The Thanksgiving turkey! (1 Viewer)

Black Swan

Abord the Yorikke!
It is Thanksgiving in Canada!

First of all, I need to say that I hate "Extremes", whether they are political views, beliefs, religions, substance abuse, power for profit. Although, I possibly have been guilty of all of the above to a certain degree. I now prefer facts, truths, and simple tolerance and wishing peace for all.

Today, this is where I come from. I am about to cook a turkey that was offered to me.

Last week, I had forced myself to watch a collection of videos titled

"Earthlings": http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6361872964130308142#

What I have learned has been extremely disturbing to me, although I thought that I knew a lot on the subject.

The global warming of the earth, the over population, the lack of food for everyone, the clearcutting of forests for fast profit. The destruction of natural lakes to favor a type of fish for exportation only.

I do know that some experts are concerned and try to counterbalance the effect of capitalism on the exploited and exploitee, but what is there that a single person can do to improve to any degree the effects of such abuse? Should we ignore it completely and do what is best for each of us?

I now recycle pretty much everything I can, I often buy recycled clothes, buy from local farmers when I can afford it, buy free run or free range when I can, but I tend to distrust those producers as well.

Can I just eat my goddamn turkey and laugh these thoughts away with wine?
Let me hear what you have to say on that subject and where you stand.
Am I being extreme? :stillconfused

roasted-turkey2.jpg
 
There is some form of ugliness behind most things that we consume. We want to pay $1.49 for a pound of chicken or pork chops, but if those animals were all "free range" they would cost $8 a pound. We want to pay $20 for a shirt, but if that shirt was made by workers paid a decent wage it would cost $75. We want cars to be affordable (relatively), so they are mostly built by robots now. All of the carnage that the terrible big corporations do comes back to the fact that we want what we want and we don't want to pay for it. So someone or something is exploited to support our consumption.

The factory farming methods are one of the things that encouraged me to remain a vegetarian for 25 years. But by not consuming animals, guess how much of an impact I had? Zero. It's kind of a catch-22: if 200 million people in the U.S. stopped buying meat, that industry would change. But that's not going to happen. Not as long as there is money to be made raising those $1.49 chickens. So to say you aren't going to take part in that particular carnage is no more than a personal statement. You are not going to change anything. But at the end of the day, a personal statement is all we've got.

Unfortunately, I don't think most of us could afford to live in a just world. It can be done on a small community scale, but not on a large scale. It just doesn't work. And the population continues to increase at ridiculous rates. So here we are. Now what?

Have your turkey, I say, and don't feel bad about it.
 
Earthlings is heavy and disturbing stuff, I have been told. Also read some reviews.

I have not watched it myself yet, partly for fear that then I'll finally be forced to recognize that even vegetarism is not enough. I know it, but it simply hasn't made click in my mind. And I'm not ready for that yet, I'm afraid. I still love my cheese and boil eggs etc., I am no activist (well, almost no activist) in that field and often feel like a coward because of that. My ex-girlfriend lived vegan and when I was there to live with her I lived vegan too. It was absolutely no problem and there were tons of excellent food and cooking, it tasted great and we sometimes feasted like kings. But still, for me alone, it hasn't made click. But I feel myself working towards that and a thing like Earthlings could push me beyond the limits before I am ready for it. I don't know.

Nobody could or should judge you or tell you anything regarding thanksgiving traditions and etc. Still I'd say fuck the turkey. Get yourself some tasty non-animal-slaughtered food and a bottle of good wine and celebrate the beginning of your boycott of the meat-exploitation-machinery.

Because at the end a personal statement really is all you've got, may it have some impact on anything or not.
 
That's funny! It's like saying, "I'm honest, with a few exceptions", or, "I'm a teetotaller, with a few exceptions"...:biggrin:
 
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Right, you're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't. :tongue:

I know what you mean. I'm a semi-vegetarian myself.
 
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If it's upsetting to you Swan, don't eat it. Certainly wouldn't sit and watch the likes of Earthlings prior to a meaty feast. Respect those that choose the vegetarian route as long as they are not all up in my ass about my choice of chewing down a juicy slab of prime rib. And, no, don't think you are being extreme, just sensitive.
 
That's too easy! If you eat turkey, you're NOT a vegetarian. :tongue:
Easy, yes but not cheap!
As I said I hate "extremes", categories, labels. I also hate t-shirts that say, 'I am gay', 'Bob Dylan Tour 2050', 'No Solliciting', 'If assholes could fly, this place would be an airport', 'Go green', 'Wish you were here', 'If a turkey gets in my way, I'll eat it' :D. And I am severely claustrophobic, I am the one in the corner, unless Ponder beats me to it. ;)
Although I may wear a t-shirt that says 'Tuck the Furkey!'
 
Everyone likes to go on vacation once in a while. So, eat your turkey and enjoy it.

The cats who have moved into my house are carnivores and the dogs too but I feed them. Seeing the images in that movie was tough but I wouldn't consider that the farmer shooting those pigs in the head because he hates them. There has to be some consideration for eating what you kill. Not that it would excuse the Nazis if they ate the Jews. The movie was off base by trying to call me a Nazi for buying the beef we used to make the delicious Carne Asada we ate this weekend.

Ambreen, you might consider a little vacation to the steak house too.;)
 
I'm a semi-vegetarian too and not ashamed. Partly, because I simply enjoy the taste but also because of economic reasons. Those soy-burgers and "chik'n" pattys don't come cheap. Factory farming does provide cheap and plentiful food, you gotta admit.

Don't sweat it - you are still an aware and conscientious consumer it sounds like to me.

Supposedly, the Buddha was not a strict vegetarian either. If a person invited him into their home and had already prepared a meal that included meat - without knowing the Buddha's preferences - he still graciously accepted that meal from the host.
 
Easy, yes but not cheap!
As I said I hate "extremes", categories, labels. I also hate t-shirts that say, 'I am gay', 'Bob Dylan Tour 2050', 'No Solliciting', 'If assholes could fly, this place would be an airport', 'Go green', 'Wish you were here', 'If a turkey gets in my way, I'll eat it' :D. And I am severely claustrophobic, I am the one in the corner, unless Ponder beats me to it. ;)
Although I may wear a t-shirt that says 'Tuck the Furkey!'
But you told me several times that you were a vegetarian!

I'm a semi-vegetarian too and not ashamed.
Either you are a vegetarian, either you are not, that's all!

And your "that's not cheap" and "economic reasons" don't work! A vegetarian can survive without buying special food. I never buy any and am still alive. :tongue:
 
But you told me several times that you were a vegetarian!
She never ate any meat in Holland, clear enough?

Either you are a vegetarian, either you are not, that's all!

And your "that's not cheap" and "economic reasons" don't work! A vegetarian can survive without buying special food. I never buy any and am still alive. :tongue:
Depends what you eat.
Cookies are very cheap.
 
Apparently, you're no longer a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian if you ate a couple of salami sandwiches during the year. Darn! Now I'll have to start all over again...:rolleyes?:
 
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It's that kind of fanatism below the surface that makes a lot of vegetarians, vegans, animal rights people and the few other heros who (think they) fight for a better world seem narrow-minded. Not all, but unfortunately a lot.

Like they've found the Holy Grail or something.
 
A famous guru said that I should worry more about what comes out of my mouth than what I put in it!
That, I struggle with ! :shutup:
 
It's that kind of fanatism below the surface that makes a lot of vegetarians, vegans, animal rights people and the few other heros who (think they) fight for a better world seem narrow-minded. Not all, but unfortunately a lot.

Like they've found the Holy Grail or something.
Bingo.

A famous guru said that I should worry more about what comes out of my mouth than what I put in it!
That, I struggle with ! :shutup:
Bingo.
 
Depends what you eat.
Cookies are very cheap.
I prefer boogers. They're free, tasty and said to be full of protein.

I am not a fanatic, it's just the first time I hear of semi-vegetarianism and this is making me feel perplexed.

I am not reproaching anything to Jocelyne, I thought she never ate meat, so I was very surprised when I saw her creating a thread about Thanksgiving turkeys.
 
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Ambreen - Despite the way this thread reads, there really is no SEMI-VEGETARIANISM movement at work in the U.S.

As much as I can picture myself as the leader of that movement in South Korea on a series of youtube videos... It would have no chance of succeeding anyway, unless ConAgra or Pictsweet took charge of the operation.

I know the definition of "vegetarianism" is concrete but the putting-into-practice part has plenty of room for variance, right ? People who just try to eat healthy, or those on medical diets, or athletes, or people following religious guidelines.. etc..
 
Was this thread about Thanksgiving?

Black Swan said:
First of all, I need to say that I hate "Extremes", whether they are political views, beliefs, religions, substance abuse, power for profit. Although, I possibly have been guilty of all of the above to a certain degree. I now prefer facts, truths, and simple tolerance and wishing peace for all.

So on that note, how about some simple tolerance and peace.
 

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