I don’t 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 I was 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 wasn’t offended but i know people who would be. people who eat meat get offended when veggie folks (i say that cause i cant spell vegetarian) 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 chicken’s neck for Sunday’s 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 attached 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 argument 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 amazement i would certainly be different in how i see this. i remember being invited over to a friend’s 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.

Mike Randle