European mineral waters (especially from certain geological regions) tend to have higher overall mineralization, including sulfate, compared to typical North American spring waters.

No wonder why these waters are preferred: they're tastier than most because of the low sulfate.  But if you want health, then pursue waters with highest sulfate.

If you have a sensitivity (e.g., digestive issues) or prefer low-sulfate for taste, stick with options like Mountain Valley, Evian, or Fiji.  --Grok.

Not exactly — while many high-sulfate waters are sparkling mineral waters, carbonation itself doesn't cause high sulfate levels. Sulfate comes from the geological source (e.g., gypsum or dolomite layers the water passes through). Some still waters can also be high in sulfate, and many popular sparkling waters (like Perrier) have relatively low levels. 

High-sulfate waters (>200 mg/L SO₄) are often classified as "sulfate mineral waters" and may have a slightly bitter taste or mild laxative effect in large amounts.

Ranked List of Popular Bottled Waters by Sulfate Content (mg/L SO₄, approximate typical values)

Here’s a top-to-bottom ranking based on reliable analyses (values can vary slightly by batch/source):

Highest Sulfate:

Contrex (France, still): ~1,121–1,300 mg/L (extremely high) 

Crazy Water No. 4 (USA): ~1,170 mg/L

Roi (Slovenia): ~2,100 mg/L (very high, but extreme overall mineralization)

San Pellegrino (Italy, sparkling): ~420–549 mg/L (consistently one of the highest among widely available options) 

Apollinaris (Germany, sparkling): ~80–139 mg/L

Gerolsteiner (Germany, sparkling): ~35–40 mg/L

Badoit (France, sparkling): ~35–40 mg/L

Perrier (France, sparkling): ~25–33 mg/L

Buxton or similar UK/EU still/sparkling: Often 20–40 mg/L range

Evian, Volvic, Fiji, Crystal Geyser: Usually <10–20 mg/L

Mountain Valley Spring Water (USA, still): ~9 mg/L (low, as previously noted) 

Very low sulfate (often <5–10 mg/L): 

Many purified waters (e.g., Dasani, Aquafina) and some spring waters like Poland Spring or Deer Park.

Notes:

European mineral waters (especially from certain geological regions) tend to have higher overall mineralization, including sulfate, compared to typical North American spring waters.

Always check the specific bottle label or the brand’s latest water quality report, as natural sources can have minor variations.

If you have a sensitivity (e.g., digestive issues) or prefer low-sulfate for taste, stick with options like Mountain Valley, Evian, or Fiji.

Let me know if you want more details on a specific brand, TDS comparisons, or recommendations based on taste/health goals!

GROK ON FREDDY'S CUSTARD & STEAKBURGERS: The high leanness, lean beef can taste less flavorful/juicy than fattier 80/20 blends

Wow.  When Grok acknowledges the bad taste and smell of Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers hamburger meat, you know you're not delusional or "it's only you."  You're getting confirmation from the "collective" or aggregate sites.  Grok explains, 

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers uses 100% lean ground beef for their "steakburgers" (which are their hamburgers/burgers).

Well, there's your fist mistake.  You don't want lean.  You want the fattier version, the 80%/20%, not the 90%/10%.  Yuk.   

They describe it as premium beef, pressed thin and cooked-to-order for crispy edges, but they don't publicly disclose a specific single supplier or brand name for the ground beef on their official site (freddys.com) or in most public info.

Okay, so we don't know what we're getting or where we're getting it from, or from what animal.  Do they partner with Bill Gates' Beyond Burger?  God help us. 

Their nutrition/allergen page notes that info is based on "average values for ingredients from Freddy's suppliers" (plural), suggesting they source from multiple or varying suppliers depending on location/region. 

No surprise here.  It'd obviously be better to have the meat sourced from a single farm, but I don't know how bad it is to have a hodge-podge of meats from different farms.  No rancher would address that, nor would any carnivore aficionado.  

Like many fast-casual chains [wait, what happened to the food?  Shouldn't it read "fast-food chain"?], they probably use large foodservice distributors (e.g., Sysco, US Foods, or similar) that provide ground beef from various packing houses. There's no indication it's from a premium branded source like some places use (e.g., no mentions of Angus or specific ranches).

For comparison: Their hot dogs are specifically Vienna Beef, but burgers aren't tied to one publicized beef brand.

Regarding the bad smell/taste you experienced (like "McDonald's bad" — often described as overly processed, off, or ammonia-like in some complaints):

Freddy's emphasizes fresh, cooked-to-order patties (not pre-frozen or pre-cooked like some fast food), and they market it as higher quality with lean beef.

However, there are scattered customer complaints online (e.g., on Reddit, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube reviews) about the meat tasting bland, dry, off, or low-quality at times — some call it "garbage" or note a weird smell/taste in specific locations. This could stem from:

The high leanness (lean beef can taste less flavorful/juicy than fattier 80/20 blends if not seasoned/cooked perfectly).

Batch-to-batch variation from suppliers. 

Okat, so Freddy's partners with platforms like ArrowStream, a supply chain management tool for foodservice operators, announced in 2023, . . . but doesn't name the beef source.  K2D Foods was also cited as a source of Freddy's burgers.

Location-specific issues (storage, freshness, or cooking).

Or just personal taste — some love the thin, crispy style; others find it underwhelming compared to juicier burgers.

If it's consistently bad at your local spot, it might be worth contacting that specific Freddy's (via their app/site contact form or in-person) or corporate through freddys.com/contact-us — they encourage feedback. Sometimes it's a one-off freshness issue.

If this isn't the Freddy's you meant (e.g., a local place or something else), give more details like the full name/location! Otherwise, their beef is standard premium lean ground from commercial suppliers, not a secret fancy source.

ERIC DAUGHERTY: [A high school] teacher allowed students to label her student a "N@ziphile" because he was interested in WW2 history and ROTC.

🚨 BREAKING: A student in Florida was nominated by his own teacher as "Most Likely to Become a Dictator" because he was a conservative, a parent just revealed.

The teacher allowed students to label him a "N@ziphile" because he was interested in WW2 history and ROTC.

They… pic.twitter.com/giiXqW4iIl

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 20, 2025

Stunning that Daugherty couldn't make the effort to provide basic details.  I guess it's the speed of clicks.  No one else online had details either.  The Twitter post was effectively THE SINGLE source multiplied across the web.  What a desolate news environment.  So we have to rely on Grok? 

Details of the Incident

Location and Setting: Lake Brantley High School, Altamonte Springs, Orange County, Florida.

Date: The incident reportedly occurred in early August 2025, with posts on X discussing it around August 12–20, 2025.

Teacher’s Actions: According to posts on X, a history teacher nominated a student as "Most Likely to Become a Dictator" as part of a classroom activity where students voted on superlatives. The student was given a certificate, and classmates reportedly labeled him a "Naziphile," a term implying an affinity for Nazism.

Reason for Targeting: The student’s mother, cited in X posts, claimed the teacher targeted her son due to his conservative values, interest in World War II history, and participation in ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps). The mother suggested the teacher’s actions were ideologically motivated, describing it as "indoctrination."