makes me pringle all over...:wink
I'm a quavering mess....

(Dunno if that one translates across the water, but Brits will get it)

[metalripper666]

lol talk about deviating from the point...

[Serendipity]

There was a point? :lol

[metalripper666]

well...there once was...maybe...i dont know...

[SpenceT2001]

A potato is a better gift then a dozen roses:

"well, there's a lot of reasons:
I mean, roses only last like a couple weeks and that's if you leave them in water and they really only exist to be pretty so that's like saying
"my love for you is transitory and based solely on your appearance" but a potato!
Potatos last for ****ing ever, man in fact, not only will they not rot, they actually grow **** even if you just leave them in the sack that part alone makes it a good symbol but there's more!
There are so many ways to enjoy a potato! you can even make a battery with it!
And that's like saying "i have many ways in which I show my love for you"
And potatos may be ugly, but they're still awesome so that's like saying "it doesn't matter at all what you look like, I'll still love you""

So, next time you're on your way to pick up some flowers for your significant other head to the super market instead and buy that special person a bag of potatos.

[~wildangel~]

Potato's grow, like love. :rofl I'll have to buy my husband a potato!:lol

[Idnew]

spence that's a good one and they certainly do grow even in the frig

[~wildangel~]

"uhhhh the potato goes in the front":rofl