Text 23449, 62 rader
Skriven 2007-11-26 21:31:38 av Barbara McNay (1:382/48)
  Kommentar till text 23315 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: Can'ts! 455
===================
 >  BM> Yes.  Teeth are for chewing, after all.  What is the function of the
 >  BM> lead in paint, anyway?

 > Lead oxide was the main ingredient of one of the early
 > white paints,
 > as it was cheap and durable, and back then nobody
 > thought about kids
 > eating paint chips.

OK, I'm confused.  I had the idea that all the paint had lead.  Perhaps mostly
the lighter or opaque colors?

 >> For me with pencils it was the Cabernetty taste, which
 >> isn't so pronounced any more - I think the quality of
 >> the wood used in pencils has gone down over the years.
 >  BM> Is that the flavor I described, or are we talking about different
 >  BM> kinds of wood?

 > Yes, the same; I was referring to the common (in wine
 > circles)
 > description of Cabernet wines as having a taste
 > reminiscent of
 > "pencil shavings." It is by no means considered a
 > defect.

Interesting.

 >  BM> The flap I mentioned
 >  BM> specifically mentioned that it was the paint, not the "lead"

 > [muttered] Gotta be China, then.

This was back in probably the 50's, so not likely.

 >> It is a Dixon Ticonderoga 1388-2/HB soft.
 >  BM> But did it have that satisfying crunch?

 > [flip answer] No, it was a Ticonderoga soft!
 > [accurate answer] Actually, yes.

For a short time, we had pencils at work made of recycled material.  I never
did chew one, but I don't think they sharpened quite as well as wooden ones.

 >> [mangosteens]
 >  BM> Interesting.  Unlikely that I will ever eat one, as I assume they
 >  BM> aren't sold around here.

 > In general no, as they are said to harbor some kind of
 > fly that is said to be harmful to stateside
 > agriculture.
 > But there are now mangosteen farms in creature-free
 > areas, so you may eventually see them in a market near
 > you. In any case, the juice is commercially available,
 > which started this discussion; also Trader Joe's sells
 > freeze-dried mangosteen sections, which although a
 > pale
 > echo of a real thing are better than nothing.

Perhaps I can look up TJ's online.

---
 * Origin: T E X A S ! (1:382/48)