Tasers

It's definitely hard to get police to commit to an interview about anything controversial, even if it's just for a class exercise and not for publication.  The "gatekeepers" at the police departments I called were all pretty discouraging, although once I got through to officers they were infallibly helpful and polite.  I think your average police officer has a much better ability to keep the lines of communication open with the public than the higher-ups in a department.

For privacy reasons, I'd rather not put his name up here, but the officer I spoke to at the MSU Police deserves special consideration.  He took at least 45 minutes out of his evening to do a phone interview, and he was extremely open and forthcoming during that time.  A true public servant and a credit to police officers everywhere.

While pursuing a source with the State Police, which ultimately didn't pan out, I definitely saw the effect that the budget cuts have had.  It seems like receptionists were the first to go, as most of my calls, even to the "front desk" or other general contact number all went straight to voicemail.  I'm not judging the state troopers at all; I'd much rather they made it harder to get in touch with their media person than have to curtail, say, 911!  It's just becoming more and more apparent that this state is really starting to hurt as its economy remains in the tank.

Swagath Foods

During my recent profile of Swagath Foods in East Lansing, I didn't have an opportunity the discuss any of the many products I've sampled from the grocery store.  I want to use this post to talk about some of my favorite Indian snacks.

One of my favorite snacks is Chana Masala-dar, which means "Spicy Garbanzo Beans."  A giant bag of this tasty snack is only a couple bucks.  Unfortunately, the powdery spices tend to make a mess of your hands and clothes.  Other than that, nothing stops me from gulping them down by the handful.  I'm still curious as to why Indian garbanzo beans are so much smaller than the Italian ones I'm more familiar with.  They're crunchy, so maybe they shrunk during the drying process?

Another favorite snack is called "Kurkure."  These are crunchy strips that look and have the texture of Cheetos.  However, instead of tasting like cheese, these snacks come in flavors like Red Chili Pepper and "Masala."  (I'm not sure how much information the world "spicy" by itself is supposed to convey about what a snack tastes like, but they are definitely good.)  The Red Chili ones are ever better, but they are extremely hot.  When I have a bag of these, I make sure to have a water bottle nearby.  I must not be the only non-Indian who's gotten hooked by these, as this article claims that Kurkure will soon have a complete US rollout.

Garlic pickle is a very flavorful spread.  Having grown up with an Italian grandma, I might be more adjusted to garlic's strong taste than your average person, so it might not fit everyone's tastes.  I like a little spot of this on a cracker or chip.  It's very concentrated, though, so only put a little dab at first until you can gauge its strength.

My absolute favorite snack is definitely spicy plantain chips.  These banana slices are so coated with spice that they're bright orange.  I don't know what it is about these, but even though I love the taste, I can eat an entire bag of these without feeling full, which probably isn't very healthy!

My girlfriend has a sweet tooth and usually sticks with ice cream and "sweets," as Indian groceries tend to refer to desserts and pastries as.  Jelabi is a goopy fried dough that is usually sold dyed bright orange with food coloring for mysterious reasons, which is a little sweet for my tastes, but still good. The Indian ice creams I've tried so far haven't impressed me.  I still prefer good old Perry's from my hometown of Buffalo, NY by a lot.  Sometimes, you just can't beat what you grew up with.