Round-up
Made arrangements yesterday that may pay out in the long run. We'll see. /cryptic
- Am still in the process of creating icons but must already feature the one of Camille "Cam" Saroyan of Bones, whom I fell in love with when she confessed that late at night, coming home and wishing to read some fiction, she doesn't go for the crime but reads romance novels purely for the sex. Y'all, she'd totally read fanfic, het and/or slash! ♥
...yes, I continue to adore Bones so. Very. Much.
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the_grynne gives us several links about food, as it's apparently World Vegetarian Week. I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat fairly little meat, less than twice a week, and that in turn allows me to go for higher-quality meat even on a tight budget.
Like most people, I'm convinced my way is the best possible way* -- for economical as well as ecological reasons. Still, in light of the fanaticism surrounding our perspectives on food (from "I need my daily steak, and toss those greens back to the bunnies where they belong!" to "Vegans are healthiest, happiest, and save the world too!"), I think information matters, and that doesn't only include facts & figures but also some reading up on opinions not my own.
* Oh, like you don't.
And let's just say the comment thread of 10 Reasons You Should Become A Vegetarian has lots of those. Opinions, I mean, not facts & figures. *eg*
Part of the reason I make fun of both extremes is simply the fact that these are extremes; I'm a middle-of-the-road kinda gal (and it just so happens that the templates for certain roads in our culture are severely skewed).
Even some of these "reasons" in the main post are mainly propaganda appealing to emotions. I scoff at that -- the propaganda, not the emotions (I have them, I swear). First, the claim that "[v]egetarianism is also the ultimate weight-loss diet, since vegetarians are one-third as likely to be obese as meat-eaters" is a prime example of un-scientific indoctrination: Vegetarians are by definition people who have chosen to focus on food, to alter and control their diets and ultimately their life. That these are also people more likely to consider healthy eating based on nutritional value comes with the territory. Then, while I agree with the sentiment behind that "reason," I'd totally eat dog or cat provided it was nutritionally sound and tasted good. The problematic question I'd then ask would the same as for the cow or deer I fancy: Did the animal live and die in a halfway humane manner, with sustainability and global responsibility in mind?
Diana said the following in a comment that I can copy word-by-word with only one part redacted:I believe in diverse, balanced eating, and a small amount of animal produce is a part of that. I agree with a lot of the beliefs behind the slow food movement. I think fast food is a rip off [...]. I'm angry that so many family life and eating habits have become such that so many young people in particular don't know how to enjoy good food, and can't connect what they eat with the fact that it was a living animal.
I have more Thoughts for Food, and that long-promised post will come, but this can be seen as a bit of an introduction.
- In more practical news, I made apple pancakes off a Chefkoch recipe, only with 100% whole-grain spelt flour and cane sugar. Tasty, but very filling. ::is full but still has one sans-apple pancake left for later::
