does NOT make us stronger.
But it may make us psychopathic.
'Nuff said.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Food Issues: Get the Media out of the Kitchen
When I started this blog, I was going to write weekly. I have a list of potential topics, and even some rough drafts. But somehow... didn't happen.
However, this week, I do have thoughts. It's a minor topic, but worthy of consideration. So I've decided to share. See, I'm having food issues, and it's getting serious. In general I gross out easily, but it does take some serious work to turn me off my food. And yet, recently....
I was okay with Babe, the talking pig, even though millions of children would learn that their ham and bacon came from pigs NOT lucky enough to "talk sheep".
And I think it's kinda funny that adults are grossed out at finding breast milk in the fridges of new moms but regularly drink the breast milk of a completely different SPECIES.
But then there were the "Break-free" commercials, with the hen in group therapy to come to terms with the fact that HER eggs were not going to be eaten like regular eggs are. Which completely turned me off the product. I'm sorry, but I can't be a part of giving some poor hen psychological angst.
And the latest Milky Way commercial is just WRONG... the one where the a guy, after a date that went badly, turns to a candy bar for comfort. He pulls off the wrapper and reveals a stunning model who calls him her "buffet of manliness" (or something like that). Which just goes to show that eating chocolate for the aleviation of psychological pain is not just for women any more. (Maybe the hen should try it.)
But the commercial that has REALLY given me food issues is the new one from Dairy Queen, the one about their new popcorn shrimp. For those lucky people who can still eat shrimp 'cause they haven't seen the commercial... either stop reading now, or give up on seafood.
For those still reading: in the commercial, the lady shrimp comes along to the man shrimp and asks what he's eating. He says it's Dairy Queen's new popcorn, and it's really good. She has a piece, agrees that it's good, but then realizes that it's not popcorn, it's popcorn SHRIMP. Then they realize that their kids are missing. And the tagline? "Dairy Queen's new popcorn shrimp... so good, even shrimp'll eat it!"
Ew. On SO many levels.
First, we have talking food. I don't want talking food. I don't eat food that still has a face, so I can't eat large shrimp in Chinese restaurants or buy fresh fish in the grocery store. I CERTAINLY don't want to know that prior to being served on the table, my food was in a group therapy session, searching for their kids, or even just reading the paper over their morning coffee. And I REALLY don't want to be thinking that I'm eating someone's kids. I know I am, but I don't need to be reminded. It's hard enough to eat healthily... now is just not a good time for me to become vegetarian.
Second, we're introducing the concept of cannabalism. So, again, EW. I don't WANT to think something's so good that another of the something would it eat. That's Just Wrong.
I don't know that I'm really making a point. Not sure these thoughts are "blog-worthy." But it's WAY past suppertime, my tummy is rumbling, and I'm afraid to watch TV lest ANOTHER food become verboten.
Which I don't think is the goal of food manufacturers!
However, this week, I do have thoughts. It's a minor topic, but worthy of consideration. So I've decided to share. See, I'm having food issues, and it's getting serious. In general I gross out easily, but it does take some serious work to turn me off my food. And yet, recently....
I was okay with Babe, the talking pig, even though millions of children would learn that their ham and bacon came from pigs NOT lucky enough to "talk sheep".
And I think it's kinda funny that adults are grossed out at finding breast milk in the fridges of new moms but regularly drink the breast milk of a completely different SPECIES.
But then there were the "Break-free" commercials, with the hen in group therapy to come to terms with the fact that HER eggs were not going to be eaten like regular eggs are. Which completely turned me off the product. I'm sorry, but I can't be a part of giving some poor hen psychological angst.
And the latest Milky Way commercial is just WRONG... the one where the a guy, after a date that went badly, turns to a candy bar for comfort. He pulls off the wrapper and reveals a stunning model who calls him her "buffet of manliness" (or something like that). Which just goes to show that eating chocolate for the aleviation of psychological pain is not just for women any more. (Maybe the hen should try it.)
But the commercial that has REALLY given me food issues is the new one from Dairy Queen, the one about their new popcorn shrimp. For those lucky people who can still eat shrimp 'cause they haven't seen the commercial... either stop reading now, or give up on seafood.
For those still reading: in the commercial, the lady shrimp comes along to the man shrimp and asks what he's eating. He says it's Dairy Queen's new popcorn, and it's really good. She has a piece, agrees that it's good, but then realizes that it's not popcorn, it's popcorn SHRIMP. Then they realize that their kids are missing. And the tagline? "Dairy Queen's new popcorn shrimp... so good, even shrimp'll eat it!"
Ew. On SO many levels.
First, we have talking food. I don't want talking food. I don't eat food that still has a face, so I can't eat large shrimp in Chinese restaurants or buy fresh fish in the grocery store. I CERTAINLY don't want to know that prior to being served on the table, my food was in a group therapy session, searching for their kids, or even just reading the paper over their morning coffee. And I REALLY don't want to be thinking that I'm eating someone's kids. I know I am, but I don't need to be reminded. It's hard enough to eat healthily... now is just not a good time for me to become vegetarian.
Second, we're introducing the concept of cannabalism. So, again, EW. I don't WANT to think something's so good that another of the something would it eat. That's Just Wrong.
I don't know that I'm really making a point. Not sure these thoughts are "blog-worthy." But it's WAY past suppertime, my tummy is rumbling, and I'm afraid to watch TV lest ANOTHER food become verboten.
Which I don't think is the goal of food manufacturers!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
So What I Don't Understand....
So here's what confuses me. The United States is a country where, not too long ago, we were forced to debate and hash over and be inundated with the lurid details of a President, his assistant, and her little black (?) dress. I remember the word "impeachment" being bandied about because a married man was stupid enough to get a blow job while at work keeping the country safe and flourishing. Then he lied to a Grand Jury, WAS impeached, but got to keep his job. After all, the only ones dead were his sperm.
Now, not even a decade later, we have another President, a man who has managed to keep his pants zipped at work. (At least, as far as we know.) But that doesn't mean his track record (or his pants) is clean.
Bush's insistence on the existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction led to an on-going Iraqi war that neither country wanted and which has resulted in the deaths of thousands on both sides. And it now appears he lied about the strength of his evidence.
Bush's government claimed to have had no warning about the events of 9/11 and no way to prevent or reduce the level of death and destruction. Later information suggests otherwise.
Four days after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, Bush stated that there was no way to have predicted the level of devastation that would be left in the Hurricane's wake. Only now we learn that Bush ignored the advice and warnings delivered by high-ranking officials and scientists who foretold of grave disaster if specific measures were not immediately implemented. Perhaps not all 13000 deaths and 23000 missing can be blamed on Bush, but like 9/11, his hands are not clean.
And now Bush and his people imply that the 70% of Americans that doesn't support selling port access to Arabs are racists. Which isn't even an accurate interpretation of their concern: they aren't saying "don't sell port access to Arabs," thy're saying "don't sell port access to Arabs without running a security check first!" The question is, when there IS a terrorist attack at one of those ports, will Bush be around to say, "no one could have predicted that level of destruction"?
First off, if steps aren't taken after a warning is given, you're a lazy idiot. If you're a lazy idiot running a country, then you're a lucky lazy idiot and your country is screwed.
Second, calling protestors "racists" is at best naive, and at worst STUPID. It's not racism; it's Reality. It's learning from our collective experiences and protesting when it looks like we're on a steep sliding-slope back to where we've been before and really don't want to go again. We live in an era where we don't pick up hitch-hikers, we don't invite complete strangers to babysit our children, and we don't invite the homeless into our homes.
Maybe this is a bad thing. Maybe we should trust our fellow man a little more, but that's how we are living right now, that's the reality, and it doesn't make us prejudice, it makes us afraid. And we have every right to be afraid, 'cause there are some Bad People out there and They Want To Hurt Us. So we help at shelters and soup kitchens, we donate to the Red Cross, and we run police checks and get references before we leave our children with someone with whom we are not intimately familiar. This Just Makes Sense.
And yet Bush didn't even bother running a check on this so-called "terrorist-free" company, didn't even do a basic policy check to see what other Middle Eastern countries they were aligned with or who they were boycotting. He wants to take his alloted 45 days to "educate" Congress, and if they don't "see wisdom" after those 45 days... he'll over-rule them anyways?!?!?
So let's just do a quick comparison of who gets impeached in the States:
Clinton: purported sexual harrassment, one dirty dress, thousands of dead sperm, lying at a Grand Jury hearing.
Verdict: impeachment
Bush II: started a war that results in the death of thousands, ignored warning of imminent terrorist attacks, ignored warning of Hurricane devastation, agreed to sell access to US soil before doing your basic security check that DAYCARE WORKERS GO THROUGH. Did NOT spill unnecessary sperm.
Verdict: has to endure the wailing and gnashing of teeth of the 70% racist countrymen who won't play along.
Poor man. How he must suffer.
Now, not even a decade later, we have another President, a man who has managed to keep his pants zipped at work. (At least, as far as we know.) But that doesn't mean his track record (or his pants) is clean.
Bush's insistence on the existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction led to an on-going Iraqi war that neither country wanted and which has resulted in the deaths of thousands on both sides. And it now appears he lied about the strength of his evidence.
Bush's government claimed to have had no warning about the events of 9/11 and no way to prevent or reduce the level of death and destruction. Later information suggests otherwise.
Four days after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, Bush stated that there was no way to have predicted the level of devastation that would be left in the Hurricane's wake. Only now we learn that Bush ignored the advice and warnings delivered by high-ranking officials and scientists who foretold of grave disaster if specific measures were not immediately implemented. Perhaps not all 13000 deaths and 23000 missing can be blamed on Bush, but like 9/11, his hands are not clean.
And now Bush and his people imply that the 70% of Americans that doesn't support selling port access to Arabs are racists. Which isn't even an accurate interpretation of their concern: they aren't saying "don't sell port access to Arabs," thy're saying "don't sell port access to Arabs without running a security check first!" The question is, when there IS a terrorist attack at one of those ports, will Bush be around to say, "no one could have predicted that level of destruction"?
First off, if steps aren't taken after a warning is given, you're a lazy idiot. If you're a lazy idiot running a country, then you're a lucky lazy idiot and your country is screwed.
Second, calling protestors "racists" is at best naive, and at worst STUPID. It's not racism; it's Reality. It's learning from our collective experiences and protesting when it looks like we're on a steep sliding-slope back to where we've been before and really don't want to go again. We live in an era where we don't pick up hitch-hikers, we don't invite complete strangers to babysit our children, and we don't invite the homeless into our homes.
Maybe this is a bad thing. Maybe we should trust our fellow man a little more, but that's how we are living right now, that's the reality, and it doesn't make us prejudice, it makes us afraid. And we have every right to be afraid, 'cause there are some Bad People out there and They Want To Hurt Us. So we help at shelters and soup kitchens, we donate to the Red Cross, and we run police checks and get references before we leave our children with someone with whom we are not intimately familiar. This Just Makes Sense.
And yet Bush didn't even bother running a check on this so-called "terrorist-free" company, didn't even do a basic policy check to see what other Middle Eastern countries they were aligned with or who they were boycotting. He wants to take his alloted 45 days to "educate" Congress, and if they don't "see wisdom" after those 45 days... he'll over-rule them anyways?!?!?
So let's just do a quick comparison of who gets impeached in the States:
Clinton: purported sexual harrassment, one dirty dress, thousands of dead sperm, lying at a Grand Jury hearing.
Verdict: impeachment
Bush II: started a war that results in the death of thousands, ignored warning of imminent terrorist attacks, ignored warning of Hurricane devastation, agreed to sell access to US soil before doing your basic security check that DAYCARE WORKERS GO THROUGH. Did NOT spill unnecessary sperm.
Verdict: has to endure the wailing and gnashing of teeth of the 70% racist countrymen who won't play along.
Poor man. How he must suffer.
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