DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME;

THERES PLENTY OF ROOM FOR ALL GODS CREATURES
(right next to the mashed potatoes...)

i dont want to get into the veggie/meat wars. but i did see some funny stuff
recently. OLD MAN put that funny link to the PETA website, the one that mixed
it with the MATRIX. I laughed so hard i nearly had a wee! so iwas going to
write a diary on PETA and the information PETA has, which i would think is
LOADS of information that most people (especially meat eaters) dont know about
or dont care about. So i went to their site. but it, uh, wasnt their site.

the search delivered me to PETA alright: People Eating Tasty Animals. and
the site was pretty offensive. but what is offensive? i wasnt offended but i
know people who would be. people who eat meat get offended when veggie folks
(i say that cause i cant spell vegaterian) tell them their food is processed
from animals caged for months and then sliced and diced. why be offended?

see, personally, i think that, if you buy free range chickens (and what not)
then thats great because it shows that you are concerned about the chickens you
plan to eat. but uh, doesnt that sound odd? then you have people who eat fish
but say its not an animal. then you have people who are vegans but wear
leather, drive cars with leather seats. you gotta admit, we got a good thing
going here with these animals.

but me? i respect both sides. my mom grew up in rural san antonio texas.
everyone had chickens and, every other week it was my moms turn to ring the
chickens neck for sundays roast. she told me it was no big deal. i said why
not. and she said, cause we were hungry and there were 6 of us, 8 if you
counted her folks. and carrots and potatoes only went so far. no one got to
attatched to the chickens and, for good measure her dad said none of the kids
were to name the chickens. i disagree with that. i would have named my
chicken, Freddy. thats a good name for something you are about to eat.

So, the other day after rehearsal, i was in a rush but i hadnt eaten. it
justso happens that, in order to get home i have to drive by ORIGINAL TOMMYS on
rimpau and beverly. so i stopped in a got a chili cheseburger with everything
on it, bbq potatoe chis and a soda. it was great. and then i noticed
something; everyone was getting back in line. why? cause TOMMYS is so damn
good. and thats a tough arguement. whats wrong and whats right? what do you
do when something feels so good to do but many people think its wrong? when
something tastes so good? and especially when you disagree, philosophically,
on why something is wrong to do?

this arguement will be around forever, you can bet that. and people who dont
eat meat can celebrate that everyday someone else stops eating meat. more and
more people. and people who eat meat can celebrate in that, there is more meat
on the table. now, to be perfectly honest, there is not 1 veggie folk in my
family. i have over 100 relatives in California and about 50 in texas, another
50 in Arkansas. I have relatives in Germany but dont know whatthey eat (my
guess? meat) NOT ONE OF THESE people are veggieterain. but, one thing they
do have in common is this: they know what GREAT food taste like. and when you
grow up with people that, not only can cook but people who THROW DOWN. im
talking about people who, when they step in that kitchen they BRING IT.

now, if i wasnt exposed to such culinary amazment i would certainly be
different in how i see this. i remember being invited over to a friends house
when i was 8 years old and his mom made something with meat in it. it was like
4 dishes, all with meat. IT WAS TERRIBLE. if i was kid, i would have
immediately stopped eating meat. then he came over our house and my mom BBQd
some chicken. it was like hed died and went to heaven. he wouldnt go home! so,
i gues everyone has their own story and their experiences do dictate their
decisions. true, meat has cholestrol and too much is unhealthy for sure.
smoking and drinking are even worse, depending on your family history. but
hey, are we kids or what? to this i say, everybody wang chung tonight.
everybody have fun tonight.

SCOTTISH ROSE RECORDINGS
www.thefreedomman.com

=====

Mike Randle
mike@lovewitharthurlee.com

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