U-G-L-Y, these tomatoes got no alibi, they ugly

Previously: The Great Tomato Famine of 2004

It's not bad enough Florida voted for Bush again (this time on purpose), now they're holding back tomatoes that could lower prices in this current tomato shortage because they're too ugly?

Forget About Taste, Florida Says, These Tomatoes Are Just Too Ugly to Ship (NY Times) [click here to continue]

Unlike the smooth, round baseball-size tomatoes usually shipped from Florida from mid-October through mid-April, the lush, vine-ripened UglyRipes have what the industry calls a "cat face," full of uneven crevices and ridges. The Florida Tomato Committee, a trade group that controls sales and shipments of round tomatoes, has determined that the brand does not meet its standards for shape, lack of blemishes and other defects.

"The marketing order has nothing to do with taste," said Skip Jonas, the committee's compliance officer. "Taste is subjective."

How are we supposed to teach our kids that looks aren't everything if we're too embarrassed to let perfectly good tasting tomatoes leave the state because of looks?

Curses to you, Florida.