It's past truism to say that comedy shows have become key providers of information and current events for many people, even as Jon Stewart disclaims such an effect, or says that it shouldn't be that way.

I have written previously about the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders, and operator Chris Clark was in touch recently about a new feature of the group's public interaction.

At the beginning, there was little more than a matinee. In September 2009, the Museum of Science scheduled a Wednesday afternoon showing of “Food Inc.,” wondering if it would draw an audience.

“Surprisingly to everyone around here, the auditorium was full, with a huge waiting list,” said David Sittenfeld, manager of the museum’s forum program. “What we realized was that we needed not just a few programs about food but a full and discrete program.”

You may be aware of "Supersize Me," the 2004 movie in which Morgan Spurlock eats nothing but McDonald's for 30 days and develops all sorts of maladies as a result.

In my previous post, I gave a trio of 10-year-old Kyle Marsh's suggested actions to take in defense of endocrine-interrupting chemicals. He provided 10, and in the limitless real estate of blogging, I could easily have included all of them, and my inclination was to do so. 

Except as almost always happens when I'm trying to take notes, I didn't quite get it all. And I could hardly give "Nine of Kyle Marsh's 10 Tips." And then Scott Davis, who follows me on Twitter, asked for the other 7, and I knew I'd been busted.

I enjoy columnist Alex Beam's writing in the Boston Globe, perhaps more than any other writer there. To me, he has long been a reason to buy the paper (though still, I read it for free online, and was doing so long before I left the paper's employ almost four years ago).

One facet of my enjoyment is his consistent curmudgeonry, though I suspect that in his case, it's congenital. So often, he infuses his countercultural positions with a credibility I'm surprised to see.

Two items crossing my screen in the past couple of days illustrate the fabulously roiled field of food and food politics.

First, my pal Deborah Lapidus at Corporate Accountability International wrote to ask that I add my voice against the corporate food lobby's attempt in Arizona to prevent local cities and towns from even proposing laws that would impede marketing of junk food to children.

For the second time in a week, I find myself flummoxed by the declaration of an "expert," and so I must disclaim again: I'm neither a doctor nor a scientist, but I do read a lot.

From a letter to the editor in suburban Pittsburgh: