R.I.P.

Goldie

November 1994 - 27th of November, 2008

You were my favorite, you know? I'm glad I was there to send you away.

Forcing food on people...

I don't hate vegetarians. Or even vegans. I don't have much respect for them, but then again, who am I to tell them what to eat or not?
My problem with some of them? They are kind of like the Christian Fanatics that always tell you what to believe (despite not having even read the bible, but I digress). Of course that doesn't mean that ALL vegans (or christians) are like that, but the ones that are always tend to be so annoying you tend to forget not everyone is the same.
I was recently browsing one of the cooking forums I read and I encountered a very, very annoying vegan there that started telling everyone not to eat anything that was not plant. No Crabs, or Shrimp or Lobsters, no pig, mutton, lamb, beef, fish... you get the idea. I am used to these kinds of people, but what was particularly annoying about this one was the constant blabbering and effort to tell everyone how disgusting it was to eat all of those types of meat. He/she used comparisons of disgusting nature to try and dissuade the readers of carrying on with their meat-eating.

Furthermore, this person even tried the classic: Studies show that.. blah blah blah. I have a question for all you people that insist on saying "studies show this or that": Why is it that whenever you "quote" a "study" you never bother to write down the SOURCE or the YEAR the study was made? It's always "recent". Right. What is that? The 70's when Americans in Woodstock discovered the Avocado for the first time? That's fairly recent, compared to the hundreds of years people have been eating meat without much trouble, and in fact have survived decently well.

Newsflash people! Humans are OMNIVORES that means we eat both veggies and meats! Whether you choose to eat one or the other it is your problem but if you don't like people offering you a bite of a hamburger, then don't try to impose your personal belief that eating plants is better than eating meats.
You think eating lettuce is better for your health? Good for you. I don't care. What could you do to share your opinion about it? How about a recipe instead of trying to degrade the food that the rest of us eat? A good salad recipe is something I would try and I might agree with you or not on whether it is healthier but I at least will have the courtesy of telling you that yes, it tastes good.

For all of you diet people, eating only veggies is not the only solution to a healthier body... certainly, a balance of proteins and vitamins is necessary and they don't all come in the necessary quality or quantity in veggies only or in meat only. Don't believe that bullshit that you have to be a veggie to be slim. It's not true. In fact some of the veggies I know are not slim, they are cadaverous. Try maybe, eating less meat and more veggies. BALANCE is the keyword. Find it and exercise. That will shape you up.

And again, if you want to eat veggies only, that's your choice. But don't believe you are better (or less cruel to animals) for it.

Here's something for everyone, my fav salad EVER: Maggianos Salad for you veggie people just get rid of the prosciutto. NOT FOR VEGANS (it has bleu cheese) it might taste ok without it but it takes a LOT of the flavor out.

Times and Change

Well, I am glad to see my vote counted for something.

A week or so ago I was in Houston, talking with an old friend of the family. He's a Republican, voted for McCain, I did the early vote for Obama.
While we talked we discussed a bit as to why we chose who we chose. He had some very good points about foreign Oil policies, and McCain's proven record. He didn't think much of Obama's chances at making the changes he promised.
My main issue was clearly my dislike of Bush's and McCains foreign policy. To my eyes, any country in the world needs allies, no matter how great that country is, how proud the people are or how much money they have. As such, disregarding everyone's opinion to pursue your own agenda will not push towards peace, much less understanding.
I truly don't believe that most americans understand how the rest of the world sees the USA. Let me clear their doubts and clarify that the rest of the world is NOT jealous.
Most of americans have never stepped out of the country, met a foreigner in more than passing or even stopped to think that what they do might not be seen as justifiable by the rest of the world, and yet a lot of the believe themselves more than worthy to pass judgment on what a country other than their own has a right to do.
Defending your way of life is not the same as trying to impose your beliefs and system on others.
Bush, pushing policies of fear of foreigners; suppressing freedom of speech and opinion (Patriot Act anybody?) and reckless warmongering condemned the USA to be seen as the "(Bully) Police of the World (Wannabe)." And McCain's approach during the debates reflected this attitude.
That was my main issue with him. Do I think he is capable? Extremely. Smart? Well, he chose Palin, but everyone makes mistakes. A good leader for the country? Eh... no.
Following the lead of a man (Bush) that should be arrested, tried and judged the moment he steps out of office is not a good choice. He might love his country, but he doesn't understand it.
Will Obama be a better choice? I would think and hope so, since he is now the president-to-be.

But what I told my Texan friend I will repeat here: When Barak becomes president of the USA he must forget his political party. He is above that now. He has to reach to the Republicans in Senate and Congress too. He cannot allow something as trivial as that to cloud his judgment in the resolutions that will remake or destroy the USA.
They helped him get there, now he has to become the leader the PEOPLE chose. In the end, the party, the congress, the senate, and the presidency is nothing more than an extention of the will of the people.
And he has to make an extreme effort to make the people of the USA understand that he cannot simply change everything from one day to the other. It will take time, lots of it. Change of this magnitude doesn't happen just by snapping your fingers.
And I hope, he listens to his own words and seeks the help of the world to find a solution. USA is a country, it is not completely alone, but only through hard work will it be again respected instead of scorned, feared or hated.
So, good luck, President Barak Obama.

-

On a sadder note, Juan Camilo Mouriño, Secretary of the Interior (Mexican Vice-President) passed away last night (4th of November).
His airplane crashed, killing all 9 passengers immediately. More is to be revealed about the incident itself later on, but for now, I share my condolences to his family and friends.