It's all my mother's fault. She fed me liverwurst for years as a child, which eventually developed into a drooling love of foie gras. But now all that is about to come to an end:

Schwarzenegger Signs 'Foie Gras' Bill

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California will end the force feeding of ducks, geese and other birds to produce the gourmet liver product foie gras by 2012 under legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzengger.

The bill will also ban the sale of foie gras in California starting that same year if it's obtained by force feeding birds.

Schwarzenegger, who received pleas from several celebrities, including former Beatle Paul McCartney, to sign the bill, said it gives producers more than seven years to "evolve and perfect a humane way for a duck to consume grain to increase the size of its liver through natural processes."

"If agricultural producers are successful in this endeavor, the ban on foie gras sales and production in California will not occur," he said in a statement.

The bill's author, Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, said several countries have already banned the force feeding practice and the European Union is phasing it out.

The EU is phasing it out? I mean, what is the point of France then? California, Australia and Chile have already proven themselves excellent alternatives to the wine, so really, there's not much reason to visit France after this.

[But if we can't have foie gras with our California Sparkling Wine, I guess we'll have to vacation in Australia instead.]

Quote du jour:

"LIVER, n. A large red organ thoughtfully provided by nature to be bilious with. The liver is heaven's best gift to the goose; without it that bird would be unable to supply us with the Strasbourg 'pate'."
-- Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914) US journalist, short-story writer

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